CONTRACT

Students, Parents and Teacher

 

Foreword

 

My goal as a chess coach is to make the royal game both instructional and fun for everyone. In particular, I teach chess because I enjoy sharing my knowledge to eager students. If the student becomes excited, then so do I. When teaching no longer is fun, then logically I should stop.

 

Click here for my Ten Goals for Chess Lessons.

 

Since I work with a large number of students and have others on a waiting list, I must establish certain guidelines. I don’t intend to spoil anyone’s fun with a long list of rules. This document outlines my expectations for students and also what you can expect from the teacher.

 

All students and parents should read this contract carefully before the first chess lesson. If you don’t understand the rules, then don’t hesitate to ask what I mean. I’ll try to keep it simple.

 

I tend not to be an overly strict person. If you break a rule, then likely I will simply talk to you about it. Please do not take advantage of my kindness. For repeated or severe violations, I reserve the right to issue sanctions, including extra homework or special assignments, temporary suspension of lessons and, in the worst case, termination of our student-teacher relationship.

 

Student obligations

 

1. Be prepared to learn. Make sure you are awake! Minimize all distractions at your house. Focus and give undivided attention to your chess lesson.
2. Know how to have fun. Lessons will be easier for you and me if you are in a good mood. I don’t mind an occasional joke (in good taste) as long as you don’t overdo it.
3. Show up on time. I expect to start lessons close to the agreed time. Plan on logging into ICC five minutes early! Note that I do not usually phone students with reminders. Instead, I will wait for you up to 15 minutes and then may start something else.
4. Practice. It is a waste of time for students to learn chess theory without playing games. Practice makes perfect! You should play either standard (G/15 and slower) or 5-minute blitz games each week for at least a time equal to the length of your regular lesson. I recommend playing on ICC. Students may also fulfill this requirement by playing rated games at a weekly chess club. If you are very busy one week (e.g. school projects or tests) then you should make up for missed practice the next week.
5. Homework. I assign specific homework from time to time. I expect my students to complete their homework without reminders. I do understand that older students are often busy with school and will respect that when setting due dates for chess homework.
6. Always be respectful. This may be self-explanatory during lessons, but it also applies at tournaments. I expect you to be friendly and polite towards all chess players, including your opponents, tournament directors, other adults and even your peers.
7. Obey ICC rules. Beware: I am an ICC administrator! I expect my students to set a good example for others to follow. Do not break rules by being disrespectful or cheating.

 

Parent and teenage student obligations

 

1. Supervise the above. Make sure that your child is ready for lessons at the correct time and has completed the weekly practice and any homework.
2. Maintain communication. Feel free to contact me with chess related questions or concerns at any time. I also welcome feedback on my lessons.
3. Cancellations. If your child can’t attend a lesson, please let me know; I hate preparing for a lesson that doesn’t take place. Ideally, you can email me at least 48 hours in advance so that I may schedule someone else during your time. I understand that last minute conflicts do occur, but I still appreciate a brief email or even a phone call. I allow students to miss one lesson without notice or two lessons with less than 48 hours notice every six months. If for any reason you miss more, then I expect to be paid as usual.
4. Payments. I allow students and parents to pay two different ways. The first is to buy chekels on ICC by a secure credit card transaction (1 chekel = 1 dollar). At the end of each lesson, you offer me a payment. The second is to mail a check at the end of each month (or first week of next month). This requires you (and me) to keep track of the number of lessons. Click on this link for further instructions. Please let me know if you wish to make special arrangements to pay.

 

Teacher obligations

 

1. Make chess exciting. Students learn best when they have a good time. Hence, it is my job to explain a variety of complex chess concepts in an interesting way.
2. Prepare for lessons. My lesson preparation draws from material that I have accumulated over the years and from new sources, including the student’s own games. I tailor each lesson to the skill level, strengths and weaknesses of the student. After each session, I record some comments to track what we covered and generate ideas for the next lesson.
3. Lead by example. One difference between many other chess teachers and me is that I am an active tournament player seeking to improve further. I feel first hand the joy of a well-played game or the agony of defeat and students can learn from my experiences.
4. Maintain a lesson schedule. I coordinate the schedules of all my students on the weekly schedule posted on my website. Since I have many students, some scheduling conflicts are inevitable. In this unfortunate case, I grant priority based on seniority (how long you have been my student) and chess skill (advantage to higher rated students).
5. Always be punctual. That’s my job. Even if I will be a few minutes late, I will try my best to let you know by email or phone call.
6. Cancellations. Yes, I do sometimes need to cancel lessons. I will do my best to notify students and parents by email well in advance. Typical reasons for cancellations include: chess tournaments and travel, some ICC league tournament games, family obligations and once in a while even a short break from all chess activities. I try to spread these cancellations out over different days, but weekend students will naturally suffer a disproportionate share of tournament conflicts.
7. Fpawn Blog. My chess blog contains updated lesson information, interesting chess news, results from recent tournaments, a Player of the Month and a detailed list of upcoming local tournaments. Read it!
8. Tournaments. I frequently attend adult chess tournaments together with my students and provide advice, comfort and game analysis when time permits. I also have experience as coach at both state and national scholastic championship events. Contact me if you are planning to attend a tournament to see what plans I might have.