Take a moment or two to browse online courses or home study option and you will, at some point, come across an advert or promotional photograph that suggests studying in your favourite pyjamas and comfy slippers is one very clear advantage of studying or learning from home.
A huge benefits of learning at home is that it is more convenient as you can choose your time and place to study.
Whilst this may be true, this only skims the surface of what you, as a learner, can gain from studying your chosen course from the comfort and confines of your own home, or reading course materials on the bus and so on.
Teaching courses are no different. Effectively you have the knowledge of your subject or skill, you now need to understand, appreciate and try out how different ways of getting the message across to others, so that they can do the same. This is true of teaching all subjects at all levels, whether it is A Level Geography or how to decorate a cake – there are skills involved and you need to be able to show these, practice these and assess these skills in others.
Thus, teaching courses online have a value to them and studying from home holds many advantages for you, as a teacher or instructor;
#1 variety of programmes and courses
You may think that the field of teaching courses online is narrow but you will find that this is not the case. Their end goal may be similar but you may feel that you need to develop certain kinds of skills or want to address key aspects in relation to how you would teach your subject.
Take your time to examine what the teaching course offers, as much as what qualification you will come out with at the end.
#2 Lower costs overall
From giving up your job to student loans, tuition fees and so on, there is a lot of discussion in relation to learning and money. For many students, both those straight from school and returning learners, there is a clear issue of learning and debt.
With online courses, the financial outlay is clearer – you pay for your course and that, in most cases, is it. You can opt for an increased support package, if you feel you need it and the cost of this is quite clear. Some courses you pay in one lump sum but with other providers you can pay monthly or in three equal payments etc. There is no overhanging debt and no need to give up work or drop hours etc., unless you want to, of course.
#3 Comfortable environment
We are back to the pyjamas and slippers argument here but over the years, there has been discussion and debate about taking the formality out of formal education. It was assumed that courses only had value if, amongst other things, you sat for hours in a lecture theatre, pouring over complex texts and listening to lecturers.
Attitudes have changed and the ability to self-study, and manage your own learning is now seen as valuable. So, if you learn better at 3am sat at your kitchen table in your pyjamas, then so be it. Or maybe you are a night owl? The point is, you study and learn in a place that you feel comfortable and able to learn.
Neither do you have to co-ordinate childcare, the school run, juggling rush hour traffic and, the biggest bugbear at most colleges and schools, finding somewhere to park.
Take your time to examine what the teaching course offers, as much as what qualification you will come out with at the end.
#4 Convenient & flexible
The last point of car parking and family routines leads nicely onto the point of convenience and flexibility.
Many people find that expanding their horizons, such as with a teaching qualification, are hampered by the fact that studying simply doesn’t fit with their lives. So lectures start at 9am but you can’t drop the kids off at school till 8.30 and it’s a 40-minute drive from there…
But what you do have is an hour after school where the kids are at swimming and you could study at the table in the café. Get the picture? You can fit your study and learning into the time you have but also when you feel you learn better too – back to the night owl or the early morning person.
It can make learning feel so much more pleasant and possible when you can structure and manage it yourself.
#5 Pushing boundaries
In the film Education Rita, Rita transforms from an unpolished diamond into a sophisticated, learned woman. It took her hours of work, scribbling away by a lonely lightbulb as well as pushing herself to fit in, talk to people and so on.
While the value of interaction is not to be dubbed down, if you have limited time to throw yourself into the full spectre of family life, opting for teaching courses online can be the way forward. And it still pushes your boundaries, presenting plenty of challenges along the way.
In summary
Online Teaching Courses as well as teaching assistant courses online offer the means by which you can progress your career without taking a huge financial gamble, benefitting both you and your employer too. There is also opportunity for some courses, with sufficient credits, to be added to your grown bank of credits and be part of a larger, over-arching qualification.
Signing up is simple too. Take a moment to look round our website at the range of online courses with qualifications, paying close attention to what the course covers and the qualification you would gain. When you are confident you have found the right course, enrol by choosing which payment option suits you. Your course materials can be accessed online or a printed copy mailed to you – and now, you can start learning!
Nick Cooper
28
13
9
