Why Teaching Make-Up Guitar Lessons Is A Huge Mistake

Common guitar teaching mistake:

 

Teaching make up lessons for students who don’t show up or cancel their lesson. Some guitar teachers believe it is a courtesy to teach make up lessons for their students...

 

In reality, both you AND your students lose when you do this.

Here’s why teaching make up guitar lessons is a huge mistake:
 

Your Students Do Not Take You/Guitar Lessons As Seriously

Your students take you and your time less seriously when you allow them to make up lessons whenever they want. They are more likely to show up late (or not at all) and not pay on time. To make things worse, they also take lessons less seriously and do not practice as you tell them or work to improve in between lessons.

This means they do not become better guitar players. Then when they quit lessons, they tell everyone else how you couldn’t help them get better and tarnish your local reputation.

By the way:

You want to have high expectations for your students in everything you do (not just in terms of lesson policy). This also applies to the results you want to see them get from working with you.

Watch this video to see what I mean:

You Put Your Students In Control Of Your Time And Money

Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you must always cater your time to someone else’s personal whims. Allowing students to make up lessons gives them the power to take up your personal time (including the time slot that you could be using to teach someone else).

Students usually do not cancel lessons out of bad intent, but this doesn’t mean you must waste your time and money either… so what should you do?

Answer: Strictly enforce a guitar teaching policy of having your students pay for their lessons in advance AND not offering make up lessons. Tell your students about this the very first lesson. This shows them that you are 100% serious.

This results in your students taking lessons more seriously and you not having to constantly change your schedule.

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