Good morning, PMA teachers!
This week marks the second edition of “Wednesday Words from Dan”. This happens to be a bit longer than last week’s edition as there is quite a bit of information here, so please make sure you make it to the end of this email!
First things first, thank you for being a part of the team here at PMA and for working hard every day to make sure your students receive the best possible music education. Your wisdom, knowledge, and support goes a long way in helping to develop the minds and abilities of children and adults alike.
This week’s topic hones in on elevating our customer experience. As most of you know, we were nominated as a finalist for the 2022 National Music School of the Year. That is an absolutely tremendous testimony to the devotion we all collectively share, from teachers all the way up to upper management. We are also ranked as the top music school in Peoria, and received the 2022 Best Music School award to show for it. It goes without saying that we are incredibly lucky to have so many amazing educators and people working with students. This would not be possible without all of you putting forth your best efforts day in and day out.
In order to keep our standing among the best of the best, I’d like to share a few helpful tips with you to guarantee excellent service.
To begin, communication/involvement with parents is extremely important in our lessons in many ways. They get 167.5 hours per week with their children, and we get a mere 30 minutes each week. Sometimes, our students fail to remember what they are supposed to practice and end up wasting a week’s worth of progress. Sometimes, the parents are unaware of what their child should be practicing. Other times, there is confusion over materials needed, or where to locate them. In order to remedy this, it is strongly suggested that we make our best effort to verbally communicate with parents for the last 3-5 minutes of each lesson to make sure we are on the same page regarding materials needed, what to work on, and what the focus is for the week. If the parent is not present or unable to meet with you for whatever reason, checking in on Opus is also an option, and we can include any music/links/sheets in the message to them. Most of us do a wonderful job of keeping tabs with parents, so this really serves as a reminder/reinforcement of the importance of being united between student/parent/teacher.
Sub notes are also highly valuable in ensuring a positive, productive lesson and experience for our students. To review, sub notes MUST be submitted AT LEAST one week before your time off request. We understand that sometimes you will fall ill or have an emergency come up, but we also ask that you please send us some sort of template for your students if you are able. If you do have planned time off and are submitting sub notes, please include your student name/time, their instrument, what they are working on/the focus of the week’s lesson, and any materials they may need. Once you complete those notes, please send them to [email protected], again, at least one week prior to your absence. If you are the sub, please make sure you are following those notes to the best of your abilities. Some of our students have remarked to the front desk or their teachers that they did not work on what they were supposed to or that the notes were not used, and have been unhappy with the interruption in the flow of their lessons. To recap, please submit inclusive, detailed notes AT LEAST one week before your planned absence (or as soon as you can if you call out for illness/emergency), and please follow the notes if you are the sub.
Our final point for elevating our service is the use of the Musical Ladder Program. There are several points that I will clarify here, as the program can be a bit unclear in how it operates. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is designed for your student to succeed, to make practice/progress feel worthwhile, and to give them a sense of accomplishment. Tests can be as easy as identifying notes on the piano/guitar/staff, displaying the difference between quarter notes and eighth notes, or playing through a piece your student has been working on/is comfortable with. The end goal is for our students to never “fail” a test per say, so with my students, I try to give them about 3 weeks’ worth of notice so they are aware that it is on the horizon. Tests are every 3-6 months based on levels (I will attach the flyer with levels/timeframe), and all you need to do is administer the test and let the front desk know a couple of weeks ahead of time that you will be administering the test. They will update levels, certificates, wristbands, trophies, and any other items needed. Participation in the program is not required, but it is highly encouraged, especially for younger students who are just getting started, and for students who may struggle with staying engaged in lessons. It is also a great tool for maintaining a high retention rate, as it gives students something to look forward to/work toward every few months. If you have any questions about how to administer tests, what to test on, or would like more information about the program, please let me know!
Thank you for reading through the wall of text and for consistently being outstanding in all that you do. As always, if you ever have questions, comments, or concerns, please send me an email, text/call, or stop by my room if I’m available. I look forward to seeing you around PMA!–
Warmest regards,
Daniel Christensen
Lead Music Teacher