I usually find that there are more Tuesdays and Wednesdays than other days of the week. Because I take off about 6 weeks in the summer, I can adjust the year's start and end dates to lessen those days and increase Mondays. Yes, I would pick random days, say maybe those near 3-day weekends or part of the Christmas break, to take off extra Fridays if I needed to.

No, what I meant is I do not teach the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Spring Break. But I DO teach on the minor Monday holidays like Memorial Day, etc. I also take off about 5 weeks a year.

I suggest planning out a studio calendar for yourself. If it turns out that you have too many Fridays and not enough Mondays, indicate on your studio calendar that Friday, March 13 (or whenever...) will be a lesson for MONDAY STUDENTS. I think that with a tuition-based model, it's important to OFFER the same number of lessons for every student, regardless of the day of the week. Of course, if you are teaching on Presidents Day and they choose not to come b/c they're off of school & going to the beach, THAT'S THEIR DECISION and you should not feel obligated to make it up or reduce tuition in any way.

I do not teach private lessons on Fridays, that's when my group lessons are. So I took one Friday in February and made it into a "Monday" so I can be off on Presidents Day. I also designated another "Monday" during the first week of January (on a Wednesday, I think) so I could take MLK day off too. My studio calendar was included with the enrollment paperwork the parents received, so if they decide to have lessons on Monday, their signature on the studio policy indicates that they are aware of the days their lessons are scheduled to occur.

There are creative ways to even it out. I spent a lot of time on my 2011-12 studio calendar, and it paid off for me....it kept me organized, and it helped my super-planner parents too, since they knew which days I was or was not teaching and could plan or prioritize THEIR travels accordingly.

A good solution to Monday holidays and keeping the same number of lessons for each day of the week (some parents will ask about this), is to sit down and work on your calendar. Take a week here or there to do a revised schedule: in other words no private lessons except Monday students. For the other days in that revised week: you can use them as a make up day, for group lessons, partner lessons, a special class, whatever idea you have. So the revised week only Monday students come, the rest of the week is your choice.

Well, I think I got it figured out! I took off a few other Fridays throughout the year (Sept - Aug 2013) and it evened out to 48 lessons per student. Exciting!

I'm going to be increasing tuition too. I think to avoid questioning about the increase (if they notice lol) is to point out that their tuition is covering other things besides just the lesson time.

Thanks, Amanda for the comments.. I feel a little conflicted about the Monday students. But I know what you mean about doing things they way I want them since it's MY studio. It would certainly be a lot easier to NOT give make-up lessons EXCEPT when I, the instructor, am sick. That way the monthly fee never changes and my schedule never changes.

It's slowly coming together...

My husband teaches in our public school district, so i just follow his schedule. I don't usually teach on Fridays so when there is a Monday holiday, I just move those lessons to Friday, so I can have the day off with my husband. When people sign up for Mondays I point this out to them and that means they have a lesson on a Friday and then the next Monday and I do the lesson accordingly. I've wnated to eliminate teaching on Mondays for this reason, but I have many students that Monday is a good day for. I think other activities don't offer Mondays, so that's why I can have those students.

That's neat that works for you, Sharon. Thanks for sharing.

Another thing I'm considering is making one week a year a time for make-up lessons should I, the instructor, get sick during the year.

I just got sick last week with the flu and I thought I would get to feeling better within a few days. Wrong!! I ended up having to change two make-up lessons to another date. I felt bad having to do that. I think in the future I want to NOT be worrying about getting those make-ups done as soon as possible, but rather just take the time off and feel better and then give make-ups during that other week I set aside.

The only problem I could foresee is if my make-up week became the time I got sick, lol. Hopefully that wouldn't happen.. has it happened to anyone out there?

So, if I get sick then I will make-up those lessons on the "make-up week". If I don't get sick (unlikely), then it can be a "bonus" (free) lesson for students.

What y'all think of that? (I live in Texas, hence the "yall").

Wow! 48 lessons in 52 weeks sounds like a lot. Go get 'em, tiger.

I suggest trimming it to 45 (nice "round" number...) and thus leave yourself some wiggle room for sickness or vacation.

And hey, if it's time for tuition to go up, then it's time for tuition to go up!! We're all used to prices increasing now & then.

Go April Go!!!

Do you think 48 is too many to require (opinions welcome) for a year? I can use the income, plus I honestly get BORED to tears if I'm not working pretty regularly. lol

So, if I were to offer 45 lessons per year, then I could choose which weeks I do or don't want to teach depending on sickness and what happens during the year?

Sorry, still wrapping my mind around new ideas. Phew.

48??? Yikes. That's a lot. I do 38. That gives me time off (and the kids need it, too), plus room for weeks they are ill, etc.