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Education

How to Organize Information Before Taking an Online Class?

Organize Information Before Taking an Online Class

Have you ever found yourself buried under a mountain of PDF files, course content, digital resources, and other teaching materials?

You are not alone — almost 60% of teachers feel stress and anxiety while taking an online class, and 30% think that it negatively affects their lifestyle and mental health. 

As a teacher, organizing information before taking an online class can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. You can streamline your resources and create a well-structured plan to make it easy for yourself and your students. 

Read the tips to kick off your next online class with clarity and confidence. 

1. The Course Requirements

The first step you need to take is to understand the course requirements of the subject you’re teaching. Whether it’s physics, maths, or biology, have a detailed look at the course requirements for the final exams. You can do it in two ways: 

Start by thoroughly reviewing the syllabus booklet/file. This document is your roadmap because you will find everything here. 

  • Outline the key topics, deadlines, and required materials and highlight the essential readings, assignments, and exams.
  • Create an online calendar or physical planner to mention important dates regarding the course. 

You can use Google Calendar to keep track of these dates, including midterms, quizzes, assignments, and exams.

Read More: The Complete List of Teaching Methods and Strategies

2. Set Up a Workspace

A distraction-free area will get you going in your online class. When we are in a clean environment, our mind works more efficiently. Surround yourself with a calm and tidy place to organize the random thoughts in your mind.

  • Make sure the space you are choosing has good lighting and comfortable seating

The temperature of the room should be comfortable for your requirements. Rooms having glass walls can heat up easily during summer, so choose wisely.

  • After choosing the perfect cozy room, it’s time to organize your desk. Keep all necessary materials, such as textbooks, notebooks, and supplies, within reach so you won’t have to get up to grab them. 

A clutter-free workspace enhances concentration and productivity.

3. Take Help of Digital Tools

Instead of relying on pencils and paper, take the help of digital tools. This approach will also reduce the wastage of paper; so, put your efforts in conserving nature.

  • Multiple digital tools, such as OneNote, Evernote, and Notion, are available on the internet. 

They are excellent for organizing notes and resources. You can find information easily after using them to create and categorize notes.

  • There are also calendars and task management systems like Google Calendar, Trello, or Asana used to keep track of assignments and deadlines. 

These tools help you visualize your schedule and manage your time effectively.

4. Create a Filing System

When you are tutoring students online, you have to take care of a lot of digital files. Your computer must be filled with Word docs, PDFs, and some haphazardly arranged files on your desktop.

Aside from the physical space around you, organize your digital space as well. Delete extraneous files and the ones you don’t remember how they got there. With proper arrangement, you can locate your files easily as well.

  • Set up folders and subfolders on your computer or cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) for each course and module. 
  • Use consistent and clear naming conventions for files and documents. 

Naming your files is very necessary because without that you will probably forget the position of every document, and you don’t want to waste your time opening up every file to find the one you want.

For example, include the course name, module number, and a brief description in the file name which is readable.

Related Topic: Types of Assessment in Education

5. Collect Course Materials

Apart from the course material required for final exams, students need additional relevant material to prepare for the classes. As a teacher, you must provide every supporting material your student needs. 

  • Download supplementary material like PDFs, YouTube videos, lecture slides, images, and research papers in a dedicated folder. 
  • Bookmark important links and use the browser or other tools like Pocket to save webpages and articles.

After downloading additional files, organize them in separate folders for quick access. 

6. Plan Study Schedule

The next step is to plan your study schedule. With a proper study plan, your efforts to organize your materials will be worthwhile. 

  • Make daily and weekly plans of how much you want to cover. Break down lengthy topics into manageable chunks throughout the week. 
  • Adjust your schedule as needed to accommodate unexpected events.

Take time out for other activities. Students should be given proper time to rest and reflect on what they’ve studied. So, you should make a realistic and balanced schedule for your students to allow them to study in an open environment. 

7. Take Advantage of Online Tools and Resources

There are multiple online tools available to help us make our work easy. Once you are done with the pre-class activities, itstime to move on to the classroom setting.

  • Set up a learning management system (LMS) using Blackboard, Canvas or Moodle for the smooth running of online sessions. 

There are dashboards, calendars and grade trackers available that ensure well-rounded learning for students. MTS mobile application contains an additional calendar that helps both teachers and students select the appropriate time to schedule classes.

  • Platforms like Slack, Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams facilitate communication and collaboration between students and teachers in class. 

These tools can also be used for group projects and study sessions.

8. Backup Your Information

To maintain this organization throughout the online session, make sure you back up your information properly. 

  • Create regular backups of your work to avoid data loss. Allot a day after every two weeks or once a month to create backups of important files and documents.
  • Use Google Drive and Dropbox to create reliable backups. These cloud storage platforms save your files on multiple devices and are a convenient solution to storage problems. 

Final Tips For Teachers

Taking an online class differs greatly from a traditional one regarding teaching strategies, lesson planning, and even the classroom environment.

To make your teaching experience smooth, we recommend some tips for you to follow and apply:

1. Plan your classes ahead of time. Make sure you have prepared lecture notes and went through all the relevant information related to the topic you’re going to teach. You don't want any questions from students that you don't know the answer to.

2. Technology comes in handy while taking an online class. You should understand the nitty gritty of the online tool you’re using to take a class. Get a hang of the learning management system as well because you will be helping your students throughout.

3. Make a connection with your students. If you sound too reserved and strict, students will listen to you but won't feel comfortable sharing their concerns. You must develop a classroom environment where everyone is allowed to speak their hearts without judgment.

4. Plan interactive activities. As we discussed, your teaching schedule should be realistic and accommodating. Leave time for your students to relax and digest the information being taught. Have some fun learning activities where you learn more about your student’s understanding and plan the next classes accordingly.

5. Ask the relevant questions. Asking questions promotes critical thinking. If you keep asking questions in your classes, you will promote more engagement and participation from your students. This way, they will be involved in the class actively instead of passively learning.

6. Learn to prioritize tasks: To stay organized, make a list of everything you need to do and rank them by importance. Start with the most important tasks first.

7. Reduce distractions: To focus better, identify what distracts you and find ways to avoid these distractions. This will help you stay on track with your tasks.

Wrapping Up

For teachers, it is really important to organize information before taking an online class as it can be very overwhelming. Most of the time, teachers are juggling between multiple classes and different schools; they likely misplace some of the important stuff, including files. 

Unless everything is organized, your mind won’t be at ease to multitask. So, follow the tips provided to handle your classes perfectly. If you are looking for an online tutoring opportunity, apply here to get started!

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With over 3 years of experience in teaching, Chloe is very deeply connected with the topics that talk about the educational and general aspects of a student's life. Her writing has been very helpful for students to gain a better understanding of their academics and personal well-being. I’m also open to any suggestions that you might have! Please reach out to me at chloedaniel402 [at] gmail.com

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