Thread: How do you handle class cancellations?

Teachers, how do you handle it when you have to cancel classes? The weather was bad last week, and I had to cancel 4 classes on Thursday. I see my options in a case like this as 1) offer make-up classes (which would have to be a different day and time); 2) offer a refund for that class (students pay for a 6-week session); or 3) just say, "Oh, well! That's the breaks!" -- which seems totally wrong.

As I was mulling over the options, I thought of Bhuz, so I'd like to tap into the amazing collective Bhuz mind here. How have you handled class cancellations? Did it work, or did you wish you had done something else? I'm also interested in hearing from students: If your class was canceled because of inclement weather, how would you like to be compensated?

Hi Latifa,
I would just post pone the class. Even when I got sick for a week, I made sure everyone had the option to make up for those classes. I do not issue a refund unless the class is canceled by the instructor so re schedule the class is the best option for me. Unless there are other things that would not allow me to do that.

For myself, I build in a 2 week break between session for a couple of reasons, 1, I can announce a make up day if something happens (the studio where I teach still charges me for the space, so I might as well use it if I need to) 2. I can (theoretically) do something else in that time frame.

I like make up days as a student, it lets me know that I won't lose out on a class if the teacher has to cancel, and teachers are human :-)

well. mostly :-)

i'm obligated to offer a make up. i've never had students take it cause it would be on a different day etc. i then inform them they can get a refund. often they don't do that either.

i have found that most people understand absents BUT appreciate that you are concerned & did offer something. i think "oh well" is not good.

reality is if the weather was that bad they weren't coming either. don't say that it sound flip. again at least address the situation.

i feel bd teaching at it's core is a customer service job & i try to make them happy. tina

Like Kina, I build in a break between my sessions. The first night of class, I warn my students that cancellations could occur due to weather (this time of year) or my being called out of town on an unexpected business trip for my day job, etc. I tell them that my makeup policy will be to use one of the nights during the break. This approach has worked very well for me.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Like Kina, I build in a break between my sessions. The first night of class, I warn my students that cancellations could occur due to weather (this time of year) or my being called out of town on an unexpected business trip for my day job, etc. I tell them that my makeup policy will be to use one of the nights during the break. This approach has worked very well for me.

Had I planned ahead like you and Kina, this would be a great solution! Because of my upcoming recital in April and the rehearsals built into the schedule for my sessions starting in late Feb, I don't have this option. I think I'll build in a buffer next session, though....

I also build a 1-2 week break in between sessions to accomodate a makeup class at the end of the session (and maintain my sanity). In fact, I'm supposed to be on a break this week, but am teaching one class tonight as we had a snow cancellation a couple of weeks ago. There was a time when I didn't always do this, and class did have to be cancelled, so I just had the makeup on a different day. Not everyone could come, but I did get about half the class, so I think it was an acceptable solution.

I mostly teach through Park & Recs, and they are usually the ones who cancel the classes due to weather; basically, if the schools in that district are closed that day, the Park & Rec classes are usually cancelled as well. They also are the ones who handle the money for me, and they *hate* to refund people - they only way they would refund for a cancelled class would be if I was unable to offer any kind of a makeup class.

If you don't have an extra day to add. . .
Can you add a few extra minutes on
to the start or ending of class
or both-
for the rest of the current session?

i too try to build in an extra week or two in case i do have to cancel class for some reason. also, well because i need a break sometimes too! :-)
only once has that not been possible and i gave my students the option of a different day/time or adding a few minutes on to each of the remaining classes to make up the time. if you have back to back classes, that may be a little difficult though...
as a student, i appreciate as much warning as possible about cancellations and the teacher at least attempting to make up the time lost. refunds are great but they aren't a replacement for a good bellydance butt kickin class

I schedule an extra class during the break or at the end of term, or offer a refund for one class. Like Tina, I find hardly anyone asks for the refund even if they can't come to the extra class.

Teaching is my full-time job, so I can't afford to go a week without income every 6 weeks. (though I do allow a one-week break about three times a year so we can catch up for holidays) And I can't add time to the beginning or end of a class, because there's usually another class before or after...

