5 Ways to Make "Make-Ups" Work For You!

Are make-up lessons making you crazy?

​Like it or not, missed lessons are part of every piano teacher’s life, and deciding how to handle missed lessons is an important part of running your business efficiently.

Today I am sharing 5 options for handling make-up lessons in your studio, as well as discussing the pros and cons of each option. Several of these options I have used personally in my own studio over the years, while others I have seen fellow teachers use successfully.

Are you ready to make sense of make-up lessons? Keep reading to learn more…

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First things first: there is no right or wrong way to handle make-up lessons. Whether you decide to offer one or more (or none!) of the options below is totally up to what works best for you and your individual studio. The most important thing (in my opinion) is that you communicate your make-up policy clearly to your studio families and that you stick with your policy when questions arise so that everyone knows exactly what to expect when a lesson is missed.

Without further ado, here are 5 ways to handle make-up lessons in your studio:

1. Cancellation list
How it works: Teachers keep a list of open slots in their schedule (cancellations and/or unfilled openings) and offer these times “first come, first served” to any student who misses a lesson. 

• Pros: This method allows you to make use of gaps within your existing schedule that would otherwise sit empty.
• Cons: It can be time-consuming to contact and reschedule students unless you are using online scheduling software that allows students to easily view and reserve times on your cancellation list. You may also want to put a limit on the number of times a student can reschedule their lessons each semester so that every family has an equal opportunity to make use of this system.

2. Swap list
How it works: Students opt in to a “swap list,” and they can contact other students on the list to trade times if they have a conflict with their regular lesson time.

• Pros: This method requires no extra work on your part (aside from compiling and distributing the swap list), since the responsibility is on the student to reschedule if they miss a lesson.
• Cons: Not everyone may be open to participating in a swap list. There could also be confusion on lesson day if students swap times without giving you a heads up.

3. Group classes
How it works: The teacher offers optional group classes periodically throughout the year that students can sign up for if they miss a lesson.

• Pros: This method makes it possible to make up multiple lessons at once. It also helps build community in your studio and gives students practice performing for one another.
• Cons: Planning and hosting these group classes requires additional time outside of your weekly lessons. You'll also need enough studio space to host a group of students comfortably.

4. Asynchronous video lessons
How it works: Students send a video recording of themselves playing the week’s assignment ahead of their missed lesson, and the teacher watches and provides feedback during the student’s normal lesson time.

• Pros: This method allows you to make use of the student’s normal lesson time to offer feedback, and it puts the responsibility on the student to create and submit their recordings ahead of time.
• Cons: Students must know about this missed lesson well in advance in order for this option to work. You and your students will also need a platform like YouTube, Dropbox, or something similar in order to share large video files.

5. Flex weeks 
How it works: Teachers build extra weeks into their studio calendars that serve as make-up lessons. For example, teachers might bill students for 44 lessons over the course of the year but schedule 46 lessons. These 2 additional “flex weeks” serve as make-up lessons for students who miss, or bonus lessons for students with perfect attendance.

• Pros: No extra time or lesson planning is required on your part, since these “flex weeks” work the same as a normal lesson week.
• Cons: It might be more difficult for some students and parents to understand this make-up policy since they won’t feel like they are getting extra time outside of their normal lesson. This method also works best if you are using an all-inclusive "flat-rate" tuition system that factors these flex weeks into your tuition rate.

What do you think? Do you offer any of these options for make-up lessons in your studio? Are there other options that you would add to this list? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!