by Chris Cavanaugh, violin teacher at Suzuki Violin Studio
Through many years of experience with kids (of all ages). In person is better. Everything I say here is ESPECIALLY TRUE for the young ones. People, (how much more, children) want to be in trusting relationships. Trust is built on experience with people–real interactions in the same space. Online communication tends to be like being on TV. It’s harder to listen, watch and feel the responses and music from the other person. These are vital to the teaching experience. Suzuki violin lessons particularly (which is what I do) thrives in the relational environment of face to face friendships: teacher-student, teacher-parent, child-teacher, and child-parent. These are slowed and strained in online-experience in which the heart of the person is more difficult to feel and discern. Facial expressions are harder to read, body-language is not interpreted. I could say in my experience, face-to-face is about love then information and online is more about information (truncated) then love.
When I work with kids online, I cannot physically move fingers and immediatly show technique and posture so important in their formationa as a violinist. It seems to take twice as long to communicate anything. They are often facinated by the screen and video than enjoying the people on the screen.
I get creative online to suppliment the experience and it works almost satifactorily but pales by comparison to a caring in person lesson experience.
These are my thoughts.
–Chris
Now here is the AI response.
There are quite a few reasons why in-person lessons can be better than online ones, depending on the context. Here are some of the biggest advantages:
🌟 1. Human Connection & Engagement
- Immediate feedback – Teachers can pick up on confused faces or disengaged body language and adapt on the spot.
- Better social interaction – Group discussions, teamwork, and face-to-face communication help build interpersonal skills and stronger relationships.
🎯 2. Fewer Distractions
- It’s harder to zone out or multitask in a studio than at home where distractions (phones, snacks, Netflix…) are everywhere.
🧠 3. More Effective for Hands-On Learning
- In-person is better for activities like lab experiments, art, music, or any subject that requires physical interaction or specialized equipment.
⏳ 4. Structured Routine
- Going to a physical location at a set time can help build discipline, routine, and time management skills. Online classes often feel too flexible, which can lead to procrastination.
📚 5. Learning Environment
- A classroom is designed for learning – unlike your bedroom or kitchen. That environment can help students focus and retain information better.
💬 6. Better Classroom Dynamics
- Teachers can use body language, movement, and group energy to keep the class engaged. That’s much harder to replicate through a screen.
That said, online learning has its perks too (like flexibility and accessibility), but for many people, especially younger students, in-person just works better overall.
AI
