Thread: When you have to be away...

... how do you handle it with your classes? I'm having wisdom tooth surgery next week, and have planned for 4 days of recovery. I've lined up substitute teachers for the classes that I'll be missing. On one hand I think it'll be good for the students - I always think it's good to take the chance to learn from different instructors - and I prefer they not have their weekly class interrupted.

On the other hand, sometimes my head fills with with anxious thoughts... what if one of the subs forgets to show up! Or my students don't like her! Or she can't figure out how to work the cd player! Or... etc. Then I start wishing I had cancelled classes for the week.

What do you folks do when you can't teach? Do you get a sub or cancel class? How do your students respond?

I'm doing that right now. Ravena is taking one of my classes. I have two others though, that are choreography, so I have postponed them.
I also rely on advanced students to help me when I can be there, but can't dance much (after an injury, illness, etc.)

It is great to expose students to other teachers.

I usually cancel class and make it up by extending the session another week.

Ruric started training up students to be teachers two years ago and it is a life saver.

depends on what's going on- I'd prefer to have a sub step in, or if I can be there, have a student help out- both of those options are more expensive than extending the session by a week for a make-up class, but I don't like yanking people around schedule wise. If it is a major procedure or something I can schedule in advance, I plan my classes around it & am as up front as possible about scheduling- first day of class we go over any scheduled breaks in the semester.