Teachers are perfectionists. They know everything, never make mistakes and never fail. Isn’t that what most of us think or thought, at least, as students? Well, we are mistaken.
Teachers, just like students, can make mistakes. When students make mistakes, teachers are there to help them out and guide them, suggesting what is to be done and what is not in every way possible. They motivate them in various ways- quote motivational quotes for students, share about their failures, encourage them and make them realize what they are capable of, etc. Similarly, there are institutions to help and train teachers to be better at their jobs. In India, CBSE provides training to teachers. The teachers will have to register for the same by logging in to the CBSE training portal. Apart from this, the school administration also, from time to time, provides training to the teachers.
However, there are times when teachers need to help themselves out. For instance, if a teacher teaches online, and is a beginner, there are high chances of them making a mistake or not knowing what to do and what to not. This article will help you through it.
Things You Should Avoid Doing When Teaching Online
- Improper Online Appearance
Assuming that you are teaching from home and therefore do not really have to bother about the background or the way you dress up is wrong. You should look presentable. Your set-up should be in a calm area and should have an appropriate background.
Present yourself the way you would have if you were taking offline classes.
- Not Encouraging Student Participation
As a teacher, one of your primary objectives should be to promote student participation. If you go on teaching, assuming that the students will be seated and listen to your lectures, dedicatedly, you are mistaken.
You should include students in your classes. Ask questions to them, call them out by their names, ask for their opinions, take feedback, etc.
- Not Preparing For The Class
Do you appreciate your students for coming unprepared for a test? You do not. It is the same case with the students. They have expectations from you. They are there to learn from you. Going unprepared for the class not only results in less student engagement but also results in students losing interest in the subject that you teach.
- Not Trying Out New Approaches
Since you have technology at your fingertips, why not utilize it for your benefit? You can incorporate different teaching approaches, software, videos, graphics and tools to make learning fun for the students.
Not all students learn in the same way, hence tyring out different approaches helps everyone learn equally. It also gives them a break from the same type of learning method used.
- No Feedback
Feedback is important and this fact cannot be emphasized more. You should give enough feedback to the students in a timely manner. This helps them understand the areas they are excelling at and which areas they need to work a little harder. It also helps them stay motivated.
You should also take feedback from the students to improve your teaching style and approaches and make learning as smooth as possible for the students.
Final Thoughts
There is always room for improvement and so is for the teachers. You should always work on making the learning experience better for the students. When you teach online, keep the above mentioned pointers in mind and try avoiding doing so.