Running sign language courses by level, cycle by cycle

Run group courses as cycles, one service per level, with a weekly slot that repeats until the end of the cycle and a fixed number of places. Let new learners book the first session of a beginner cycle online, then book them into the remaining sessions yourself so the group stays the same from week to week. At the end of the cycle, move the learners who are ready into the next level's cycle. Online booking also helps a teacher who is deaf: learners can book without a phone call.

Sign language is learned step by step: vocabulary and fingerspelling first, then grammar, space and storytelling. Mixing levels in one group slows everyone down. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end:

Levels, places and prices are examples: set your own, and say in each description what learners should already know and what they'll be able to do at the end of the cycle.

When you book from your calendar, first and last name are required, email and phone optional. If you enter the learner's email, they get a confirmation and a calendar file for every session. Once all places in a session are booked, it's full and disappears from your public page; the page doesn't show how many places are left.

People who are curious but unsure can start with a single taster session: a separate service with more places and a lower price. At the end, tell them when the next beginner cycle starts, and book those who want to continue.

At the end of a cycle, you know who is ready for the next level. Create the next cycle's slots, then book those learners into it yourself before opening it online. The places left over are what new learners can book. Say in the intermediate description that it follows level 1 or a conversation with you, so beginners don't join too early. Book doesn't check levels, so call anyone who booked the wrong group.

Some learners are parents of a deaf child, others work with deaf colleagues or clients. If you run specific groups, such as a course for families or for professionals, make each one its own service with its own description. For online groups, say in the description how you share the video link, and remember that Book shows times in your time zone and displays its name, which helps learners elsewhere.

Learners can't cancel online: ask them to tell you if they'll miss a session. Book doesn't email clients about changes, so if you move a session, tell the group yourself. Book doesn't take payments; explain how a cycle is paid. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.