
Wish to be an online civil engineering expert? There are so many people globally who aspire and hope to be successful educators online or offline. Even though there is a surge in the popularity of online learning, not too many educators still see it as a viable business prospect.
But, the question is, why not? There has been a rise in the adaptability of the students towards online platform, many of them offer certification courses, and several MOOCs offer free classes. Educators offering online courses vary in location, professional experience, age, and background.
So, in this guide, we will explore the features that make a good online tutor. Let us discuss traits you must look for in the tutors offering civil engineering online courses.
Passion
It requires immense passion to be an online tutor. A digital civil engineering educator who values teaching possesses several qualities to enable the students to understand and learn the subject better. The Civil Engineering Blog and online educator should be passionate about two things:
- Teaching – If you are passionate about teaching, it will reveal in you conduct your lessons. Students are smart and can find out when you fake a smile. Your enthusiasm for teaching accentuates your other personality traits like professionalism, self-confidence, and patience.
- The Topic – When you are passionate about what you teach, it helps you to deliver the information rationally. So, if you teach Civil Engineering to the students, you feel passionate about the subject and communicate it well to the learners. On the contrary, you may stutter or be under-confident if you are not passionate about the subject.
Have clear expectations
It always helps if the chosen instructor has a precise understanding of what they are supposed to do and what goals they are trying to materialize with the classes. It also includes having realistic expectations of the time you expect the students to set aside for the practice and homework of their subject. You cannot hope for students to spend the whole day on your subject. They have a busy schedule and work on multiple other things.
Thus, you cannot unrealistically demand them to be worried about your subject and leave everything aside. Hence, you must discuss the student’s schedule and formulate a program at the start of the program. You can also note their schedule for future reference. Your flexibility can be beneficial not just for them but also for you.
Also, please understand that not all days are the same. So, if the student’s schedule changes over time, you should be willing to adapt to them. By giving this freedom, you make it easier for the students to enjoy your subject sans any stress.
Self-confident
You must have that confidence that only you can teach the students and inspire them to outperform in academics. You cannot motivate the students if you do not feel confident about your teaching mechanism.
Hence, you will not be able to leave a mark as a successful online tutor. With self-confidence, you can easily sell your services to clients.
Have a rapport with the students
Your work and role as an online tutor are not the same as that of a traditional teacher. While a teacher at school has to deal with multiple students, you, as an online instructor, will work with a single student or a small group. Thus, it is easier for you to build a rapport with your student.
Amidst the tight schedule, you should also try to get to know your student better. Try to understand their interests, strengths, hobbies, and weaknesses. Do not curtail your role in their life to make them well-acquainted with civil engineering.
Instead, try to build a relationship with them. In addition, you need to know about their pick-up speed. It will help you tailor your classes in a manner that is easier for them to grasp. Naturally, if the student feels more comfortable and at ease with you, you can maximize their learning potential.
Be respectful
Please be respectful towards your learners. Make it a point to always communicate with them in a friendly and respectful manner. It is a vital quality and will help you build a positive learning environment with your learners.
If you treat them respectfully, they will like you and your personality better. As you may know, if the student adores the teacher, it is automatically easier for them to like the subject.
Sound knowledge
TangoLearn has listed some top course suggestions for learning civil engineering online. When analysing these courses, we found a shared quality in all online instructors offering civil engineering lessons online. They all had sound knowledge and a solid command of the subject.
Further, they display updated and reliable understanding in the sessions. All of this is beneficial for the students.
Broadly, every online and offline expert should be well-acquainted with their subject. Further, across the course, they must employ their expertise and command over the subject to engage the students in the classroom and develop a sound understanding of the subject.
Moreover, since these learners aim to make a successful career in civil engineering, you should take your teaching a notch higher and give them some tips and tricks to excel in class and their professional life.
Encourage critical thinking
Lastly, civil engineering is a challenging course. So, ensure that the students try to analyse everything critically instead of memorizing it. As you progress through various lessons, encourage the students to share their viewpoints on the different topics.
Further, nudge them to ask questions and clarify their doubts. Make them realize how if they do not have their doubts cleared, they may experience trouble in the advanced topics.
In addition, you must constantly motivate them to think about the bigger picture and see how this information they acquire with you will come in handy in their life. Match the complicated topics with a real-life situation. It makes it easier for them to relate to things. Encourage them to be problem solvers, but is possible only if they possess sound critical thinking abilities.
So, these are the top seven qualities that every online civil engineering trainer must possess. In all honesty, the traits are not curtailed to civil engineering. All online and offline educators must possess these qualities. However, this is an inclusive list.
So, if you have more such personality attributes to include in this list, feel free to share them with us in the comment box below.