Virtual Classrooms and Online Teaching:

I used to be a lazy kid. I hated the morning showers and morning assembly! How I used to wish that school could come to me and not the other way around!

Well, did I rub a lamp when I said that? Because some 15 odd years later, schools have come to us! That's one lazy genie though, took him long enough! Jokes apart, the ways of teaching and learning have been redefined. Classrooms are just a finger click away and online teaching is a household term now.

It is amusing how day by day nothing changes and when we look back, everything looks different and alien. Do people even remember what it was like before the internet? The onset of the internet and the advancement of technology has contributed to the boom in the EdTech space. With online teaching apps like Teachmint, online teaching has reached new heights.

Both my parents were teachers. My father changed careers after a while and my Mom is still a teacher. With the pandemic and the sudden lockdown, she was struggling. She has been teaching all her life and that stopped all of a sudden. She is not very tech-savvy and it was difficult for her. Teachmint is what took her through online teaching smoothly.

Virtual classrooms are a relatively new realm for teachers. By definition,

“Virtual classrooms are mutual online spaces where the students and the teacher cooperate at the same time. For the most part, these communications happen through videoconferencing. In this sort of communication, the teacher has a significant job of the mediator who controls the learning procedure and supports the exercises and conversations.”

For the teachers out there, who have just started teaching online, this is for you.

Here are a few tips that will help you ace your online teaching:

1. Study the platform

Teaching and studying go hand in hand. Before you set on to start teaching online, understand the platform well. This will help you cater better to your students. It is important to choose your platform wisely. It is always advisable to choose a one-stop solution for online teaching as compared to disconnected platforms.

2. Internet!

The internet connection has to be decent. If you are using platforms like Teachmint, internet usage is minimal. Nevertheless, it is good to set up a good connection.

3. Know your students

Online teaching is significantly different from traditional classroom teaching. There, you can pick up non-verbal cues and mannerisms and it is hard to do so in virtual classrooms. Spare some time to interact with students and identify a gap for healthy jokes and discussions.

4. Always have a backup plan

In school, if you are on leave for a day, there are other teachers who would take care of your class. In online classrooms, if you are not able to join on a particular day or session, how would you handle it? Your problem-solving skills have to be sharpened accordingly.

5. Variety and Innovation

Students appreciate the novelty. Quite often, online classes can become drab and mundane. It is always advisable to attach variety and innovative methods of teaching so as to ensure that your students don’t lose interest in the lessons. You can make use of various online teaching tools to add creativity to your lessons. If you want to know more about how to add creativity to your lessons, read our blog, A Complete Guide For Online Teachers.

Technology has brought in drastic changes to our lives. Online teaching apps and virtual classrooms are definitely a move in the right direction. Having said that, I would give anything in the world to stand in that morning assembly one last time.

Genie, if you are listening to this, I will keep an eye out. In the hope of seeing you in some 15 years!