Liability Insurance For Music Teachers - Music education comes in all shapes and sizes. So is insurance for music teachers. From a small home business, to a rented music studio, to rented space inside a small musical instrument shop, to lessons in schools, to a full-sized music school: the style and scale of lessons can vary greatly from business to business to business. We have an insurance solution for that.
The two links below will take you directly to an insurance quote portal, and in most cases will send you a quote back immediately. When the quote is generated, you will have the option to issue the policy and pay for the policy. It only takes a few minutes.
Liability Insurance For Music Teachers
Do you work alone? Is your top priority to cover any mistakes or errors that may occur through the professional services you provide? This is the option for you.
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Are you an entrepreneur who has turned your passion into a business? Do you have a list, or do you use tools to provide your services? Do you have other equipment you are concerned about protecting? This option is for you.
Questions? We are happy to help. Contact one of our insurance experts at info@. Or call us at 800-942-5818 and ask for the music team. If you teach music in a school classroom, it is likely that you have followed certain protocols to ensure that you and your students will be protected. In the United States, when you apply for any job at a school, whether you are paid to volunteer or not, you must go through a background check. This is a good thing as we want to make sure that those who teach in our schools do not have a history of putting a child's safety at risk.
In the independent private studios, things work a little differently. Unless you decide to be screened voluntarily, there are no specific requirements like you would find in a school setting or perhaps a commercial studio setting where your employer might require a background check. It is entirely up to us to ensure that security policies and plans are in place.
It's not an easy topic to talk about because no one wants to even consider that a teacher might cross boundaries with a student or a student might not tell the truth when a teacher is upset. But unfortunately these things happen. So what can we do to protect students and ourselves?
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I'd like to share 10 ways you can help protect yourself and your students. Remember, I'm in the US so some of the things I talk about may be different for you. If you are in Canada, I would recommend reading Rebekah Maxner's post on Child Protection Policy and Plan.
This blog post is in no way a substitute for legal advice or indicates the necessary steps to be taken in your local jurisdiction. Contact your local police department or CPS division to find out what steps to take in your area.
For my studio, this one is easy because I include a music lab station in my studio. I always have 2-3 students here at the same time. While one student works with me, the other student(s) work on an assignment at a music lab station. The lab room has double doors that open into the same room I teach in so everyone can see.
If you don't have this type of arrangement and only see one student at a time, it's a good idea to either invite a parent to stay during the lesson or have a family member around. If that's not an option, #2 might work best for you.
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If you are alone with a student, it is a good idea to record the lesson. You can also use it later in a few different ways. You can send a copy of the recording to the student to help them practice that week and you can use it to observe your teaching.
If you are teaching in a studio where there are individual rooms but no window, it might be a good idea to leave the door open. Now, I know that sometimes it's not possible, especially if other lessons are happening a few steps away, but if it's possible, do it. Alternatively, consider option #2 to record a lesson, or #1 invite a parent or guardian to stay.
In music lessons we know there are many occasions when it is helpful to move a child's hand, guide their finger to just the right position, etc. At these times it is useful to let the child know in advance what you are going to do so that they are not surprised. "Do you mind if I place my hand here to show you…?" If they are not comfortable with it, so be it.
When my students are teenagers, it's helpful to be able to email or text them when I need to send them something. When you communicate, "cc" the parent as well. Another option is to use an app like Tonara, where the parent has easy access to check those messages between teacher and student.
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Social media would also fall under this category. Whether you accept a friend request from a student is up to you. Remember to play safe. Over the years I've had a few teenage students befriend me and I've accepted it. They have been with me since childhood. However, if I have to send them any kind of message, it's not through Facebook. You can decide what works best for you and how to go about it.
I sync all my lessons and send a summary to parents every week. If a special event occurs during your lessons, it is important to write detailed notes and let parents know as soon as possible. That way there are no surprises. If it's something you don't feel needs to be shared, then at least take note of it. If necessary, you can come back to it later.
Since my students use technology during the music lab, I need to make sure I have safety protocols in place for their use. I want to encourage you to check out this post I wrote a few years ago about Student Proofreading from your iPad.
Additionally, I have music lab rules in place for my students. In short, they must stay on task through the specific application, website or resource assigned. If rules are abused, I can remove their access to technology. (There are still many things they can do during lab time that do not require technology)
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If you have a student you suspect of abuse, report it. In the United States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, the Child Welfare Act requires this by law. He declares
You are a teacher. You may be an independent private teacher, but a teacher nonetheless. Regardless of whether you teach in a school or not, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of our students.
I like to take lots of pictures and videos of my students. It's just part of who I am. I love celebrating students' successes and achievements and it's fun to look back at their growth. I'm sure you're the same, so it's important to get permission to take photos/video and share them. (I include my media release in my studio policy) There may be an occasion when it is unsafe for a family to have your photos/videos of a student posted. I know sometimes it makes things more difficult when you might have a group photo you want to share, but now it's easy to blur a face or add a digital sticker on top of a face if needed.
If you don't have liability insurance, get it now. Although I hate to even think about the possibility of someone suing, it can and does happen to teachers. Protect yourself. If you are a member of MTNA, they have a few options to consider.
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That MTNA has quite a few legal documents that you can download and review regarding some of these concerns? If you are a member, go to
Encourage you to post a comment below and share any additional ideas you do or may have seen others do that will help us all.
Rebekah Maxner of the Piano at Play blog and I collaborated on this topic. She lives and runs her studio in Canada and will have some different ideas, perspectives and experiences to share. Read all about the child protection policy and plan, which includes a free download here.
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