Brand Yourself As An Online Teacher

Tutors out of the cozy bag

My life began as a simple schoolteacher in front of the blackboard. I was filling up the basic necessities of teaching science in middle school and high school. When the world entered the 2K we teachers entered along with a new generation of students in front of us. Never did we dream about computers in the classroom. Our school management was kind enough to expose us to global teaching with the new technology ‘Smart classroom” that was imported from the western Asian world. By the time we caught up with the monitor rat race, we had to juggle with textbooks, notebooks, notepads, green boards, and enhance our teaching skills. We settled into a cozy bag with the minimum requirements with the support of the computer experts at school. We could manage to download, export, import, and share information with students through technology in classrooms.

We were happy to implement and get accustomed to the new methodology as teachers are ‘lifelong learners’. The mouse started creeping into our classrooms and there were creators to provide videos, study material that was ready to use. With the comfort of homeschooling and tutoring, a few from our fraternity moved into online teaching with expert training.

With the onset of 2020, pandemic online teaching became an essential skill in the field of teaching. There were feedbacks, comments, compliments pouring in from various stakeholders on the strength and weaknesses of the teachers. Everyday classroom entry was a challenge. Network issues, family commitments, and background noise were major concerns and were resolved through audio and video mute class sessions. The teacher speaks through her laptop microphone and the learner is busy listening and watching all the fun around to laughing, giggling, sitting on the uncomfortable chair. Alas! The teaching-learning sessions took a toll. Now the teachers had to gear up to get out of the cozy bag to support the students to learn from home LFH while their parents work from home WFH.

What Makes a Successful Online Session?

To begin with, float an introduction video for parents, tutorial video for learners, and FAQ list to introduce the mode of teaching. The teacher can create a digital portfolio to enable classroom tools like classroom direction, class music, random group monitor, student monitor, classroom noise controller, and meeting timer. As an empathetic teacher try to understand that remote learning is challenging for learners both physically and emotionally. It’s socially tough for learners to be alone at home without a peer group. The teacher can develop interactive read-aloud sessions, discuss daily schedules, check on digital meetings, create choice boards, and innovative activities irrespective of the age group. To enhance the session Create learning link to handle social and emotional skills to make learning effective from home environment. Assign discussion platforms to talk about challenges and accomplishments. Connect with students, parents to build an amazing classroom.

To brand yourself as an online teacher follow step by step procedure .

Let’s begin a Portfolio walkthrough  – How to Login    –    Enter the classroom  – create a positive culture enhance teacher-learner relationship deliver -Provide encouraging feedback -Reflect -Exit happily after a successful session

A branded successful online teacher should provide a seamless, organized structure. Online courseware should be systematic, clear, logical, predictable, and have explicit learning outcomes.

Create microsystems within macrosystems or a module. Based on the learning outcomes create video quizzes, keyword bank, activity-based learning, project-based videos, and extended learning links.

Encourage learners to self-learning methods to enrich their classroom and widen their knowledge.

Address problem solving skills through real life problems, critical reflection, and diverse thinking questionnaires.

Self-reflection, self-analysis are key skills to be developed during online skill building activities.

Are we skilled to be a branded online teacher?

Various avenues are available to facilitate online learning. Let’s open the journal of flexible distance learning modes. A teacher has to be passionate about her profession, adaptive, prepared to face challenges, and possess good communication skills. Adventures, cultures, and new learners are three different aspects of online teaching. The adventures of online sessions are extensive.

Can we Teach From Anywhere; Can We Reach Everywhere?

 Thirty years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined learning across the globe unless there were exchange programs between schools from different countries. There were preconceived ideas about cultures and styles of living among countrymen. Online teaching platform acts as a bridge to understand different cultures and appreciate the diversity. Learners are new to the system of online teaching scrolling through notes, observing the teacher through the screen, trying to capture unknown information through digital board, saying hello to friends through monitor are all new experiences as well as demotivating factors to learners. An active school environment with physical, mental activity creates a positivity among learners. The digital teacher teaching online has to create an environment friendly atmosphere to enable smooth learning process.

Is it Possible to Reach Learners Remotely?

The teacher should have the right tools, strong connectivity, reliability, less interruptions and consistent signal to reach out to learners at home. The online teacher has to incorporate authentic learning materials suitable for the age, dedicate time and energy to create standardized courseware. Pictures generated conversations, quick time quiz, animated videos, are all inspiring materials for online mode of teaching. The teacher has to be flexible to altering situations and assess the learner on the other end of the digital classroom. When the teacher is passionate about teaching the subject, it is exhibited through dedication and involvement to motivate learners to participate actively during class. When we look at it in a long-term perspective it is worth the investment to establish as a branded online teacher. While teaching online teachers should provide prompt feedback and suggest methods of improvement.

How do I Look at the Change?

Trained teachers for online teaching is the need of the day. In the current pandemic situation while we stay safe at home teaching learning online is a next step towards professional development. Procedural training is required to provide guidance to learners and make them understand what they are learning listening through devices. Careful choice of material to widen their knowledge is necessary. Planning and design curriculum for online teaching is a skill development to be acquired by teaching fraternity. Break learning into chunks, establish connectivity between each module, Integrate art, design, music, mapping, graphing, therapy and critical thinking into the learning module.

Course content should align with objectives and assessments. Extended learning can be a support system for gifted learners. Reinforcement of concepts can be suggested to slow learners through specialized videos and study material. Comprehending skills can be developed through self-reading and writing skills can be made interesting through oral training sessions. Through online teaching learners are empowered and deep learning experiences are fostered.

Online teaching is a massive operation, eLearning is sustainable when the learning module, design and content are well prepared and are the key to learner’s success during this critical situation. Its an opportunity to build thriving community through online platform for social and interactive learning.

• A Successful Brand online teacher is quick to grasp the change
• Communicates that works ie connecting with learners, parents through videos, messages, and events
• Remote learning made easy through activities and involvement.
• Manage classrooms with tools and technology.
• Good time management and open to feedback.
• Flexible to adapt to new challenges.
• Facilitates classroom community with creativity.
• Shows passion and expertise.
• Provide prompt timely feedback
• Create engaging, interactive sessions.
• Encourage per-peer interactions.

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