Online Classroom Video Meetings for Tutors and Small Coaching Groups

A tutor or coach does not need a big learning platform with logins, grades and dashboards. They need a place where a handful of students can see and hear each other, share a screen, and arrive without fuss. A meeting link and a few habits cover all of that. This guide describes a set-up that works for small online classes of up to fifteen people.

What a small online class needs

• An easy way in. Students, often children or busy adults, should be able to join in two taps.
• Control for the teacher. You decide who is in the room.
• Screen sharing for slides, documents and demonstrations.
• Sound and picture that work on ordinary phones and laptops.
• A way to review later, for students who miss a class.

Setting it up

1. Start a meeting from the PeerFlow app. You get a link.
2. Turn on the waiting room, so only your students enter. See why waiting rooms matter.
3. Send the link to your students or their parents in your usual group.
4. Open the room early. Greet students as they arrive and admit them from the waiting list.
5. Teach. Present your screen for slides, ask students to unmute for questions.
6. End together. Say goodbye, and end the meeting after everyone has left.

Students join from a browser with a name, so there is nothing to install and no account to make. That removes the most common reason a student misses the first lesson.

Running the lesson

• Start with a minute of small talk. It breaks the ice and checks that everyone's audio works.
• Share your screen only when you need it, and say what you are showing.
• Keep students muted unless they are speaking, especially in groups.
• Use the chat for links, homework and quick questions.
• Ask students to share their work. A student who shares their screen shows you exactly where they are stuck.
• Take short breaks in long sessions. Attention drops faster online.

Recording for absent students

Recording is a great way to help students who were ill or travelling. Ask first. Tell students and parents that you record and why, and share the file only with the class. The recording is saved on your device in the PeerFlow folder, so you decide who sees it. Read how to record an online meeting and keep the video private.

Children and safety

If your students are young, involve parents. Tell them when the class takes place, share the link with them, and keep the waiting room on. Do not take the link to public groups. Avoid one-to-one calls unless a parent is present or aware. Keep recordings private and delete them when they are not needed.

Sharing materials

Send worksheets and exercises with direct file sharing. A student opens PeerFlow, types the code and receives the file, without email. For printable material, send PDFs. For videos, send the original file, as messaging apps compress them.

A weekly class routine

Making online learning feel real

Use names, ask questions, and let students speak. Show enthusiasm, since it travels through a screen better than people expect. Keep slides simple and large. If a student's connection is bad, let them turn the camera off so the audio stays clear.

Related reading

For more habits, see virtual meeting etiquette for small teams, and for teaching software by taking control of a student's screen, read remote desktop for teachers and tutors. Install the Android or Windows app to host your first class.