Hello, my name's Stephen, and this is my first post

I recently started teaching piano, and feel I'm doing fairly well, but have a lot to learn. I've already picked up some great advice just from reading other topics around the forum, but could do with some specific pointers.

Firstly, I'm a young teacher - only 20 - but I know my stuff. Sometimes pupils (or more often, parents of pupils) seem discouraged when they meet me and I think it's because of my age. I've had sucess putting pupils through grades (Janena passed her Grade 2 recently!) so I must be doing something right, but I know I've lost business just because of people's prejudices. Has anyone any advice on ways to reassure parents or pupils that I'm qualified enough to teach?

Also what would you say is the best way to market oneself? I've placed an advert in the yellow pages and another in a local publication, and whilst this is getting me business it's still fairly slow. I've been teaching about half a year now and have eight pupils, is this normal or could I be doing something more to attract people's attention?

Finally, any general advice (just anything you feel might be useful) would help greatly. I really enjoy teaching and want to become the best I can at it.

Cheers,

- Ste

Welcome to the Forums Ste!

I find that whilst Yellow Pages and BT phone book advertising does get me new customers, the best and cheapest method is word of mouth from exisiting pupils/parents. Having a yearly concert where I play and some of my pupils play is also good in mnay ways.

Being "qualified to teach" is an interesting phrase. It's not just qualifications that makes me qualified to teach, it's my character and personal skills too. It's the same with you. Concentrate on the pupils you have, spending time in planning effective, proactive lessons and you'll have happy pupils and parents. More time should then give you more of them!

Sound advice already. And yes, you have to keep learning as a teacher. Obviously you should have a music degree or diploma before you start, but the real test of a good teacher is to keep expanding, refreshing ideas, breaking out the comfort zone, open to new approaches, etc etc etc. Being young and inexperienced can sometimes be a good thing, so anyone predjudiced as such is not worth teaching. Someone teaching for 30+ years could have slipped into a comfort zone and be stale/outdated in teaching (not all, but you get the point).

I only have had 4 or 5 private pupils ever, largely because woodwind is mostly done through the music services, but I am doing the best I can with those few. If they are happy, others are likely to hear. I have had others in schools, strangely never doing as much as private pupils have.

Anyway, sounds like you've made a good start. Keep moving on.

Thanks for the great advice. I suppose like almost everything related to music (or even in life generally) teaching is a learning experience too. Should be exciting

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Hi, welcome to the forums.

I have found that a notice in the local music shop (if you have one) attracts new custom. The owner of ours keeps a notice on the wall and a stack of my business cards to hand out to anyone expressing an interest. Having said that, I have to endorse what others have said - most business comes via word of mouth.

As far as any possible prejudice against age goes, you could try handing out business cards with your qualifications on when people arrive for their first lesson - supposedly just so they have your number to hand in case they need to phone you - and then they will have the evidence in front of their eyes.

Good luck and hope to see you around the forums.

That sounds like a good idea. I haven't actually even got business cards yet, but plan on making some soon. My piano tuner came round yesterday and agreed to give out my number to anyone who asks, so maybe that will generate business too.

You can get free (well one pays for postage!) business cards from Vistaprint which is a good way to get yourself started off

i think i have the same problem as you!! im 20 this year, and have been teaching since i was 17+..

recently ive got this parent whose attitude seems like she's doubtful of everything i do. she even tells me what i should teach and how i should teach her g2 daughter. and the way she talks to me is very rude too!

sometimes i get so angry, that in my mind, i feel like telling her that ive been teaching for more than 2 years and have sent many students for exams and ive got 100% passes for all my students.. many get merits and distinction too!! so im quite sure that i definitely know what im doing.

but so far, i havent told her that. should I? or will i come across as very un-professional and uncouth?

Hmm, I agree. It's different when you are teaching in schools, I went for my first group lesson with children in a Primary School recently, and the HOD took it upon himself to invite the parents of the children I'd be teaching so they can observe the lessons. Some were so sweet and nice, but others looked me up and down and immediately launched into the spiel of 'do you have experience of teaching children?'...'you look very young to be a teacher'.... 'what are your qualifications?'!!! I even had one lady who was veeeery inquisitive about my thoughts on technique etc, and I seemed to impress her, later I found out that this mother is an organist and she pulled her son out of the previous teacher's lessons because she didn't pick up on the fact that his wrist was too stiff! Very scary.

Not at all. It would just prove that you're a successful teacher and have the exam results to prove it.

Yes, I think that would be unprofessional. Usually the only people who brag about their achievements, etc. are those who feel thay have something to prove. I would quietly and tactfully suggest that if she is not satisfied with your teaching methods/doesn't trust your judgement, she should look for another teacher. It doesn't matter who she is, or what your qualifications are/experience is, there is no excuse for rudeness.
Remember that anything you say to her is likely to be repeated, so there's no point in getting riled.

