Treat the Online Classroom Like a Real Classroom

The online classroom is a real classroom.

But we are learning from the comfort of our home and behind the computer screen, so it is going to be a little more on the relaxed side. That is perfectly fine.  However, sometimes there is a tendency to not respect the learning space.

If you are using an online teacher or tutor for your child, you may not be able to have a room where that child can work without interruptions. Try to at least find a space that presents fewer interruptions and distractions. To allow your child to tutor while people are going in and out of the room, having loud conversations, or even having the TV blaring is not going to get your money's worth for that session.

Some parents may not want their child online with a tutor in a room they can't monitor the student. As a parent, I can totally understand that. I would want my child in the same room with me too. But I have had parents who did so, but continued to bang pots and pans while cooking or carry on very loud conversations with other people in the room.

Situate your student so no one can walk behind him and be seen on camera. This can help create more of a classroom feel for the student. It also prevents people from being a distraction walking around in the background. I recently had an adult walk behind the student, wearing only underwear. This was neither respectful to the classroom, nor my retinas.

That brings me to this point: the camera and microphone pick up far more than the family may realize. Just be aware of that, please. The tutor does not want to hear all of your dirty laundry or see it either.

Teachers are not off the hook on this either. I have seen teachers show up for their sessions in the most unprofessional way. Please know that "work from home" is not synonymous with "unprofessional". Teachers should be modestly dressed in their sessions. I did have to ask one teacher to stop wearing a sports bra to her online sessions. She was not aware of how it looked on camera and quickly complied. I even had a male teacher show up for his interview while in bed. Yes, that will make parents feel very comfortable indeed. Teachers need to make the online classroom as distraction-free as possible. The student did not pay for a session to watch the teacher answer her cell phone, text, or talk to her fur babies.

Keeping the relaxed setting for online learning is a definite must. But let's not get carried away.

Happy online learning and teaching!