subject: A Most Valued Virtual Assistant: The Virtual Teacher [print this page] Do you think that you are a fun and patient person? Do you have the knack of listening to people and grasping the gist of what they're trying to say? Do you have a good grasp of a subject and the gift for explaining it? Then you can become a valued virtual assistant - a virtual teacher.
Especially when it concerns languages, a virtual teacher is one that is sought after. In reality, virtual teachers often handle students of a mature age, especially those that are already working and are looking for skills to move forward in their jobs. That's another reason why virtual teachers are in demand: the students are (a) busy with a full working schedule and have to find a way to fit in a lesson during a break time like lunch, and (b) of an older age where they don't want to mingle with younger students because they may be embarrassed when a younger student shows them up.
Virtual teachers are those of a special breed. They must be able to multi-task: explain the lesson while fielding questions from the students, writing down the answers to the questions, researching the answers to double-check before giving them to the students, and moving forward to the next part of the lesson all at the same time. Add to that the probability that the student(s) may IM you with a question that they think embarrassing, and you see how full the teacher's hands are.
Let's say you're willing to give this interesting yet challenging job a whirl. What do you need? First of all, a computer and a great internet connection are a basic. It must be fast enough to handle uploads and downloads of video and audio while giving you enough power to surf several websites all at the same time. More often, students are requesting video cameras so they can see their teachers while the lesson is going on. If that is required, a communication program like Skype or Home Meeting is usually used.
After the equipment, there is also a personal checklist. The virtual teacher must have patience with the students. Creativity goes hand in hand with that since it's really rather difficult to explain something when you're not in front of the student!
Most of all, next to having a good grasp on the lesson at hand, the virtual assistant must have a sense of humor. Only be seeing what's positive in the session will he or she be able to continue teaching for the rest of the day.
