Online lessons definitely have their advantages. No cancelling if your child has mild sniffles, no having to drive on icy roads, easier scheduling because you don't have to drive to my place -- just a few of the benefits.
They also have their challenges. And I'm under the impression that's the part most parents aren't thrilled about.
This last month, I got plenty of practice teaching online. For two weeks, our home was "a kingdom of self-isolation" (to play on Disney's famous song line from "Let It Go") as sickness swept through the family. Then, just as we had all recovered, a couple of my families notified me that they were the ones now sick! So I've been teaching exclusively online for three out of the last four weeks.
Of course, it's January. It's Alberta. That means it's cold. It's also been snowing every other day, and alternating between just above 0 Celsius to -30 Celsius. If you haven't figured out that, in rural areas, that can wreak havoc on your internet connection, you've never lived it.
Which raises the question: What happens then?
What happens when the internet is slow, won't connect, or goes down altogether?
Most people would answer, "FaceTime."
There's just one problem with that: believe it or not, I don't have data on my phone. It's a cost thing. It's cheaper just to go without. It's also inconvenient sometimes.
But not impossible.
My phone still takes a role when connections go down. It just does so in a more old-fashioned way -- through speakerphone. You never knew you could do lessons over the phone, did you? Of course, it works best if the connection is only slow, not lacking altogether, so I can still see the student and their hands at the piano, even if everything's loading too slowly to make for clear sound.
What happens when parents can't print the activities I email?
Yep. Faced that one, too. Games and activities are an integral part of lessons here. When the printer goes down -- when the parent forgets -- when lessons are switched from in-person to online -- you'd think that would be disastrous.
It's not. It's an opportunity for creative brainstorming!
Here's what I do: modify the game. Since I already emailed it the parents, I start by pulling it up and sharing my screen with the student. Then I have to think -- fast. Can I turn it into a dice game? Can I use
Lumin PDF to draw on the printout digitally? Can the student use tokens and their own piano to complete the gameplay? There's always something that will work.
I am working on finding online games for online lessons, but in a pinch, there are other options too.
What about the things you can't point to that students just aren't getting?
Example: I tell a student to play on D. They play the right melody, but on C.
There's
Witeboard, or a similar app that connects directly to Zoom. It's not nearly as tidy as a real whiteboard (at least, not when you're using a mouse), but it works. (Zoom's app is better in that you can insert shapes rather than draw freehand, but Witeboard has a better eraser. Zoom's eraser will erase everything.) I can also pull up pictures of anything on Google. In this example, I'd use a keyboard image and point out D and C, saying, "Here's C, and that's what you're playing. But you need to start on D, which is here." I also have a tin sheet from MYC. It's a great tool -- it's got the staff on one side and a keyboard on another, and I often use it because it's faster and cleaner than trying to draw an entire grand staff on Witeboard.
In Other News....
I've been hunting for a new piano, because mine, as you can see, is super old and has some funny-sounding quirks. Hopefully next month I will have an update on that!
And, speaking of next month, stay tuned. We have another Theme Month coming up! My students (the ones who aren't preparing for Parkland Music Festival, anyways) are probably all curious as to why I've suddenly been handing out easy Classical pieces for them to learn. It's all part of the plan. I'll tell you more four weeks from now. ;)
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