When to hire your first instructor

Most schools are taught by the owner for the first year. At some point the owner can't teach every class, and a second instructor needs to come in. Here is how to think about when and who.

When you are ready

• You are turning down classes you would otherwise add. A new evening class would fill up, but you can't teach more hours.
• You are burning out. Teaching 25 hours a week is hard. Teaching 35 is unsustainable.
• Someone in your school is ready. A senior student who could take over a class with a few weeks of training.
• You hit about 100 active members. Roughly the point where one instructor can't run everything well.

One or two of these is enough.

Hiring from within vs hiring outside

Hiring from within (a senior student, a black belt, a longtime parent):

• They know your culture and curriculum.
• They have credibility with students and parents.
• But the pool is small, you have to teach them how to teach, and it is awkward to undo if it doesn't work out.

Hiring outside:

• A larger pool, and they already know how to teach.
• But they have to learn your culture and curriculum, students may take time to warm up, and they usually expect more pay.

Most schools hire their first instructor from within.

What to look for, in order

1. Patience. Teaching kids takes more patience than anything else.
2. Reliability. Shows up on time. Calls if they can't.
3. Clear communication. Can explain a technique so a 7-year-old understands.
4. Energy. The class feels different when the instructor brings energy.
5. Curriculum knowledge. Fifth, because you can teach curriculum. The rest is harder to teach.

What to pay

• Per class: 25 to 50 dollars per class. Most common.
• Per hour: 20 to 35 dollars per hour.
• Salaried: 30,000 to 50,000 dollars a year for full-time. Rare at this stage.

If your average class has 12 members at 175 dollars a month, each session brings in roughly 87 dollars (at 24 sessions a month). Paying 25 to 50 dollars a class is 28 to 57 percent of that. If you pay more than 60 percent of a class's revenue to one instructor, the numbers stop working.

Commissions or revenue share

Some schools pay senior instructors a share of revenue from the classes they teach. That works for a senior partner who drives enrollment, with clear rules about which students count. For a first hire, a flat per-class rate is simpler.

Onboarding over 4 weeks

• Week 1: They shadow your classes. No teaching yet.
• Week 2: They co-teach with you in the room.
• Week 3: They lead while you watch from the side.
• Week 4: They run a class alone. You check in afterward.

Mistakes to avoid

• Hiring too late. You are running on fumes and the new hire can't save you fast enough.
• Hiring too early. You can't afford it yet.
• Hiring someone you don't trust. You can't supervise from another room.
• Underpaying or overpaying. Pay fair from day one.

Adding the new instructor in QuickKicks

1. Go to Admin › Settings › Staff users and tap Add staff user.
2. Enter their name and email, and pick the Instructor role. QuickKicks emails them a temporary password.
3. Open each class they will teach in Programs › Classes and set them as the Instructor.
4. If your school uses Payroll, set how they earn in Money › Payroll › Commissions, and use Timesheets for hours.

Two-instructor norms

• Pick a lead for each class.
• Make sure they know each other's students. A short weekly meeting helps.
• Have both at belt tests and graduations. More eyes catch more.