When you think of becoming a teacher, you might imagine standing at the front of a classroom, whiteboard marker in hand, talking to your students. But since early 2020, teachers have had to adapt to online, virtual and remote learning, in addition to in-person learning. What does it take to become a successful teacher today? Let's break it down.

Teach how you want, when you want with online learning

Early birds and night owls alike can thrive teaching online learners. That’s because with online learning, there’s no wrong time to teach. You can create pre-recorded video lectures, message threads, projects and more at 5 a.m. or 5 p.m., it’s up to you. Want to get a little more creative with your lesson plans? Add interactive games, like multiplication tic-tac-toe or Minecraft: Education Edition. They’re already playing these games anyway. Why not add them to your lesson plan? 

Is it the right teaching style for you? 

Online learning is what students and teachers make of it. It takes time, effort, concentration and commitment to get the best results! To be successful, you’ll need to be self-motivated, a fantastic communicator and ready to help your students do what it takes to succeed. 

Remote learning: It’s still your classroom —  just online 

Remote learning is just like being in the classroom, but it’s a Zoom room instead of homeroom. You’ll still meet at your regular time, teach lessons, do activities and work on projects — but instead of seeing smiling faces in-person, you’ll see them on-camera. That means you can use the newest collaborative online tools, instead of having to push desks together! 

Is it the right teaching style for you? 

Love that student-teacher relationship? With remote learning, you’ll still get all of the live classroom interaction, no matter where you and your students are. You can work closely with your students and provide immediate feedback and guidance. And as an extra bonus, it can help keep you and your students on a set schedule so you can keep things on track.  

What’s the difference between synchronous and asynchronous classes? 

You know those synchronized swimming teams in the Olympics? They’re all doing the same thing at the same time. Synchronous online classes are just like being an Olympic team — you and your students will be on the same online platform at the exact same time, working through your lessons together. As the coach, you’ll guide your students through lessons you planned ahead of time. You may even assign homework before they arrive to the next session.  

Are you a morning person? A night owl? The rare 2 p.m. warrior? Asynchronous learning is all about flexibility, both for students and teachers. It allows students to learn at a time that works best for them and their schedules, and lets you create lessons and record lectures whenever you’re free. Asynchronous learning can also be self-directed, so students can follow lesson plans at their own pace. 

No matter if you want to teach online, remotely or in person, Texas Wesleyan’s education degrees can help you prepare for your teaching career. In your classes, you’ll get hands-on instruction to learn how to use technology as an educational tool, so you can start impacting the next generation of students.