What is a good online teacher?

                        

 If you landed on this article, you probably searched for “how to become a good online teacher”, “what is a good teacher” or  “ how to prepare online teacher ”. Rest assured, there are many other people in the same situation as you. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many industries have shifted to online working, including education. However, while online education and face-to-face courses are similar, they are not exactly the same disciplines.

This step-by-step guide will give you the information you need to know to be a good online teacher.

Technical skills for online teaching:

Best practices for online learning for elementary students:

Before answering questions such as “ what is the salery of an online teacher ”, you should familiarize yourself with the basics: it all starts with developing your expertise.

An excellent online teacher is above all an expert in his field, of which he knows almost everything. Once you establish yourself as an expert in your field, students will seek out your services and tell their friends about your classes, allowing you to have even more students.

Teach English online qualifications:

To become an expert in your field, start by choosing a niche. A niche is a segment of a larger market that can be defined by the unique needs, preferences or identity of its audience. For example, let's say you want to teach English online : within the large English teaching market, you can focus more specifically on IELTS and TOEFL exam preparation, or on English for business.

From there, you can get down to getting the necessary certifications and qualifications. Today, it is possible to take courses wherever you are in the world; all you need is a good internet connection and taking courses on an online platform like Coursera, Udemy , Skillshare or edx .

You might also choose to find a mentor ; in other words, someone who has experience in your sector and who shares your values. A good mentor can guide you as you develop your expertise. To find a mentor, consider attending conferences in your field, joining associations, or connecting with people who have similar skills on LinkedIn.

Share ideas with your peers by creating a Mastermind group where people with the same interests and ambitions come together to exchange advice and support each other. Evaluate and reflect on your work regularly, collect feedback and keep improving your services.

#2. Set clear expectations and goals:

clear expectations for students:

If you're wondering how to be a good teacher, start by looking at your first class. Your first lesson with a new student is key to setting behavioral expectations and laying the foundation for a successful relationship between you and your student.

Use our checklist of questions to ask to get to know your students and their learning goals:

Who are your students?

Learn more about your students. What is their story ? Find out about their journey. For example, if you teach Spanish, it can be useful to know if your student speaks another Romance language.

What do they want to learn?

Understand what your students want to learn, then help them set their learning goals. For example, a student might tell you that their goal is to "get better at German." In this case, you can help him set a more specific educational objective. Use the Smart goals mind to set better goals, then help them break down the goal into smaller increments.

When will the lessons take place?

Establish a schedule. For example, you can decide to work together for 6 months and teach twice a week. If you're only doing a one-time lesson, this may not apply to you, but you can still help your student set realistic goals for your time together.

Where will the lessons take place?

Choose the platform or tool you are going to use to deliver your online lessons. If you decide to start as a freelance teacher, you may give your lessons on Zoom or Skype. If you give private lessons on a dedicated platform, such as Preply, you will use the platform in question.

Why do they want to learn?

What motivates your students? Why do they want to take lessons? Understanding their true motivation will not only help you create more relevant educational content, but also encourage your students when the initial enthusiasm has waned.

How do they want to learn?

 What kinds of activities do they enjoy? What has helped them progress or not in the past? Note or rate their learning style: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reading/writing.

This is a great time to take notes on what your students expect of you as a teacher, and to share your own expectations and conditions. Ask as many open-ended and probing questions as possible to better understand your students.

#3. Create engaging lessons:

Engagement activities for students online:

Creating engaging content is essential if you want to tutor online. 

1. Start by reviewing your notes from Step 2, and reviewing what you learned about your student using our list of questions.
2. Then, create content that meets the student's needs, wants, and preferences.

If your student is into visual learning, you can create a relevant infographic on Piktochart. If he or she is preparing to take the TOEFL exam, you can focus on sample tests.

Try to make your students work on tasks rooted in their reality, and especially avoid exercise sheets and abstract homework. Focus on customizing course content and teaching materials as much as possible. A student told us about her experience with her Spanish teacher:

I once told him that I was lactose, gluten and histamine intolerant, so for the next lesson he had prepared a dialogue and a list of foods to help me easily order respectful dishes. my food intolerances in Spanish. Another time I told him I was going out with my friends on Valentine's Day, and he brought to the next class a list of Spanish songs to listen to on our little “bachelor party”.

Tailoring the content of your lessons to the interests and personality of your students allows you to generate maximum enthusiasm from them.