If I had to call a class due to weather, I think I'd offer a makeup class on a Saturday afternoon. I like what Habibi said.... I think students would appreciate the offer, even if they couldn't make it to the different day/time.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Teaching is my full-time job, so I can't afford to go a week without income every 6 weeks. (though I do allow a one-week break about three times a year so we can catch up for holidays) And I can't add time to the beginning or end of a class, because there's usually another class before or after...

Exactly.

So my pre-registration is a discounted price, which equals one free class. (Normally $72 for 6 weeks, they get it for $60). So if I have a cancellation, it's a wash--they are still getting what they paid for. If I had two cancellations, then I would offer pro-rate against a future session.

I used to only do pro-rates, but then decided that so long as no one was losing money (the pre-reg rate), it was fair, and then there is no confusion with trying to adjust class rates the next session for this or that student.

you can always do a voucher card that says something like...
"one free class worth $___ towards future classes" so if the cost changes of classes, it doesn't hurt you. This way you don't lose business and they get compensated for what they paid.

My teacher does a punch card for classes, which works quite well!

My teacher schedules each 3-month session taking into account any time when she will be away or holidays, then bills the session according to how many classes there will be (since New Year's and Christmas were on tuesdays, the tuesday classes were fewer days than the thursday classes).

There are also classes just about every day so if a class is missed, we are welcome to any class at our level or lower to make it up.

The other place where I take dance classes, we pay per class so if we miss a class, we're not paying for it.

When my teacher has had to miss a class due to illness or other reasons she has asked me or another student to run class. Our class has students with various levels. She knows that I can share information that I’ve learned outside of class from workshops and other teachers. This was a nice complement to me and helped me as I am interested in teaching. If you have a student you are mentoring and has outside experience this is a nice way to recognize them. At first I was nervous the class wouldn’t want me to teach but I’ve done it on several occasions and they are very responsive. I either focus on things we don’t usually learn in class and take questions from students and allow them to share their tricks and expertise. This won’t help if it snows but good luck!

Inclement weather means NO ONE can get to class, not students or a sub. So subs aren't an option, and make-ups or refunds or whatever are the norm.

Originally Posted by kina

For myself, I build in a 2 week break between session for a couple of reasons, 1, I can announce a make up day if something happens (the studio where I teach still charges me for the space, so I might as well use it if I need to) 2. I can (theoretically) do something else in that time frame.

I like make up days as a student, it lets me know that I won't lose out on a class if the teacher has to cancel, and teachers are human :-)

well. mostly :-)

I have the same situation but with only a one week break. Still, I can have the makeup class on the break week.

Well incliment weather isn't an issue out here (Ok stop making faces at your computers, we get great winter weather, but summer is hot! LOL) but during the summer I had done a Monday night class. Well the students wanted me to do just one more session so I caved and scheduled a fall session without thinking about the fact the class would start on Labor Day. Our sessions are back to back so there wasn't room to add a makeup class so we simply added an extra 15 minutes onto the remaining 7 classes to make up for the missed class. Maybe you could add an extra few minutes to the classes for a short while to make up the time?

I have 4 sub teachers for my class, whenever I have a problem not teaching (this year happened when I went on November to Nile Group) they teach my class. Each one of them have different style than mine so the students enjoy it also.
Now if its something suddent to happen (havent happened till now) I try to set a time convinient for all of us (mostly weekend) to teach the class.

As one of my first teachers was many times out of class, i hated the style: well ok, we dont have lesson today, and nothing about paying back, or sub the class etc. so decided never to do it this way.

maria aya

Originally Posted by MariaAya

I have 4 sub teachers for my class, whenever I have a problem not teaching (this year happened when I went on November to Nile Group) they teach my class. Each one of them have different style than mine so the students enjoy it also.

I always have mixed feelings about this.

My students paid to get me and my style. I already feel bad enough when I have to send a sub (eg not what they paid for, technically), but worse if they are going to teach a style they didn't sign up for. That is the *businesswoman* side of the business talking--give the "customer" what they asked for.

