Hi Team,
There are a few items to go over this month.
Kitchen
When I came back from my vacation there was some food splattered on the counter and wall. If you make a mess, clean it up. I have a hard enough time with my bachelor ways without having to add yours!
Reporting
Reporting begins on the 7th of November and is due by 11:59 p.m. on the 13th. This is your last call for suggestions to adapt the format from the previous one.
Doing what we do, Well
Generally speaking there is still a shortage of SoW cards and student posts. I have not yet decided exactly how this will affect reviews and increases, but I would like to remind you that it will have a clear effect on both. Because the quality of these is generally quite lukewarm, I am inclined to leave our reporting system as-is for this cycle. I will make up my mind on that before the 7th.
Posts
Please take time to look at some of your colleagues’ posts. Model yours on these. Listing homework alone is not enough. Some direction needs to be provided, as well as for parents (particularly with young kids). Help both parents and students understand how to be effective at home, and why it is important. Teach them how to practice, don’t just send them off to do something assuming they will have a good approach. This goes for adult students as well, but remember to write directly to them.
I recommend looking at the following Teachers’ posts: Natalia, Jonny, Sarah. These are all a bit different, accounting for the individual teacher’s style, but they are also thorough without being overly long.
Advertising & Recruitment update
There were a number of things that were held up this year, but our efforts in new areas have been gaining some traction, and we are continuing to take in new students. Schedules are slowly filling up, and I believe that our traction will keep registrations coming steadily at least until the holiday season.
Private School Update
Some of you may remember a point of discussion in our Fall meeting last year about the opportunity to teach at a local private school, which then stalled. It has suddenly come to life in the last few weeks, and I am hoping to have an update on that for you by the end of November. Because of past experience, I am not sure how quickly anything will happen, but I will try to get some teaching action to start for the start of the new year. If not then, we’ll aim for September, or whenever we can get through the negotiation.
I suspect that once the deal is done that we’ll need to move quickly, so I’d like to ask you all to think about whether you would like to pick up another teaching day, and if so, which weekday you would do that.
Flu Shot
This is a good time to consider getting your flu shot. Staying healthy over the coming months is always the best option. We see many children and people here every week, when all families and teachers are considered, so you can be sure there are a lot of germs going about.
Many studios also have Lysol Wipes in them, so you can wipe down door knobs, keyboards, music stands, and any other area you feel concerned about. There is also a spare set of wipes in the kitchen, which you may use, as long as they go back there. Thanks!