Some things in a teacher’s life can be very frustrating. A student who doesn’t attend a scheduled lesson can be at the top of that list. A few times in my teaching and tutoring experiences, a student did not show up to the lesson. It is frustrating, especially as there is a lot of planning that goes into preparing a lesson. But what if a student does not attend on iTalki? Who is responsible, and does the teacher still get paid for the missed lesson?
Does Italki Have an Absentee Policy?
iTalki encourages both students and teachers to be respectful of each other’s time. iTalki suggests that the students and teachers agree to a cancellation notice of at least 24 hours whenever possible.
If a student does not attend an iTalki lesson nor cancels within the agreed cancellation notice time, the teacher still has the right to be paid. Some students and teachers agree to some flexibility with missed lessons in emergencies, i.e., a technical problem, sickness, or something else.
Teacher/iTalki Lesson Policies
There are several things to consider when creating your own rules. It is always best to ensure that students are aware of your policies before becoming their teacher. You may want to consider a tutoring agreement between the student and the teacher.
Listing your policies within your teacher profile is best. iTalki does back up the teacher for their time. However, the company encourages its teachers to make a reasonable effort by allowing their students an opportunity to make up for any missed lessons. Consider the following:
- List your cancellation and late policies on your teacher profile.
- Please make sure students know that every minute they are late will be deducted from the scheduled lesson.
- Allow lesson requests to be an option in the case a student does miss.
- Respond to lesson requests within a designated time frame, i.e., within 24 to 48 hours.
- If there is a lesson problem or even a technical problem, allow for the lesson to be made up.
What if the Teacher Does not Attend to a Lesson?
Every once in a while, the teacher might have to cancel a lesson. In this case, lessons should certainly be allowed to be made up by the teacher. If a teacher missed a scheduled lesson without notice, the student could leave a review on the teacher’s profile. Should there be a lesson problem by the student and the teacher is not responding to the lesson requests, they can directly contact the company.
Final Thoughts
You always hope that there is no lesson problem, that students and teachers respond to all lesson requests promptly, and students never miss their lessons. If the teacher has specific guidelines regarding lesson policies, it makes the learner feel better about investing in their lessons.
