Now that millions of students have taken up online schooling because of the pandemic, teachers worldwide have been forced to adjust to distance learning and remote teaching. What works in a physical school doesn’t usually work in an online setting. The curriculum, preparation, and teaching style all need to change to ensure the students get the most out of distance learning. Here are seven tips to help you become a successful distance learning teacher.
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7 Tips to be a successful distance learning teacher
1. Everyone Should Make an Effort
Often teachers are left to their own devices when it comes to the curriculum and the teaching style, and the workload. It is different teaching in physical classes, but not everyone is used to teaching online.
There could be a lot of people struggling to give virtual lectures. On top of that, the workload can also affect the teacher’s ability to work. The institution, students, and teachers should work together to help each other out. The teachers can have a lesser workload, and the students can help them get used to the new technology by cooperating with them.
2. Active Learning
It can be difficult for students not to get distracted when a teacher only uses traditional PowerPoint slides in online classes. Long lectures fill time, but your students don’t retain much.
To become a successful distance learning teacher, you must ensure your students are engaged and involved in your class. Have audio and video clips be a part of your lecture slides. It will make your students interested in the topic you are teaching.
Having active classrooms is the blend of teaching material and learning tools suitable for online classes.
If you are just getting started with distance learning, check out these tips for new online teachers.
3. Be Careful of Your Voice
Teaching online is nothing short of a theatre performance. You must make sure people in the back can hear you loud and clear. Use varying speeds and expressive tones when giving lectures. If you have a loud voice, have mercy on your student’s ears. Soften your voice and slow down a bit.
Talk like you are sitting face-to-face and conversing instead of giving instructions. If it is difficult to do this because you can’t see your students, then have their picture beyond the camera lens and then talk to that.
4. Be Tech-Savvy
If you don’t educate yourself about the new technological tools in distance learning, it will be difficult for you to efficiently do your job. A distance learning teacher must get used to the technology needed to conduct their classes properly.
You can use many tools to deliver lessons. Many teachers use an analysis program and data visualization to track student records and progress, as well as many other useful online teaching resources. A successful distance learning teacher is never afraid to keep learning new things.
5. Creative Ways to Teach
In an online learning class, teachers who go out of their way to teach creatively help students succeed. It can be very easy to get distracted in virtual classrooms, so when interactive learning tools are utilized, they help the students retain the material.
A distance learning teacher can experiment with different teaching styles. You can use technological tools to get the young students involved in the classes, such as polls, interactive quizzes, short videos, audio clips, etc. A virtual class can give the students a chance to try out new things every day.
6. Make Yourself Accessible
Unlike in physical classes, students can’t go up to their teachers after the end of the class to discuss anything related to the subject or other issues. If you genuinely want to be a good distance learning teacher and be there for your students, provide ways for them to connect without outside of online sessions.
Email address, phone number, and video conference ID are tools that students can use. Some teachers hold regular office hours for students who require one-on-one assistance.
7. Provide Feedback to Students
Feedback is an important part of a learning experience. It is a method of figuring out where you lack and which area needs improvement. Quizzes and tests are all well and good, but it is much more effective when a teacher provides one-on-one feedback. It does wonders for a student’s progress.
Final thoughts
Shifting from a regular classroom to distance learning is a challenge. However, it comes with great opportunities that can be added to your skillset and bring innovation to the teaching experience. If it is new territory for you, then you are not alone. Take your time to learn the tools that can make everyone’s experience much more exciting. There’s always a learning curve, but you will get the hang of it.
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