Online Lesson Challenges
Found in: Online Learning, Teaching Online Lessons, Technology
Ian B., California
Hey everyone. If you are teaching online (virtual lessons), and wouldn’t mind sharing,
what would you say has been your BIGGEST PROBLEM thus far?
If you had to sum up what has been the most challenging part of virtual lessons as a piano teacher, what would you say?
For myself, the biggest problem I’ve encountered is my own emotional and mental state. In one word, OVERWHELM. Even though I’ve found so many solutions to issues I have dealt with over the past several months, I have to constantly manage my own reactions to various issues. Whether it’s tech troubleshooting, student retention, student ATTENTION retention, parent engagement…whatever the current issue, I find myself getting overwhelmed very quickly, and I have to remind myself of all the actual successes I’ve had and how those successes started out as difficulties or problems I had to solve…AND I SOLVED THEM. So I will continue to approach new problems with curiosity, compassion (and self-compassion), patience, and tenacity/determination.
Ruth P., North Carolina
Thanks for asking, Ian Belloso. One challenge for me is sometimes we (student and me) talk over each other. For example, the student asks me a question and as I’m answering, he begins to try what I’m saying. I want them (and have talked about it) to listen FIRST until I’m done with instruction THEN try it. It can be very tiring to have that back and forth “battle”. Plus having to speak louder wears me out a bit. I have some students with hearing issues (older folks). I find myself both energized after lessons as well as exhausted sometimes. But still very grateful I can teach….
Lauren C, Australia
This has been my biggest problem too.
Karen M., Canada
I can’t play with students. There’s a delay on my end.
Rachel S., Utah
Mine is the physical discomfort! My back is killing me from sitting at the piano bench hours in a row!!
Gail J., Washington
Rachel Smith I know! I finally swapped it out for my office chair with back support and padded cushion since I’m not constantly playing. Works much better. I also switch to the overhead view (so I’m not on camera) and stand and stretch when my students are playing something for me. Both have helped a lot!
Ruth P., North Carolina
Gail Cantrell Johnson I did that too with a chair!
Sue L., California
All of the above. I miss tactile interaction — touching fingers, playing duets together, eye contact, hugs. It is the reason I prefer teaching piano to teaching singing. I can’t physically reach into someone’s vocal chords. I miss the nonverbal aspects.
Ruth P., North Carolina
Yes on the missing duets, Sue Lopez! That was a great pleasure for me. I’m trying soon a duet with a student using “Acapella” app. Anyone else try that?
Sue L., California
I have used that app but not with students. I’ve told them about it so they can make their own recordings. What a great idea to duet with a student on the app. Please let me know how it goes!
Susan M., California
No having great sound from student so the sound doesn’t match what I see – is that called delay? – , not producing great sound when I demo an accompaniment where I sing and play, lessons taking longer than 25-30 min., not yet having a PC or laptop at my piano, or keyboard at my PC.
Nancy W., Texas
Biggest problems
Lost 3/4 of students, trying to
Get new students.
Delay in devices
Teaching upper levels more difficult to me than f2f
Leeanne I., Australia
I would have to say my biggest problem is getting students and parents to focus on the lesson. Parents tend to wander off and start folding the laundry. Kids are fascinated with watching themselves on the screen.
Lauren C., Australia
Some of my students forget or don’t realise I can see them even if I switch to keyboard view. They start swaying on their chairs, looking at the roof, checking out their image etc Flip back to my face and they straighten up and snap back to attention!
Nancy N., Massachusetts
My students have a variety of devices and setups. Some work better than others. It’s most frustrating when their sound is not great, AND I can’t see their keyboards very well. And I can’t sing or play along on accompaniments because of sound delay, and they really need me to because most of my families are not into singing.
Maureen K., California
I miss jamming with my students. In my studio we play music together a lot. Now we can’t.
Michele F., Nebraska
I am not a sitter, so I try to stand when the opportunity arises. The other thing is sometimes there a those social and directive personalities that find it hard to be patient and listen to what I have to say or play, in spite of me telling them that we’ve both got to be more patient and LISTEN while the other is speaking or playing with online lessons. I need them to listen to what I’m saying/doing so that I can thoroughly convey what I can’t do through manually manipulating their hands. Sometimes the sound is glitchy.
Original discussion started October 8, 2020