Discover the daily life of an online teacher.
Why did you choose to become an online teacher? To begin with, online teaching was never in my mind but you never know what the future holds for you. As a final year student at the University of Mauritius for the course BA (Hons) Politics, Human Rights and International Relations, I was looking for a job that would provide me with experience, knowledge and as well as develop my personality. However, I’m very strict with my studies and I didn’t want my job to affect my studies in any way. Therefore, teaching at Pass Teachers provided me the chance to gain work experience and as well as continue my studies. It’s a place where I was learning and working independently. In a way, it developed my leadership skills. However, it was nonetheless a big challenge for me since I didn’t have any teaching experience but what’s life without challenges. I like challenges very much and with a positive mindset I embarked on this teaching journey. Of course, when you receive your students’ appreciation and admiration, you become even more driven and determined to keep going. Though, at times you encounter difficulties when teaching but I just remind myself that as a teacher it’s my duty to inspire my students and when you see their eyes literally beaming with happiness in the class you feel motivated. In fact, teaching at Pass Teachers isn’t a job for me it’s something that I do that brings me happiness. I really enjoy teaching, laughing and talking with the kids. I always remind myself that my class will of course impact my students in a way. Hence, for me it’s a huge responsibility to teach professionally but as well as mingle with the kids. I always seek to portray myself as a teacher but as well as a friend who will definitely share laughs with them, make jokes and pranks and in a very professional manner explain my subject.
What are the benefits of teaching at Pass Teachers? Pass Teachers indeed offers a great amount of support to its teachers. First and foremost, I must say that the staffs are very professional, responsive and helpful. Besides, it equips each and every teacher with the tools and materials that will help him/her to conduct the class efficiently and professionally. I would admit that the various professional trainings, materials and guidelines offered by Pass Teachers truly facilitate the task for the teachers. All the necessary tools are always at the disposal of the teachers. I always revert back to the training materials and the guidelines offered to improve the quality of my classes. Besides, Pass Teachers allows its teachers to develop leadership skills. During the past five months, I have planned my lesson materials, executed it, worked independently, identified the lacunas and tackled them in a professional manner. Moreover, Pass Teachers offers the flexibility of working at home during the day and at night as well. Teachers are able to choose their time of work which is certainly very helpful for me. I’ve been able to focus on my studies as well as work efficiently and depending on my availability I have also substituted several classes. The Pass Teachers’ team is very professional in their approach and always present to cater to the needs of its tea
What in your opinion make(s) a good online teacher? In my opinion, one of the greatest qualities of a successful online teacher is perseverance. Teaching is a very delicate job, and a good teacher seeks to inspire, motivate and shape his/her students into becoming mature, responsible and good individuals. There are undeniably challenges but I just remind myself that every day is not the same. With a positive and professional mindset, I conduct my classes in the hope to motivate my students and when I see their smiles, their positive response I feel that I’ve succeeded in my task. Secondly, it is extremely important to understand the mental state of each and every student. Some students are happy when treated as kids while others want to be treated as adults, it’s absolutely normal and a qualified teacher will know how to deal with kids of varying ages. I keep it simple. I play with my students, I’m usually pranking them during the exercises, I give them different reactions because kids are very attentive to what they see, sometimes they will see me laughing, sometimes they will see my shocked expression, sometimes they will see that I’m scared. I will always make them clap at the end of every class because I believe that today we learnt something new, and we have made progress hence we need to be proud and celebrate it. On the other hand, we have another type of student who wants to be treated as older, hence, it is crucial for a good teacher to identify the needs of the students and vary with his/her teaching methods. Since we are dealing with kids here, it is mandatory to understand the child, how to shape him/her into a better individual. Additionally, a good teacher should be able to take efficient decisions when a problem arises to ensure the smooth running of the class. Besides, I believe that creativity, playfulness and a positive mindset are essential qualities of an ideal teacher. I am usually a reserved person, not that much of an extrovert but when teaching, I am a totally different person. I would say that the kids impact me as much as I impact them.
What has been your experience so far at Pass Teachers? During the past five months, there have been many changes in terms of my communication and leadership skills. There were times when I was very happy with my classes, with my students and there were also times when I was nervous and worried because I was having a bad day. Then I just remind myself that every day is not the same I can definitely improve and at the end of every class, I usually review my work, identify the lacunas and make amendments. I experienced some wonderful classes as well as some low ones. However, Pass Teachers’ team were always available to facilitate my tasks. Pass Teachers offered me a platform to grow as well as develop my skills as a teacher.
How do you motivate and engage an online class? Online teaching is very different and can be seen as more difficult when compared to face-to-face teaching. Sometimes you are not able to see or hear the students because of bad connection issues. I usually ask many questions to get to know my students, identify their needs and seek to help them accordingly. I’m very playful with them because I want them to feel comfortable. At the beginning of every class, I will engage in conversations about their day and how they are feeling. I like to lighten up the mood because my goal is to be their friend whom they can laugh with, make crazy faces, have fun and tactically explain my subject of the day. Sometimes the kids are bored or tired and that’s absolutely normal. I usually engage a less motivated batch by making changes in the flow of my class. At times I will surprise them with my expressions, I will use varying intonations that will make them pay attention to what I am saying. I mostly work with my expressions to portray how I am feeling, and the kids are very quick to identify that. Thus, it automatically changes the classroom dynamic, the kids are motivated and more likely to enjoy my classes. Besides, when we have exercises, I try to make it more lively by integrating physical movement such as TPR or games. This helps to break the habit of just sitting in front of the computer and listening to the teacher.
What do you like/enjoy most about teaching at Pass Teachers? I really enjoy working, laughing and joking with the kids, inspiring them each and every day. I really like the flexibility in terms of the working hours where I’m able to study as well as work efficiently.
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