Motivational Tips For Online Teachers

Has online teaching ever made you feel: Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Anxious? 

If you have felt this way, you’re not alone! Even experienced online teachers experience these feelings from time to time. We understand that online learning takes a mental and physical toll on our students, but the truth is that us teachers can feel just the same. Whether you’re new to online teaching or you’ve been doing it for a while, here’s a list of our top motivational tips to help you get the most out of teaching online.

So, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s dive in!

Keep track of your lessons

For every minute spent organising, an hour is earned. – Benjamin Franklin

Being organised is a good way to keep your head in the game. Make notes after each class, not only a record of work but also any important information you may want to remember about a particular student or class. This will help you prepare for your next class, which will make you feel more organised and motivated to work.

Get to know your students and let them get to know you

So often you find that the students you’re trying to inspire are the ones who end up inspiring you.

 – Sean Junkins

Personalisation is a great tool for the online classroom. They can make your lessons much more appealing to your learners because they can relate to the material, and to you! At the same time, getting to know your students will help you connect with them, making the time you spend with them more enjoyable. It can be the difference between dreading going to work and looking forward to catching up with your students.

Read more: 5 Tips For Building Rapport In The EFL Classroom

Get moving

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn

Anyone who works at a computer all day will tell you that it’s hard. People are not supposed to sit down for long periods of time. So, if you’re teaching a lot of lessons in a row, your body will not be happy with you. And when that happens, it can impact your mood and your teaching. To avoid this, make sure that you find ways to be active throughout the day. You don’t need to do a crazy workout, but make sure that you move around and stretch your legs in between lessons. Your body will thank you!

Read more: How To Design Your Ideal Teaching Setup

Take breaks

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. – Anne Lamott

We get it. Taking a break can be hard, especially if you have back-to-back lessons, but you need to. Burnout is a real issue for online teachers. You don’t have a staffroom to decompress in or a colleague to chat with in between classes, so you need to make that time for yourself. A good rule of thumb is to take a break every hour or so. The break doesn’t need to be long, even five minutes is enough. It just needs to allow you to walk away from your screen and recharge for a bit. 

Read more: Self-Care And The TEFl Teacher: How To Avoid Burnout

Be good to yourself

Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still. – Chinese proverb

Teaching in any situation is challenging, but teaching online is a whole other animal. If you are finding it difficult in the beginning, understand that the majority (if not all) of teachers find it tough initially. But we learn as we go and as we become more familiar with the technology, as well as the limitations and possibilities of the online world. Soon, we get into a groove, and it will feel like you’ve been doing it for years. 

Push yourself

If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow. – John Dewey

It can be easy to fall into the trap of teaching English online with minimal resources. In other words, you use Teams or Zoom to teach – and that’s about it. The beauty of teaching online is the resources that are available to you. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the websites and apps which you can use to make your lessons better. Yes, this will take some time, but in the end, you will be better prepared for your lessons. Not to mention that your lessons will be more interactive and engaging. Ultimately, making your teaching more enjoyable for both you and your students. 

Find a community

Connecting with others is rewarding: it makes us feel like we’re not alone in the world. – Jonah Berger

Being an online teacher can be lonely.  While friends and family mean well, there’s a limit to how much advice and support they can offer. That’s why it’s important to form a support network that has been where you are. Luckily, there are plenty of groups online that can help. These groups offer a way to connect with other TEFL teachers from around the world. They are also a useful source of information as many teachers will share tips and ideas that you can implement in your own classroom.

Read more: How To Find Your Community As A TEFL Teacher

Know when to stop

You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do. – Katie Thurmes

Without the typical boundaries that come with teaching in a classroom, it can be difficult to determine when your work day ends. But having a healthy work-life balance can improve your teaching, along with your mood and energy levels. You will need to create boundaries to help you better balance teaching and relaxing. 

For starters, you can set up a designated workspace that you only use when you’re teaching or prepping. Being able to move away from your workspace makes it easier for your brain to switch from teacher mode to relaxation mode. 

Another option is to set working hours. Depending on your classroom hours, it may be useful to stop working at a specific time each day or after a certain number of hours so that you don’t end up overworking.  

Even if you are starting out as an online teacher, the reality is that you might be doing it for a lot longer than you originally thought. This is why it’s important to look after yourself and make sure you are motivated in your work, otherwise you will soon lose interest in teaching English online – which wouldwould mean you’ll need to find another way to earn money, and it’ll be tough to find a job with as much freedom and flexibility.

Author Bio

Written by

Kirsten Colquhoun

Kirsten Colquhoun is the Content Manager for The TEFL Academy. A graduate of Cambridge University and DELTA-qualified, she first started teaching kindergarten in Thailand in 2003. A South African, she has also taught in China, the UK, Spain, Qatar and South Africa, but these days she is a teacher trainer and freelance writer and editor. Read Kirsten Colquhoun's story →