Why group teaching is better than private

The power of social influence. There is no evidence to show that students who learn privately do better. Private lessons can be helpful in certain situations when a student is just not keeping up but in this case you can offer a one off private lesson for that student. Social influence on the other hand is well documented. We like to keep up with the Jones's. If you set a pace of learning to your groups students in most cases will keep up. You should also employ team work mentality so that students help each other. 

Going viral.  A popular term these days for ideas that spread quickly. When you teach in groups your reputation spreads quickly. When students are learning in groups they feel they are part of something and become excited and want to spread the word. They are more likely to tell their friends and even invite their friends to join them. Private students don't invite friends because the lesson is private. 

Time efficiency. When you teach only 15 to 20 hours a week you can earn several times more than teachers who teach full time. More money means a healthier business. With plenty of cash you can find a good studio in a good location with great facilities.  You can do more for your students. Cash poor operations sweat on every dollar and rarely give much back. You also get more spare time. This is time you can use to become a better guitarist and fulfil your own musical aspirations or you could use this time to become a better teacher. So often I hear from teachers who say they don't have time. The problem is not lack of time as we all get the same 24 hours a day, its the way they structure their time. Teaching privately is like playing concerts to one person at a time. It's an inefficient use of time.

Price point. The average private teacher charges $35 per 30 minute lesson. Group lessons in comparison can be $20 to $25.  What people seek is value and if your price is lower you will get more inquiries and eventually more students providing you can deliver.

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2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

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My ultimate strategy for teaching guitar

The following strategy is my ultimate plan for guitar teacher success and its based on group teaching.

Set your group lesson times. I suggest you teach 3 days a week. Don't teach on Mondays as there are too many public holidays and Fridays people are signing off for the week or going away. Pick from on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. You should split your groups into 3 age groups. Juniors, Teens and Adults. Junior groups 4pm and 6pm, teens 6pm to 7pm and adults 7.30pm onwards. All ow yourself a break from 7pm to 7.30pm.

Start with a 5 week private introduction. Enrol new students for a 5 week private course to introduce them to the method and build rapport. Prime them for group lessons. Once completed introduce them into a group. If they cannot fit into a suitable group time simply explain that you do not have any other options. Stick to your group times. Think of it like a bus timetable. These are the times you teach and students will need to work out their week around your schedule. Students who were impressed by your 5 week intro will fit in.

Spend the rest of your time marketing. To get the numbers you will need to build your groups you will need to do lots of local marketing. Doing local letterbox flyers is somewhat of a safe option but will require lots of walking. Talking to local businesses, schools, attending fetes, joining committees or business groups can also help. Look for opportunities to do shared marketing. E.g. A double-sided flyer with you on one side and a local business on the other.

That's it!

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   If you have a question please contact me via the email below.
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How to know if your student is overloaded.

When teaching students guitar it is important not to overload them with too much information. A quick and easy way to work out whether you have given them too much is to ask them at the end of each lesson to tell you what they need to practice. Be careful not to say "Do you know what to do?" because they will often say yes but walk out confused or overwhelmed. Ask them to show you.

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have a question please contact me via the email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

Judge students by their actions not words

Most call me an optimist but when it comes to students I assume the worst. Not in the sense of their ability or potential but in terms of their commitment. You only have to look at the statistics and you will see what I mean. For example 98% of people who go on diets to lose weight give up within 12 months and soon return to the original weight or worse. The same can be said about gym memberships and just about anything else that requires a daily commitment for life. I can say that in my early years of teaching my success with students was probably not much better but I was certainly not happy about it even if it was the accepted norm.


Guitar teachers are the rare exception
As guitar teachers we are obviously in the 2% of guitar students who stuck it out. We are not like most students. Something caused us to stick with it where most give up. I am sure like myself you had your moments but somehow you made it to that critical tipping point where giving up was no longer a consideration. Because of this very fact we can easily be over optimistic about our students. Where you are unlikely to question your commitment to guitar they probably do it on a weekly basis. Try stepping into their shoes for a moment. A good way to do this is to think about something that you have recently taken up. It might be a new fitness regime, a new band or even teaching guitar. If for example you are new to teaching guitar chances are you are questioning whether you are really cutout to be a teacher. This is how your students feel and when you can feel what they feel you will be more aware, better prepare and less likely to lose students.


