As a teacher for a cyber school, you’ll experience all the highs and lows that any other teacher would. Cyber schools are programs that allow students to take classes online instead of taking classes on a typical campus. Some schools cater to students who are bright but do not have good social skills and those who live in areas that lack good schools. Other cyber schools offer classes for students suffering from medical conditions, victims of bullying and those with criminal records. Don’t agree to teach for one of these schools without first looking at what life is like for those educators.
Relying on Materials
Cyber teachers often work in a for-profit schools that charge parents tuition each year. A former cyber teacher found that some schools buy textbooks and other supplies from big publishers and force teachers to use materials from those books. Teachers cannot ask students to read any other materials, including articles they might find online. When you work for one of these schools, you’ll need to log into an account every day and use only the resources connected to your account.
Forming Online Connections
A great benefit of working for a cyber school is that you can help students who need a good teacher. You might teach the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Many online students face bullying and harassment at school and take online classes that help them shine. This gives you the chance to form online connections with those students and form better relationships than you could in a classroom. Those relationships may cover over into the real world too. Some cyber teachers host picnics and field trips that let their online students get to know their teachers and their classmates.
Working from Home
Working as a traditional teacher requires that you drive to school every morning and spend eight or more hours at that school. If you have a bad day, feel sick or need to wait for the repairman, you must arrange for a substitute to take over your class. As an online teacher, you have the chance to work from home. Since your students rarely or never see you, you can even lead discussions and chat with students while lounging on your bed or sitting on your couch in your pajamas.
Less Flexibility
Life for a teacher for a cyber school is sometimes harder than you might think. When you work on a traditional campus, you can talk with your students after class and host tutoring sessions after school. The school will also give you more freedom to create lesson plans and decide how to teach your students. You can pick out books or recommend books for students, host fun activities in the classroom and get feedback from other teachers about your lessons. Online campuses limit what you can do and give you less flexibility. This is especially true in charter and private schools. If you work for a public school, you may have more freedom and flexibility.
Cyber schools provide opportunities for students who are gifted or talented and those who feel bullied or threatened at school. As a teacher for a cyber school, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of online teaching, including the freedom and comfort of working from home and the limited options those schools provide to teachers.
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