Finally, it is important to properly balance the level of difficulty of the courses. The content must of course be stimulating enough to keep your students' attention and interest, but courses that are too difficult could generate frustration and make them want to give up. Prepare your lessons in such a way as to develop the strengths of your students and reduce their weaknesses.  

#4.How to communicate effectively with your students:

It goes without saying that your communication must be impeccable if you give private lessons online. While it can be difficult to engage students when you are not physically there with them, it is not impossible. 

Here are some of our top tips:

• Stay in touch with your students between lessons, letting them know you're available to help.
• Let your students know which platforms you plan to use to contact them, so they know where to look for your messages.
• Keep your students engaged between lessons by sending them extra materials to get them working.
• Your communication should be consistent, professional, concise and clear. Above all, it must leave no room for misunderstandings.
• Provide regular feedback on your students' progress.
• Communicate personally with your students. It is important that they perceive you as a real person who respects them and values ​​them.

# 5.How can teachers create effective learning environments:

A good online teacher knows how to show empathy. He knows what it's like to lack self-confidence, to feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious or tired. It creates a healthy learning environment where students feel supported.

Use the techinque of active listing  , focusing intently on the student as they speak to capture the essence of their message, instead of listening to respond. Continually assess the student's needs, adapting the material to the desired pace, goals, current mood and energy level.

Let's say for example that you are a language teacher and you know that your student is struggling with grammar. One day, your student comes to class tired, looking overwhelmed. In this case, you must be able to perceive his mood and energy, and be flexible enough to adapt the course. You can choose to do some reading instead, even if you had planned a course focused on grammar.

A good teacher does not see just a simple student in front of him, but an individual who has his own interests and his own rhythm. Patience is another of the qualities of a good teacher. Create a space where your student perceives that it is possible to fail and make mistakes.

Pro Tip: Hone your ability to explain course materials in several ways. When your student does not understand the content given to him, you must be able to recognize this and try to present it in another way. 

#6.what are the current developments in education:

Keep up to date with the latest developments in education and teaching, as well as in your field of activity. Surprise your students from time to time by introducing new activities or a new methodology in your lessons. For example, you can test a new game, create a quiz or even organize a virtual excursion!

 

We particularly recommend including game elements in your one-to-one lessons. This is called “gamification”. Lots of research shows it to be an incredibly useful engagement tool. To 'gamify' your content, you can create a game or scavenger hunt, or introduce puzzles, challenges, contests, or progress badges.

When you innovate and renew yourself, you are more likely to interest your students. And commitment is key to succeeding as an online teacher. For example, at Preply, we asked our teachers to prepare cooking lessons with their students or to dress up for Halloween. You can let your creativity run wild!

What is a good teacher? He is someone who knows how to capture the attention of his students, even online, to offer them an effective learning experience.

#7.Feedback from students to teachers:

Regularly ask your students to give you their opinion: listening is one of the qualities of a good teacher. This way you will be able to see how you can make the course more beneficial for them. Ask them for their opinion on your teaching style, the materials used in class, the level of interaction, the pace, etc. Student feedback is very valuable to online teachers. It allows you to address your concerns, adjust your teaching style and materials, and build your confidence as a teacher.

How you want to collect this information is up to you. You can simply chat with your student at the end of a lesson, ask him to send you an e-mail or even send him a questionnaire. 

Give private lessons online today:

Tutoring can be stressful, especially when it takes place online. Making them interesting and attractive is even more difficult through screens.

That said, online education opens up many possibilities. It makes learning more accessible, interactive and personalized. It even makes it possible to involve and stimulate the students! All it takes is a little patience, empathy, the right tools, and a student-centered approach. These are the qualities of a good teacher.

There is a lot of information to find out how to be a good teacher; besides, it is impossible to evoke everything in a single article. If you follow these 7 essential steps, you will put all the chances on your side to succeed in your career as an online tutor:

1. Refine your expertise. Identify your niche, and invest the time and energy to become an expert in your field.
2. Get to know your students and clarify their expectations. Use our list of questions to gather information about your students, set SMART goals, and clarify their expectations as well as yours.
3. Involve your students. Create content that is personalized, stimulating and adapted to the lives of your students.
4. Communicate effectively with your students. Take care of your communication during, before and after class.
5. Create a positive environment. Listen to your students and adapt to their needs, wishes, energy level and mood. Put the student at the heart of your strategy, and show patience and empathy.
6. Keep learning and innovating. Stay up to date with the latest trends in teaching and education. Renew your courses by incorporating new activities and methodologies.
7. Regularly ask for feedback from your students. Take stock with your students, collect their opinion and adapt your lessons and materials accordingly.