One of the essentials of a productive classroom is a productive teacher. Given the current remote-first world that we live in, it is critical that, as a teacher, you are not only productive in the classroom but also your remote workspace.
In this blog post, we will explore some ideas you can use to become more productive as an online educator and add more value to your students.
Outline your goals precisely
One of the most critical things that must align in a classroom is the teacher's objectives and expectations from her students.
So clearly outline the goals you have for your classroom and share a brief with your students to help them understand how both of you can arrive there. Remember to use simple language and be very precise.
Create a prep schedule & stick to it
As an online teacher, you must do a lot of prep work, including your course, soft skills, grading, etc. So create a preparation schedule before the year/semester begins on a calendar app and stick to that schedule.
You can use chunking and time blocking to manage your schedule better, and for events that arise out of contingency, you can use Routine's smart scheduling feature to find an appropriate slot on your calendar.
Allow students to explore note-taking methods.
Many teachers are strict regarding the type of notes they expect their students to take. However, everyone's learning style is different; some students might benefit from a style while others just won't.
Hence it makes sense to allow your students to use different note-taking methods like Cornell note-taking, flow notes, outlining method, etc.
Share tips and hacks to aid comprehension
The best teachers are not just productive themselves but also provide their students with the best hacks to become productive. When your students are productive, you are productive.
So research hacks that can help your students learn better; this could be in the form of mnemonics, time management techniques, productivity methods, etc.
Explore modern productivity tools
You can't teach the most technologically native generation effectively with just primitive teaching and productivity tools. So embrace new-age tools that your students are using to aid their learning process and embrace it.
Your students might prefer Notion to manage their documents, Routine to manage their notes and schedule, Canva to prepare their slides, etc. Your best bet is to meet your student's expectations using the tools their generation is familiar with.
Don't always work from home
Working from home can get monotonous, and you might appreciate working out of a coworking space or cafe every once in a while. Your productivity will improve with a welcome change, and you'll be better motivated to do your best.
However, ensure that your new/temporary workspace has the essentials like steady WiFi, not very noisy and clean environment so that your day-to-day operations are not impacted.
Take regular short and long breaks
It is easy to lose track of time when you are working from home and teaching online, so much so that sometimes it becomes a detriment to your well-being and productivity.
So switch off once in a while and take a short break between sessions or longer breaks every few quarters to revitalize yourself. A rested teacher with motivation will consistently outperform someone who is stressed out and has lost all love for her job.
Conclusion
Teaching is one of the most critical roles in our society, and having the right tools and best practices can significantly enhance your productivity as a teacher.
With the practices mentioned above, you are guaranteed to improve your productivity and become a better teacher to your students.
Did we miss any hacks? Let us know on Twitter @RoutineHQ; thanks for reading.
