If you are struggling to get a grasp around teaching online, trust me you are not alone. For years you have trained and taught honing strategies that serve you best in the classroom, and suddenly you’re thrust into a situation where you have to teach in a completely different way than you’re used to. Here at Professional Voice Care Center we understand the difficult situation our teachers have been thrust into and we are here to help. We offer vocal training for teachers at our office and online as well as a variety of services that can help improve your performance as an online teacher. The current situation we live in hasn’t afforded many choices so let’s look at how to use the experience you already have and adapt it online.
Here are some tips to take into consideration when planning and teaching.
Similar to the traditional classroom, creating a positive learning environment for online learning is vital. As an instructor, you must create a supportive and safe environment that students feel secure. Students should be given equal opportunities to speak even if some students don’t have a webcam or poor connection.
You are the leader, you are in charge. You need to be visible and available. You should engage outside the lesson by setting up forums, online posts, social media, and email. You should keep your email and social media private from your personal life. When giving out presentations and worksheets you should personalize them. There are free sets of editable characters that can be downloaded, even animated ones, these can gain attention and keep the students more engaged.
After each lesson, you should reflect on what did and didn’t go well. Think about what you should change for future lessons, your resources, presentations, technical knowledge, etc.
We did not ask for the circumstances we currently live in. However, it is critical to adapt. Online learning is now a major part of the teaching system in the US. For help adjusting to online teaching, you should visit the Professional Voice Care Center to obtain vocal training for teachers.