Online learning is challenging because we are all behind screens and some of us have difficulties engaging in online classes. There are many factors that disadvantage the online learning experience from internet issues, inconducive environment, poverty and many more. However, teachers shall take efforts in making online learning to be fruitful for their students by focusing on these three terms, creating a positive learning environment, being a good communicator and dealing with problematic behaviours.
To create a positive learning environment teachers can allow students to have discussions among them and let them spill their ideas. Teachers should pay attention to their discussion and not interrupt in between. Teachers should encourage their students to speak in class, and if they are unable to use their mic use the chatbox as a tool for them to communicate and get involved in the class. The teacher may also request the students to turn on their cams so they will be able to see each other even though they are far from each other. It was said that seeing familiar faces online may lift up their mood and gives them chances to get involved. The teacher may give students good remarks on their effort to join the classes and interacting with one another. Furthermore, teachers may set up some ground rules like no cellphone while in class, turning on your camera is compulsory to make sure students are disciplined and participates in class. However, a good and positive environment in class is all depending on the teacher’s relationship with their students because it plays an important role. Students who have a good bond with their teacher pay more attention in class rather than teachers who nag all the time.
Next, being a good communicator takes lots of effort especially in second language classes where some of the students are still struggling with the language. Continuos encouragement from the teachers may help the students to communicate more instead of toning down their voices. Opening the floor to the students to talk about how they feel this week is a good starter to create interactive classes. This is because some students may not speak as much when they don’t find anything in common to discuss. Students tend to speak when the topic is common to them. Giving them a topic may let them explore what others feel about it and how to deal with one who has the opposite opinion than them one of the ways to shape students into becoming a good communicator. An open floor allowing students to discuss and let them have questions and answer among them may help develop their speaking technique and help with their speaking anxiety. However, in an online classroom, it is slightly difficult to let everyone speak, hence teachers can ask students to turn on their cameras and carry their hands in order to let them speak. It will be slightly messy when there are no ground rules in online discussion.
Next, dealing with problematic students in an online environment is challenging because you are not able to have a face to face talk about it. The teacher may request students to join a one to one meeting to discuss their situation. However, if students are reluctant to join, teachers may give extra focus on this student in the class by calling out their names. The teacher must not force the student, but instead, create a safe environment to allow them to communicate to you about the difficulties they are facing. Some students are tough to breach, so teachers may ask classmates to approach the students through texting to see if the student is doing well or otherwise. The teacher may ask opinions from another teacher or classroom teacher regarding the particular student’s behaviour and issue they may have in the past. In this way, teachers may think of better and more strategic ways into helping this problematic student. Last but not least, stop labelling the student as problematic just because they are less interactive or they are not able to attend the class frequent because I feel maybe teachers need to look further in detail rather than looking at the surface.
In conclusion, making a classroom a better place for the students require effort and bonding between them and the students. As I have mentioned, a safe space for students will come around if they have a trustworthy bond with their teacher.
P/s: I wrote this today for a classroom forum and I think this worth the share because this is my opinion as a student and also a teacher in training.
