Teaching is not a trivial task. There are a lot of things that teachers need to take in to consideration. Starting from the types of learners in the classroom to the pace at which each student learns, there are countless things that affect the learning outcomes and academic performance. It goes without saying that online teaching is the buzzword of recent times. It has made its way into our daily vocabulary. While online teaching is stealing the show, it is important to understand that it is significantly different from traditional teaching. The questions such as how to be a good online teacher and what are the best online teaching practices spring up quite often. Effective teaching involves a lot of elements and today we will be looking at five important qualities that teachers need for the teaching to be effective.
1.Be Organized
Online teachers go through an array of emotions on a daily basis. They doubt whether the online teaching techniques they are using are worth it, whether the online teaching ideas are up to the mark and whether they are engaging with their students the right way, and a thousand other questions. One thing that can help you stay above these doubts and questions is being organized. A system must be put in place. Being well-planned and organized will help you stay focused and will help teachers become calm. Set a proper timetable and have a schedule that you live by. This will help to remove any surprises and the students would be well prepared. When the students are prepared, the learning is more effective and that is the ultimate goal!
2.Proactiveness
Teachers should be able to anticipate things. A proactive teacher builds a classroom environment that is positive and inclusive. A positive learning environment is pivotal for effective teaching. Problems are bound to arise and the teacher must be able to handle them with ease. The proactiveness must be present while devising lesson plans, assigning activities, classroom chores, and likewise. Now that the classes have moved online, teachers must have a backup plan in place. Just in case their system runs out of power or there’s no electricity.
3.Patience
One of the most important qualities that a teacher needs for effective teaching is patience. When the teacher loses their calm, the students are put in a state of unrest and confusion. This further affects the learning experience adversely. A negative reaction from the teacher will cause students to react negatively. A teacher should create a kind and welcoming atmosphere so that the students feel comfortable.
4.Fairness
The important question that you have to ask yourself is: if you were a student, what would you feel at the end of the class? If your answer is that you are going to be tired or confused, then you need to reset your environment and re-establish the rapport that you share with your students. Convey optimism and be reassuring. Provide hope to students and don’t let them doubt themselves. Emphasize that meaningful learning is not restricted to a classroom and be the teacher that you always looked up to.
5.Communication
Communication can be both verbal and non-verbal. Sometimes, students might not be vocal about what they feel in the classroom. For effective teaching, the teacher should communicate effectively. The teacher needs to listen well and talk about what they expect from students. Communication helps students to reach their full potential at a quicker pace and it also helps to create a better learning environment. Encouraging efforts, acknowledging how students are performing and likewise helps to manage the classroom better.
Effective teaching requires effort and commitment. If one invests enough time, they can make the classroom a great space for learning. Regardless of whether it is offline or online. Effective teaching includes a lot of things like teacher behavior, subject knowledge, understanding about the students etc. The teacher has to analyze themselves and understand their weak points so that they can work on them and get better.
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