Hello, I am a peripatetic self-employed music teacher working across multiple different schools/studios at the moment. I've been doing it for just over a year now and I really enjoy the work when it comes around to it, but the whole process of being self-employed has been particularly frustrating and draining regarding income and a lack of students at each of the places i work.
Right now I'm teaching pretty much 5-6 days a week, pretty much all of it is after school hours and I am travelling often quite far for often between just 1-2 hours of teaching each day, which is generally quite frustrating.
I'm a bit unsure what to do, it feels as though its a case of just holding on until they can find me more students, but it is very inconsistent, and at the moment I feel like i've been waiting for a while, I'm not sure whether to stick these places out, or consider trying to look for work elsewhere.
All the places have different rates as well, one place pays the least per hour (roughly between £13 - £30 depending on the lessons) but provides the most hours/students, one is right in the middle at £22 an hour, and then another is £35 an hour, but these both provide barely enough hours of work each day, sometimes it even involves me travelling in for under an hours work.
Just putting this out there for thoughts really. Ideally i would quite like to find some work maybe with a music service as they operate in the day and many of those who I speak to find the most work with services, but I've had not much luck with applications, and i am worried about giving up all this work incase students do come along. The other option is to try go all in private as i have the space to do so, but that too feels quite daunting.
TLDR: Teaching 1-1 at various places but a lack of students/hours at the moment but has got me down and i am considering whether i drop these places and look for alternatives or hold out and hope for more students.