There are several pros and cons to lessons online. Here are the ones I've come across so far.
Pros:
Convenience! No one has to travel anywhere, you just have to log on. This is convenient for everyone. Parents don't have to drive the student to a lesson and wait for it to be done. They can be doing other things while the child learns music at home.
Students learn on their own instruments, and I can see what they are working with and give tips for how to improve their ability to practice (ie, use a different chair, etc.).
Students learn to communicate more quickly about where they are in the score. It's harder to point out specific spots in the music, so they get comfortable using measure numbers faster.
Cons:
It's harder to demonstrate. We are always at the mercy of camera angles, so we do the best we can, but it's hard when you can't just adjust how you are sitting or stand up to more clearly see what the other person's hands are doing.
Technology. Sometimes internet goes down or is slow. Sometimes the classroom platform glitches. Sometimes computers or devices aren't working. All these things impact the quality of a lesson.
Distance. It's hard to get to know families. I get a solid half hour with each student every week and they stay pretty focused and engaged throughout. I message with parents in most cases, but I haven't actually met them, which is kind of weird. I like knowing the families a bit more.
Communication. This kind of goes along with distance. Some parents are really good at communicating, others you hear from once and then they seem to fall off the face of the earth...and you really don't have any recourse. All you can do is message them again and see if they respond. In real life, I have email addresses, phone numbers, and they bring their kid to the lesson. If I need to get a hold of them, I can. Online parents, I only have the ability to message them through the platform.
So yes, pros and cons, but I find that the pros outweigh the cons and the more experience I get, the less the cons affect the quality of the lessons I teach.
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