Being seen and heard in a zoom call

Why do I struggle with it?

For some online classes might be a blessing, for others a burden. For me, they can certainly be a struggle to navigate and engage with. Like with any class, if I am tired or not in the right headspace for learning it can be really challenging to engage in the tutorial. With a regular face to face class the option to hide you face and mute yourself just isn’t an option. So, if I enter an online class and I am feeling a bit flat it can be challenging to motivate myself to turn my camera and microphone on and push myself out there. This being said, it can be a real lifesaver when there is a noisy motorbike revving past my window.

How does it help me?

I find that just one person having their camera and audio on can completely tip the balance and change what makes people feel comfortable and engaged. Ultimately, I find that feeling comfortable, supported, and engaged is makes myself and others want to open up and share our ideas, opinions and questions. Just one person can influence others to keep their camera on and generate discussion. I find that when I leave my camera and microphone off, I tend to;

Get less out of the class.

Understand and clarify less.

Feel less involved and engaged.

Before I even realise it, I have isolated myself from the class, my peers, and the course content. It may seem like a small thing, but I often have to psych myself up to enter an online zoom class with my camera and microphone on and find it is a simple way to push myself to engage me. So, if you have any online classes, maybe try something new and see if it yields any benefits.