Effective Online Teaching 101
Cats on keyboards, students working from bed, and mind numbing Zoom fatigue, plague online learning. After virtually briefing 200 incoming freshman as an Orientation Leader and teaching a class of 15 college students for Forge’s online Launch Digital Marketing program, these are my 5 tips and tricks for being an effective online instructor.
- The 5 Minute Rule
The urge to check your phone is right there and it’s right there for your students too. While you have teaching to keep you engaged — your students do not. For every 30 minutes of synchronous online lecturing allot about 5 minutes of break time to grab snacks, go to the bathroom or, most likely, check phones. 5 minutes off is a small price to pay for 30 minutes of effective instruction and no Zoom fatigue.
2. Chaos is Your Best Friend
Consistency is great except for when you’ve been watching the same thing for 1 hour. Vary teaching techniques often. Using breaks lessens the fatigue, but varying techniques keeps students engaged. Lecture, individual projects outside of Zoom, group projects in breakout rooms, teacher led demonstrations, YouTube tutorials, and guest speakers all create variation in the learning experience to help things stick, but also keep students engaged.
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3. You are on a call — not in the classroom — adjust.
Classroom management isn’t the same. You can’t do impromptu checkins with students, so set aside time for 1–1 small talk and feedback. Students will have questions, but sometimes the awkwardness of being on a call means questions go unasked and unanswered. A 1–1 setting for getting to know your students lets you form a meaningful connection so students feel comfortable asking questions. Additionally, this is a safe time to give feedback and provide effective 1–1 instruction.
4. Cameras On! But Only When It Matters
A narcissist would get bored staring at themselves all day. Over long periods of time, being aware of how one looks and feeling “watched” by the camera can be stressful for students (and teachers). Save “camera on” time for when it’s valuable for students and instructors to stay engaged and communicate. Doing a 1–1 checkin with a student? Camera on. Doing a live demonstration when you and your students’ focus is on the work? Camera off.
5. Stand-up Comedians For Crickets
Be funny and entertaining, but be ready for stone faces and silence. Being lively is always appreciated, but you won’t feel the joy of a chuckle or see the smiles. That’s ok. Taking time to be goofy and laugh makes the cold nature of staring at your computer all day feel a little warmer. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and allow students to joke around. Fun zoom backgrounds, and fun class activities like Kahoots, icebreakers and games, make logging on to a long zoom call a little more bearable. So, crack a joke or two while you lecture. It will be quiet but it will be worth it.
At the end of the day, if you’re fresh, engaged and enjoying yourself, odds are your students are too!
