The Day I Started Teaching Online

When you venture online as a teacher for the first time, you can expect a certain level of nervousness, much the same as you would when entering a real classroom for the first time. At least this was my experience.

I had landed my first online teaching job with a great company, had signed the contract and was waiting for them to contact me with a whole bunch of hours. Weeks went by and nothing happened.

Even teachers need a gentle nudge to get them going

Then one Monday, my wife asked me if I had heard anything from them, to which I had the same reply: no. She suggested I text my teacher’s assistant and find out what could be taking so long.

Reluctantly, I did and on that same day, around four-thirty in the afternoon, I received a text, asking if I could substitute a large class of 18 students, starting in fifteen minutes’ time. Naturally but nervously, I said, ‘yes, no problem.’

I was all ready to start teaching 

Fortunately, my workspace was primed and had been ready for weeks. I flew in there, turned on the computer and lights, performed the all-systems check like a rookie pilot about to take off, and exploded into the class on time.

I was hyper, energetic, funny and all over the place but thankfully, I pulled it off without a hitch. I also had two more arranged classes coming up, one on the upcoming Thursday and another on Friday.

Not the look you want to see on any teacher

That Monday evening, I woke up with a fever (this was in July 2019, six months before Covid struck) and told my wife I wasn’t feeling well. Things got worse and by Wednesday, the fever was still raging. I also had some or other breakout all over my face – not an ideal look for someone who had just started teaching children online.

The doctor’s rule: No teaching for you for at least a week

I went to the doctor and found out I had Dengue Fever. My joints were aching and my face was hot and ‘rashy’. My wife was told to watch me like a hawk and I was booked off for at least a week. However, my second online class was waiting for me the next day. There was no way I was going to contact them and tell them I couldn’t teach, not after waiting for classes for so long.

My wife and her make-up saved my online teaching job

So when Thursday arrived, I asked my wife to be my makeup artist and make me look presentable. With the fever raging and my face covered in makeup, I performed again at top speed for forty minutes. This I did on the Thursday and repeated it again on the Friday. By the weekend I was out of the danger zone and I was able to start with a fuller schedule the following week.

In spite of rough beginnings, my teaching hours began to escalate

Everything worked out well and I was blessed to be able to move from strength to strength. I received more teaching hours which grew into a full schedule of 6 nights a week, 3 hours a night.

Two-and-a-half years later, still teaching online and feeling very blessed

As rough as the start was, I was abundantly blessed for two-and-a half years teaching classes of up to 22 students for the same company. I never had to cancel a class and I was never late for a class. And for the whole time, my internet behaved itself impeccably. How fortunate is that!

Grateful for the opportunity to learn the ropes and gain online teaching experience

I don’t work for that great company anymore and as far as I know, up until today, no-one there ever found out about my shaky start. If they did suspect something, they never let on. So, one day, when I win the teacher of the year award, I’ll be sure to tell this story as part of my acceptance speech!

• For more information on how to teach online, check out this course on Udemy.
• For ideas for TEFL classroom games, see this course, also on GRINFER and Udemy.
• Also, check out my videos on YouTube.