Welcome to the forums, Stephen.

Most private teachers build up their studios by word of mouth. I have yet to meet a teacher who actually finds advertising in local publication helpful. I think having eight students after half a year is great. Like other members said, you just have to be patient.

Sending students to exams and festivals is perhaps the best way to "advertise". No matter how young you are, parents will trust you if they know that your students do well in exams and competitions.

Teaching in a neighbourhood with lots of young families would help, too.

ok ive decided i will suggest to the parent to have a change of teacher when i see her this sunday!!

this is what i will probably say:

"i feel that you have many doubts on the way i teach, i think it will be good if you can ask for a change of teacher from the admin staff."

should i add in the part about my past records about students doing well? or should i just leave it at that?

oh. and another thing.. what if, worse case scenario, the parent says that she wants to stick with me? should i still insist that she changes teacher?

I think you should suggest to her that she changes teacher, and if she insists on staying with you tell her that you are prepared to teach her provided she doesn't always tell you how you should do your job. Maybe you could talk to her daughter about how she feels about your lessons - I don't know how old she is, but she might like to give her own opinions, not just her mum's.

Just a suggestion, but i don't think you should say too much about your other pupils' passes - I know as a student I get incredibly cheesed off when a teacher goes on and on about "everybody I teach has loved this piece," or in my school lessons, I have a teacher who constantly goes on about her '15 A*s and 18As' that her last year's class got in their GCSEs. I don't care what they got. It obviously is a reflection on how good a teacher is, but also I am a person in my own right, and to me, it is what i get that matters. So yes, I think you should mention that maybe she should trust you because you have an incredible record, but please don't ramble about 100% success!

Also to all you adults who complain about people thinking you're too young too teach well - my friend is 14 and she already has 4 pupils, all of whom are progressing veer well, and several prospective pupils too.

And nobody has yet commented on her age, as far as I know. She is an excellent teacher.

wow thank you pepsii-piano for ur advice! it's really good listening to a student's pt of view.

ok i will just mention my "incredible record" vaguely. and strictly insist on a change of teacher.

the student is a 10 yr old girl who is very happy/satisfied with my teaching. Ive asked her about it many times. because of the mum's consistent questioning of my ability, sometimes i feel suspicious about myself too.

i forgot to add one more pt about why the mum is so "rude".

this student has only been transferred to me about 1 month plus, and i feel that her playing is very up to standard and i wanted to upgrade her to grade2 piano in preparation for g2 exam sometime next yr. her mum insists that her kid's playing isnt good enough and thus questions my ability.

i suspect that the mum just doesnt want to pay the increase in school fees. that was what the admin staff told me too.

I definitely think you should suggest a change of teacher - I am quite rude and have a bit of a temper when I want, and personally I would tell her in no uncertain terms that if she doesn't like me she can just **** off and stop complaining! It definitely sounds like it is the parent and not you or the pupil who is in the wrong. It seems a shame that you would have to lose what sounds like and able pupil who is happy to learn and enjoying her lessons , but you shouldn't have to put up with a parent being rude to you!

Good luck with telling her to go somewhere else, I hope you succeed, or at least make her realise that telling the teacher how to teach just isn't on! Maybe if she knows so much, she could teach her daughter herself! And if she does know so much about it, how come you're the teacher, and she isn't???

One of the best ways I have found to become more successful as a teacher is do some professional development where you learn how to teach music. Being able to teach well and musically is very different to being able to perform well and musically. The course I did was the Mtpp at Reading which is a post grad course although you don't have to have a music degree. I know that there is also the very expensive CTABRSM and EPTA are also setting up a different piano teaching course to their current one which I think is going to be accredited by Reading University (which runs the Mtpp).

Barcarolle,

Could you give me more info about the MTPP course please? How much, what it covers, etc etc.

Many thanks!

I'm a newbie piano teacher and I'm in the process of advertising etc etc. I got my first pupil from www.musicteachers.co.uk, it might be worth registering with them and you may get some more pupils. I've also put my details in the yellow pages and some local magazines but what I am hoping is for word of mouth to take off, I think that works best.

Good luck!!

yes barcarolle, i do agree with constantly upgrading myself as a teacher. i do attend abrsm seminars held in my country but presently do not have time for the CT ABRSM course as im still a student.

thank you pepsii-piano!! yes ive actually thought to myself, why am i letting that parent be un-respectful to me. if she is that good, she should just take her kid home and teach her by herself..

i will definitely insist on her changing teacher this sunday.. will come back here and update u on how it went!!

Can you tell us all what your qualifications in teaching are? We might be able to help you further here by adding some weight to your arguments.

Eeeeek,... 14 year old piano teachers!!.. that's a whole other thread!

Andy