Staying present in an online course is no easy feat! We all know the best way to keep students engaged online is through our instructor presence.
Letting your personality show in an online environment can be challenging. Many of us find it challenging to show instructor presence in a way that enhances student learning.
- Make some videos: The best way to allow your personality to show is through video. None of us are professional videographers. That’s ok! Just record a simple message using either Kaltura, Zoom, Flipgrid, or any other tool that you have and be yourself! Tell a story to allow your students to peek in at who you are as a teacher.
- Show your humor: Are there memes or gifs that relate to the course content that correlates with your sense of humor? Share them! This type of humor can help grab your students' attention and make you seem more authentic to them.
- Take time to connect: There are many ways to connect with your students. Surveys help gauge overall student satisfaction, small group meetings allow for questions and answers where students may be struggling, and one-on-one zoom sessions with students can allow for a more intimate conversation as to where the student is during the term.
Online teaching does not mean that we have to be robots. Be yourself and let your students see the person you are! Keep that personal touch in mind each term, each week, each day. Check out some of these faculty resources available to you for building instructor presence:
Do you have strategies for building instructor presence? We would love to hear about them! Please share them by completing the following survey!
- The Office of Academic Affairs at Granite State College
