A batch is a group of students who study the same course at the same time. Your timetable is how you turn a few computers into many students without overcrowding or idle gaps. Plan it around when your students are free, not when you would like to teach.
Know when your students are free
School students are free after school and on holidays. College students often have gaps between lectures and evenings. Working people prefer early mornings and late evenings. Homemakers often like mid mornings. Talk to potential students and note the times that come up again and again. Those become your first slots.
Batch size
For practical subjects, one student per computer is ideal, so the number of seats is your batch limit. Choose a size at which the instructor can still reach every student within a minute or two. For a beginner course, a smaller batch means more individual attention and a better result, which is what parents will talk about. Keep a short waiting list rather than overcrowding.
A sample day
This is only an illustration to show how slots can be arranged. Use your own hours.
- Early morning: a batch for working people and early risers.
- Mid morning: a batch for homemakers and college students with free periods.
- Afternoon: your own paperwork, maintenance, a short demo or a private session.
- After school: a batch for school students.
- Early evening: a second batch for school or college students.
- Late evening: a batch for working people.
Mixing courses
Seats are your scarce resource, so think about which courses can share a room at once. Two different courses in the same room at the same time need two instructors or a very capable one, and they distract each other. It is usually cleaner to run one course per slot and rotate. If you must mix, keep the groups apart and keep each to a manageable number.
Start with a small number of courses, such as basic computer skills and office applications, typing, and one or two skill courses your local students ask for. Add more only when the first ones run well. Ask the head office which courses your centre can run.
Courses of different lengths
Short courses fill gaps and bring in beginners, while longer courses keep a steady base of students for months. A mix helps with continuity. Be clear with each student about how many classes per week and how many months, so nobody is surprised.
Walk through a batch from start to finish
- Admission: record the student and agree the course, batch and payment plan.
- First class: orientation, rules, login to the lab and a first small task.
- Weekly teaching: a lesson, practice, and a short check of what was learnt.
- Mid course: a practice test or small project, and a quick chat with the parent if needed.
- Final: the centre exam, taken in front of a teacher, then the certificate request if the student passes.
Keep an attendance and progress record
Keep a register or a simple spreadsheet for every batch: names, contact numbers, attendance and notes on progress. Call a student who misses two classes in a row. Many dropouts happen silently and can be prevented by a quick, friendly call.
Review every month
At the end of the month, look at which batches are full and which are thin. Merge thin batches, move times, or stop a slot that nobody wants. Ask students what they like and what they would change. Small adjustments compound over a year.
This guide is general advice for planning. It states no membership fee and promises no income, student numbers or acceptance of a certificate by any employer. Ask the head office for the current fee and terms in writing, and check local rules and tax with a professional. Use the planner to test your own numbers.