Teaching is a rewarding profession that shapes futures, but the education field is evolving rapidly. To stay effective, teachers must continually update their knowledge and skills. Online learning platforms offer an accessible and affordable way for educators to pursue professional development.
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, online courses for teachers have emerged as a powerful tool for professional growth and career advancement. As digital learning continues to reshape the industry, educators are finding it essential to expand their skill sets and stay ahead of the curve.
This shift has given rise to a wealth of online learning opportunities specifically tailored to teachers’ needs. The continuous growth and development of educators are integral parts of their online teaching journey.
In this guide, we’ll explore and share some of the 10 best online courses that can help educators enhance their teaching methods, adapt to new technologies, and advance their careers in the dynamic field of education. Let’s get started:
Benefits of taking online courses for Teachers
Education is a field of continuous growth and development. Online courses offer educators a flexible path for ongoing learning. Consider these advantages of digital education:
- Stay up to date with current trends and latest research, innovations, and effective practices in your field, enhancing both your teaching skills and career opportunities.
- Learn at your own pace and convenience, eliminating the need for travel or disruption to your work and personal commitments.
- Access a wide array of courses tailored for teachers, spanning various subjects, levels, and formats – from brief workshops to comprehensive, accredited programs from top universities.
- Massive open online courses provide access to various courses, tools, and resources for teachers, making academic resources publicly available through MOOCs.
- Choose courses that align with your learning preferences, objectives, and career goals, whether you’re refreshing knowledge, acquiring new abilities, or pursuing certifications.
- The benefit of distance learning is typically lower costs compared to traditional in-person training, with (some) free online classes, video lectures and online teachers.
- For your teaching career, there is an opportunity to increase your earning potential and create career advancement opportunities.
While online courses offer numerous benefits, quality and pricing can vary significantly. It’s crucial to thoroughly research options before investing time and resources.
Seek courses from credible, accredited sources offering clear learning objectives and engaging, interactive content.
Factors to consider when choosing an online teaching course
Choosing the right online course for teachers can be tricky with so many options available. Here are key factors to consider when making your selection:
Quality of content: Look for courses with up-to-date, high-quality material that matches your needs and goals. Check for clear learning objectives, engaging activities, and effective teaching methods.
Instructor expertise: Seek out courses led by qualified, experienced educators. Look for instructors with relevant credentials and positive reviews, and who are accessible for questions.
Cost: Find a course that fits your budget and offers good value. Check for transparent pricing, clear information on what’s included, and any available discounts or financial aid.
User feedback: Read reviews from past and current participants. Focus on verified, recent, and balanced feedback that gives you a realistic picture of the course experience.
10 Best Online Courses for Teachers
Here are some of the best online teaching platforms and courses you can take to enhance your learning, knowledge and teaching career:
This course focuses on effective behaviour management in remote learning environments. Designed for teachers and teaching assistants working with students in virtual settings, it covers core principles of remote behaviour management and provides a practical toolkit of strategies. Participants will learn how to create a productive and engaging online learning environment, develop techniques for managing virtual classroom behaviour, and promote active student participation.
By the end of the session, educators will have gained valuable skills to maintain discipline, encourage engagement, and foster a positive learning atmosphere in remote settings, ensuring effective instruction and student success in virtual classrooms.
This course enhances teachers’ skills in lesson planning and modern teaching approaches. It covers core principles of lesson preparation, benefiting both new and experienced educators. Participants will discover innovative methods like project-based learning and flipped classrooms while learning to incorporate technology and multimedia into their teaching practice effectively.
The course guides teachers in creating engaging, student-centred lessons that cater to diverse learning needs. It offers strategies to ensure that time spent on lesson planning translates into effective, interactive classes. Suitable for all experience levels, this course aims to revitalise teaching methods and improve overall classroom engagement and learning outcomes.
Equality and Diversity should be at the very heart of any school system. Staff, students and the wider school community should be able to work in an environment that provides the same opportunities for all – regardless of age, race, gender or any other protected characteristic. This course provides an overview of equality and diversity within an educational setting.
