Friday

The Lesson

Zinaida Serebriakova
Hi. I work for a really great employer who seems to get most things, except one. They have a piano in their house. Since starting here, I dabbled on the keys. Then I showed their daughters some keys. This evolved in to me providing very detailed professional lessons to the oldest child, on a regular basis, during my day.

I teach piano on weekends and make $45 per hour. My employers have not offered me anything extra. I spend atleast 90 minutes teaching piano to the oldest per week on a serious level.That is a conservative estimate.

Are they playing me the fool on this one?


Email isynblog@gmail.com with your experience or question.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Buck up and explain that you'd be happy to teach, but for an extra fee! They probably just think you're being nice and doing it because you enjoy it.

RBTC said...

no good deed goes unpunished lol. Offer them a discount on the regular price of lessons

Thirty something said...

Did you choose to do it or is it expected of you? That'd be the kicker on whether you should ask for more money or not.

melissa said...

If you started giving the lessons casually and its turned into something more serious, it's on you to ask for payment. Your employers may very well think you enjoy it and don't mind doing it for free because you've never asked for payment.

Sara M. said...

Not the same situation, but similar - I have a nanny and she has been teaching my kids Spanish. I do not pay her extra for this, as she is already being paid. Her job is essentially to be me when I am not there. I would be helping them with homework and teaching them Spanish (and to play the piano) if I was there. So, I would say that you are already being paid to provide this.

Anonymous said...

Hummmm.... I'm a pianist, it took me 15 years to learn the practice skills of this instrument. I'm a nanny too and if a family expect me to teach piano to their kids, they will definitely need to pay extra otherwise I'll simply refuse to do it. No way I'll help raise their children AND speak another language to them AND providing them piano lessons and all of that just for 10£ an hour.

Even 50 000£ a year private schools don't go that far in term of services provided!

Your boss as a bargain with you !

Anonymous said...

*has a bargain

Anonymous said...

@Sara M. if this wasn't in a contract you signed with your employee, you are LUCKY that she teaches your children. You're not entitled to it, it's a special skill. I would charge if I were her. That's going above and beyond.

Anonymous said...

No one ASKED you to teach piano to the child -- you're not a victim ... you're a volunteer! You don't get extra pay for something you CHOSE to do with the child.

Just stop the piano if you don't want to do it any longer. IF the parents then want you to continue teaching the child -- tell them your rate and let them decide if they want to pay you or hire someone else OR just skip it all together.

Becks said...

@Sara M, you're a horrible boss! Teaching a language, an instrument, painting or dance is extra. If you don't pay her to do these things, she should quit on you. She isn't an extension of you! If you wanted to, you can sit on your butt all day and watch tv. You can nap, go shopping or do nothing at all if you wished. She's a nanny. If she did any of those things, you'd be here itching about it! I teach Violin, Language and dance, but I am paid very well for providing this extra service.

Anonymous said...

You started it. Stop if you want, but I don't think you can give lessons while you are supposed to be the nanny.

Anonymous said...

Nanny here, correct me if I'm wrong. But you chose to give the lessons, they never asked you too. You made that choice so either stop, or continue. It's your choice but I think it is kind of rude to expect to be paid for something you took upon yourself to do.

this_nick said...

You're some piece of work. It would be one thing if the parents had asked you to give the child piano instruction. They didn't, but you took it upon yourself to do it in a serious way, and these people probably thought you did so because you love their child and wanted to share this gift with her.

Now you want to go to the parents and say pay up or no lessons? And they either have to pay or see their daughter disappointed through no fault of her own? This is some kinda racket and it doesn't speak well of your affection for the children.

If you don't want to do this anymore don't, but to not be a complete ass you should consider giving the child a shorter lesson less frequently since you're the one who got her into this. I really hope I'm just reading this wrong somehow and you do love this child enough to continue on with instructing her in something you taught her to love.

this_nick said...

Also, hello - if this is already during your work day why on earth would you expect additional compensation for activities you chose to partake in with the kids during the course of your working hours? Not today, Felicia.

I swear, I'm starting to think the posts on this site are part of one big conspiracy to annoy me.

Anonymous said...

You're the fool for doing it not them.