Learn 5-Useful Tips to help you have effective online lessons. These concepts can be utilized for all ages, and you will immediately see the change in even the shyest student.
Promote Interaction
Firstly, make sure to always begin your lesson by discussing the importance of online participation to your student. If you have a new online learner or a student that is reluctant to engage, consult the student on the beneficial reasons for his or her learning process. Firmly establish that participation is required and provide the student with options of engagement.
Embrace the Technology
A preconceived notion might entail that the online classroom has significant drawbacks. Such as sensory factors of touch and physical interaction. On the contrary, you gain an alternative aspect, which is technology. You must be able to explore the technology and embrace it as your fundamental tool in your online classroom. Implementing poll questions to ignite a mini-debate or gain insight about the student is an excellent way to engage the learner.
Also, share your screen and give your student remote access so that the learner can undoubtedly feel incorporated within the lesson. If you have more than one student in the classroom, explore the breakout feature for partner or group activities. Of course, use your tools, such as your chat-box and the virtual whiteboard.
Provide Meaningful Feedback
The online learning process is not only a new initiative for you as an educator but also for the student. Put yourself in the shoes of the learner. Rethink your strategies and methods and always check in with your student. Adjust and modify to put make your student feel comfortable and eager to learn. An excellent concept for an informal assessment would be creating a Google form for your student. The form will pertain to your teaching style and how your student learns. Especially with one-to-one lessons, you have the flexibility to customize your classes. If you know your student is a visual learner, implement photos, videos, and so on for your lessons.
Be Creative
You now have the freedom and leverage to be creative and innovative. Take advantage of this opportunity. You have so many resources to make your lesson plan creative. Use videos, music, images, personal photos, and of course, modern lesson plans with current events. Be bold and audacious with your lesson planning and align the content with the interest of the student.
Implement Gamification
We are living in an instant gratification era, where everything is at our fingertips. So why not adapt and embrace that element? By merely implementing gamification, it can quickly provide an interactive layer to the student's learning process. There are many websites and apps that can help students learn vocabulary or practice grammar with games.
Thanks for the tips. I teach online and there is always that one student who is just too tired and has a hard time staying focused. Your tips were helpful.
John