Don't be fooled
Many students will roll up to their lesson looking motivated and keen to learn but this can be misleading so don't be fooled. The best way to avoid being fooled by their positive mask is firstly to look at what they do rather than what they say. In other words are they committed to their lessons and turn up on time every week usually a few minutes so they can warm up in your waiting room? Are they filling in their practice log with at least 30 minutes 5 days a week? When you are focusing on these indicators you will have a much more accurate picture and you can address the reasons why.


Our job as teachers
Our job is simply to teach students to play guitar. That is why they pay us and if they don't get results they will soon realise the lessons are a waste of time. Results will only come from committed practice so your highest priority is to ensure your students are practicing. 

1. 1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
   2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

      
      

      If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
   5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

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The customer (guitar student) is not always right

Consistency is a big issue for many people and usually explains why they have not reached their goals to date. This is especially true of adults who likely had a dream to learn guitar since childhood. If you call them on their inability to commit they will either stop lessons or will become loyal students. Either way you win. You don't want students who keep cancelling because both you and they lose. You lose time, money and reputation and they are unlikely to ever achieve their goals. If they can't manage a 30 minute weekly lesson I doubt they are going to be consistently putting in daily practice. 

Your aim should always be to get results 

Telling students what we expect of them may seem counterintuitive to our 'Customer is always right' culture. We are taught that we should be listening to our customers and then delivering what they want. Students are paying you to learn guitar period. They are not paying for your time or friendship or even your wisdom. They are paying for results. To achieve this there are certain actions they need to take. If they are not taking those actions you need to make it clear that you can't accept their money under false pretences. They will at the very least respect you for your honesty and if they stop their lessons they will do so for the right reasons. They will almost always stop because they realise you are right and they will usually be grateful but the reality is most will not stop. Most will realise you are something special as a teacher and will continue.

You students are a reflection of you

When you are honest and genuine about the importance of consistency you end up with students who progress and reach their goals. As a consequence your students are more loyal and will spread your name. Your reputation will spread quickly in the community because your students will be doing it for you in terms of verbally spreading the word but more importantly via their ability to actually play guitar. I can't begin to explain how good it feels when all your students are practicing, filling in their practice logs and eagerly turning up to lessons each week. Conversely having 30 or 40 students who are inconsistent and constantly making excuses is soul destroying but remember your students are a reflection of you.

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have any questions please use email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

Consistency should be your highest priority

Students who are inconsistent will rarely succeed. Teachers should put student consistency ahead of money at all times. If your students are not consistent and you keep accepting their fees you are making money the higher priority. This will ultimately backfire. You might try and justify it by using quotes like 'You can bring a horse to water but you can't make him drink'. This may be so but you should only charge the horse if he actually drinks. If you are accepting money from students knowing they are inconsistent and unlikely to succeed you need to take action. 

"I can't make my lesson because I have to work" again....

What is the real reason your student can't make their lesson? Is it because they have to work overtime or study for a big exam? I think anyone who goes to the trouble and expense of buying a guitar signing up for lessons truly wants to be able to play guitar. The problem is that there is another little voice in their head pulling them in different directions. Perhaps they really wants to play guitar but work or school seem to get in the way. They rationalise that their job pays for guitar lessons and everything else. This means that when it comes to deciding between job/school and guitar the guitar will lose out every time. But is deciding between work and guitar really the issue?

Guitar v screen time 

Most of these same students probably spend 4 to 5 hours a day on a screen whether it be TV or PC. The choice should not be between guitar or work but should be between guitar or screen time. In this case I simply say to students "To be successful on guitar you need to be first and foremost consistent. You need to be able to allocate time to daily practice and a regular weekly lesson. Can we have a look at your schedule and see if we can work something out?" At this point I will go through their week day by day until we have decided on a schedule they can stick with. I will then talk about what will happen in that unlikely event that they get called away for work or have a big exam. In most cases its just a matter of planning ahead.

Eliminate all excuses

My single aim is to eliminate all excuses and ensure the student makes each and every lesson and practices 5 to 7 days a week for 30 minutes minimum. I am relentless on this point. If I have exhausted every option (which is rare) I will explain to the student that its best that they stop lessons for now. I point out that I can't continue to take their money. It just doesn't feel right but whenever they feel they are ready to commit to consistent practice and weekly lessons I would be more than happy to try again.

