The pandemic brought with it many changes in the world around us. But the education sector witnessed a complete transformation since the breakout of the pandemic. With schools shut for months, educators found new virtual ways to keep the classrooms alive. Online teaching is not a new concept but it gained popularity after the pandemic and it is here to stay. Many teachers understand the importance of online teaching and virtual learning and thus are looking for ways to upskill and make a switch to online teaching. If you are a new teacher stepping into the world of online education, then we have some tips for you.

Why Online Teaching?

There are many reasons why online teaching can be the best option for teachers. 

• Online teaching can allow teachers to reach a larger number of students than they would be able to in a traditional classroom setting. 
• Online teaching can give teachers more flexibility in terms of when and where they teach.
• Online teaching can allow teachers to tailor their teaching methods to the individual needs of their students. 
• Online teaching can allow teachers to make use of a variety of technological tools to enhance their teaching. 
• Online teaching can provide teachers with a greater degree of autonomy and control over their teaching.

Tips for Teachers stepping into Online Teaching

• Develop a Practical Lesson Plan

A fresher teacher started her journey in online teaching through an established EdTech platform. During her first day in a live classroom of one hour, she exhausted her material within 30 minutes. Such problems occur with teachers due to a lack of lesson planning. 

When it comes to online teaching, having practical lesson plans is essential to ensure that your students are getting the most out of your class. By having a practical lesson plan, you can more easily adapt your class to the unique needs and learning styles of your students. Additionally, practical lesson plans can help you to better manage your time and resources, as well as keep your class organized and on track.

Overall, practical lesson plans are a valuable tool for any online teacher. By taking the time to develop practical lesson plans, you can help to ensure that your students have a positive and productive learning experience.

• Get Certified in Using Educational Tools and Technologies

Two teachers interviewed together for the same online teaching job. While giving the demo to the same group of students one of the candidates did not know how to use the Breakout feature on Google Meets. The other candidate was roped in and helped the former teacher to use the feature. The latter candidate was a Level 2 Google Certified Educator and was well-versed in using tools and technologies. 

There are many benefits to getting certified in using educational tools and technologies for online teaching. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that it can help you become more proficient in using the tools and technologies that you need to teach effectively online. In addition, certification can also help you to understand how to best integrate these tools and technologies into your teaching practice, and how to use them to support your students’ learning. Furthermore, certification can also allow you to network with other online teachers and learn from their experiences. Ultimately, getting certified in using educational tools and technologies can help you to become a more effective and successful online teacher.

• Build an effective and professional teaching environment

A professional setup for teaching helps teachers in online teaching by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to deliver effective instruction. By having a dedicated space for online teaching, teachers can more easily focus on their students and create a more engaging learning environment. Additionally, a professional setup can help to ensure that teachers have the technological resources they need to deliver instruction effectively. In many cases, online teaching can be more effective than traditional instruction, but only if the teacher has the right tools and resources. A professional setup for online teaching can help to ensure that teachers can deliver instruction effectively and create a more engaging learning environment for their students.

• Try to bridge the communication gaps

Online teaching can be a great way to connect with students and help them learn in a more personalized way. However, it can also be a challenge to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that communication lines are open.

One way to help bridge any communication gaps is to be as clear and concise as possible in your instructions and feedback. If students are unsure about something, encourage them to reach out and ask questions. You can also set up regular check-ins or office hours to allow students to touch base and ask any questions they may have.

It’s also important to be aware of the different communication styles and preferences of your students. Some may prefer to communicate via email or chat, while others may feel more comfortable speaking on the phone or in person. By offering a variety of options, you can be sure that everyone can get their questions answered in a way that works best for them.

By taking the time to bridge any communication gaps, you can create a more positive and effective learning environment for all of your students.

• Motivate your Students Regularly

Teachers play a vital role in the education of their students, and one of the most important aspects of their job is motivating their students to learn. In online teaching, this can be a challenge, as students can easily become disengaged from the material if they are not properly motivated.

One way to motivate your students is to make sure that the material is interesting and relevant to them. If your students are interested in the material, they will be more likely to engage with it and learn from it. Another way to motivate your students is to provide them with a sense of ownership over their learning. Allow them to choose their own learning goals and objectives, and give them a say in how they learn the material. Finally, be sure to give your students feedback on their progress. This will help them to see that their efforts are paying off and that they are making progress in their learning.

• Develop an effective feedback system

An online educator took a new batch of students and taught them for a week in a demo class. She was satisfied with her teaching and expected to land the job in the long run. But at the end of the week, the students went with another teacher. The feedback forms helped her to locate the problem with her teaching and thus improve that area of her classroom. 

An effective feedback system is critical for online teaching. It helps teachers identify areas where students are struggling and provide a way for teachers to give students targeted feedback. Additionally, an effective feedback system can help online teachers track student progress and ensure that students are mastering the material. There are a variety of feedback systems that online teachers can use, and the best system will vary depending on the needs of the teacher and the students. However, all effective feedback systems share some common features, such as the ability to give targeted feedback, track student progress, and provide a way for teachers to communicate with students.

• Adopt new and innovative ways of teaching

Adopting new and innovative ways of teaching helps teachers in online teaching by providing them with new techniques and tools to use in their classrooms. This allows teachers to keep their students engaged and interested in the material, and also helps them to better understand the concepts being taught. Additionally, adopting new ways of teaching can help online teachers to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and trends, which can make their classrooms more effective and efficient.

Starting a career in online education can be the best option for most teachers as it is a pool of never-ending opportunities. Every teacher in the 21st century needs to have the skills that can help them in teaching online.

upEducators has trained more than 5000 teachers in acquiring digital skills and pedagogies. With courses like Google Certified Educators and Microsoft Certified Educators, teachers can learn to use Educational tools offered by Google and Microsoft for Education and use these skills to teach online or in a blended learning environment.