Starting to teach strings online for the first time can be daunting, but can have great benefits for teachers and pupils alike. Before beginning to teach stringed instruments online, think about the following key questions:
- Will you only teach online, or blend online and face to face tuition?
- What platform will you use for online teaching and do you need to invest in any equipment to maximise the quality of your audio and visual output?
- How strong is your internet signal – check it at speedtest.net – and can you do anything to improve it – for example using an ethernet cable rather than wifi?
- Do you have an appropriate teaching space, with good light, blank walls and enough space to move around and have a stand for your instrument?
- Think about how you will share music and record lesson notes/tasks/homework.
- Are there elements of your teaching you can create video or written resources for so that pupils can access this whenever they like – tuning, bow hold, etc? How will you share these with your pupils (website, You Tube, Facebook page)
- How will booking and scheduling work? Remember to schedule breaks between lessons.
- Have you updated your policies and paperwork to reflect online tuition – safeguarding, insurance, cancellation?
Prior to the lesson, encourage pupils to warm up and tune up so that you can focus on their development and technique. Investigate and share your favourite tuning apps and websites so that pupils (and their parents) can develop their confidence in tuning their instrument. There are also great videos for demonstrating bow hold, replacing strings and so on. Explore these, or create your own, so that you are ready to add extra elements to your teaching when required.
Spend some time making sure the pupil’s set up is optimal for the lesson and what you want to focus on. Do you need to see their posture and bow hold or focus on fingering? As in face to face lessons, listening will be key to teaching. Don’t be afraid to ask the pupil to move their device or adjust their settings to make sure you can hear them properly.
Within the Interface:Response team we have mentors who are experienced strings teachers and who have taught online regularly. If you’d like further advice and support please get in touch. Our mentors can work with you free of charge if you are located within the UK.
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