Start with the fixed things
Before you draw any table, write down what cannot move. These are school timings, your own meal and rest time, and any other job or family duty. Most students from Class 6 to 12 are free only after about four in the afternoon, and many are tired by eight at night.
Think about the student's day too. A child in Class 9 may wake at six, spend seven hours in school, travel for an hour and still have homework. A tuition slot at seven in the evening may look neat on paper but be useless in reality.
Keep this list in front of you. A timetable built around fixed things is easy to follow. A timetable built on wishes breaks in the second week.
Collect availability from parents first
Do not fix timings and then announce them. Ask parents first. A simple message in your group, with two or three options, saves many changes later.
If parents disagree, go with the majority but keep a plan for the minority. Write the final decision once in the group, with the reason, such as 'most families chose 5:30 pm'. People accept a clear reason.
Count the answers. If 9 out of 12 students can attend at 5 pm, that is your slot. For the others, offer a second batch or a doubt-clearing hour on a weekend. Do this early, ideally two weeks before the term begins, so families can still adjust their other plans.
- Message: 'Please choose a time for Class 9 Maths: A) 4:30 to 5:30 pm, B) 5:30 to 6:30 pm, C) 7 to 8 pm. Reply with A, B or C by Sunday.'
- Ask about school shifts. Some students go to afternoon-shift schools.
- Ask about other tuition or sports classes on the same days.
- Note which students live far and need travel time.
Decide the length and gap of each class
For school students, one hour to one and a half hours is usually enough for one subject. Longer classes make children lose focus. Leave a gap of at least 15 minutes between batches, so that one group leaves and another arrives without crowding.
Count your weekly teaching hours at the end. For example, six one-hour batches on five days is 30 hours, which is a heavy week once you add preparation and checking notebooks. If the total feels too much, reduce a batch or move one to the weekend.
If you teach in your own home, remember that gap time is also your tea break and your preparation time. Do not plan back-to-back classes for five hours without a break. You will not teach well in the last batch.
Build the weekly table
Draw a grid with days across and time slots down the side. Write each batch in its slot with the subject and class. Use one colour per subject if you are on paper. Here is a sample layout you can copy.
Leave one slot each week as a buffer. When a class is missed for a festival or illness, this slot takes the make-up class, and the rest of the table stays untouched.
- Monday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm: Class 8 Maths, Batch A.
- Monday, 5:45 to 6:45 pm: Class 10 Science, Batch B.
- Tuesday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm: Class 6 English, Batch C.
- Wednesday, 4:30 to 5:30 pm: Class 8 Maths, Batch A.
- Thursday, 5:45 to 6:45 pm: Class 10 Science, Batch B.
- Saturday, 10 to 12 noon: Doubt class and weekly test for all batches.
Check for clashes before you announce
A clash happens when two batches need the same teacher, the same room or the same student at one time. Walk through your table slot by slot and ask three questions. Is the teacher free? Is the room free? Is any student booked in two places?
Another clash is travel. If you teach at two places, keep at least thirty minutes between them. Also check that a student who comes straight from school has time to eat something before class.
Siblings are a common hidden clash. If two brothers in Class 7 and Class 10 come together, putting their batches at different hours means the parent makes two trips. Group such children if you can. If a clash cannot be removed, move the smaller batch, because it is easier to shift six students than sixteen.
Plan around exams and holidays
Mark unit test, half-yearly and board exam dates on your calendar at the beginning of the term. Tell parents that in the two weeks before exams you will move to revision classes and extra practice. For Class 10 and 12, many tutors reduce new chapters a month before the board exams and use the time for revision tests.
For Class 10 and 12, many tutors plan a Saturday test series in the last two months before boards. Put these in the table early so families can keep those days free. Exam dates differ by board and state, so always use the official timetable.
Also note festivals and school holidays. Decide in advance whether you will hold class on those days, and tell parents the make-up plan. For the exact dates of exams, always follow the school or your board's published calendar.
Common timetable mistakes
Most broken timetables fail for the same few reasons. Read the list once before you finalise yours, and you will save yourself several rounds of changes.
- Fixing timings without asking parents first.
- Putting two batches of the same teacher back to back with no gap.
- Scheduling Class 10 and 12 batches on the evening before their school tests.
- Forgetting that siblings need to come together.
- Planning six days of teaching with no free slot for make-up classes.
- Changing the table every week without telling everyone clearly.
Review every term
At the end of each term, ask what worked. Which slots had late arrivals? Which batch was too tired? Cometstep, school and tutor management software made for India, has a weekly timetable that shows clash warnings, and tutors can start free with up to 25 students.
Do not forget your own review. Note which days left you tired and which students came late repeatedly. Try one small change at a time, so you can see what helped.
On paper or on screen, keep one copy as the master, and update only that.
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Attendance and timetable
Mark a class in one tap, plan a clash-free timetable and keep monthly attendance ready to print.
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