Educational and tertiary institutions nowadays will expect that their educators are well-prepared for possible lessons to be conducted online, whether for Chemistry or any other subjects. Here is some of the tools and infrastructure that you may need to get ready before hopping online for your Chemistry tuition classes.
(a) A working computer with a basic Office (Microsoft or other alternatives) application to conduct Zoom lessons
You do not have to splurge thousands of dollars to get a high-end computer with the best graphics card or a HD quality camera recording hardware. As long as your computer is able to support both Zoom and Skype applications, and you have bought Microsoft Office (you can consider using WPS office for free), you will have everything you need for your Chemistry tuition lessons.
You may also want to consider getting a laptop over a PC because a laptop is able to run on its battery in the event that there is a power trip or outage, which has happened to me before and I was able to inform my students immediately while I get the matter fixed.
(b) A location with stable Wi-Fi or ethernet connection for uninterrupted Chemistry online lessons
If you are intending to conduct your Chemistry tuition class online, you may want to ensure that you are in a location where there is a stable Internet connection to avoid intermittent lags or even a sudden loss of Internet connection during the lesson. A 2.5 Gbps ethernet connection together with a high speed ethernet port or a good Intel Wifi 6 (capable of the 802.11ax standard) card built into your computer is necessary to maintain a dependable Internet connection. Having your mobile phone around to provide hotspot with your mobile data also comes in handy if you fail to get connected to your Wi-Fi due to technical issues.
(c) A drawing touchpad and whiteboard software for illustration of Chemistry concepts
For certain subjects that involve a lot of writing, such as Maths, and drawing, such as Chemistry, you may want to invest in a drawing touchpad as they allow you to write neatly and draw clear diagrams so that students understand what you are trying to express during the online tuition class. In addition, you may want to look for a whiteboard software to facilitate your teaching. Fortunately, Zoom has a built-in whiteboard function that you can use off the bat which can save you the hassle of searching for a 3rd party software. With these tools in place, your students will feel no difference compared to attending a real life, face to face Chemistry tuition class.
(d) Good oratory skills of a Chemistry tutor
This may not be part of the equipment or tools you need but is equally crucial as having good oratory skills will help to capture the students’ attention over online tuition lessons, especially when they have to sit in for long hours throughout the school day and accumulate what is known as “Zoom” fatigue, which is tiredness as a result of staring at the computer screen for hours on end.