How to Retain Long-Term Students

Top teachers at Lessonface keep their students engaged and excited about learning for months and years beyond their initial lessons. If you’ve been approved to teach at Lessonface, you’re already terrific at teaching productive and enjoyable lessons, and that’s the most important factor in student retention. Here are some tips on how to best utilize the platform to keep your students happily learning for the long haul.

First Contact Essentials

Successful long-term lessons depend on the teacher being able to deliver what the student seeks. From the moment a student first reaches out – by inquiry, message, or trial lesson – decide promptly if they’re a good fit for your teaching style and expertise. If they are not a good fit, steer them in the right direction on Lessonface and suggest another teacher if possible.

1. Reply quickly.

Respond to a first message within 24 hours. If a student schedules a lesson without getting in touch first, contact them to introduce yourself and get the information you need.

2. Decide if the student is a good fit.

Points to ask about should include:
• Goals for lessons. Can you help them achieve their goals?
• Prior experience. If you only teach beginners or if you prefer working with advanced students, be sure the student matches your preference.
• Available time to devote to practice or study. Make sure the student’s availability meets the demands of your curriculum.
• Instrument, genre, and specialties. Check that the student fully understands the kind of lessons you teach and the instrument/materials needed. Ask prospective music students about specific songs or artists they’re interested in, as some beginners don’t fully grasp genre distinctions (for example, they confuse classical guitar with classic rock – it happens!).

3. Make sure your schedules line up.

It’s frustrating for an eager student to receive one great lesson and then learn there’s no good time for regular lessons with that teacher. Ensure that your schedules are compatible before the initial lesson.

First Impressions and Studio Set-Up

Pay attention to the details the student will notice in the first moments of the lesson. Test your setup before entering the meeting.

1. Background

• Keep your lesson view tidy, professional, and simple. Hopefully this goes without saying, but avoid views of laundry, dishes, and general clutter.
• Teach in a quiet space that’s free from background noise. Sounds like washing machines, cooking noises, and nearby conversations are distracting to a student on the other end.

2. Lighting

• Use two or three light sources with at least one of them in front of you.
• Make sure the important parts of playing your instrument (strings, hands, keys, etc.) are optimally lit and always visible.
• Read more tips on lighting and set-up if you have doubts.

3. Sound

• Some instruments and lesson types work fine with minimal set up and no extra equipment.
• For instruments with a wide range in dynamics and/or pitch, you’ll need extra equipment and fine-tuning of audio settings to sound your best.

4. Camera Setup

• Some instruments (piano, for example) are best taught with two simultaneous camera views - one of the teacher’s hands, and one of their face.
• We recommend using the free software OBS to set up multi-camera views.

5. Optional Teaching Tools

• If you teach using written music, worksheets, or other visuals, familiarize yourself with Zoom’s screen sharing function and explore how to annotate documents on your device.

First Lesson Checklist

Cover these bases in your first full-length lesson with a student.

1. Student Setup

• Help the student adjust their camera setup and audio settings for optimal view and sound on both ends. For young students, be sure parents can assist with this every lesson.

2. Teach Something Fun

• Teach your student something fun and manageable for an introductory lesson.
• Use the lesson to further assess the student’s experience level and learning style.
• Record a video, attach the music, and include details of what and how to practice using Lesson Notes or Assignments on the lesson page.

3. Plan Future Lessons

• Explain how you structure long-term lessons and gather any additional info you need about the student’s expectations.
• Suggest an appropriate frequency and duration for future lessons.
• Encourage weekly subscriptions. Students who enroll in subscriptions take significantly more lessons with the teacher than students who book lessons individually.
• Read more about subscriptions and booking options.

4. Give a Tour

• If your student seems technologically timid, show them around the dashboard and lesson page via screen share.
• Point out where to find lesson videos, attachments, notes, and assignments.
• Show them how to schedule, reschedule, and cancel lessons.

5. Explain Your Cancellation Policy

• Lessonface enforces a 24-hour cancellation policy, but teachers have their own ways of managing late cancellations and no shows. Explain your policy clearly in the first lesson and make sure the student agrees to it.
• We suggest recording lesson videos and providing assignments when a student can’t make a scheduled lesson.

