My Online Teaching Set Up
The school year is here, and there, and in a box with a fox and on a train in the rain- coming at you LIVE from kitchen tables, home offices, and living room classrooms everywhere!
I’ve been asked about the “set up” I use for teaching and demonstrating makeup looks online and in answering, realized so much of it is applicable for teachers too!
I shared this video on my FB page that walks you through everything I use and have been using for the past 6 years teaching online from home!
This set up can be done at all price ranges- and I’ll share several options in this post, also at the bottom- you’ll find a list of EXACTLY what I use as shown in the video, if you want to go that route!
Here are some of the optional items that will help you and your students get the most of every lesson.
Your students need to be able to see and hear you clearly- that’s most important, keeping your background free from clutter also helps them stay focused on your words and content. That’s why I suggest a backdrop of some sort, because most of us don’t have a space all set up that is perfectly un-cluttered and fabulous to sit in front of for filming- and man, if you do, then skip the back drop and use what you have. Yes, I mostly teach busy mom’s how to do 5 minute makeup and implement self-care rituals into their lives, but I promise this will help you convey digraphs and blends to 1st graders too!
LIGHTING
There are quite a few options here and my number one recommendation is to set yourself up facing a natural light source like a window. I know this is not always possible, but if there is ANY way to do so, go for it! It’s free and always looks best on camera. When I started my business I had a newborn and a 3 year old so on days when I couldn’t squeeze in a live tutorial at nap time, I would do them after the kids were in bed- and in the Fall and Winter that meant it was DARK out and my natural light source was unavailable.
The first purchase I made, again, doing makeup tutorials this made perfect sense, was a lighted mirror from Costco- it was initially $19.99 and on sale at the time for $16.99. This would be a great item to ask your friends, family and neighbors about too- someone may very well have one they aren’t using and you could score it for FREE!
About 3 years into my business, I upgraded to a ring light with adjustable settings and a table top tripod. This is the exact one I have: NEEWER RING LIGHT, however at nearly $100, that’s more of an investment. It does go on sale from time to time, and I think I got mine around the Thanksgiving shopping holiday time for about $60.
Here are some other options that friends of mine in coaching and course creation and social media use and love:
Smaller Version (10 inch) of the Neewer for $35.99
6 inch table top ring light and stand for $21.99
8 inch table top ring light with stand for $39.99
Lighted mirror - these seem to be a hot item on Amazon right now and I’m telling you, I paid less then $20 for mine at Costco- so look around and see if you can score one somewhere for $20 or less
Keep in mind Amazon changes prices- up and down- daily, sometimes more often! So while I did indicate what the price was, it may be different (for better or worse) when you click it.
SOUND
You can absolutely use your cell phone headphones- either with a cord or Bluetooth! That’s what I do- this way you’ll be able to hear your students and they will be able to hear you- much more clearly! There are other options too- when I record podcast episodes I use a super legit mic and noise canceling headphones- so I’ll post those here as well!
Knock-off AirPods $30
TRIPODS and stands
For the most part, I think my teacher friends are using laptops or desktops with web cam set ups for their broadcasting and recording, however, if there is a time that you need to have your phone or tablet on a tripod- these are my go-to favorites. In THIS VIDEO (that goes over what I’ve typed up here) you can see the one I use that’s not in the photo- it’s a selfie stick/ tripod combo that works really well for anything you need to record or broadcast while standing up- you can move it easily if you need to go out to the yard or show them something that involves standing or moving around more.
The two pictured above are what I have used for nearly every video and live broadcast I’ve done in the last 6 years and they both work great! If you’ve ever watched my daughter and I do live cooking demos- the phone was in that big black and white thinggy on the right- it has a heavier base which really helps stabilize the image.
More heavy duty stand for phone or tablet
For your LAPTOP! This thing is great and will help your posture and moves the camera so it’s at a much better angle! Laptop Stand
BACKDROP
Like I mentioned above, this is definitely optional- but I can speak from experience here and say it absolutely helps your audience, in this case your students, stay focused on YOU and your content.
I use a photo backdrop frame (pictured), and most of my backdrops come from Society6- but you can totally just use a sheet! Even paper works!
Another great option a green screen- this way you can use a photo through Zoom to tailor to your theme or lesson or the season!
This one is awesome too- it’s a 2-in-1 collapsible green screen background.
There are lots of choices at all price points- this one is less than $10!
A few tips:
I’ll say it one last time- my primary audience is mom’s learning makeup, but I’ve been doing online workshops- live and recorded for 6 years and want to pass these few tips along to help you out!
Always have plenty of water near by, if you are teaching live, you’ll need it and won’t be able to get up! I also recommend having a super quiet fan because teaching- as you know better than I do - is HARD work and it can get HOT! Also sometimes having the window open can be too much noise, so this is a great way not to sweat your face off with the window closed!
Go pee before you start, it may sound obvious, but I mean it, it’s like going on a road trip.
Center yourself before each class- use a mantra- connect with your passion for teaching, your passion for your students and bring that energy to every session. I have a magnet on my tripod that says “You are brave and amazing, shine your light" so I’m reminded of that every second while I broadcast!
Make space to decompress- build even 10 or 15 minutes of quiet downtime in after the sessions so you can re charge, you are also welcome to come find my online community where I give tools and host workshops on how to create a culture of self-care on any budget or timeline.
I’m wishing you all the very best for the school year ahead! Thank you for being so dedicated to your profession!!