Tips for Maintaining Teachers Motivation and Focus During Virtual Classes

Teachers are the most important people in the world, for without us, there would be no education, and without education, there would be no professionals, and the world that we know would be entirely different. Every day, millions of teachers all over the world take small children and year by year, pass them from level to level, grade to grade until they become our future engineers, lawyers, doctors, nurses and even teachers.

With that being said, why is it that teachers are also one of the least supported, least funded and professionally respected professions in the world. Yes, there are societies in the world that revere their teachers, yes, there are societies where teachers earn excellent salaries, yes, teachers are loved and respected, in general, by their students, but, for the majority of teachers in the world, especially in third-world and developing countries, at best, they earn a salary that doesn't always allow for their personal lives to grow, and progress at the same level and pace as those professionals which they teach.

As a teacher trainer with many international contacts, I have heard many stories, both positive and negative, but by far, the most common stories relate to teachers who feel unappreciated, disrespected and underpaid, which ultimately, for many, leads them to suffer from low levels of motivation and self-esteem

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At the moment, with the majority of teachers in the world teaching in online classes, many teachers who I have spoken too are feeling even less respected and less appreciated all the time whilst feeling more disconnected from their familiar, comfortable classroom environment. This new reality is causing a high percentage of teachers to suffer from negative psychological side-effects such as a lack of motivation, a lack of direction and depression.

In this article, we will look at some suggestions about how teachers can regain their motivation and direction in order to maintain both their mental health and professional strengths, personal and professional motivation, focus and integrity.

Tips to stay a motivated teacher

Being a teacher, both online and in the classroom can be an emotional, and mental roller coaster ride. It’s hard to keep up the good work and to remain motivated when that which normally motivates you, the physical classroom has completely changed into the virtual world.. 

People who teach tend to be the caring, sensitive, and perfectionist type, which makes it easier for them to experience burnout. However, you can do something about it. Simply, switch up the routine, as there is a certain tendency for teachers to always be in teaching mode. They use their analytical thinking skills in everyday activities, even when they are off duty. Something like sitting down to read the newspaper turns into a huge intellectual effort. Online teachers often tend to search for a suitable lesson or challenging practice in their everyday surroundings. However, try to put your teaching manner aside from time to time. This way you will feel way more refreshed in the virtual classroom. 

If you have ever been overwhelmed with teaching, then read the tips below on how to stay more relaxed, in control, and motivated.

Identify the situations that cause you to stress

Make a list of events that leave you emotionally drained or stressed. Next, give these situations great thought and come up with one or two ways to reduce the stress for each. When they occur, use them as an opportunity to practice your stress-reduction techniques and keep notes on what works for next time.

Prioritize. Have a "Things to do" book.

All of my life, I have kept a small notebook and pen in my top pocket. I call this my "TTD", my Things to do book because no matter how organized you are, at times of stress, we all forget things or make mistakes. Keep a list of everything that you have to do – make the tasks realistic. Prioritize the tasks in order of importance and tick them off when they are done. This one simple book is guaranteed to lower everybody's level of stress.

Remember to spend time with those people most important in your life.

Sometimes, especially when we are very busy, and especially now when we are navigating a strange new virtual educational world, we forget about the most important people in our lives. Schedule time to be with them every day, time when you can turn off work, forget about classes, time when you can relax, talk about other things, resolve private problems or just have a laugh. This can be one of the most important activities that you can do in your day as it allows you to switch off and spend time with those people who mean the most to you.

Read: The key point here is to dedicate some time for yourself. If you want to read something academic, figure out what you love the most in your professional field and find a book, blog or article with practical ideas. Another option is to choose a book with inspiring teaching approaches or bios of famous teachers and mentors. If you prefer, you can also choose a more scientific approach and find an appropriate paper related to your field of study. Personally, when I have my downtime, I prefer to wrap my mind around a great fiction book, something adventurous that whisks me away to foreign lands and stories that enflame my imagination. 

Go to an online workshop/webinar or take a continuing education course: If your temporary drop in motivation means that you are lacking the energy for a full-blown course, an online workshop or webinar could be the boost that you need. Taking a continuing education course, or attending a webinar will give you the feeling that you are back on track, and it will distract you from the adversity that you are facing. Adding a new professional achievement to your resume may also increase your confidence level.

Get to know your students: After a certain amount of time teaching online, students tend to seem like one single group rather than individuals. Therefore, the solution is to get to know them. Try to remember their names and learn more about their stories and hobbies. Plus, spending one class getting to know them could turn into an excellent virtual classroom activity. To sum up, ask questions and offer them a more personalized approach. You’ll be surprised how motivated you will feel when you know that your work can really make a difference for someone.

