When most of us became teachers, we never knew we would be teaching online from our homes. It is definitely challenging online teaching. I want to share with you 7 tips for teaching online that is going to save your sanity!
Have a Schedule
When teaching online it is necessary to have a schedule. You have to maintain a life away from your teaching.
- Get up at the same time everyday and begin working at the same time.
- Take a lunch and break everyday at the same time.
- Have set hours that you are working, and have a stopping point.
- Let your students and parents know what your hours are, and don’t answer emails or texts after those hours.
Take Breaks
It is so important for you to take breaks while teaching online. Just like you take breaks at school, you also need to do the same at home.
- Go for a short walk down the street.
- Go outside and sit in the sun for a while.
- Do some stretches or exercises.
This is my happy place
Know Your Platform
You have to know the platform you are using. During the summer is a great time to get training through your district or other online courses that can teach you how to use it. Whether it is SeeSaw™, Google Classroom™, Schoology™, Microsoft™, or the countless other systems schools or using, you need to know how to use it properly. Each platform has tutorials and there are countless Youtube™ videos that you can watch to help you.
Support System
If you don’t read anything else, READ THIS… YOU MUST HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM! You have to have someone to talk to that understands what you are going through. If you are on a team, use those teachers. Find teachers in your school. If you don’t have anyone there you can turn to, find teacher groups on Facebook™. You don’t need to do this on your own. We all need someone. Find your people that you can trust and plan with.
Communication
Communication is the key to successfully teaching online, with parents and kids. That can be through emails, texts, or phone calls. I find that texts through Remind™ work best. That way you have a log of your conversations between you and the parent. Sometimes your parents don’t know what’s going on. Therefore, if a child is getting behind in their online learning it’s important to let the parent know right away so they can get their child back on track.
Record your Teaching Sessions
There’s always going to be a time your kids can’t get on for your “live” lessons. Something goes wrong with their computer or internet. Maybe their sibling is using the computer. It is important that they not miss your lesson. Record it and put it on your platform so they can watch it later. Also, it’s good to the video available to those students that are struggling so they can watch it again.
Create a Dedicated Workspace
This is a tough one (but super important), because if you are going to be teaching online for a while you don’t want to have to teach from your couch.
- have a designated area
- have a table or desk with enough space to have all your materials
- good lighting
- space on the wall behind you for charts (think of it is your teaching area)
- good audio
Here is a video from an at home teacher that shows her setup. She has some great tips for teaching online!
I hope that these 7 tips for online teaching were helpful. Wishing you well during your online teaching time.
Do you have any other tips that are helpful? Let me know in the comments below. If you are looking for some classroom decor to hang up in your background I have some ideas for an industrial farmhouse theme. Click here to check it out.
Thanks,
Jennifer