Google Classroom for Teachers is a brief online course enhancing educators’ digital literacy and technology skills for improved teaching. It covers platform setup, assignment creation, grading, and communication tools, while also developing online research, digital citizenship, and cybersecurity skills. Suitable for all levels, it offers a completion certificate.
Free for Skillshare members, with a limited-time free membership available. Skillshare provides diverse, creative courses, making learning engaging and accessible for educators aiming to enhance their digital teaching capabilities.
This course aims to develop your understanding of ‘independent learners’ and independent learning. It is applicable to teachers in primary or secondary phases as the approaches explored are transferable. By the end of this session, you will understand what we mean by the term ‘independent learners’ and why this is important.
In addition, you will be able to articulate key features of successful independent learning and have considered a range of strategies to implement in your classroom to support the development of independent learners.
This course is designed to provide educators with the opportunity to reflect on what makes an inspiring and purposeful learning space. We’ll achieve this firstly by considering what a learning space is and why the presentation of it matters.
We’ll follow this by considering the value of wall displays in a learning space before we consider how we can make the most of small learning spaces. At the end of the workshop, we’ll briefly touch on furniture choices and the importance of creating an inclusive learning space.
This course, led by expert Dr. Elke Paul, addresses mental health and wellbeing in schools while managing daily workloads. Dr. Paul, co-founder of CreatePositive and co-writer of the Senior Mental Health Lead Programme, shares strategies for whole-school wellbeing initiatives. The webinar offers practical tools for educators to prioritize self-care, manage stress and burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. As an international consultant, Dr. Paul provides valuable insights for implementing effective mental health practices in school communities while supporting teachers’ own wellbeing.
This recorded webinar explores strategies to create a safe, secure learning environment where children and young people can thrive. It emphasises the importance of fostering a sense of belonging as a foundation for effective learning. The course covers methods to promote emotional intelligence and well-being in students, helping educators create a positive and supportive classroom atmosphere.
By implementing these strategies, teachers can establish an environment conducive to learning, enabling students to feel valued, understood, and ready to reach their full potential. This webinar provides practical insights for educators seeking to enhance the emotional and social aspects of their classrooms, ultimately supporting better academic outcomes.
This online tutoring course is designed to equip educators with essential skills for effective remote teaching. It begins by introducing the role of an online tutor, and exploring the benefits and requirements of this career path. The course then delves into the technical aspects, covering various online platforms and their functionalities.
It addresses the crucial skill of engaging students remotely, focusing on building relationships, managing behaviour, and maintaining motivation in a virtual setting. Learn how to teach online effectively, including strategies for online classroom management and student engagement. Develop skills in creating and delivering online courses, including course design and content creation.
This course equips educators to effectively support English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners in mainstream classrooms. It covers understanding EAL challenges, key pedagogical principles, and strategies for developing vocabulary, reading, and writing skills.
Participants learn practical techniques to engage EAL students and reduce cognitive load. The course culminates in creating actionable plans for implementing these strategies, providing a comprehensive toolkit for teachers to enhance EAL students’ linguistic and academic progress.
Elevating your teaching skills with online courses
Online courses offer teachers a wealth of benefits for their professional growth and career development. These flexible learning opportunities allow educators to acquire new skills, stay updated with the latest educational trends, and enhance their teaching abilities, all while balancing work and personal commitments.
By investing in online learning, teachers can pursue career advancement opportunities, potentially increase their earning potential, and directly improve student outcomes. These courses provide an accessible and often cost-effective way for educators to engage in continuous professional development, ultimately contributing to more dynamic and effective learning environments in their classrooms and schools.
Educators - Learn anywhere, anytime, at all levels with Connex Academy
At Connex Academy, our mission is to enable schools to thrive, develop, train and retrain their whole school workforce from classroom teachers to tutors. Our new LearnWorlds platform is a premium online teaching platform to develop online courses. From online lessons and resources teachers can use to teach students in their own classroom in schools. Our CPD library offers a wide range of courses and resources for teaching and is a great online teaching platform for teaching experience.
Don’t forget to check out our ‘After The Bell’ podcast, which you can listen to on a weekly basis on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at info@connex-academy.com or call 0330 390 4113.