One year ago this week, I sent an email with the subject line “Lessons in Your Jammies” to my studio. 

March 17, 2020

Hi Friends,

I’m sure many of you are wondering what will happen with your lessons and I want to assure you that I will be continuing lessons…just not in person. If there is a platform that you prefer please let me know.  I won’t care if you’re in your jammies during your lesson.  I might be in mine too. 😉

Thanks so much and take care of yourselves,

Megan

When Life Gives You Lemons

Parents were seeking any resemblance of normalcy for their kids (and themselves) as we were all on lockdown doing our best to protect one another.  Thanks to technology, online music lessons were one of the few activities that could continue and teachers have been invaluable resources to help provide stability to children during a time of great questions and uncertainty.

Teaching music online has surprised me in many ways and I have found it to be a growth opportunity, improving my teaching through clearer communication rather than a hands-on demonstration.  Students and parents have grown by becoming more proactive in their learning, playing independently, tuning their instruments, and taking their own lesson notes.

Being able to view my students’ homes has been a joy as well.  I can see (and make suggestions to tweak) their practice space, interact with their pets, and see grandma and grandpa when they come into town.  Some students feel even more comfortable at home and can show their true colors and with that, I’ve been able to develop even stronger relationships.

One year after writing that email to my studio, I have immense gratitude for the sheer fact that we can still safely see our students and work from home during this pandemic. Many people have experienced job insecurity and as a teacher, that could have easily been me if I had not embraced online teaching.  We will come out on the other side wiser and more effective teachers as a result of this time.  We now have instilled online music instruction as a permanent fixture and a valuable option for ourselves and studio families.