The Role Of Teachers In An Online School
The Role Of Teachers In Online Classes
Students who are new to online learning will say teachers at an online school “teach” much differently. We cannot speak to how other online teachers work, but we can share how an iLearn teacher teaches a class.
Teachers Do Not Perform Lectures
The first and often biggest misconception about online courses is students think their teachers will be there for every lesson or lecture. That is not how it works, at least at iLearn. Instead, we use a self-paced method where students can progress through their courses independently and can contact their teacher for questions or guidance when needed.
Online school teachers do not need to give lectures to be great teachers. They may still have to teach a component or offer alternative lessons depending on the questions that arise. Since teachers do not give lectures, it separates the learning from the support. The learning can be done independently, from anywhere. Where the help can be provided 1-on-1 or in small groups.
Course Information Is Always Available
Since course content is found online, it’s available at all times of the day. This changes the teacher-student dynamic by providing students control over how, where, and when they learn. The role of the teacher is to make sure students are learning and understanding the material, rather than mindlessly moving through it. With this method, students can take their time on tricky subjects and breeze through the parts that are easier.
The Role Of Facilitator
iLearn teachers act as facilitators of knowledge. The role as a facilitator is to make sure students understand what they need to learn and when they need to learn it. Once students are up to speed with how to navigate their course(s), the role of the teacher is to provide students with resources and prompt feedback on handed-in work. From there, it is up to the student to check-in each week and use the available resources to keep themselves on track.
Individualized Advice
How a teacher explains a topic or approaches a problem can have a big impact on how students remember it. With more 1-on-1 advice, that means students will be getting explanations that are tailored to them and how they learn. The longer a student keeps their teacher, the more personalized the explanations can become.
iLearn teachers are capable of teaching more than one subject and grade. This means students can take multiple courses and keep their teacher for next year’s course in the same subject, or for another subject altogether. This helps keep things familiar, which can be important for some students’ learning environments, while also allowing teachers to cross reference lessons, such as a math lesson that’s applicable in science class.
Technology & Scheduling Resources
iLearn teachers use other key pieces of tech that make the learning experience smooth.
Self-pacing tool
iLearn students can start their courses at any time throughout the year and decide for themselves when it will be completed. Simply by choosing an end date for a course, students will see where all the assignments and test due dates will fall in the calendar. This helps visualize a course schedule and the work that needs to be done each week to keep up with course work.
Online meetings & office hours
Our teachers meet with students 1-on-1 or during their office hours. To meet with a teacher, students can use their teacher’s meeting link (often found in the teacher’s email signature) to book a digital meeting.
Online tests + booking them
When students are ready for a test, they will use a special link to schedule an invigilated time slot on a test day. There are typically 3 test days each week.
iReports
When falling behind, students will get an iReport letting them know they need to catch up. These are sent at the end of each month to notify students AND their parents when the student is falling behind.
Future innovations
The iLearn teachers and staff are always working on new processes and features that will improve the student experience. Stick around and you may be surprised to see what we do next.
Online “Teaching” In A Nutshell
The teachers at iLearn are reshaping the image of what a good teacher can be. The learn-from-home trend has become a movement. Now, online education is in the mainstream. Students, or anyone for that matter, who want to learn something, can and will most likely find the information online. The ability to learn in an online environment during high school will help when trying to learn new things independently.
Are you ready for learning with an online teacher? Check your eligibility to get started.