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10 best reasons why I don’t want to be an Online Teacher

Teaching online is not an easy task. Although many individuals may enjoy the freedom that comes with online teaching, many teachers still are wary of entering into the profession. The impeded gravitation to online teaching is fueled by various factors, some of which is based on fact while others based on reports from some disgruntled online teachers. Some of these reasons include:

1. Always Available:

Online institutions expects a quick turnaround time for queries from students. With a classroom consisting of students from all over the world, this translates into being available almost twenty-four hours per day. As a result, some online teachers complain about burn out and tiredness after making them available for extended periods.

2. Lack of campus-wide support:

When teaching the online environment, most of the time you are on your own. The privilege to run next door to another doctor’s office is non-existent. Apart from chat rooms, there are no other medium for teachers to share ideas or just blow off some steam.

3. Always being stuck before a computer:

Instead of walking around a classroom, online teachers are always stuck behind their webcam. As a result, the feel restricted in their teaching which results in their inability to effectively utilize their charisma in getting students involved in the class work.

4. Lack of personal contact:

After the hype on online teaching has passed, many online teachers complain about feeling alone in their environment. They crave the personal touch that is gained from teaching in a traditional classroom.

5. Insensitive administrators:

Many of the administrators of online college are not teachers. They are there to make a profit at the least possible cost. As a result, many of their decisions may make business sense but not necessarily conducive to online learning. This often breaks the backs of many online teachers.

6. Uncertainty of Salaries:

The amount you earn depends on the structure of the online university. Some universities have a small student population and a large volume of teachers. Unfortunately, these universities pay according to class size. So if your class size is small, you will be lucky to earn around $10,000 for the year. However, there are others who pay higher salaries, but with these universities, the workload is tremendous and they expect you to be available all the time.

7. Ill-prepared students:

Many students have a misconception about online learning. They somehow think that online learning is a walk in the park or another source of social networking. As a result, many fall by the wayside or are unable to keep pace with the more dedicated students.

8. International competition:

It is getting more and more difficult to stay in the business of online teaching due to the change in focus of online universities to get reasonable talent overseas. This concept is more prevalent in the less professional institutions. By choosing a professor from a developing country who is will to work for a fraction of your salary, it significantly reduces your competitiveness.

9. Hardware requirement:

To be a successful online teacher, one must make significant investment in computer hardware in order to deliver your classes to your students. With some institutions, this cost must come from your pocket. In addition, these universities expect you to keep pace with all the latest technologies.

10. Extensive training required:

Online teaching has a different approach from regular classroom teaching. As a result, teachers must be specially trained in the science of online education. This takes away from your limited downtime with your family.