Easy ways to make your online lessons more captivating
Teaching is one of the most difficult and noble professions. As a teacher you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your students, keep them interested, and be able to interact with them.
You also need a good working knowledge of the subject you are teaching. Of course, this knowledge is more than dealing with definitions, facts, and concept; you also need to be able to discuss all aspects of your subjects and use that knowledge in other fields.
Over the past year, teachers have needed to add a new skill: teaching online. Thanks to the global pandemic, online learning has become a reality for many of us. Today, more and more websites offer online teachers for hire in diverse areas, such as math and languages, amongst many others.
Sometimes online learning makes things easier. Older students today can quickly find answers to questions online, rather than relying on their teacher or needing to visit a library. They can even use the services of a professional essayservice if they wish.
But with more resources available online, it means that teachers need to up their online teaching game if they want to keep their students’ interest. Simply watching a video on the internet does not qualify as an exciting online lesson. As a result, teachers must learn new skills and adapt their teaching methods to new, virtual learning environments.
Effective online training requires a different educational approach than in-class teaching. Learning new skills quickly and following best practices for online learning may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are several simple tips to make your online lessons more interesting and engaging.
Present yourself
Remember that though your students are not with you in person, they still can see you very well. Therefore, it is better to use a simple background. This way, students will be focused only on you and the material you have prepared.
Use gestures and facial expressions that you use in real life, but don’t overdo it and be natural. And of course, don’t forget to check your audio quality. Maybe you could have a test call with your friend to make sure that you are seen and heard clearly.
Experiment
Don’t be afraid to use different tools to see what works best for your students. If it is a group class, finding material that works for everyone might be more challenging; however, it is worth the trouble.
You can ask your students to share their opinions about the topic on an online discussion board or type them in a group chat. This will definitely make your work much easier and classes more engaging.
Remember, if students lack motivation, the quality of their learning decreases. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to use different strategies to stimulate interest in the topic or subject at hand. For example, you can improve the quality of your classes by turning usual tasks into creative and stimulating activities.
Involve your students
Using technology to your benefit is a good thing, of course. Nevertheless, it is important to understand that reading text on a screen can be very tiring. Why not ask some reflection questions, maybe even a bit off-topic. Use some games and activities that allow your student to take a short break to recharge.
Show appreciation
Finally, remember that everyone wants to be valued. When you work with a rather large group of students, it is more difficult for each of them to be noticed in online classes. So always use your students’ names during a lesson.
Remember that no two students are alike. Each student has their own abilities and learning process. Being a good teacher means being able to recognize these differences.
As a way to encourage your students, try sending them a star emoji or sticker for creativity or task completion. It works wonders even with adult learners.
What else can you do?
Overall, there is much you can do to make your online lessons more engaging. Create a connection with your students but at the same time have some rules that they need to follow.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your students. If everything is okay, they will let you know, and it will add to your motivation during a lesson. If they tell you where you need to improve, it helps your personal growth. Moreover, you will gain their respect by listening and applying their suggestions. To make it easier for them to share, you can offer them to leave feedback anonymously.
In addition, don’t be swayed by the moment. Set specific goals for your classes and make plans to achieve them. A good plan takes a lot of time. However, you can learn and teach more challenging and interesting content.
Make your online lessons as engaging as possible
Don’t forget that a teacher is also a student. In order to give more knowledge and enlightenment to students, teachers must also study continuously.
Do your best to capture your students’ attention and allow for more flexible, personalized, and active learning. Be patient and understanding of your students. Not everyone is comfortable with the online format, so help them to adjust and understand that it is not that scary.
Even though online education may limit us, it helps us to embark on a new journey. So spread your sails and enjoy the trip.
