Online teaching is a rewarding career path, but it requires a different approach than teaching in a traditional classroom. Recently, one of VHS Learning’s talented online teachers, Tom O’Bryan, was featured in EdTech Chronicle sharing the lessons he has learned as an online teacher. There are certain nuances to teaching online, and as Tom shared in his article, it can take some time to build an approach that is both effective and fulfilling.
Whether you’re a seasoned classroom educator transitioning into virtual instruction or a newcomer using prior education and skills to become an online teacher, there are a few key strategies that can help set you up for success.
Here are five essential tips to succeed as an online teacher:
In a virtual learning environment, student engagement doesn’t just happen by chance, it must be intentionally built. Using interactive tools and active methods of collaboration can contribute to a virtual classroom and community that students are excited to engage with.
For instance, discussion boards can be a powerful space for students to share perspectives, reflect, and collaborate with their peers. Regular discussion prompts can encourage dialogue and develop new connections between students, their peers, and their instructors. Students feel more connected and motivated when their voices are heard and valued, boosting their engagement with the course content.
Virtual learning environments provide teachers with the flexibility to think outside the box. To ensure you’re engaging every student, it’s important for online teachers to provide unique and varied course content, such as videos, photos, interactive media, and real-world examples
Delivering course material in a way that is relevant and engaging to students can enhance the learning experience and help improve learning retention by making lessons more relatable or memorable. Creative course content can also provide learners with more context, open their minds to new perspectives, and enhance their understanding of the subject.
Effective online teachers prioritize connection just as much as course content. These educators understand that strong relationships are at the foundation of great teaching. It’s a common misconception that online courses are just a series of videos and virtual quizzes, with an invisible instructor grading assignments behind the screen. However, this is not the case for a high-quality online program like VHS Learning, which focuses on student and teacher experience, community and connection, and providing rigorous course content delivered by certified educators.
Since students don’t get to see you face-to-face in a classroom, it’s important to build a strong foundation of real, human connection. In VHS Learning courses, instructors provide office hours, which gives students direct access to their teachers for additional support. But for those students who don’t need the extra support, teachers must be intentional about building rapport––individual check-ins, personalized feedback, or sharing a bit about yourself goes a long way. Online teachers who prioritize communication and develop strong connections with all of their students can deliver engaging and empowering learning experiences.
Behind every successful and fulfilled educator is a strong network of support, but this is especially important for virtual educators who aren’t interacting with their colleagues in-person every day. When you are just getting started as an online teacher, it’s possible to feel isolated by the virtual divide or overwhelmed by the new approach to teaching.
However, high-quality online programs provide the training, resources, and community online teachers need to have a positive experience. At VHS Learning, online instructors have access to training, mentorship opportunities, in-school site coordinators, and professional development that can help them thrive in online classrooms. The more you lean on your support system to get what you need, the more effectively you can support your students.
Flexibility is key in online courses––for many students, this is one of the top reasons they are drawn to virtual learning. With this in mind, online teachers need to have intentional mechanisms for handling late work, missed class time, or anything else that causes students to fall behind.
From the beginning, establish clear processes and guidelines to support your students when they need flexibility, and be prepared to leverage these procedures to help students get back on track. Defining these policies and providing a structured yet compassionate approach helps maintain academic rigor in your course while supporting students when they really need it.
Whether you’re just getting started with online teaching or you’re looking to refine your approach, these tips can help you establish a thriving virtual classroom. Beyond these strategies, targeted professional development and training are key to delivering effective online instruction. Online teachers must be well-versed in online education concepts, pedagogy, communication methods, and online evaluation techniques in order to cultivate an effective online classroom.
At VHS Learning, we developed our engaging Online Teaching Methodologies (OTM) course to help educators thrive in online classrooms. This rigorous, graduate-level course is designed specifically for online teaching, and equips educators with the tools, strategies, and best practices they need to succeed in a virtual classroom.
Read Tom O’Bryan’s full article on EdTech Chronicle: From Law to Learning: 5 Lessons I Learned as an Online Teacher