Making online ZOOM classes more personal
3 ways to inject life into online classes
I was talking to my friends, Tienne and Claire about Zoom the other day.
Tienne runs mindfulness workshops. Claire teaches Chair Yoga, Zumba Gold and Slow Flow Yoga. They are both amazing teachers who inspire and engage. They are loved by their students because of their deep commitment to helping them. Their style is very personable and genuine.
Due to the lock-down they have recently moved their classes online in order to survive and keep working. I was curious to know how the change-over went and wondered if they found online classes were cold and impersonal, compared to their in-person classes. After all, online classes are on a flat, hard screen that doesn’t breathe or sweat or move. Surely it leads to boring, disconnected and low energy classes.
They admitted they were nervous about moving their classes online. They believe that connecting with people on a personal level is very important. They couldn’t imagine how this would be possible in an online environment.
As they began running their classes, they discovered there were ways to make the online world more personal. They told me about three of them.
Live Experience
Both Tienne and Claire create online events that feel almost the same as their in-person classes. They welcome participants in, introduce people to each other and encourage informal interaction. They make sure everyone is included and gets a chance to talk. This approach subtly says — this is not a prerecorded video but a firsthand, live experience. You are personally involved and connected to this event.
Soft focus
Tienne said “I sometimes find myself talking louder than necessary and getting tense in my body.” She thought this was because the screen acted as a barrier to communication and she wasn’t sure her messages were getting through. She wanted to make sure the participants understood what she was saying. In doing that, she forgot her essential facilitation skills of being in the moment,allowing for pauses and time for people to reflect and respond naturally.
Transitions
Both Claire and Tienne alerted me to one significant difference between online events and in-person events. Usually an in-person meeting starts with people settling in, chatting and catching up with each other. There is a sense of arrival, both for individuals and as a group. At the beginning of an online event however, people seem to just magically appear on the screen. Having a transition phase is a psychological key to creating a personal experience for online events. It allows the participants to virtually ‘drop in’ and to be present and engaged.
With the world in lock-down and people working from home, we are all learning new ways to interact with each other. Teachers, managers, event makers, communicators, community workers, facilitators and anyone running online events and classes will need to develop new skills to be effective.
So these are three things that Claire and Tienne have taught me about running Zoom meetings.
Make participants feel personally involved in a live experience. Claire and Tienne guide their events in a natural and warm manner and encourage participants to feel included and to contribute.
Maintain a soft focus and allow time for pauses and reflection. There is no need to force the communication, speak loudly and rush. Our anxiety about this new medium can block the natural flow of communication and make it feel forced and cumbersome.
Create a transition at the beginning of online meetings. Don’t just launch into the tasks but allow time for people to settle in and say hi to each other. At the end of the meeting provide a space in which people can naturally reflect together on the process and say goodbyes.
So, thank you Claire and Tienne for helping make my online events more alive and personal. I hope it helps you too.
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Thanks Thor
Thor Blomfield BSW is a community worker, social researcher and writer on Medium. He helps community workers, facilitators and event organisers build healthy and happy communities. In his spare time, he teaches at Sydney University and performs community magic.
