The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. - Proverbs 12:18, NIV

For over 30 years, I've been teaching many students many things. For over half a year, I've been teaching online. Here are tips and strategies I've learned that I believe will help you be more prepared and successful in teaching online if you choose to!

Teaching a small group has different dynamics than teaching one student. That should be apparent, but after teaching one-on-one online for months, tutoring elementary students in various subjects, I had to adjust to a cross between teaching one at a time and past experiences of teaching 20-something students in a public brick-and-mortar school.

Eight (even four) students can feel like many more, if you're not prepared to accommodate different learning styles and personalities (This is what public schools call "Differentiated Instruction." You are expected to modify your manner and instruction to help every kind of student you could possibly have.

This can seem impossible, but the LORD gives us wisdom, grace, and divine strategies for success, praise Him!). God our Father is always with us. He knows our hearts to help these precious kiddos, and He alone is the Source of all we need to succeed in teaching (or any other field!).

There are many forms of online teaching, and I have experienced several. There are group teaching experiences, such as the group of 49 students (in one class!) in a major city in China, whom I taught online. Having their main teacher in the room was a definite help, as was learning to say the students' names in Chinese, so that I could personally call on them. However, I spoke English otherwise, because it was English class.

(By the way, Chinese kids are just like kids from any other nation. They can be noisy, especially as they come in; they like jokes and often giggle from nervousness or for other reasons; they may clam up and not respond, although usually, the Chinese children are taught to respect teachers and obey quickly. They are expected to have high standards, and fulfilling the requirements for teaching group classes can be stringent.)

For these, you need to learn how to properly say their names in their language, and keep accurate records, while doing multiple things at once. For instance, in this class, I was required to address as many students as possible by name each class, and make a tic mark on the roll by their names to prove that I had done so. That was a bit overwhelming, trying to remember how to say their names, recognize them in the big class--where it was hard to see their faces-- plus teach, and then remember upon whom I'd called.

I was not able to complete the entire semester with these students because of challenges with internet connections. It was clear to me that the problem was not on my end, and the Chinese tech (who was not very patient) kept telling me to try the same thing to correct the problem, and promised to set up a time to address the specific issue--but never did.

I appealed to the director (who happened to be British, and with whom I had a good relationship), but nothing was done, either for the internet connection, nor for the app I was supposed to install on my cell phone--that never worked because of blocks by the US government, and, I believe, by the Chinese government as well.

Because of the internet challenges, my class was given to a sub, and I did not appreciate that. I resigned. Then, my reputation/name was "dinged" on an internet site that many Chinese companies refer to when checking on applicants.

I was a little frustrated, but I know the LORD always has my back. With all of the negative vibes between the USA and China, I wished them well and was glad the portal was closed between me and them.

Since then, the LORD has opened many more wonderful doors that I would never have found, if I'd stayed teaching kids in China! I'm not knocking it, if that's what God has for anyone. It was just not the right path for me!
Still, I picked up a few tips and strategies that I've used in other forms of teaching, so I consider it education.

So teaching online can be one-on-one (often written as 1:1); one-to-many (1:49, such as my class in China); or small groups of 4-8, or perhaps more.
I currently teach students I teach from a public school in another state which is really locked down by the virus. The kids, bless their hearts, are totally confined to their homes. (We pray that will change soon, so they can go back to being with each other at school in person, even wearing masks and standing six feet apart!)

In my online class, they can see each other, and some of them know each other from going to the brick and mortar school.

It's great that they are relaxed--until they decided suddenly to turn off the camera; talk to their older brother--who seems to not care that they are supposed to be learning; go get a live puppy or cat to play with; pick up a purple balloon and blow it up so big I can't see their faces; carry the computer to another room; turn on their mikes so I can hear all the background noise; or, even worse, figure out how to turn off my mike, so that my voice and the class are interrupted (This has happened more than once in Google Hangouts, the platform I'm required to use, and I don't like it at all.)!

However the kids with whom I've had these challenges, labeled "struggling learners" by their school (and the only reason some of them are labeled that way is, I think, because they are not behind but just have had challenges staying engaged, because they are so used to multi-media video games and TV shows, etc. And these kids are only in first, second, and third grades!), still have that innocent sweetness that little ones do. They truly want to please the teacher and earn rewards, and be commended for good work.

I do love 'em and they know that. The first day, some of them asked me to send them some books. I told them that I have truly written and published many books, and that I'd be happy to do so--if they approve it with their parents and the company for whom I work. The kids were excited, but none of the parents mentioned it, so they probably forgot to ask.

For integrity's sake, I mentioned their request to the director and told her I'd be happy to send books, because I sow them all over the world, as the LORD directs, mentioning that I'd told the kids to check with their parents. I made it plain that I write Christian and inspirational books. While I don't think the director or the parents would mind the kids getting free books (at my expense, and especially positive ones like I write!), the anti-Christ spirit that's bound the education system doesn't like things like that.

However, as I told one public school principal, who told me that I had to erase "Jesus loves you and so do I," from my fourth grade whiteboard, "because," as he stated, "if you don't, then we'd have to put Mohammed's and Buddha's and other names up there."

As I told my fourth graders later--when they asked why I'd erased that part (and were indignant, bless their precious hearts!)--I just looked at him calmly, and said, "You know He is the only One that rose from the dead!" and then, "Things are changing!"

