Holidays are a big deal to most children, especially Halloween. The excitement of dressing up for school and going trick-or-treating is enough to make even the most well behaved student turn into the creature they're dressed up as.
That's why I don't hold any lessons on Halloween anymore.
When I worked for another studio, they wouldn't close for anything; and I mean anything: hail storm, blizzard, Irene...yeah it was bad. I would wrestle with parents about having lessons on Halloween. Some would know they wouldn't make it to the lesson and would outright cancel...some would expect a makeup for the day...but most would say they still wanted a lesson, then wouldn't show up. And I'd be sitting there waiting for no one, not getting paid, and getting nothing accomplished.
When I started teaching for myself, I made an annual calendar that included days I would not teach. I guarantee that I will be available for a certain number of lessons in the year, but there are days that I won't teach.
Halloween is one of those days.
And it has been wonderful!
Two weeks ago I had parents asking me if we had lessons on Halloween, I said no, they said "Perfect." Perfect!
That's how you know you've made the right choice.
My students may not have lessons, but they are expected to practice. This hasn't exactly worked out the last few year, so to sweeten the deal; this year I'm offering students an extra sticker on their card if they send me a picture of them practicing in their costume on Halloween.
We'll see how it goes.
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Do you have lessons on Halloween? Do you do something special with your students instead?
That's why I don't hold any lessons on Halloween anymore.
When I worked for another studio, they wouldn't close for anything; and I mean anything: hail storm, blizzard, Irene...yeah it was bad. I would wrestle with parents about having lessons on Halloween. Some would know they wouldn't make it to the lesson and would outright cancel...some would expect a makeup for the day...but most would say they still wanted a lesson, then wouldn't show up. And I'd be sitting there waiting for no one, not getting paid, and getting nothing accomplished.
When I started teaching for myself, I made an annual calendar that included days I would not teach. I guarantee that I will be available for a certain number of lessons in the year, but there are days that I won't teach.
Halloween is one of those days.
And it has been wonderful!
Two weeks ago I had parents asking me if we had lessons on Halloween, I said no, they said "Perfect." Perfect!
That's how you know you've made the right choice.
My students may not have lessons, but they are expected to practice. This hasn't exactly worked out the last few year, so to sweeten the deal; this year I'm offering students an extra sticker on their card if they send me a picture of them practicing in their costume on Halloween.
We'll see how it goes.
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Do you have lessons on Halloween? Do you do something special with your students instead?
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