Qualities of a Good Background for Online Teaching
A good background for online teaching is only one part of the perfect online classroom for an online English teacher. Setting up the ideal home office to teach English online is paramount.
Whether you are teaching adults or kids, you will need good lighting. Then, you will need an appropriate background.
As you develop your online teaching career, your classroom needs will change. At first, you will need fast internet and the best background for teaching online that you can make for yourself. A great connection, a great background, and great lighting will be the first things you need. Then, you will want to be sure you can noise-proof your classroom as best as you can. A good noise-canceling headset (the kind marketed towards call-center employees) can go far. Eventually, you will likely want an ergonomic sitting and working space. You may also want a classroom that can double for teaching kids and adults. You may experience eye strain and want a classroom environment that minimizes this.
But, for now, let’s focus on the basics.
Your online teaching setup needs:
- Fast, stable internet
- Quiet location
- Good lighting
- Cheerful or professional learning background
What is a Good Background for Online Teaching?
A Good Background for Teaching Kids Online
You will need a colorful, educational background to teach kids English.
Don’t worry; there are some very easy-to-make classrooms for teaching kids online. There are lots of wonderful videos on Youtube of current teachers showing up their classrooms.
VIPKId, SayABC, and Palfish teachers love to show off their creative, fun kids’ classrooms.
Props Can Double as a Classroom Background
Also, don’t forget the props. Props can easily double as a classroom background.
For example, a magnetic whiteboard behind you can serve dual purposes. You can leave it blank for adult classes or add magnetic stars and silly emoji faces as a reward for younger kids. In addition, you can hang an over-the-door shoe rack behind you and put your props in it. This is a fun background as well as a prop organizer.
Just be careful to ensure your classroom space isn’t *too* busy. The focus should still be on your face so the student can clearly see your mouth’s movements.
Easy Ways to Make A Good Background for Online Teaching
Magnetic WhiteBoard
A magnetic whiteboard is a good background for online teaching because you can use it in so many different ways: leave it blank for adult classes, write on it to explain new vocabulary or grammar lessons, or add magnetic stars and silly emoji faces as a reward for younger kids.
Felt Backdrop
Felt backdrops are great because they absorb light. You can buy them or make them yourself. My favorite way to use felt to create a good background for online teaching is to use interactive felt maps or alphabet charts. You can use velcro to attach rewards to felt too. If you use wallpaper to decorate behind you, some light will bounce back to the camera. There will be some white spots and glare. Felt has none of this.
Decorative Giftwrap
This is the easiest and cheapest background you can make at home. Find some decorated gift wrap and tape it behind you, but be sure to angle the light so you don’t have too much glare.
Greenscreen
Greenscreens allow you to use a variety of backgrounds and can help elicit discussion. A green screen is a good classroom background for teachers that like to use apps such as ManyCam to create more interaction in the classroom.
Bookshelves
Shelves work, too. Line up some toys and make them do double work so they organize your props while enlivening your classroom space.
A Good Background for Teaching Adults Online
You don’t need much behind you to teach adults. A clean, brightly lit backdrop is fine. Some teachers like to have a bookshelf behind them. Also, a map or images of flags of various nations can serve as a nice backdrop to your classroom. Keep the visuals clear and uncluttered.
That’s it! It doesn’t matter if you teach in the corner of your dining room, your broom closet, or you have a dedicated, sound-proof studio for your online English classes.
What’s important is that you set up your ideal work-from-home office to tutor English online.
Fun Backdrop for Kids
For more prop ideas, visit my Props Props and more Props page.
BOTTOM LINE: For an excellent online classroom, you need
- Fast, stable internet
- Quiet location
- Cheerful or professional learning background
As long as you have a good internet connection, good lighting, and appropriate background, you don’t need a fancy desk or chair (though it is nice). Just start where you are at. And, as always, happy teaching!
,
