Being a teacher is not an easy job, teaching students, handing out assignments and tests, grading them, making reports, and the list goes on. There are so many things that teachers have to do in a day, and in the past few years situations have become more challenging for them; during the pandemic, teachers have to change the way they used to work and teach altogether. Now, teachers are not teaching in the classroom, they have to teach online; this was a huge change for them as they have to acquire new skills and modify their teaching techniques. Although teachers did adapt quickly to this change, they didn’t get to know the full potential of online education. However, as the situation has gotten better and with time, teachers are understanding that online education is here to stay, and they need to have all the necessary skills to become good online teachers. Here in this article, we have enlisted all the skills that every online teacher must have. So keep reading to know.
Know The Technology: Of course, it’s on the top of the list, when we talk about online education it means the use of technology and tools for teaching and learning. When teachers are going to enter the domain of online teaching, they are required to become proficient in using teaching tools like teacher’s apps, digital whiteboards, and Google forms. Not only this, but teachers also need to know about the content management systems for managing the creation and management of educational content. So teachers, to take your online teaching career to another level, learn all the necessary technical skills.
Designing And Selecting Quality Content: In online classes, slides, videos, online worksheets and e-books etc. are the educational resources from which teachers teach and students learn. This is where teachers need to learn another skill, which is creating and selecting the appropriate and quality educational content and resources for all students. Unlike in offline classes, where books are the only resources to teach and learn, online education has several resources; and teachers are required to select the best one and if not available create(slides, digital notes, mind-maps etc.). Teachers need to check that every video, slide or e-book selected is age-appropriate for students and accessible to each one of them. For example, videos should have captions, it will help students with hearing disabilities.
Good Communication Skills: Well, teachers are great communicators because they have the experience of interacting with students daily, however, they need to upskill their communication skills. Because online teachers will not be physically present in front of students, to monitor them; now they have technology as the mediator between them and students. And it is up to teachers how they make the best out of technology and use it to their and learners’ advantage. In online learning teachers need to initiate the conversation, they have to nudge and encourage students to speak up in online classes.
Networking Skills: Online education not only opens doors to endless knowledge and learning for students, but also provides the opportunity for teachers to widen their network and interact with other teachers from around the globe. As online teachers, one should know how to network with other teachers, professors, principals etc. as knowing and interacting with people from the same field opens up possibilities for collaboration. And when teachers collaborate, they create better courses, and lesson plans and provide better knowledge and skills to the students.
Subject Expertise: Subject expertise means that the subject teachers should have deep knowledge and great expertise in their pedagogy subjects. Although all teachers are experts in their respective subjects, subject expertise doesn’t just mean being an expert but also staying updated about the recent developments and changes happening in their respective subjects. Online teachers need to keep upgrading their subject knowledge as per changes and provide students with only the latest and relevant knowledge & skills.
Time -Management: Time management is important for teachers, whether it’s online teaching or offline. Logging in on time, distributing and collecting assessments to students on time or giving timely feedback; all these things need to be completed in their allotted time.
