Choosing the Right Online Teacher: Insights From Moms

Communication has always been the cornerstone of human evolution so much that the pandemic forever changed how we engage with each other. As a result of COVID-19, the career and education sectors have adopted an online model to boost productivity and expand the execution of meetings, tasks, and completing objectives. Many employees and students benefit from this change and online teaching is on the rise. As a parent, finding an online teacher can put your child at an advantage when it comes to supplementing their learning experience but navigating the world of online engagement can be difficult. In this article, we’ll discuss four vital competencies and characteristics that are essential in vetting your child’s next online instructor.

Availability

When deciding on an online teacher, assessing their availability is of the utmost importance. One of the perks of having an online teacher is that their availability can be tailored to your child. When it comes to education, the frequency of how often the student meets with the teacher can determine how well the student becomes familiar with the learning material and the teacher.

Your online teacher should be reliably available to you, however, it is always good to establish a schedule of how frequently you would like to schedule sessions with the teacher. Updating the schedule on a weekly basis is not ideal as it is likely to be inconsistent. If the online teacher’s availability doesn’t work for you, a compromise can be made, however, consistency is key to learning well. If you are a busy parent then it is paramount that you find a teacher whose availability works with you and your child’s lifestyle.

Certifications and Experience

The quality of public school education is a very polarizing topic. Today many parents and guardians are seeking alternative education options for their children. There are plenty of great options out there but, one advantage of the public school system is the standardized certification process that all educators must complete to receive a teaching license and become authorized to teach. When searching for an online teacher it is important to inquire about your child’s prospective teachers’ degrees, certificates, and qualifications. While one doesn’t need a teaching degree to be an effective teacher, many platforms hire unqualified educators for a lower price to have enough teachers for the growing demand. Don’t fall into this trap and always inquire about credentials.

Many educators are retiring from the classroom and are teaching on virtual platforms. They have many years of experience and would be an excellent fit for your child. In the same breath, there are also people with nontraditional teaching careers such as engineers, financiers, and police officers who decide to take up a career in education as well. It’s imperative to understand that work experience can be just as valuable as years spent in the classroom. Your child can learn a great deal of life experience from educators with a nontraditional background. This is especially true for high school students as they can receive lots of information and insight on career selection in college. Keep this in mind when selecting an online teacher.

Initiative for Professional Development

Teachers who are passionate about being effective leaders in the classroom often attend professional development training sessions. An educator who participates in professional development is trained on how to facilitate innovative learning strategies to help students thrive in and out of the classroom. A great characteristic for teachers to have is a lifelong learner mindset. Your child’s online teacher should always be perfecting their craft when it comes to education, therefore taking classes, attending seminars, and workshop leadership are some great behaviors to pay close attention to when choosing an online teacher.

Emotional Intelligence

Education shouldn’t be a traumatic experience for students, so finding a teacher with emotional intelligence can foster a positive atmosphere for learning. An ideal teacher should be able to identify and control their emotions as well as be understanding of the emotions of their students. Emotional intelligence is an important quality for teachers to have as it allows them to build a successful rapport with their students, keep stress low, and improve student learning outcomes. Teachers have a strong influence over students and because of this power imbalance, emotional intelligence is needed to manage challenges, encourage a growth mindset, and have more engaging interpersonal relationships.

21st-century skills are needed for this generation’s learning and development. In a world that’s ever-evolving, it can be very easy for students to get lost, or lose interest in their learning experience. Online learning can be a great alternative to traditional public school learning environments, but it is imperative that your child’s teacher is reliable, qualified, willing to grow as an educator, and emotionally intelligent. Consider these qualities to simplify your teacher selection.