6.1 Connecting to your course

Take a moment and think about your first time teaching. Think about what you did to prepare and how the experience went:

How were you feeling at the time? Nervous? Excited? Anxious? Why do you think you were feeling this way? Did you feel prepared? What did you do in advance to help prepare?

Over time, you probably developed more confidence in your teaching. Now, reflect on the last time you taught:

• How did you develop your teaching presence in your course?
• How did you establish a supportive and collaborative learning community in your courses?

Finally, imagine yourself teaching your online course:

• How are you feeling at the time? Why do you think you are feeling this way?
• What are you excited about? What are you concerned about?
• How might you adapt your established practices for your online course? What challenges do you anticipate?
• What might you do to help yourself feel as prepared as possible?

It’s okay to feel anxious or unsure about teaching in a new way. Good teaching takes preparation and experience and by participating in the Online Teaching Program, you’re preparing yourself for teaching online. You may also find it helpful to participate in activities to develop experience teaching online, such as doing test sessions in Collaborate Ultra or Zoom. 

The CTLT is also offering the opportunity to rehearse or practice teaching in the online classroom and receive feedback from your peers. If you’re interested in participating, you can find out more and register for this unique opportunity at https://events.ctlt.ubc.ca/events/online-teaching-program-mini-lesson/