Being an exclusively online teacher means that there are no actual face-to-face meetings with your students and that most probably you have never seen them in person. “What an interesting relationship” many people say. So how is it to develop a teacher-student relationship in an online setting? I would say it is the most interesting experience of my life so far! It is amazing how close you become! Me and my students share many hours together, every week over years. I am familiar with their hobbies, their families, their likes and dislikes! I see my young students growing! I know them and they know me!
I have this amazing student C. who is now 11 years old. She lives in France and we started lessons two years ago. She and her parents found us online and they signed her up. She is smart, quick, with great manners, sweet, with strong beliefs, a very good big sister, very motivated, and an excellent student. We have a 90min lesson every week and two weeks ago she told me that, she is coming to London with her parents and her sisters.
So, today I went to see C. and her family. What an amazing day! It takes a while to realize that there is no screen between us but then you realize that you see somebody in person for the very first time and you don’t need an ice-breaking conversation! I had lunch with her family; we played games with her sisters and cousins, we laughed, we talked, overall we had a lovely time! If it was not for the internet and the tools it provides us with, I would have never met C. and her family! Thank you Internet for bringing so many amazing people in my life!
Stella Bompotsiari