He left without comment. I didn't like it, but I wanted to be obedient. The principal was probably having to enforce the "school" rules. So I asked the LORD what to put, and He quickly helped me understand to replace what had been there with, "You are loved by Every One that matters!" The principal found some excuse to zip up minutes after he'd commanded me to change the wording, and saw my new expression. Now how could he argue with the wisdom of God?

To be fair, the same school later allowed the Gideons to come and allow the fifth graders to choose a Bible if they wanted--on school time, on school grounds, at a break time. Praise God!

So, being able to teach online allows more freedom to sow the Word, in my opinion! I'm teaching from my house, and I can choose what I want in my background! I have a saying the LORD gave me years ago, that I painted and display prominently where every student can see it--those across the world, those in public school, and everyone in between. It states: "Invest. Connect. Empower. LOVE. Aren't you glad God did?! John 3:16"

Freedom is a wonderful thing!

There are many similarities to teaching school in a building. For instance, remembering to recognize and call on every student throughout the lesson, while also remembering to adjust speaking speeds, expectations, and more (especially due to the fact that, while most of these lower elementary kiddos were bilingual, a couple were native Spanish ELLs), caused me to flex in new ways.

Part of this was adjusting to the new curriculum, which was straightforward enough, but which was a struggle at the beginning of the semester, because the delivery of my manuals was delayed a week due to an ice storm. Having been raised "old school," I was not as comfortable or adept at using electronic versions of the books. Added to that the fact that mine were an older version (with somewhat different wording!) made for an awkward 10 days or so, till I received my books.)

Then there was the bathroom thing. This is only a 50-minute class, yet I still have had kids interrupt the class to go to the bathroom! After a few days of this, I finally remembered to ask the students to be sure to go to the bathroom before class started. Having been used to teaching mostly upper elementary in public school, I had to remind myself that these younger kiddos didn't have as solid a concept of time as the older ones did.

In addition, these kids were all in their homes. This helped them be more comfortable in some ways, I suppose, but also created distractions. I had one older brother picking at one student, so that, as I was teaching, I saw my student laughing, looking off, and not at all paying attention--which required me to interrupt the class to politely demand that he focus and stop talking to anyone outside of our class.

Other times, the kids would suddenly pick up their laptops and carry them to another room. After being distracted by this a few times, I finally understood they were truly trying to find a place where they could focus better. I realized this more as I’d have the kids occasionally turn on their audio to repeat the Affirmation (more on that in a moment).

Some would just turn off their cameras and then I'd have to say, "Please keep your video on, so I can see your handsome/beautiful face!" Some would raise their hand and ask. It was still an interruption to the teaching.

To be fair, these are lower elementary students, and some still even had a lisp (sweet little first and second graders!).

Yet, they are also savvy in many ways--especially in technology. One of the first days, my audio kept going off, and it was a terrible interruption. I would start to teach, and the audio would stop, and the kids would go, "We can't hear you!" I was patiently trying all the things I knew--then I got a message on the screen from the tech, that a certain student was turning off my audio! I was slightly shocked; I didn't know the students had that power! (This was in a certain well-known meeting room of a well-known search engine, and I hope they change that--very soon!)

I didn't waste any time, but addressed the student directly, in front of the class. After all, he'd interrupted my class--several times, and the wrong should be exposed. I was not rude, but firm.

The next day, he did it again, but I busted him, again, in front of the class. This time I left a comment on his electronic file, and also reported him to my director.

In addition, one morose-looking male student, whom I'd been patient with, waiting for him to start obeying and showing me his work on his white board (or paper), finally barked at me, "I typed them in the chat!"

OK, this is new too--I had no idea the students would use the chat for their answers! "That's great, (student), I said, but we are not using the chat in this class." At that, he looked even more bored. "However," I continued, hoping to encourage him, "we might use it later on for polls or something." It might have been all right, but most of these very young students didn't type, or didn't type fast enough, to make it efficient for the whole class.

"We are all going to write in this class," I told them. "It's good to type, but it has been proven that you can actually remember things better if you write them."

When I finally got my books days later, it was a great relief! I was able to see and touch what I'd been teaching, and I was more settled and organized. The LORD also reminded me to tell the class they could write in their books. I would write in mine as we went through lessons--both for examples for them (and especially for my English Language Learners, as I communicated with them in my basic Spanish speech, while making a mental note to expand my Spanish!), and also to make notes as I taught.

I encouraged them to write, both in their books, and on their white boards or paper. While reminding them to stay focused on the tasks, I also reminded them they could write or draw other things about the lessons to help them remember. I shared with them that I liked to take notes, even at church (That was a subtle plug for God; I sow such seeds wherever I can!) and while reading books, and that my daughter often drew pictures at school and church while she was listening.

This prompted me to redo my expectations, and to add a couple, i.e., "Please do not touch your computer, except for audio.” I had made a list of expectations that I reviewed at the beginning of class every day.

However, the LORD prompted me to be more positive. Instead of “Do not...” He showed me how to flip it. I made a new list of expectations, on a brightly-colored poster, that started looked like this:

      YOU CAN!
1.Stand up while you listen and work
2.Write and draw (on your paper or whiteboards and books)
3.Raise your hand when you have a question or comment
4.Help others
5.Earn rewards and have fun
6.Keep your hands off your computer except for audio
7.Learn lots every day

With the help of God, you can implement these tips and strategies to become a more effective educator. Go for it, and may the LORD give you abundant joy and satisfaction as you serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of your students!

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. - Proverbs 12:18, NIV

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.