Shining Through Stormy Times: Supporting Children’s Well-being During COVID-19 Restrictions in Los Angeles”
Dear MUSIC TEACHER LA Families,
Amidst the recent Covid-19 quarantine measures, prolonged school closures extending potentially through June 2020, and inclement rainy weather, numerous children find themselves confined to their homes for the entirety of the day.
Humans inherently crave social interaction, and the necessity of social distancing impacts children in various ways – some exhibit heightened energy levels, while others display signs of withdrawal and melancholy. Our commitment remains steadfast in brightening the lives of our cherished students, whether through consistent in-home or online lessons, aiming to infuse joy and positivity into their daily routines. We will work on continuing to bring happy moments and sunshine to all of our beloved students!
I’ve been touched by the inquiries from families seeking to adjust lesson frequencies, transition to online platforms, or temporarily suspend lessons. To those who have chosen to persist with music instructions during these challenging times, your unwavering support is truly appreciated.
In-Home Lessons
As of Monday, 3/16/2020 Los Angeles County has 94 confirmed cases and 1 death (see http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ ).
So far, as of Monday, 3/16/2020 91% of our students are continuing with in-home lessons, although we are encouraging you to try studying music online with your teacher- it proved to be enjoyable, interactive, educational, and stress-relieving for those who tried them for the first time this weekend. With the recent development, the schools might be staying close through the end of the school year!
From what we know, young children with no pre-existing conditions rarely get sick with COVID-19. As of today, there is limited proof that a child can transmit a coronavirus to an adult. Our teachers were suggested to limit the socialization and every instructor then reported limiting contacts to loved ones and our students only- no outings, no performances, no shows, etc. Thus, we take the precaution and remind you to notify us if your child or you get sick.
Online Lessons
All of our teachers have obtained experience teaching online. We are offering live virtual music lessons via Zoom application.
Additionally, we are ready to handle some misbehavior from over-active children due to the kids’ latest low physical activity. I came up with some games, and testing on my kids this weekend. In collaboration with other teachers, more ideas were shared about how to keep lessons engaging, fun, and enriching, with some physical exercises related to music for younger students. I further tested online lessons using a laptop and then a smartPhone with my children (my youngest is 3 years of age) and did not experience a technical problem on any of the devices. I surprised my kids by teaching them in different masks and the learning process went smoothly.
Finally, those teachers who taught online lessons this weekend found the online classes easy to teach, kids responded to their familiar teachers well, and no behavior issues occurred in young students so far.
Optimal Schedule for Children During Quarantine
Schedules and routines help both children and adults. It empowers us because we know what to expect next. Additionally, a routine gives the feeling of normalcy to everyone whose schedule has lately been disrupted.
This fun chart, found online, seems optimal for a school-age child or a preschooler.
FREE Resources during School Closure
There are educational resources, all free during schools’ closure (click on the links of the documents below):
1. shorturl.at/hlDQ2 — DiscoverEd, BrainPop, MysteryScience, and more
2. shorturl.at/iMRT1
3. https://messymotherhood.com/kids-home-from-school
Students Referrals
MUSIC TEACHER LA instructors are continuing to bring the love of music and we are welcoming your generous referrals of students to MUSIC TEACHER LA.
Thank you.
Kind Regards,
Olesya MacNeil | President