Do you find yourself teaching online? Don’t worry, you’re certainly not alone. Plenty of other teachers are in the same position and it can be hard to know where to start! In this guide, we will cover the most important aspects of online teaching and by the end you’ll have all the tools you need to plan and deliver awesome classes.
Choosing the right online English teaching platform
Before you start, you’ll need to decide on a platform to deliver your online classes. If the platform of your choice is well organized and offer benefits such as provided lessons and materials and mentors which can help you at any time, it will be more accessible to other users and you will not have problems using it. Lingo Turtle has numerous advantages which you should consider when applying. We break down the wall between students and instructors, creating an environment where anyone can teach or learn. And we always make sure there is time for questions and answers so you never feel trapped in passive learning.
Invest in good equipment
Investing in good equipment increases worker productivity and efficiency. As a teacher, you’ll need a laptop, desktop computer, or professional tablet to track your student’s progress and communicate with them. Though smartphones and tablets have their perks, nothing beats a laptop when it comes to typing a document or communicating via the internet. They are extremely useful in many situations. Also, be aware that you need a good camera and internet connection so your video lessons are sharp and without interruptions.
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Approach each class with joy
There is an infinite amount of emotion to be expressed, and the more you can learn to express all of them, the more effective and amazing you will be as a teacher. If you are able to express these emotions, your classes will be engaging and much more interesting.
As a teacher, you are in an environment where you are able to express all of your emotions. As the students interact with you, your goal is to inspire them. However, sometimes there can be a confusion between what they want to have from you and what you want to give them. The more clarity and acceptance you have within yourself, the easier it will be for you to teach effectively, rather than trying to cater to their demands.
Student engagement
Student engagement is a measure of how much students are interested in the content you are teaching. Student engagement helps you understand best way to engage your students while helping them to develop a sense of ownership and pride in their learning.
We prefer getting to know our students in person. In our experience, though, it’s difficult to maintain quality communication with students over webcam. The initial enthusiasm tends to wear off quickly for both parties.
An effective way is by having every single student in the class respond to your questions. Incorporate them into every lesson.
Grading and progress tests
Grading is a way to check how well students are doing in the course. Teachers use progress tests in order to measure the effectiveness of their teaching methods, and recording grades helps them assess students’ understanding of important concepts. Give your students more freedom to explore outside the bounds of the classroom by enabling them to share ideas and work on projects online.