Photo by: vladeep via Canva
Over the past few years, many of us have adapted to a work-from-home approach. Some of us have make-shift offices (me!), while others are lucky enough to have a dedicated office space in their home to set up shop. Whatever your situation, there are certain logistical and ergonomic items a virtual trainer should consider for an ideal workspace.
Seating and Posture
Although the industry standard for a virtual workshop is a maximum of three hours, the time trainers and learners spend in a virtual environment can, in reality, be considerably longer. Make sure you have a comfortable chair that supports good posture. This means:
- Your feet should be firmly planted on the floor with your hips and knees at 90 degrees.
- Your ears, shoulders, and hips should be aligned.
- You should purchase a lumbar cushion if your chair doesn’t provide lumbar support.
- Your forearms should be parallel with the floor when resting on your desk. This may require raising your chair or working at a lower workspace. Be sure to keep the first point in mind when raising your chair.
- Your main computer monitor should be 18-24 inches from your face with the top 1/3 of the monitor at eye-level. You may require a stand to achieve this or, again, raise or lower your chair.
Audio
Get a Bluetooth headset with an attached mic instead of using your computer speakers. This may seem like an unnecessary piece of equipment, especially when working from home, but it’s actually quite useful for trainers for the following reasons:
- They block outside noise from disrupting the class.
- They enable you to listen without being distracted by outside noise.
- They allow you to maintain proper posture as you don’t need to hunch forward to hear, and the wireless option supports natural movement.
Monitors
At Langevin, most instructors and producers use three monitors—the main computer monitor to display the classroom, a second monitor that is an extension of the main computer to display the lesson plan, and a backup monitor to display the classroom in case something happens to the main computer. You don’t necessarily need three monitors, but we recommend at least two for these reasons:
- You can display both the classroom and the lesson plan without flipping between windows.
- You have the security of a backup computer in case your main computer fails.
Do yourself a favour—make the days in front of your computer as stress free on your body as on your mind. Regardless of the size of your office, make it one that supports you and your profession in the best way possible.
Virtual trainers, now that you have the perfect office setup, it’s time to gain the skills to master virtual classroom facilitation.
