Task one: give instructions in an online lesson
You may not be able to see your students’ reactions as clearly as in a face-to-face classroom to see if they understand what you are saying.
Connectivity issues can mean that students are also missing parts of the instruction. Without a friend sitting next to them and reviewing what you said, students can get lost pretty quickly.
Solutions:
Use activities that your students are already familiar with and have already done. Using sample tasks from Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers, and A2 Flyers will also help them feel more prepared for the exam.
Think about how you give instructions:
Ask questions to make sure your students understand what they are supposed to do, and always give an example of homework before beginning.
Can you write instructions for your presentation so that students can read what they should be doing and also listen to it?
Make sure students understand their own language, especially if they are quite young or have a low level.
For more information on how to instruct and teach young people online, watch our Teaching English Online for Young Learners webinar, which is packed with tips and assignments.
It takes more time to prepare for classes and more time to study
When taught online, classes generally take longer as you have to take time to work out any technical issues and check if your students can see and hear you.
Solutions:
Don’t try to invest too much in each lesson. Set a clear goal and keep your lesson simple! Think of short sessions at different speeds that will help you achieve this goal.
Use effective feedback methods. Plan how you will give your comments and check the answers during the lesson.
Rather than inviting individual students to provide their responses, which can be time consuming and anxious, display the responses on a screen so that students can evaluate themselves.
Students are easily distracted
Unlike classroom activities, you have no control over the environment in which students join the lesson. There are many reasons why you can get distracted during online lessons. Solutions:
Get the students involved as much as possible in the lessons! Talk to all the students and use their names when talking to them.
You can ask them to show you something that is in the room where they are, or you can ask them to take something of a certain color or “clap if …”. This is a good way to engage students without having to speak, test their understanding, or share their responses to an assignment.
Another way to engage students and keep them interested is to ask them to make their own cards to store. Take a look at our A2 Flyers Reading and Writing Lesson Plan, Part 4 (optional extension, page 4) to see how. Finally, catch their attention with a song! Students can sing a song and even dance or make movements when they hear a certain word.
Teachers talk too much or students talk little. While pairing and grouping is still possible, you just need to think more carefully about how it might work.
Solutions:
If you can safely monitor the small group rooms, this is a good way to give students time outside of the classroom to talk to each other.
Alternatively, students can pair up to talk to each other while the others listen. To help students feel safe enough, give them time to think and plan.
Try the Find the Differences activity, an activity that students must complete in Lesson A1: Speaking Movements Part 1 and Presentation of Handouts A2 Part 1. This can be done both as a whole class and in pairs.
Another way to get students to talk more is to demonstrate an action and then encourage students to lead it. You can find an activity in the A1 Movers Speaking Part 4 lesson plan that shows students how to make a talk so they can ask a partner questions. This allows students to practice different vocabulary, ask and answer questions without teacher involvement!
