Teaching with COVID

[Paul Arden]

It’s probably worth having a conversation about this. In light of this recent pandemic how will you alter your teaching practises?

It’s going to be a different risk depending on where you are? Me personally I think I’ll just try to avoid teaching people who might have it. But I’m not doing a cycle of short 1-1 or even 1-group lessons. My clients mostly live with me for 5-7 days and that’s currently impossible anyway!

So do you avoid lessons? Change how you teach? How’s will it affect you?

Cheers, Paul

[nicholasfmoore]

Hi Paul,

Changing teaching methods and not being stuck in a rut is a sign of a very good teacher. After all, we are always learning, and this pandemic has never happened before so it's a very interesting topic mate

I do think it's going to be different for everyone depending on where you are, but avoiding those who potentially have it is of paramount importance i feel. I do see how it would be very tricky for you, so i think it depends on traffic flow and what you get asked to do in a lesson

The big change for me is the increased use of more analogies without the added benefit of teaching aids (paint brushes etc). Also, if they don't have their own outfit and need to borrow one, then this would have to be thoroughly sterilized before another student even comes close to it. I also think the 2m rule doesn't really matter to teaching. On a side note, how many times have you come across a person that want's to talk 2" from your face? (I think it's called proxemics) You move back, and they get closer. This really aggravates me, and is completely unnecessary.

I think there is an element of trust between yourself and the student, and they should disclose if they have symptoms of covid, which is a potentially deadly diseases which is infectious. The other day i was talking to an angler that was constantly getting closer to me, even though i told him politely 'can you back up please'. Before he came round he was coughing, and even said to me that he forgets the 2m rule.

Most people aren't like that thankfully, so i think if you can keep 2m away and ask them to bring their own stuff then you are golden.

All the best!

[jarmo]

Unfortunately, because of risk group members around me, I have to avoid teaching casting altogether until this has cleared. I just have to minimise the number of contacts. The situation in our country is a lot better, but you never know, and a second wave might be around the corner. This is a real bummer, because

• I had planned to do a lot of teaching this year
• demand has increased, perhaps ironically due to Covid-19.

Avoiding casting lessons is actually the hardest part of this entire virus thingy for me at this very moment. I would have plenty of time to teach at this time of year. I have, for example, had to turn down several new students in the past two days.

[Paul Arden]

Thank goodness for rod sales - my teaching/hosting business on the lake has very obviously collapsed entirely. I was hoping to do 100 days this year - I got about 10 in before COVID and just maybe I’ll be able to accept guests again in Sept-December.

However if a guest brings the virus to my boat for a week then I am quite sure that I will get the virus. Part of my thinks however that it would be better for me to catch it now than in 30 years time!

It would be possible to give a lesson from 30 ft apart, and to sanitise the rod, line and reel after the lesson. You would just have to give the lesson assuming that your client has the disease.

Cheers, Paul