In our previous blog, we discussed in detail why teachers need to make a shift to online teaching. Today, we” ll be looking into how to teach online. It goes without saying that this global pandemic has brought a myriad of changes to all our lives. Thanks to digital communication tools and learning management systems, schools now have numerous ways to empower kids at home. The quick change to remote teaching is driving numerous teachers and instructors to grapple with a move that would have happened anyway. The worldwide experiment in progress is likely to feature both the qualities and shortcomings of instructing on the web.
In order to ensure that a learning gap does not surface and to ensure that teaching is taken across the heterogeneous multitude, it is pivotal for teachers to go online.
Not all teachers and tutors are Tech- Savvy and that is absolutely fine. The whole essence of teaching lies in learning new things & every good teacher knows that teaching and learning are inseparable. If you are a teacher, looking to take your classes online, here are five points that will help you and guide you through the process.
How to Teach Online-All you Need to Know
1.Set up a Good Internet Connection
This might seem very basic, but having an uninterrupted network connection is imperative when you are an online teacher. In a country like India, where the digital divide used to be quite prominent, online teaching might seem like a hard mountain to climb. However, with the entry of Telecom giants and mobile towers in almost every nook and corner of the nation, a good internet connection is not exorbitant or unreachable. As an online teacher, you need to be in constant touch with your students and a good internet connection is essential.
2. Choose a Platform
Next to having a good internet connection, the most important thing is to choose an easy to use and secure platform for taking your classes. A lot of teachers struggle with disconnected and hard to use platforms. The complexity of the platforms hinders the growth of teachers. Not to mention the humongous prices that some platforms charge. Now, more than ever, there is a need for a platform that is holistic, simple, and secure that lets teachers focus on the important aspects of teaching, in place of all the administrative work that they spend time on. Apps such as Teachmint provide a one-stop solution for teachers. With features like attendance marking, automated grading, and the like, it is truly an all-in-one app that acts as a safe haven for teachers.
3. Research and Understand
It is of paramount importance to understand your audience. Research and get a proper understanding of your target audience. Know your students and research on the best time to schedule your classes. It is imperative to understand what your students expect and how much they can imbibe in one class. Researching and understanding is quite essentially, a continuous process. As a teacher, you need to conduct a thorough analysis before starting to teach online and continue this throughout. To make your classes effective and efficient, it is necessary to fathom your students. Virtual classrooms and online teaching is not something that you can dive into but, with planning, it is easy.
4. Schedule and Organize
No matter what subject you teach, it should be the crux of your concern to schedule your classes and to organize all the data and materials. Taking from our previous point, your research will help you come up with effective schedules and a good teaching platform will be able to equip you with all that you need. Teachmint, for instance, helps to schedule classes, create a timetable, chat with students, share assignments, and more. As discussed, it is always better to choose a holistic platform so that you, as a teacher, can focus on areas that matter.
5. Communicate and Engage
There’s a common misconception that it is hard or rather next to impossible to engage with students during online teaching. However, the fact is that online teaching can be made interesting and interactive. You just have to be smart about the choices that you make. With the advancement in technology, there has been a massive increase in digital communication tools.
But, a tech tool is only as good as the way you use it. When it comes to online teaching, it is advisable to ask if your students have any questions or doubts every 15 minutes. You can send feedback forms, ask for suggestions, and involve them in your teaching process. Maths, English, or History, you can make it interesting with interactive assignments and projects. Maintain a consistent online presence so that your students know that they can reach out to you in case of doubts and queries.
Teachers affect eternity, no one can tell where their influence stops. It is pivotal for teachers to cater to the students when they are in need. They impart not just knowledge but inspire and invoke. With the sudden surfacing of COVID-19, a lot of things have changed. However, this pandemic is not the only reason why teachers must shift to online teaching. There are countless reasons for teachers to shift to online teaching. We have already discussed this in our previous blog if you have not read it yet, read it here. It is time for us to rethink the ways of teaching and learning and get onboard with the changes.
