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Online Teaching: Everything You Need to Know Before Starting to Teach Online

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Richa Ahuja
Richa Ahujahttps://www.thinkexam.com/
Richa Ahuja is a professional educational writer, working with Think Exam Online Examination Platform.

Online Teaching has become one of the most sought-after career options for teachers. Why is it so? Well, there are many reasons for the same but it has gained a lot of popularity after this COVID-19 pandemic. The need for teachers to shift online was witnessed majorly after many educational institutes either laid-off the teachers or did not pay them. With the world facing an economic loss, many teachers have decided to teach online. Also, there has been a massive growth in the number of “Online Teaching” searches on the internet since March 2020 which shows that it has definitely become a trend among teachers.

What exactly is Online Teaching?

Teaching online means teaching to various students using technology. To teach online, you should have access to an internet connection. Also, you must possess a laptop/computer on which you can get started. Teachers have the full freedom to teach online by making use of an online teaching platform. This platform can be used to conduct live or recorded classes depending on the choice of the teacher. There are also various methods that one can use to teach online i.e. videos, presentations, webinars, etc.

What are the benefits to teachers who Teach Online?

Teaching online gives a lot of benefits to teachers. We have jotted down some of them that make the online approach much feasible.

  • First and foremost, teaching online is an easy and effective way to make money. The good thing about this is that whether you are an experienced teacher, beginner or someone who is looking for a side income then this approach is the best for you. It fits everyone’s needs and will provide a good amount of money to live a decent life.
  • The next thing is that it is convenient for teachers i.e. if you wish to work from home without wanting to commute then this is a great option for you. Online teachers can basically decide their own timings (hourly). This way you can save a lot of time and money and can give that time to your family and friends.
  • Online teachers have to teach using technology so they get hands-on it which helps them in improving their technical skills. By making use of online teaching software and creating various study materials, they learn a lot.
  • Online teachers can make a big difference in the lives of students. They get to teach them by making use of various online study materials and other sources apart from the old traditional methods. They can encourage the students to think out of the box.
  • As correctly said by Henry B Adams, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops”.
  • Teachers can feel satisfied with the overall online approach as they get all the above-mentioned benefits. Well, who wouldn’t mind working for themselves and being their own boss, Right?

Getting Started to Virtual Teaching

Teachers who want to get started with their teaching career online should be aware of certain things required to get started. Without a further delay, let’s dive in.

  1. The first step is to choose your area of interest i.e. field in which you want to teach. Teachers should do a good research online and study the scope of various fields they are interested in. There are openings for a wide range of online tutors, subject experts, course/curriculum developers, etc.
  2. The next and most important step is to choose a reliable online teaching platform. A teaching platform will ensure that you conduct classes without any hassle. The platform will open up more opportunities for you and will make your overall work easy.
  3. You can gain a smooth and improved online experience if you select a good platform. There is no hard and fast rule to choose a platform though you should consider certain things like Cost, security, variety of tools, social presence, monetary benefit, etc.
  4. After choosing a platform, it totally depends on you whether you want to opt for a live or recorded class to start teaching. However, conducting live classes will help teachers to gain a form of trust, credibility and encourage students to engage more in the online lecture.
  5. There is a common question among teachers that do they need a degree before starting to teach online? Well, there are many online teaching platforms that demand teachers to have a professional teaching degree (if they are a beginner). If you are an experienced professional then a teaching degree along with your previous work experience is mandatory. However, if you search online, you may get many platforms where there are no such restrictions and you can proceed without it.
  6. Lastly, how can you earn while teaching online? There are two options that are available for teachers here. The first option is to work with companies/educational institutions where you will be paid on an hourly basis. The other option is to work for your own i.e. setting up your own course and teaching alone where your income solely belongs to you.

The problem with working for an educational institution/company is that it takes weeks for the entire recruitment process. Whereas if you start teaching on your own then you will start earning soon and there is no limit on how much hours you can put in to earn money.

The cost of per course depends on the quality, duration, competition, etc. To get a thorough understanding of how much to charge for your courses, you can study your competitors and see what type of courses they are providing to the students.

Top 5 Tips for Teachers to conduct great Online classes

  1. Teachers should create quality content and try to engage as many students as possible. You should know that an online environment is a lot different than that of the traditional approach. Teachers should engage students by creating interactive content and encourage them to take a call to action. For example, participating in quizzes, conduct online test using online exam software.
  2. Conduct live sessions as students can see your face and know you better. It is important to show them that you are there and that you are reachable to help them. Share your contact number or email id with students to ask their doubts freely.
  3. Test your hardware and software requirements before conducting the classes. Many of you must be unaware of the technology, so practice first before starting to teach online.
  4. Providing clear instructions to students for what you are expecting from them as an online environment can be confusing at times.
  5. Take feedback from your students. It is important that you improve yourself and take constant feedback from your students so that you know where you are lacking.

To conclude, Online teaching can be the future of education as there has been a lot of growth in students who take online courses. Teachers should definitely opt to teach online as they won’t get such benefits in a traditional approach. Teachers can also make use of the best free online teaching platform to get started with their online career for free. Good luck to all the teachers/aspiring teachers who are getting started with their teaching career online.

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