YouTube Online Video- 5 Tips for Teachers

“Our hope is to support those who use YouTube to share their knowledge with the world and the millions of users who come to our platform to learn,” Said Susan Wojcicki, CEO, YouTube. YouTube is a social media platform with more than 2 billion users and hence, is a great way to attain visibility, reach more students and grow your brand. It is the second most visited website in the world and to ensure that you get the visibility that you deserve, you need to be extra smart while creating a YouTube online video.

A YouTube online video will help put you on the map and it will help with growing your network. You just have to keep a few things in mind while making the online video. Especially when you are making a teaching video, you have to take the students into consideration and alter the style accordingly. Without further ado, let’s take a look at five important tips that teachers should keep in mind while making a YouTube teaching video.

YouTube Online Video- 5 Tips for Teachers

1.Get the Lighting Right

One of the most important things that you should keep in mind is the lighting. Remember the traditional classroom setup and how certain students wouldn’t be able to see the board because of their seating arrangement or the sunlight falling on the board? In a traditional set up the students can find a window to raise this concern and you can just read out what you have written on the board or just ask them to change their seating arrangement. In a YouTube online video, however, the feedback is not instant. Imagine putting all the effort and the video turns out to be unclear or too bright? Always check the lighting, check the whiteboard set up and then do a trial run of two to three minutes. Check how the video has come out and then you can make the necessary changes. You can also use an online teaching app like Teachmint and record your live classes and upload the same as YouTube videos.

2.Decide the Learning Objectives

Learning objectives define what a student should be able to do or achieve at the end of a particular lesson or session. While it is okay to fit in two or more learning objectives in a traditional setup, it is advisable to keep it to one when it is a YouTube online video. If you are creating a video on English Grammar, the learning objective can be that the students should be able to make out the difference between past tense and future tense. Similarly, the learning objective must be well-defined, simple, and to the point.  The attention span while watching a teaching video drops drastically after nine minutes and this is why you should focus on just one objective.

3.Use Slides and Animation

To address the issue of attention span, teachers should make sure to make their teaching videos interactive and engaging. While making the YouTube online video, ensure to incorporate animation and other colorful presentations so that the students stay focused for longer. For example, if you are talking about different organisms and how they catch their prey, you can include an animation of the same. Amoeba engulfing its prey or likewise. During live classes, you can give them 15-minute breaks or have a quick feedback session. In the YouTube video, you can ask the students to sit back and relax for 30 seconds or so.

4.Choose the Right Mic

More often than not, the audio quality of YouTube online videos of teachers is poor. This is because of a significant amount of background noise. To reduce this, the teacher should identify a spot that’s away from distractions and also use a mic so that there is better clarity. The last thing that you want is your students to be distracted and confused because you are not audible.

Here is a video that will help you choose the right mic for teaching:

5.Be Confident

Teachers often get camera shy and conscious while creating YouTube online videos. The one thing that you have got to keep in mind is that you just have to be yourself. Your confidence should not stoop down. Be confident and stick by your teaching strategy or teaching style. Teaching is a complex profession and to continue teaching during these unprecedented times while adapting to new platforms is a herculean feat and you are doing it. There is nothing that you need to be afraid of. Bear in mind that the teaching methods should differ from traditional to online and you need to acknowledge the differences.

Check out these innovative teaching strategies to get a better understanding of the same:

Innovative Teaching Strategies

‌‌‌‌‌‌There are multiple platforms that teachers can use to teach online and reach their students. The education landscape is changing at a rapid pace and the only way to win the game is to stay in the game and adapt according to the situation. Read up on the advancements in the industry, learn what's new and keep yourself updated. A great teacher must be a great learner.

Happy learning and happy teaching!

Teachmint is keen on changing the future of education with its advanced LMS and ERP tools. With more than 20+ modules for educational institutions like admission management, attendance management system, performance management, and more; it is changing the teaching-learning experience.