Acknowledge your achievements and professional growth: It is easy to lose sight of what matters when you are bogged down by your everyday duties. So, no matter how busy your schedule is, make sure that you take the time to note how far you’ve come. It is important to set goals each month, course, or school term. Then revise, reflect and celebrate success. Reflect on your past teaching experiences or try teaching an old lesson plan, and see how much better you can do it now. However, keep in mind that you can always perform better. Therefore, don’t be too hard on yourself.

Lend a hand to others: Whenever you use your experience to pass knowledge onto others, you will feel more motivated than ever. Watching others succeed is a real motivation booster and it will make you will feel valuable and successful. It doesn’t matter if you help a colleague or your current online students, the feeling will keep you motivated for a long time.

Don’t react to imagined disrespect or insults

It is a waste of time and energy to be oversensitive to imagined disrespect, insults, innuendo or sarcasm from students, your peers or those whom you work for.. We need to remember that at this time, our students, our peers, our employers, just like ourselves, have had their entire lives turned upside down, and are feeling many, if not more, of the same stresses that you are.  Give people the benefit of the doubt; evaluate everything before you react, be patient, be understanding, talk over the situation with someone you trust, but most of all, don`t overreact. 

Move on: Don’t dwell on your past mistakes

Feelings of guilt, remorse, and regret cannot change the past, and they make the present difficult by sapping your energy. Make a conscious effort to do something to change the mood (e.g. employ mindfulness techniques or do something active that you enjoy) when you feel yourself drifting into regrets about past actions. Learn from it and have strategies in place for next time. Learn to forgive yourself for past mistakes.

6. Don’t internalize anger & frustrations

Express and discuss your feelings to the person responsible for your anger or pent-up frustration. If it is impossible to talk it out, plan for some physical activity at the end of the working day to relieve tensions. Let go of grudges – they affect you and your state of mind more than the other person. 

Pace yourself, remember the importance of time management.

Rushed activities lead to errors, regrets, and stress. Request time to prepare yourself for the situation. At work, if rushed, ask people to wait until you have finished working or thinking something out. Plan ahead in order to be on time, relaxed, and having made allowances for unexpected hold-ups. Practice approaching situations ‘mindfully’.

Think positive

Smile, be positive, upbeat whenever possible – it’s an easy and effective way of improving how you feel. Try and find something positive to say about a situation rather than dwelling on the negative. Never criticize unnecessarily, remember negativity breeds negativity whilst positivity breeds positivity. You can visualize situations you have handled well, and hold those memories in your mind when going into future stressful situations.

Take care of your physical and mental health: Eat well and go for a short walk during your breaks. Get more sleep. If you are an active person, exercise more often. Enjoy every step of the way in your own way. Meditate, do yoga or aerobics and be mindful. Be aware of your emotions inside and outside the virtual classroom. The less stress you allow to slip into your life, the more fulfilling your professional life will be.

Love it or leave it: Online teaching is a passion for some, and poison for others. Therefore, as soon as you notice that your desire to teach is slipping, change direction. Stimulate yourself and your students so that your educational process can be a useful and positive journey for all. Focus on teaching a particular subject or topic where your enthusiasm is contagious and your students will be happy to participate no matter how skilled or advanced they are.

Do the opposite: Sometimes you need to react totally differently in order to see facts in a new way. Break free of the plan. For instance, try a totally new approach to a lesson in order to escape from the boredom and structure of the learning plan. Combine subjects in an unexpected way or introduce a completely new assignment. Your online students need variety and challenge as much as you do.

Change the channel: In many ways, the human brain is like a television, every once in a while we get bored with what we are watching and we need to change the channel. If you spend your days in front of your computer, teaching, interacting, motivating others but always in a way that benefits others more than yourself, ultimately neglecting your own needs, then during your out of class time, change the channel. So, what does it mean to "Change the channel?" Well, instead of worrying about others, instead of being mentally stuck within a subject all day, do something that you love to do. Listen to music, turn the volume up hi and sing, dance, or just jump up and down. Maybe you like to read books or to watch movies that help you to escape your day to day reality. The point is to change the entire direction of your mind, your thinking and to do something that you love, something that you are enthusiastic about, something that relaxes your mind and releases unwanted stress and pressure, something that is totally unrelated to that which you teach all day to your students. Think about how you can change the channel.

I hope that this article has been able to help you to maintain your enthusiasm and sanity during your online classes.

Good luck, and good teaching.