Recently, I sent out a questionnaire in hope of learning a bit more about my readership and the general outlook within the piano teaching profession. As promised, I want to share with you a little bit about what I’ve learned from all of your wonderful responses.
It was very revealing to hear common issues described by teachers. The most frequently cited problems for piano teachers fell into one of three general topic areas:
1. Feeling as if students do not prioritize piano study enough or do not practice effectively.
2. The challenges of running a business; including finding clients, advertising, marketing, policies, taxes, etc.
3. Dissatisfaction with the rate – or with particular aspects – of student progress.
Do these responses surprise you? Do you feel less alone, knowing that so many of us deal with the same issues?
Thanks so much for sharing your input. I hope here at ColorInMyPiano.com we can continue to address together and share about these issues that matter.
#1 and 3 were no surprise, and they tie in together. Students (and parents) who don’t prioritize lessons and practice won’t progress as quickly as those who do.
#2 surprised me only because running the business came naturally to me. But I also had a lot of input from business-savvy friends as well as my accountant.
Thanks for sharing the results. I don’t feel as incompetent as I sometimes do. 🙂
Yes — #1 and #3 are definitely related in many cases. Thanks for your comment, Soni!
I appreciate your taking the time to do this. It really does help to not feel alone in some of these issues.
I am really not surprised at #1 and #3, but admit I’m relieved it’s a problem with a majority of teachers. Relieved, but of course, still not happy about it. 😉
I don’t have the problem with finding clients, advertising, etc. as mentioned in #2. This is most likely due to the fact I run a rather small studio and my students come to me by word of mouth. So far, so good! Sometimes I question the correct policy to put into effect, but things run pretty smoothly for the most part.
Were you surprised by any responses you received, Joy?
Thanks again!
Linda, the thing that most surprised me was how common problem area #1 is for piano teachers. I knew it was a problem, but I didn’t realize just how prevalent and pervasive. 🙂
It’s due in large part to overscheduled students, increasingly demanding school curricula and parents being either too busy, tired (or both), or indifferent to their kids’ practice needs. Unfortunately some parents view piano lessons as just another activity while others view it as 45 child-free minutes. I can count on one hand the number of parents who attend a lesson even occasionally.
Yes, I agree that these issues all tie into it!