If you had asked me a couple of years ago whether I would consider teaching online, I would have said no. At that time I couldn’t get my head around how I could translate what I taught in person to an online environment.

What about all the tools and materials? How could I help students if I couldn’t see what they were doing? What tech stuff would I need?

Fast forward to the present and I’ve figured a few things out! Not only have successfully incorporated online teaching into my business model, but I have picked up plenty of tips and tricks along the way.  So today I thought I’d share a few lessons I have learned and the elements I find helpful to include in my classes that I teach live online.

Classroom setup

I use my laptop to host my classes on Zoom. There are other platforms for hosting meetings, but I started with this one and am now so familiar with it I’m sticking to what I know! Using my laptop means I have a decent sized screen to see students and it’s also easy to share presentations/images etc.

I have a tripod on my desk with my phone mounted on it, pointed at my workspace.  An app allows the phone to function as a webcam, meaning students can see either me or what I am demonstrating, depending on which camera I choose to use.

Materials

When I first dipped my toe in the world of online teaching, I sent all my students the materials they would need for class, and then showed them how to make their mosaic. However, this was pretty labour intensive and I soon realised that many people would be happy to provide their own materials. Many of them were already adding in their own bits and pieces anyway!

So I made a decision. I would provide a list of suggested materials and resources and students could provide their own materials. Many of the classes I teach are aimed at those with some experience so this has worked well.

For the beginners, or those who want to dip their toe into making mosaics with slate, I now sell kits with video instructions.

Giving Feedback.

There’s no denying it can be hard to give helpful feedback via a zoom screen. The picture is often small, badly lit and sometimes it’s not practical for students to hold up their work in progress. Even when they do it can be hard to point out which area needs work (that bit on the right, no, my right etc)

So instead, I ask students to take a photograph of their work and send it to me. I can then use a photo editing app to either circle areas that need addressing, or can draw on the photo to illustrate possible ways they could develop their design.

While I feel very much like a teacher correcting work with a red pen when I do this, students report that it is really helpful.

I have also started adding in specific sessions for reviewing work and giving feedback. Sometimes there is simply not enough time in a teaching session to offer feedback on an individual basis, but a ‘clinic’ session works well.

Students submit photographs of their work and I can give feedback live in class. This might not suit people who are less confident in sharing their work, but I believe it is helpful to not only receive feedback on your own work, but to hear feedback on others’ work too. There is always something new to learn!

A Sense of Community

When you attend a class in person, there is a social element to the experience. You can chat to others and see what everyone else is doing. To take this element online, I set up a private online community group for each class, where students can ask questions, share their work and talk to each other.

While some groups are used more than others, I think it’s a helpful addition to an online class. It provides space for students to see what everyone else is creating, and it means if one person has a question, everyone can see the answer.

I have to admit I am still experimenting with finding the best platform to host the community groups. There is always a learning curve when you introduce new technology or software. My hope though, is that those who want that sense of community will make the effort to use the technology and join in!

Unlimited Participants

One of the biggest adjustments I eventually made when teaching online was to increase in number of students far beyond what I would normally teach in person.  If you think about it, we usually limit numbers either because of physical space or in order to be able to provide 1:1 feedback.

Obviously the space is not an issue online, and I’ve just discussed how feedback can be given either via a community group or at specific sessions. So now I do not limit the number of students enrolling in class. Anyone who wants a space can join in. I can always add extra clinic sessions for feedback if necessary.

Recording Sessions

I like to teach live. This might be partly a reflection of my own learning style, where I prefer a time and place to show up. I am not always disciplined enough to watch a recording! But I appreciate that sometimes something comes up and you can’t make the live class. Or maybe the time zone just doesn’t work.

So I record the sessions and make them available for a limited time. The limited time gives people the motivation to watch them and do the work. After all, they signed up to learn with me but if they don’t watch or do the work, they won’t get results!

I also supplement the class with handouts so even when the recordings are no longer available, students can still refer back to these to remind themselves of the key points.

While I don’t claim to have everything figured out in the world of online teaching, I think I am starting to find a way that works for me and my students. I continue to be open to changing things in response to feedback though. Each time I run a class I always ask students to tell me what went well and what could be improved. There are always small tweaks to make or new things to try.

So this is a summary of where I am currently at, two years after first venturing to teach online. I hope it is helpful both to those curious about taking an online class with me, as well as those who want to develop their online teaching practice. If you have any thoughts or comments please feel free to share them below.