Online tutoring sessions became a common scene during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And while things have started to get normal, we can assume that the practice of attending online courses and tutoring will live on, at least for some time. Hence, tutors need to be prepared and deploy the necessary means to get the most out of their students.
If you are a tutor taking such online sessions, here are six vital things you need to ensure for an effective tutoring session over the internet.
#1 The Sessions Need to be Longer than Usual
You do not need to make your tutoring sessions long for them to be effective. However, given that you are taking them online, you need to take certain factors into account.
Technical problems can lead to delays. Hence, you will have to give each student some extra time to accommodate those delays. That way, even if there is a problem with the mic, video feed, or the internet, you can still complete the everyday lessons with ease.
#2 One-to-One Sessions are Always More Effective
One-to-one sessions are always more effective in online classes. That is something that is widely being followed, especially for students with college admissions coming up.
Preparing for SAT and ACT exams is always difficult. And taking practice tests alone does not do much good. On top of that, things are more difficult now that physical classes are not possible. Hence, online SAT prep tutoring services arrange for one-to-one sessions between tutors and students. These sessions are more effective in comparison to group teaching sessions and allow students to receive the care they need. Thus, students can do good in their entrance exams even while missing out on physical classes.
For your online tutoring sessions, you too should follow a similar practice. It will be beneficial for your students, and also easy for you to manage.
#3 Take Help of Online Tools and Additional Resources
There is a plethora of tools and resources that you can use to your advantage for online tutoring sessions. You can use a writing or drawing tablet and an online whiteboard to give the session a classroom-like feel. You can also use interactive tools to make the classes more presentable.
Besides, there are tons of video lectures on YouTube and different learning platforms. These videos cover all sorts of subjects and topics. You can provide those links to your students as additional resources. They will be able to grasp the lesson a lot better with the help of those resources.
#4 Prepare Additional Notes and Reading Materials for Your Students
While taking hand notes during classes is a good practice, it can also divert their attention from the lesson. So, it will be better if you provide them with some of the more complex notes before the lecture. That way, they can give their full attention to you and concentrate on the lesson instead of taking notes.
#5 Give them Weekly Assignments
Weekly assignments are a great way to assess your student’s progress. You can analyze the results to find out where they are facing difficulties, and how you might be able to solve them.
Do not, however, overwhelm them with assignments. You should use these weekly tasks as an opportunity to teach, not as a means to put more pressure on them. So give them time for each assignment and avoid giving more than one at a time.
#6 Prioritize Difficult Subjects and Topics
Each student has their own learning style as well as their strengths and weaknesses. As their tutor, your responsibility is to identify the areas they face more difficulty in and put special emphasis on them.
Whether a student is good or bad at a given subject or topic can be realized by observing their test scores. Then, you can adjust your sessions accordingly and prioritize those areas that they are weak at. Through regular problem-solving sessions followed by practice tests, you can help them regain confidence in those subjects or topics.
Try dealing with only one difficult topic at a time to give your students a better chance at improving. Otherwise, in an attempt to understand everything at once, they are likely to make the same mistakes over and over again.
By ensuring these simple elements during your online teaching sessions, you can help students learn properly and achieve good results. The effort needed for this, however, needs to come from both ends. Hence, your students need to be proactive and eager to learn.
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