On the other hand, I think it's great for students to be exposed to different ways of teaching (even if it is the same material), as well as different styles. I want them to be well rounded, and to know there are other styles out there in case they weren't aware and were with me out of ignorance--I want them there because they CHOOSE this style and my teaching, not because they never tried anything else. So having a different sub is good for the *teacher* side of me who is thinking about what is good for the students' growth.

But again, doesn't address the inclement weather of the OP. Seattle almost NEVER gets snow, and two years in a row now I have had multiple cancellations due to snow and ice! It's confounding!

ANyway, though lengthy, I am sharing my cancellation policy below:

Registration and Make-up Policies

Registrations are only good for the session for which they were purchased. These sessions begin and end on specific dates, and are not refundable or transferable to future sessions.

Students are permitted one, and only one, make-up for a missed class in a session by attending a different class, at their current class level or below, within that six week session (for instance, if you take classes Monday Level 2, you may attend one Monday Level 1 or Wednesday Level 1 or 2 night to substitute your missed class). No make-ups after that session has ended.

Class Cancellation Policy

I have only canceled classes for rare and unavoidable situations (contagious illness and unable to get a substitute, or snow--see below). If for some reason, I need to cancel a class, I will do so with *at LEAST 2 hours notice* prior to the beginning of the class via an e-mail to all students. I will also post a notice on the class website.

If a single class is canceled in a session, it will be not be made-up -- pre-registration is the cost of 5 classes, so no value is lost. If for some reason I have to cancel a second class in a session, I will hold a make-up class, credit the balance toward the next session, or issue refunds at my discretion. If a make-up class is held, it will be at a day and time when it seems the most students can attend--it cannot always necessarily be held on the same night and time due to scheduling constraints. If it seems this option prevents too many students from attending, then I will issue credits against the next session.

Snow Cancellations General Rule:

If there is snow on the ground in Seattle, generally that is enough for me to cancel classes--we have a piss-poor system in place for sanding or plowing roads, and drivers are generally unaccustomed to the driving conditions! I have a lot of students who travel distances--some as far as Puyallup, Olympia, and Arlington!--and I don't want anyone to endanger themselves by driving on icy roads to class, or miss class due to dangerous road conditions preventing them from attending. So watch your weather reports and road conditions for your first indications if class will be on or not. As is possible, I will make the call no later than *2 hours* prior to the start of the first class of the evening, and will e-mail all students as well as post on this website.

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Ya know...3000 words is not that much...


So far I have never done a make-up class. Renting studio space in Seattle is near impossible, and I won't give up a weekend to do it. So I have offered class credit in all instances thus far. My sessions and classes run right up against each other, so there is no way to add a few minutes or tack on a class. I already miss so many weeks in a year (read: lost income) due to holidays. I rent from a city-run facility which is closed on all major holidays and major observed holidays, which means a lot of holiday Mondays I don't have a studio to teach in. Mondays are my biggest night, with 3 hours of continuous classes, and my largest space with the most students in attendance (minimum 20, sometimes as much as 40 students have shown up--the space is huge and I have an assistant). So with weather issues piling on the lost class nights, I need to be frugal about how I schedule my class session (without regular breaks) and how I offer make-ups and refunds.

If weather or illness keeps me from class, I postpone and tack-on another class at the end of the session. It's rare that I'm ill...snow days means that I get to stay in...I teach enough classes and have kept my prices fair enough that the one day (or two in a bad storm) that I'm not teaching isn't a big deal.
Gia

I give students a credit. When it's time to register for the next session, that day or days gets deducted from the new registration. Easy enough.

I knew my Bhuz buddies would come up with some great ideas! Here's how I decided to handle the situation.

I canceled four classes: beginner choreography, advanced beginner choreography, intermediate choreography, and a technique class that is a combination of advanced beginner and intermediate students. My schedule is locked in and I can't just extend the session. So, I gave the beginner class the option of popping into my Tuesday night beginner class; scheduled make-up classes for the other two choreography classes on a Saturday; and offered my technique students $10 off one of my Saturday workshops. Everyone seems pretty satisfied.

Thanks for all the ideas. Bhuzzers are great!

Latifa