Teaching. Resources for lesson ideas

Online teaching

Online teaching while being fun and convenient can be challenging at times. Teachers have to work within a restricted physical environment, there is not a lot of room for movement when you have to be within the camera frame all the time. Then there is the task of keeping the students focused and engaged which can be frustrating. If you are feeling overwhelmed here are some ideas that can help you enrich your students’ learning experience.

Whether you are a freelancer using your own curriculum or a teacher with an online education provider, you can use these suggestions to extend topics, make your lessons interactive and add extra value.

• Flashcards / Pictures - You can use these as visual cues to facilitate comprehension and provide context. These can be used to learn new words, initiate discussions, or just to break the monotony.

You can choose to buy premade flashcards, which can be expensive, or create your own, which can be time-consuming. Downloading a few relevant pictures before each lesson is the most cost-effective and time-efficient alternative.

• Games / Riddles – another fun way to encourage students to express themselves and improve their knowledge. Have you played 2 lies and truth or rapid-fire quiz with your students Or used Riddles to tease your students’ brains?

Using virtual rewards gives students a sense of accomplishment and boosts their confidence.

• Brainstorming – a great way to encourage teamwork and give students an opportunity to connect their prior knowledge with new information. It can also help you to assess your students’ comprehension levels.

• Role plays – these can help students overcome hesitancies and become more confident speakers by using their language skills in simulated real-world situations.

• Debates – these encourage students to converse in English and develop critical thinking. Students learn to become better listeners and speakers in a fun and challenging way.

These are just a few of the many ways you can keep your students engaged and make learning more meaningful.

Students have better retention when they are actively involved in the learning process. Whatever you choose to add a fun element in your class, just keep it simple, relevant, and inclusive. Complicated activities would be difficult for you to execute and hard for your students to follow.

If you feel booged down, reach out to your colleagues or search online, do not judge yourself harshly.

We would love to hear about the interactive ideas you have been using in your classroom.

Happy Teaching!

Written by Preeti Lamba