Online In-Home Lesson Guide

Thank you for being one of our awesome CoachArt volunteers! We want you to feel equipped to handle any situation that might come up during your volunteer work. In the past, in-home lessons have typically taken place in-person, but that’s not always convenient — or even possible.

Below are some tips for successful online lessons. Haven’t been matched yet? Log in here to request a student to work with online.

Online Lesson Ideas and Tips by Subject:

Cooking/baking

• Here are some great dessert recipes that use typical pantry ingredients
• Send the recipe you’ll be making a few days in advance to make sure they have all ingredients and kitchen tools.
• If they need additional ingredients, let us know and we can send them via Amazon if they’re available.
• Cooking and baking will require the student and you to be mobile in the kitchen, so make sure you and your student are able to prop your phone or computer up in a place where it has the widest view possible.
• Make sure a parent/guardian is participating with the student for the entire duration of the lesson, for their physical safety.

Sports

• Record and share a video of yourself or a friend doing a popular drill. Send it to your student after your lesson so they can practice when you’re not there. Explain why athletes use this particular drill (is it for warm up? agility?) and give them instructions on how to incorporate it into their routine.
• Highlight an athlete. Do you have a favorite athlete from your sport? Your student probably does, too! Spend some time talking about your favorite athlete(s) and what you admire about them. You could even watch video of the athlete! It’s always fun to draw inspiration from the professionals!
• Do sports related crafts! This is a great option for younger kids. We can order you a craft like this flipbook making kit, or this painting kit
• Make a “game plan” – becoming a great athlete doesn’t happen overnight. Work with your student to create an 8 week plan that includes exercises/drills that can be worked on even when you’re not meeting in-person. Adjust accordingly to your student’s ability and desire to practice. It’s a great opportunity to show them that your skills are malleable and constantly evolving.
• Dial in on technique. Virtual lessons are a great way to focus on form and assign verbal cues to perfect your student’s technique. You can tell them to practice in front of a mirror so that they can see what you see.

Music

• If you have the ability, set up 2 cameras. That way your student can see your instrument and your face.
• Help guide the student and their parent/guardian in how to use, tune, and care for their new instrument.
• Be patient, it is harder to reach music online, but we promise- it is possible 🙂
• Have a performance at the end of the lesson –invite family and friends to a zoom recital. Record and share their accomplishment!

Visual Art

• Even though you are not sitting together in one room, make the project at the same time, so you can talk about your experience together.
• Make sure your student is using materials responsibly with the supervision of their parent/guardian.
• Sitting in front of the computer can make kids restless, so be sure to take some stretch breaks!

Anticipate some Awkwardness

• Technology can make communication easier and harder at the same time! You might encounter some awkwardness or shyness in the beginning and that’s totally normal. One thing that you can do right away is focus on getting to know your student better and seeing what they are passionate about.
• Ask questions and incorporate icebreakers in the beginning of your lesson so that you can ease into the material.
• It’s okay if you only meet half an hour instead of a full hour. It can be hard for kids to pay attention for a long time.
• It’s also okay if your student is having a bad day and doesn’t feel like doing the activity you had planned.
• Just the fact that you consistently show up for the lesson is a positive and meaningful thing.

Example of what an hour may look like:

• 5 minute check in with parent/guardian.
• 10 minute introduction to student.
• 30 minute lesson.
• 15 minute closing summary, cleanup, recap and assignments. 

Assigning “Funwork”: You’re encouraged to invite your student to continue (practicing their instrument on their own, trying cooking a recipe again with a guardian, writing their story to discuss at your next virtual lesson) if you think this might be useful and welcome.

Over time your student will probably open up to you, and you will really get to know each other. If a child ever shares anything about their lives that is uncomfortable for you, please let us know. If this does happen, do your best to steer the conversation back to the activity at hand. Keep an open mind and know that your mentorship is just as critical as the skill you’re teaching.

If you wish to meet in person

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CoachArt recommends that all lessons take place online. However, if a family and a coach would like to meet in-person, we ask that the following guidelines be followed:

• Local government policy must permit people to meet in-person, utilize parks or courts, and do the activity at hand.
• Both parties must agree that they want to meet in-person, and notify CoachArt.
• Lessons must take place outdoors if possible.
• Coach and all family members must wear a face covering.
• All balls, equipment, and hands must be sanitized before and after the lesson.
• Any participant with a cough, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, temperature over 99, or trouble breathing within the last 24 hours (or anybody in a home with somebody experiencing any of these symptoms) may not attend.