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Thread: What percent would you be willing to give up for a student

  1. #16
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    Mar 2006
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    Londo, England
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    I too have students who are reluctant to come forward with their (very reasonable) fees, or who constantly owe me money as they are "hard up that Month".

    I wonder how many of them worry if I have enough money to pay the dojo rent that Month, or would be willing to pay more if there wasn't enough to cover it, not many I think.

    The funny thing is they alway's have enough for the latest mobile phone or for a night in the pub, it seems for many their karate comes way down the list of priorities.

    I let students have a discount if they help with the teaching but that is all. Unfortunately there always those who will take advantage of a generous nature, so it's best to start as you mean to go on and stress the importance of paying fees on time at the very start of training.

  2. #17
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    Default Why's it always seem to be calls for the instructor to eat the cost....

    Hi there,

    The first part of the problem with this is that it often tends to miss out on a key thing for the Instructor...namely Rent. If the Instructor is operating as I do, teaching out of local parks or beaches...then rent doesn't become a pressing concern and the instructor has a bit more leeway.

    But I have had students approach me in the past saying that they were going to have to end their training due to finances. I always talk to them to find out what the situation is & the most popular response always ignores the "Why" & seems to nearly always start with, "I don't think martial arts should be tied to money, and that a person should be teaching because it's in their heart & the person wants to learn."

    When I push further, I have found that the competing costs were often due to other curricular activities that they wanted to or were engaging in. One of the cases was the students love of skiing. When I suggested that rather than paying the fees for skiing that he drive up to the slopes and tell the ski lodge & vendors that he doesn't feel that the love of skiing should be tied to money, and that the cost of lift tickets or a room for the night shouldn't be what comes between a person wanting to perfect or study the art of skiing.

    Needless to say the student laughed, and said that they wouldn't do that because they'd never go for it. So I asked him, if they won't do that, why should I sacrifice my income, and remove my own ability to take care of my family?

    I have seen one school where the instructors gave lots of discounts for various students so that they could afford to train there. The result was that they wound up losing a lot of their other students who could afford it, because they resented the fact that they had to pay full fare.

    When do I stop charging a student? When they achieve a level of proficiency that I am willing to upgrade my perceiving them from that of being a Student to becoming a Training Partner.

    Most often on these boards we see the comments about how the Teacher should have to eat the cost...if they want to price themselves out of the market...that's their fault...but the students also have to decide if studying is what they want. Ammusingly there was one guy that I used to teach for free years ago...he had a horrendous attendance rate, then one day I started charging him...he never missed a class after that...because he was paying for it and was responsible for paying for classes he missed without providing 24hrs notice.

    When this happened, I stopped making deals for people. The only allowance that I still have is trades. If the person has a martial skill that I don't have, but I want to learn...then I'll trade lesson for lesson...otherwise I tell them that my time like theirs is valuable. If they want to train, great, if not that's ok to...but it's not up to me to provide free training so that they can do other things...and risk dropping the morale of my other students who're paying full fare.

    Eric

  3. #18
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    Jan 2007
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    This is still very much a hypothetical question for me,

    But my take on it is, that for a good enough student, I'd hopefully train them without pay, if they were a benefit to the class.

    Weather by assisting in teaching less advanced students, or helping to keep the dojo maintained.

    My Sensei doesn't make a living off teaching.
    He worked as skilled labor until he retired.

    He has announced in class that "if you can't afford to pay for class don't let that keep you from attending".

    That among other things I have heard him say, and seen him do are why I have the respect for him that I do.

    I believe that he teaches from a true love and appreciation of karate and desire to share it, rather than personal gain. I don't have the words to express my graditude, for what he has taught me. He's not perfect, but niether was Gitchen Funakoshi.

    To each their own. But if and when he suggest that I start a class, I plan to follow his example.

    I've got a full time job, but I wouldn't at this time take money from my family to opperate a dojo either.

    I've read "Karate-do My Way of Life" by Funakoshi, and think thats the way he'd have done it.

    I should also point out that you pay each class, its almost nominal cost, and over the last couple years at least half the students have been training with him for 20 years or more.
    Thad
    Last edited by Thad D.; 16th January 2007 at 02:19.

  4. #19
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    Edit # 2.
    If the student shows up driving something nicer than I do, no slack given.
    If its so they can spend their disposible income on sking or other leasure activities I'd probably turn them away also.
    If I believe I'm improving the quality of life, teaching somebody thats really learning something worth while, or mentoring an apprentice, are the reasons I'd justify free classes.
    Thad

  5. #20
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    Dec 2006
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    Houston, TX
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    Default discount

    If you want to offer discounts for those that "can't" pay, then have some kind of program. Maybe call it a "soto-deshi" program. Arrange a set number of hours with job descriptions, that they "must" work in order to "pay" for their dues. Then make sure they keep their word.

    Have them sign a contract.

    I guess that would also put "value" into their learning.

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