Well, that’s it folks, I can’t take on any more students apart from those already on my waiting list, but I’m not sure how long they’ll be waiting for (hopefully not too much longer – there are only a few on that list now). I have to wait until any of my current students move or decide not to continue.
It’s not a decision I make lightly but it is a necessary one.
So how DO teachers come to this decision?
Family – v – teaching
For me, I had to allocate teaching time and family time. Once I set out the hours I was happy to teach, the rest of the time is dedicated to my family. Teaching is supposed to be a hobby for me so if it is interfering with my family, I don’t consider that a good thing. I needed to also make sure my children were getting ‘talk’ time with me each day, that I had time to be a housewife (prepare dinner, make sure the ironing was fairly up to date, breakfasts, lunches and dinners planned and prepared each day, the veggie/herb garden maintained etc) and that I had time, even just a little, to think and plan ahead.
A manageable number of students
I have reached the point where I feel I will start to forget things and possibly end up neglecting students if I take anymore on. I currently have just over 30- students plus my own children, and some of them are doing both violin and piano. You need to be able to project into the future. How much time per lesson will each student require in a years time? How about 3 years time? How about 5 years time? Can I keep on top of each student’s progress and manage them well? Do I have the time required to spend outside those teaching hours for lesson preparation and putting together resources?
Residential time limit
Because I teach from my home (and obviously live in a residential area), I cannot teach past 7pm at night. in a way it’s a great excuse as I’m usually exhausted by then anyway, especially in Winter where it is dark by 5pm. I also have to be mindful of my neighbours and parking issues (thankfully I’m on a corner block and the people across the road have 5 teenagers all with their own cars so they are more of a nuisance than I am – phew). I’m lucky that I have very tidy students who don’t leave rubbish behind in the street and are considerate (no loud music blaring out of their cars).
Maintaining teaching standards
Do you have time to make sure you aren’t falling behind as a teacher? Is your playing up to scratch, and are you continually progressing as a teacher to ensure your students are not going to get to a certain point and you have to say “Sorry, I can’t teach you any more, that’s as high as I can go”. I KNOW that I have some work to go with my piano playing, and I have to maintain my violin, even keep progressing (it doesn’t ever stop!), but I think it’s cruel for students when a teacher suddenly informs them that they simply can’t teach them any more because the teacher themselves is under qualified. I have to add though that even though I did all the grades of violin, I didn’t do them all in piano HOWEVER, I am the daughter of a piano teacher and I DO work hard at my piano studies, even though I didn’t do all the exams. I am able to ask my mother questions if I have a particular problem and need some assistance. It really makes a difference. It also helps to be able to bounce ideas off each other. Workshops and Seminars are very helpful for teachers to remain motivated and focused on their job and to provide additional training and ideas. I don’t think I will EVER be able to master everything there is to know about music in my lifetime. The more I learn, the more I realise there is still so much I don’t know. It’s rather humbling!
The fun factor
Teaching should be enjoyable. I really do love it, and my students know that I am keenly interested in their studies. If I am not having fun, then I doubt my students are enjoying themselves either. Don’t make yourself so busy that you can’t take time to smell the roses in each lesson. They ARE there, you just need to look for them.
