If you have taught in a classroom, you understand that some students are active participants while you may find it challenging to get others to even raise their hands or answer questions. However, you probably know that participation has a direct impact on learning. Unfortunately, effective teaching can become exacerbated by moving to virtual environments. Therefore, these are a few effective teaching methods for virtual classrooms
Adopt Software Tools
Your students may need more help than you can give them without face-to-face contact. However, you can research and adopt many online and software tools. First, you need video conferencing software with some form of office Zoom backgrounds free. You should also have instant messaging capabilities where you and your students can get quick answers to questions.
Google Classroom, learning games and quiz software are also helpful. You may find YouTube videos that you can use to supplement your teaching because they show a different perspective or unique processes. To help your students stay on task, consider time management software tools.
Test out virtual activities, such as Scholastic Learn at Home, New York City’s Museum of Metropolitan Art or the San Diego Zoo. Look for virtual opportunities to supplement your teaching.
Minimize Distractions
Remember that your students are at home or in other locations that have significant distractions. Therefore, you need to find ways to reduce these distractions. First, choose professional teams backgrounds that hide any distracting things in your background. Research shows that even a full bookshelf can draw your students’ attention away from you.
Also, encourage your students to close their social media, games and internet while they are in your class. Build breaks into your lessons so your pupils can get up and move around for a few minutes. Reinforce school or company rules and policies. Set goals and time limits for achieving them to keep your students focused.
Making an Agenda
Both you and those you teach need to understand what topics you will cover and your learning expectations. Therefore, you need a lesson plan or agenda for every session and objectives for the course in general. Your syllabus should explore your objectives and expectations and provide guidance for your weekly or daily lessons. It should also discuss homework, including their due dates, and examinations.
Build Engagement Strategies
Engagement is vital in any classroom, but especially in virtual learning environments. You can start with icebreakers that force participation in a fun environment. However, you should also encourage the students to connect with each other. You can assign group projects, create message boards or engage over social media.
Explore Different Teaching Methods
Each student learns differently, so you should learn the best ways to teach each student and customize your lessons for them. For example, some people are visual learners and benefit from seeing something performed rather than a lecture about how others complete it.
Create short lessons for those with trouble concentrating on long lectures. For example, have a short discussion about the topic you want to cover and then have your students work with interactive media to reinforce the lesson before they start their homework.
Although a Zoom virtual office background can help you build a virtual classroom, test these tips to help your students achieve their learning objectives.
