Tips For How To Prepare For Teaching Teens and Adult Students Online

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 Virus, the United Nations estimated that 90% of the world's children, 1.3 Billion students, had to adapt to studying online due to quarantines and "Stay at home" directives from governments. Whilst a lot of energy has been put into adapting to the teaching of school-aged children, especially those in kindergarten and primary school, there was also another group, those teens and adults who are studying in institutes, university and secondary schools who were also put into the position of having to study online in order to continue their studies.

Online education is by no means new, colleges, universities, and institutes all around the world have been offering courses for years, and for this reason, the concept has been on the rise, and today, more and more people every year are using the internet to take either college, university or institute classes.

Teaching online is still a relatively new concept for the majority of teachers, especially those affected by quarantines, and it will definitely take time for those who have never done it to adjust. Here are some ideas about how to prepare for teaching online.

How To Prepare For Teaching Online

Shifting from the physical to the virtual classroom is an adjustment, no doubt, but with a little research, preparation and practice, every teacher can gain the flexibility and easy access that the students themselves are searching for. Here are some tips on how to prepare for teaching online.

1. Planning and Scheduling

Firstly, you have to get used to the fact that your students are not physically in front of you. Gone are the days where "just winging it" will be sufficient. Planning and scheduling is essential for an online classroom environment. Virtual students are different - their needs are different from their physical counterparts. Be sure to have your syllabus and materials laid out clearly before class starts. This will give students an opportunity to see how their classes fit into their day. The most important thing is to avoid surprises at all costs. Saying, “Surprise! Pop quiz” in a physical classroom is entirely different from posting “Surprise! Pop quiz! Due today” in an online classroom.

2. Technology

Teaching online requires a certain technical ability. In a normal classroom teaching situation, technical support is normally just a minute away! First and foremost, invest in the right hardware and software. You need a reliable computer, a strong internet connection, a high-quality headset with a microphone and the best platform to meet your needs. There are many options available out there. ZOON and Moodle, for example, are online platforms that lean towards the social and adaptable side of education. Do your research and really play around with your final choice - knowing your online classroom platform will help you make your classroom the best it can be.

3. Prepare a Comfortable Work Environment

Working online is a great challenge. Without the perfect environment and a good amount of self-discipline, working online, physically isolated from your students can be difficult. With a little planning, problems can be avoided. Firstly, set up a comfortable, suitably spaciously work area. If possible, this space should be intended for work only. You want this area to be comfortable, user-friendly, and inviting as well as being able to motivate the user to achieve productive work behavior. Keep your work environment free of distractions like television, other family members, or general outside interference. Natural lighting where possible, or suitably recommended electric lighting and an ergonomic chair can go a long way in setting up your ideal work environment.

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4. Suitably Innovative and Academic Conversation.

Online classrooms, as previously mentioned, operate differently than traditional classrooms. These classrooms have the potential to feel cold and mechanical. Initiating and encouraging discussions can go a long way in terms of how interactive and motivated your students feel in class. Encourage student participation in much the same way that you would in a regular class. There are a variety of ways you can encourage participation from discussions to posting lectures, to assigning reading material, to monitoring progress. You want your students to be involved in the classes on a regular basis as opposed to just meeting the minimum requirements of the course. Student involvement (planned, in-depth discussions, for example) gets your students working with the material in ways that they may not do on their own. This guarantees that your students will get more out of your classes than just a minimum level grade.

5. Communicate Regularly

Many online courses, especially those from colleges, universities or institutes are often based mainly upon autonomous study, and when this is the case, it is important for the teacher to maintain a consistent online presence. Communication is essential in the online classroom environment. Every class, greet your students and ask them to greet you, and if possible, the other students in the class as well. This will help to bring the humanity and warmth into your classroom that online classes generally lack. Make sure your students know the best methods and times to contact you. Not having a professor physically in front of them can stress some students. Try to ease this by answering their emails or questions in a timely manner and providing plenty of instruction and feedback.

6. Student motivation

Everyone learns differently - and motivation plays a big part in the learning process. While some students are self-motivated in that learning something new is all the motivation they may need, some students may not be. Assignments that are optional may be skipped by the less than motivated students. Think of ways to motivate all of your students to get the most out of your class. This may include giving extra points for online discussions or those optional assignments. Deadlines may also help push forward your more unmotivated students. Your objective is to find ways to help your students to get the most out of your class without the benefits that a physical classroom brings.

7. Ask For Help And Feedback

Ask your students about their opinion of your classes. Your students can provide you with valuable feedback that can help you to move your classes forward. With education moving online more and more every year, especially during the current quarantine,  your students have probably already experienced some form of online education. This experience may help them to inform you on the positives and negatives of your online classes. Besides your students, also seek out and connect with other online educators. Education is a ‘sharing’ field and so these connections could prove invaluable to your online educator development.

Overall, apart from the necessity during the COVID-19 Virus, online education is a wonderful opportunity for many teachers. The potential flexibility is an undeniable benefit. It is a growing market for educators - and therefore an exciting career development opportunity. You could have the potential to reach students you would never, could never, meet in a physical classroom. Online teaching isn’t something to jump into, mind you. But, it also really isn’t as difficult as it seems. Do your research, plan your methods, and take the leap. Online teaching is relatively new, so there really isn’t one set way to do it. With some research preparation, you could find yourself as a willing participant in the online education movement.

Good luck and good teaching.

David White
Managing Director English For You Language Institute Trujillo Peru
Headmaster American School Trujillo Peru.