Online Teaching: As a Rule of Thumb....

This piece looks at what we as teachers and teacher-trainers should and shouldn’t do when teaching online. Please feel free to add any that have not been included in the comments section.

Teaching

1. Be Well informed – this is out of our hands as we rely on necessary information from our clients (i.e. language centres). This could include technical troubleshooting points we need to be aware of and react to if push comes to shove. Equally, if it's beyond our control, ports of call that can make the difference for all concerned. If something is expected of us, then we need to know it. For example, if webcams must be used by all, then this should be made clear before we begin. Naturally, it makes a big difference if the people you deal with are amiable and efficient.

2. Clear instructions – this goes without saying in all teaching, though in some cases, it is even more important when teaching online. For example, if someone has technical issues, you may need to read something to them if they can’t see it. Or if someone is unable to attend, then you must always have handouts available for them and clear info on what needs to be done and tips on how to make up for lost time, i.e. copy notes from a colleague, do exercises and then check answers with a fellow participant. Ground-rules sound draconian but may not be quite so dastardly. Remind them that homework’s expected of them, that it will help to show signs of their progress, their submissions and online exercises will be monitored, and a short report will be written at the end. Give demonstrations of how exercises look, where they can be found on online platforms and all the usual self-study tips and tricks. Explain how you will make a selection of errors and go through them in the next lesson as part of the learning process.

3. Make it interactive – when you teach online from the beginning, it may take longer to build rapport with the class, although it depends on the group of people. In any case, in order to keep everyone involved and to liven up the lessons, promoting interaction should be of paramount importance. There will be moments when you need to demonstrate a piece of grammar, or task set, but, perhaps, more than with f2f, you should get them involved in any way you can. However, you should also be aware that this can eat up valuable time; so, it will be a balancing act that you will master as time goes by.

4. Expect the unexpected – you don’t have to be psychic for this, despite how it sounds. Though, you may need to be intuitive from time to time. You may get a piece of direct, immediate feedback in the chat box that throws you off, but you needn’t respond to it in mid-flow; pace yourself. If nobody laughs at your jokes, don’t worry, the chances are its because they’re muted. Without warning, someone could have serious technical issues and not be able to join. As long as you have given them the details of who to contact, then you have done what’s expected of you.

5. Who likes surprises? – there are a myriad of possibilities for enriching the online experience during lessons. You can use the background to guess where a painting is from or you can produce realia without notice, i.e. to emphasise a phrasal verb like cut out – you can do the motion with a pair of scissors; this can be novel and even amusing. You can show a photograph, play a song or a Youtube video, for example, without any hassle. The benefits are that you can change the pace of a lesson, appeal to visual learners (if you believe in learning styles) and give variety where it is due.

Teacher-training

1. Practice what you preach – when you give a workshop on online teaching, then you must lead by example. For example, if the company you all work for expects you to wear headphones, then you must do the same. If there is a certain amount of technical expertise involved, then it doesn’t really help when the teacher-trainer is unable to join the session for the first five minutes due to technical reasons; this, it should be stated, may well be out of your hands.

2. Give clear instructions – this is a carbon copy of number 2 for teachers. You may be surprised that this is not always followed through by teacher educators. For example, it was overlooked that only moderators can adjust something on one conferencing platform; this needed to be pointed out. Or when using break-out rooms, there is a way to ensure that you don’t lose audio moving from one room to another, then this needs to be broken down step-by-step and, it would have made sense to mention that FAQ would be updated or minutes of the meeting offered along with the ubiquitous PPP slides.

3. Show empathy – during the Corona crisis, teachers have most probably got more concerns than they ordinarily would. As well as being a good listener, be human first and tell them you understand their points of view. Try and sympathise and this should go some way to make your fellow educators feel better. One such example would be re what is being done re new business? Try and reassure and let them know that we’re all in the same boat.

4. Make it interesting – harping on about anything for too long should be avoided like the virus. Beware the dangers of T-T-T: if you mention this to the group, then please don’t go on to bore everybody into submission; that means stop with those monologues, and limit those stories about pets, would you please? For goodness sake, vary your intonation or they’ll drop like flies.

5. Encourage participation – teachers are human beings, right? They like to be encouraged and praised when they actively participate. So why not humour them? Involve everyone and never ever patronise or preach, leave your sarcasm at the door, and vanity is not welcome either. You can go some way in making the lives of others more pleasant, so if you please....