6. Follow Up

• Within a week of the first lesson, check in on how your student is doing with the material you taught them.
• If they don’t book a second lesson, send them an invite.
• If your student needs a hand with the booking process, offer to set up a weekly subscription for them, and email support@lessonface.com with the details.

Early Lessons

During the first few months of lessons, check in often to be sure lessons are lining up with your student’s goals.

1. Communicate clearly what and how the student should practice.

• Teach effective practice habits if needed. Beginning students and students who have been self-taught for many years often need some guidance in practice strategies.
• Utilize the Assignments feature of the dashboard to break down larger projects into bite size subtasks that a student can check off day by day.

2. Check in on practice time.

• If a student is not meeting their practice goals, adjust the pace of lessons so they can advance slowly and steadily.

3. Adapt to how the student learns best.

Here are some points to consider:
• How much structure and discipline should you impose?
• How does the student respond to corrections and suggestions?
• What is the appropriate balance between enjoyment versus advancement?
• How many projects should the student pursue at one time?

Ongoing Lessons

Once you’ve found your rhythm and dynamic with a long-term student, lessons can really take off. It’s still important to regularly check in on goals, assess progress, and help the student stay motivated.

1. Set short-term and long-term goals.

• Periodically check in on a student’s progress. Consider checking in with all students at the same time of the year.
• Have your students make a wish list of projects they’d like to complete, or a playlist of pieces they’d like to learn in the future. Suggest projects from this compilation as they become ready.

2. Encourage them to share their work and explore their instrument/art/language.

• Invite music students to play in Lessonface recitals and open mics.
• Suggest that music students attend live concerts, listen frequently to their instrument and genre, and seek out local ensembles and performance opportunities.
• Visual arts students can attend exhibitions and festivals and find venues to show their own work.
• For language students, suggest appropriate books, articles, movies, and language exchange opportunities for them to practice their skills.

3. Involve them in the Lessonface community.

• Keep an eye out for Lessonface group classes, workshops, and master classes that may interest your student.
• Share articles and forum threads that apply to their interests.

Interacting with Parents

1. Parental Involvement.

• Parents of young children often need to be present during every class to help maintain focus and interpret instructions.

2. Practice Expectations.

• Let parents know how much their child needs to practice for successful music lessons. It’s not usually realistic to expect young children to practice on their own. Parents should be prepared to enforce regular practice.

3. Communicate.

• Check in regularly with parents on how their child is doing, what’s going well, and what can be improved.
• Be Positive. Let parents know how much you enjoy teaching their child. It sounds obvious, but putting it into words periodically goes a long way.

Ensuring Quality Long-Term Lessons

1. Curriculum Design & Lesson Planning

• Tailor your lesson plans to your student’s needs. Students like to know that they’re following a path designed specifically for them.
• Many successful Lessonface teachers have created original content and methods for their students to use. They share some of their materials and tips in this webinar.

2. Take Breaks and Know Your Limits

• Schedule breaks in your teaching schedule to refresh your focus.
• Take vacations periodically to keep your enthusiasm at its peak.
• If your schedule gets very full, consider a pause on accepting new students. Prospective future students can contact you via your profile to join a waitlist.
• While it’s hard to pinpoint a precise number, Lessonface data suggests that when a teacher’s workload exceeds a certain number of weekly lessons, student retention declines. Keep this in mind if you start to feel overwhelmed and no longer able to go above and beyond for your students.

3. Know When to ‘Graduate’ Your Students

• When a student advances beyond your teaching capabilities or develops an interest outside your specialty, suggest another Lessonface teacher who can help them continue progressing.
• Let your student know they have your blessing as they move on to a new phase in their musical development. A friendly, positive farewell is just as important as a strong beginning.

Need more information?

Explore the links below and contact us with your questions. Additionally, you can sign up for one of Lessonface’s teacher webinars. Webinars are hosted periodically by Lessonface staff and usually feature successful teachers who are glad to share the approaches that worked best for them. Happy teaching!

• About Teaching at Lessonface
• Teacher FAQ
• Lessonface Teacher Manual
• Guide to Profile Set Up
• How to Get Students at Lessonface
• Contact us directly