Online education is definitely not a new concept but still, there are a lot of wrong approaches being done, sometimes mistakenly. The global pandemic has been a learning experience for us all and online or virtual learning is new-age learning. As an educator, you must know some of the crucial online classroom etiquettes while teaching remotely or virtually.
While we are all new to this still and are trying our best to become accustomed to the new educational system, we thought of listing down a few do's and don'ts. Let us have a look!
Must-Know Do’s of Virtual Online Teaching
Here are some important reminders of how to be the best online teacher you can be.
Brush Up Your Online Communication Habits
Check your email at least once a day. It’s extremely important to be accessible on a platform everyone has access to, such as email. However, sending too many emails to your students or colleagues can also be overwhelming. We would suggest limiting those. Try to set goals for your lessons and stay up to date with teaching skills and other work too.
Contact Your Students Frequently
As the pandemic hit us, it is the children who are the real victims. They are not being able to spend time with children their age, however, with time schools are opening gradually. Hence, do contact your students frequently to communicate encouragement, support, instructions, and expectations. You can share important resources with them which give information on formal resources as well as study and time management tips. Along with this, try to conduct surveys to get a sense of your students’ levels of online connectivity, and how it might influence their aptitude to involve with your course.
Plan Asynchronous Learning Activities
Instead of live lecturing or other synchronous communications, try different asynchronous learning activities. These may include doings that don’t need everyone to be online at the same time, like reading text lectures, viewing recorded mini-lecture videos, participating in various online discussion forums, and submitting assignments and so on. It is a good way to help students with changing levels of bandwidth and technology to be effective.
Understand The Requirements Of Online Learning
Certainly, COVID has had a lot of effect on our study system. Numerous universities, schools and other educational institutions around the world are transferring their means of study to virtual sessions. The reason behind this is because that it delivers more time for the learners to learn from wherever they want. Consequently, students must get some time and take online lectures from colleges and universities around the world.
Make Sure Your Workplace Is Quiet And Distraction-free
Try to set your workplace as much as possible, free of distractions as possible. Try to set up a clear background behind you. However, if you are teaching young learners, you can make it colourful by keeping the lesson in mind. Also, turn your phone to silent and get a reliable internet connection.
Must-Know Don’ts of Virtual Online Teaching
Here are some important don’ts of how to be the best online teacher you can be.
Don’t Use Poor Technology
Try not to make explanations for bad tech. Always test well your tech hitches (computer and internet access) before going for the online session. Don’t sit on the couch or bed. Don’t turn off your camera for long periods of time or regularly. Use a good quality mic, stable internet connection and a headphone.
Don’t Be Too Inflexible
Try to be supportive with your students (and yourself) wherever possible. Remember, just like you, your students also have transitioned to online delivery and may face different challenges as well as hurdles as they try to be effective. Don’t change your learning outcomes.
Don’t Fear Getting Support
After shifting to the online educational world, it doesn’t take long to feel out-of-the-way and captive. There is nothing wrong with this as it is one of the most common mental brawls in the post-COVID-19 era. Try to reach out professionals for getting help. Nowadays, institutions have addressed this dilemma by introducing various Virtual Online Teaching Courses for teachers.
Don’t Share Confidential Information
Sounds pretty obvious, isn’t it? While teaching online, you may need to share workplace examples that relate to the topic of discussion. But be aware of privacy, especially when sharing examples. Also, it is important to remember that Live Online sessions are recorded, so can be accessed later on. Hence, be cautious.
Don’t Procrastinate
Online teaching and procrastination go hand to hand. Thus, set times to prepare your lessons and talk with other colleagues as well, create goals for your lessons, and stay up to date with teaching skills and other work.
Final Thoughts
So, do you want to become a successful and skilled teacher? Virtual Online Teaching program prepares teaching professionals to teach today’s online and virtual teaching environment. Not to mention, it is a great way to build connections with your students as well while teaching online.
Written By : Kalyani Balakrishnan
