If you’re looking for the wrench that was thrown into the gears in 2020, the aftershocks of which are being felt into 2021 and beyond, it was COVID-19. Whether or not you think it’s serious, whether or not you believe in wearing masks, or whether you teach in person or online, I’d bet my metronome that you haven’t been able to avoid thinking about COVID-19 as you’ve been teaching piano lessons.
This post is designed to be a launchpad with links to all Piano at Play blog articles that address COVID-19 adaptations. However you teach, you’ll find articles that will help you!
Online lessons
Starting and teaching beginners online
Here’s a cartload of ideas for gaining confidence teaching very young students online! Tips for how to get and hold attention, how to engage parent helpers, how to fit everything in the short lesson time and how to relax and enjoy!
Adapting to online teaching
Most of us were accustomed to teaching piano privately in person. Here’s a post with some practical ideas on how to make the lateral move to online teaching. Simple tips! Keep it painless!
Helping families set up zoom at home
If zoom is your platform of choice, here’s a post you can share directly with your piano families to help them set up at home!
Piano student at-home care package
If you can’t be there in person, you can keep some of the special touches you and your students love. Deliver to their door a package of stickers, sticky notes and little things to add a touch of cheer to online lessons! Read more to find out how!
Resources for teaching beginner and elementary students online
Here’s an Idea Bank of links to great posts that will help make your beginner and elementary online teaching easier. There are even some posts you can share directly with your youngest students to help facilitate their at-home practice! That makes your job easier! This is my all-time most popular post!
Planning an Online recital
Zoom allows multiple people to join the same video call, which makes it an ideal platform to host a live online recital! Here are 7 tips to get it going! Includes a template for an invitation!
Join Rebekah Maxner in a fun and enlightening composition workshop entitled, “Be a Copycat!” You’ll learn the biggest trade secret of the greatest composers! Add on a Piano Mini-Fest, an opportunity for young pianists to perform in an online masterclass! There’s never been a better time to meet online! Learn More! >>
Piano in person during COVID-19
Health-proofing your studio
If and when it’s safe enough for you to teach in person, you’ll want to read these tips on how to make your studio as safe as possible for yourself, your students, all families involved and your community.
In-studio distance teaching
This post shows how I adapted my piano studio for in-person teaching by creating distance between teacher and student, an affordable homemade mylar sneeze guard, and entrance/exit protocols that avoid obsessive cleaning and save time, yet still keep you safer. Includes link to printable signs!
Have you ever had that feeling when you’ve found the perfect piece for your student? It’s here! Join the MaxMusic Piano eSheet Club and save big! eSheets are studio-licensed and members are loving it! Learn more! >>
Hybrid piano teaching
Scheduling ideas
This post outlines creative ways to adapt your schedule to include both in-person and online teaching that will reduce your time investment for cleaning and avoid student-to-student crossover contact. Curious? It’s actually quite easy.
COVID-19 Policies
Piano studio Policies and protocols
Want a peek into my updated policies and protocols for COVID-19? In this post I explain updates I made to my DIY Piano Handbook to help families know what to expect in piano lessons this year, when to opt for an online lesson, and how I handle student supplies in the studio. Don’t wait for next year, you may need a policy update now!
Flexible Early Registration
It’s nearly impossible to plan ahead in times like these, yet we still need to register students early for the upcoming lesson year. Here are some pointers on how to plan ahead for the unknown, to give yourself room to develop your plan as you go.
These days, the volume of search engine traffic indicates the number of teachers looking for guidance on how to teach piano during COVID-19. In fact, the title of this post “Guidelines for teaching piano during COVID-19” was a search term that led someone here — and I thought it would make a great title! I hope you find what you’re looking for. If I’ve missed anything, please leave a comment. All the best from me to you at this most challenging time. Chin up! We can do this!
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I appreciate shares, comments and likes. Happy teaching! ❤
Video of the Week
Here’s the Church (Elementary, Prep B), based on “Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple,” a fun piece that explores eighths and hand-over-hand with a whole tone scale. From the print and eBook Johnny Appleseed, 12 Joyful Songs and Prayers for Children, Early Elementary piano works with optional teacher duets.
Rebekah Maxner 