| Online teaching jobs are much more diverse than most | | | | depending on your subject, your teaching style and |
| people realize. Anyone entering the field will have a | | | | your students' needs. The key to being an effective |
| variety of options. One choice is how much time the | | | | mentor is being aware of those needs and providing a |
| online educator wants to spend in hands-on helping of | | | | service in which you always step up to the plate. |
| learners. | | | | It may sound incredibly simple, but the first and most |
| On the one end of the online learning spectrum there | | | | important step is to make sure your students have the |
| are downloadable courses that people get on with on | | | | opportunity to express those needs. Learners may be |
| their own, with little or no interaction with tutors or | | | | reticent about showing weakness, or express views |
| educators. These online teaching jobs may require the | | | | that may be critical. Providing learners with a |
| online educator to design and put together courses, | | | | comfortable space to give feedback is crucial. In your |
| without having too much to do with the learners | | | | online teaching jobs, acting on that feedback is the |
| themselves. At the other end of the spectrum are | | | | next step in the process. |
| courses in which instruction, guiding and mentoring are | | | | Effective mentoring means being available to your |
| absolutely central to the online learning experience. | | | | students when they need input. This can be a delicate |
| A number of online teaching jobs fall somewhere in | | | | balance. In your online teaching jobs you will want to be |
| the middle. Contact with students typically involves a | | | | sensitive to their needs (pre-exam, panic for example) |
| variety of methods. There might be email contact as | | | | without becoming a slave to their demands. It means |
| well as direct instruction and discussion, by phone or | | | | providing help but not doing their work for them. Building |
| videocall. | | | | students' capacity to act on their own initiative is just |
| Mentoring in your online teaching jobs may also involve | | | | as important as being there when they're feeling out of |
| other types of contact. Perhaps you organize an online | | | | their depth. |
| forum or learning community where your students can | | | | Thinking through your mentoring style is something you |
| work with each other. Moderating a discussion forum is | | | | can profitably do before you embark on a career in |
| another kind of mentoring contact, even if it's less | | | | online teaching jobs. It's also something that you need |
| direct. Even how you mark and give input on | | | | to specify when you describe your services. A student |
| assignments is part of the equation. Some online | | | | who is expecting a high degree of direct personal |
| teaching jobs may also entail occasional face-to-face | | | | attention but whose mentoring by you turns out be |
| meetings, at events where students can come | | | | mostly by email is likely to be disappointed. In your |
| together. | | | | online teaching jobs, good mentoring is about good |
| The extent to which you are directly involved in your | | | | judgement, good communication and good relationships. |
| students' learning experience can vary hugely, | | | | |