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

   
   

   If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

 

Talk about how inconsistency affects your student not you...

So here is the scenario. Student rings up to cancel their first appointment so you say no problem, lets just start next week. Student calls the next week and asks if they can do a different day. You agree and they turn up for their first lesson. Following week they again cancel. You are getting frustrated so you decide to tell the student that they need to be more consistent because teaching is your main job and when they cancel lessons you lose money or miss out on booking other students who may be waiting to enrol in their time.


What's wrong with above?


When we talk about what we are losing we are attempting to make the student feel guilty which is rarely a good strategy. You should always talk about their loss for two very good reasons. 


1. It makes sense to them


When you explain that their inability to make a regular lesson means they will fail to progress they will almost always realise you are right. If on the other hand you say it affects your income or inconveniences you in some way they may fall into line out of guilt or even fear of upsetting you but they are more likely to just stop coming. It certainly won't help your relationship with your student.


2. It shows you care


Your higher purpose should always be to ensure your students are consistent because consistency means progress. When students can't commit to your program it usually means they are unlikely to be practicing so you have a moral obligation to explain your concerns.  Money is important to you sure but you should only be accepting money from students who you believe will succeed. You have a right to be paid if you are a good teacher who gets results but when you tell your students that their inconsistency is affecting your income you are sending them the wrong message. 

1. 1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
   2. www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

      
      

      If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
   5. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

   g4guitar1@gmail.com

Guitar teacher policies and why they are important

When students don't pay or you need to chase them for money or they missed lessons and don't pay for those lessons or are constantly changing times  its costing not just you but the rest of your students. When your policies are too soft something has to pay. You either end up compensating via a loss in income or you work more hours (less income per hour) or you need to raise your prices which means other students are paying more than they should. The end result for many teachers is frustration or in some case they simply stop teaching altogether. The worst result of all is to continue working long hours for what amounts to a junior shop assistant's wages. 

Your policies should be fair and clear for everyone. Policies should be adhere to except in the following 3 cases.

1. Teacher is at fault. If you have made a mistake of any kind you need to be flexible. E.g. If you told a student the wrong time then you need to replace that lesson at no cost.

2. First timers. I believe in giving students the benefit of the doubt. Always explain your policies from the outset but the first time they overlook one of your policies its best to be flexible but make it clear that next time the policy will be enforced.

3. Genuine excuse. There are times when people have a genuine excuse. Perhaps they were in a serious car accident, they suddenly fell ill etc. In these cases take into consideration their track record. If they are someone who seems to have a lot of very genuine excuses it might be time to insist on payment.

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3. If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
6. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com

How guitar student expectations affect teacher success

Expectations are almost always the problem when a student/parent is dissatisfied or any customer for that matter is dissatisfied. McDonalds do well not because their food is such high quality for the price but because whenever anyone goes there the food and service are basically what they expect. Your first and probably most important role as a teacher is to set and meet expectations.

Prevention v cure

Prevention as they say is the best cure. A student will become dissatisfied if their progress seems too slow. Their progress really depends on practice and the quality of their practice but their expectations may very well come from somewhere else. If their level's of practice (therefore progress) and expectations don't match they will soon lose motivation. To avoid this happening teachers need to make it clear to students that practice equals progress and that it takes at least 2 years of 30 minutes a day to reach a reasonable level of proficiency. An hour a day if you want to be good. Keep pushing this message because it is one that students need to hear often. 

Honesty is the best policy

When a student becomes disillusioned in other words despite your best efforts their progress didn't meet their expectations I usually suggest the following. You need to make a plan to get them back on track. Set out your practice expectations and a timeline based on the goal. E.g. Senior Level 1. Once you have done this ask them if they are willing to put in the time required. Our role as teachers is basically to make students (and parents) accountable. If students are not keeping up their end of the bargain you need to address it straight away. Teachers often fall into the habit of saying it's okay when it's not okay just so as not to upset their student but this is basically just avoiding the issue. When a student is not meeting your requirements you are in a sense misleading them if you don't address it. I have heard many comments over the years from students who said their previous teacher wasn't so strict on practice. The reason they left that teacher was due to lack of progress and their lack of progress was due to a lack of practice. Do your student a favour and be honest with them.

1. G4 GUITAR Teacher Network
   
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3. If you have any questions please contact me via the email below.
6. Contact: My email address is g4guitar1@gmail.com.