How to Make Students Feel More Comfortable in Online Classes
No matter the activity, people tend to do their best when they’re feeling comfortable. So a big part of online tutoring is creating a stress-free environment for students to engage with you and the lesson material.
There are several small things you can do that can have a big, positive impact on a student's state of mind. How many of these techniques are you using in your lessons?
Adjust Your Pace
Do you feel pressured to fill every moment of silence in a lesson with chit-chat and questions? "Dead air" can be scary, but it can also be very important.
Different students move at different speeds, and some require more time than others to process information and form responses. Sometimes much more time!
One key to boosting a student’s comfort is adjusting to fit their pace, allowing them space to communicate as best they can. This usually means reducing your speaking speed and giving them more time to reply. Lower-level students, especially, will appreciate this.
The second part of this is simplifying your language. Even small changes ("Did you like …?” vs. “How did you like …?” or “Why …?” vs. “How come …?”) can make a big difference for a beginner’s comprehension — and therefore, their level of comfort.
Keep in mind, however, that it may also be necessary to go faster than normal for advanced students, so be sure to stay sharp!
Check Your Tone
Along with a more controlled pace, changing the tone of your voice and using softer language can also create a more relaxed lesson environment.
You should sound alert, engaged and most of all, friendly. Someone who feels like they're being judged or spoken down to likely won't have the most positive experience.
Naturally, this pairs excellently with a nice smile, which is simple, effective and often contagious.
Stay Cool
As the tutor, you’re in charge of guiding the flow and pace of the lesson. If you're confident in your ability to do this and are familiar with your tools, you’ll be comfortable and relaxed yourself. This also relates to your ability to handle tech issues that may occur from time to time.
If you’re focused and prepared, your student will likely follow your example and be relaxed as well. But the opposite is also true: Tense, nervous behavior won't create a pleasant lesson environment for either you or your student. Lead by example!
Build Trust Through Shared Experiences
There are times when you've been a student yourself or began learning something new. How did it feel? What did you struggle with and how did you improve?
Sharing these experiences can help form bonds that make students more likely to open up to you. After all, you’re not an anonymous tutor-bot; you’re a person with likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses just like anyone else. Those commonalities can help you build meaningful connections as a tutor.
Be Flexible
Having a basic routine is useful for building structure and consistency in your lessons, especially if you meet a large number of students or are just starting out.
However, it pays to be flexible; once you get familiar with a student's pace, strong points and weaker areas, focus on what they need and adjust the lesson to suit them.
Like many of the other tips presented here, this requires looking carefully for signs you get from students, both verbal and nonverbal. Properly recognizing and responding to this information will make you better prepared to give great lessons that students will be excited to come back for.
Use Your Space
It's likely that both you and your students are in your respective homes during lessons. Hopefully these are spaces in which you're already comfortable.
But while your work area should be clean and presentable, it doesn't have to be boring. Having a few personal items that represent your interests visible on camera can catch a student's eye and spark chats about experiences or hobbies you share. Common interests are great for creating a friendlier, more comfortable environment.
Wrap-up
So let's review. Here are a few things you can do to make students more relaxed and likely to open up in online lessons:
- Speak more clearly and slowly
- Use a friendly tone
- Remain calm, even when issues arise
- Share about yourself to invite sharing from students
- Be willing to adjust your approach
- Utilize your work area
Comfortable students lead to better lessons — and better lessons can lead to more bookings, so it's worth it to do all you can!
