↓ Skip to Main Content
The Association of Boarding Schools
  Login   |  
  • TABS Member Site
    • Login
    • TABS Member Home
    • Calendar
    • Professional Development
    • Marketing & Admission
    • Research & Resources
  •   |   Go to TABS Public Site
    Sponsors
    Find A School
    Connect With Colleagues
    Associate Members
    Boarding Schools Jobs
    About Us
    Join Us

    About Sponsorship

    TABS sponsorships come in all shapes and sizes to better serve you, our sponsors, regardless of your target market or budget. View our current Signature and Red Level sponsors.

    Signature Sponsors

    • Beijing Kentrexs Enterprise Ltd.
    • Boardingware
    • Bullrock Deutsche-Eco Solar
    • Educational Testing Service (ETS)
    • EF, Education First
    • ERB
    • Flik Independent School Dining
    • Flywire
    • Follett Virtual Campus
    • Gems Education
    • Global Rescue
    • Holsag Canada
    • Ivy Bridge Group
    • Max-R
    • REACH Boarding School Software
    • Shang Learning
    • Shanghai OvEdu Consulting Co., Ltd
    • TIAA-CREF
    • Vericant

    Red Level Sponsors

    Become a Sponsor

    FRIENDS IN EDUCATION

    Peruse a list of professional organizations, networks and advocates all engaged in the support and advancement of the boarding school community.

    BOARDING SCHOOL NETWORKS

    • Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
    • Catholic Boarding Schools Association (CBSA)
    • Junior Boarding School Association (JBSA)
    • New York Boarding Schools (NYBS)
    • Small Boarding School Association (SBSA)
    • Southeastern Association of Boarding Schools (SABS)
    • Ten Schools Admission Organization (TSAO)
    • Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA)

    SISTER ASSOCIATIONS

    • Australian Boarding School Association (ABSA)
    • Boarding Schools' Association (BSA)
    • Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
    • Green Schools Alliance (GSA)
    • International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC)
    • National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
    • The National Coalition of Girls Schools (NCGS)

    PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

    • ASSIST
    • Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS)
    • Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP)
    • Campus Outreach Services (COS)
    • Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
    • Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA)
    • National Business Officers Association (NBOA)
    • Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB)

    FREE NowBoarding Magazine, Directory of Schools, and Map

    Order My Free Copies
    • Linkedin Forums
    • KeepingTABS Blog
    • Twitter
    • Facebook

    On the Violence at the U.S. Capitol

    From the Desk of Pete Upham, TABS Executive Director

    OUT OF A MOUNTAIN OF DESPAIR, A STONE OF HOPE

    Read More

    Beyond Synchronous and Asynchronous: Elastic Proximity

    by Ross Peters | Vice President of School Strategy, EXPLO Elevate Originally published on EXPLO Elevate. Educators love words—knowing them, using them, stretching them, and even at times, creating them. There have been instances in our work that we have c...

    Read More
    Visit KeepingTABS Blog

    About Associate Membership

    Our Associate Membership program is designed for those individuals and organizations - not eligible for traditional membership - which serve, study, or otherwise are deeply involved in the TABS community of schools.

    CURRENT ASSOCIATE MEMBERS BY CATEGORY

    • NON-PROFIT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
    • EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & SCHOOL NETWORKS
    • ELEMENTARY & JUNIOR SCHOOLS
    • COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
    • SUMMER/SEMESTER RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS
    • EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS
    • INTERNATIONAL PLACEMENT & EXCHANGE GROUPS
    • GAP YEAR PROGRAMS
    • ACCREDITED PUBLIC BOARDING SCHOOLS
    • OTHER
    Apply For Associate Membership

    Recent Postings

    President

    Archbishop Riordan High School
    San Francisco, California, USA

    Vice President, Finance & Operations

    TABS
    Asheville, North Carolina, USA

    Head of School

    The Bishop Strachan School
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Admission Assistant

    Bement School
    Deerfield, Massachusetts, USA

    Search All Jobs

    TABS

    Work for a TABS Member School or Associate Member!

    View Jobs
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Trustees
    • TABS Staff
    • TABS Calendar
    • Ruzicka Compass Award
    • TABS News
    • Reports & Finance
    • For the Media
    • Contact us
    TABS

    Have questions? Want to know more?

    Contact TABS
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Become an Associate Member
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Careers with TABS

    2020 By 2020: The North American Boarding Initiative

    Learn More
    Professional Development
    Marketing & Admission
    Research & Resources
    • Overview
    • TABS Annual Conference
    • eTABS Online Learning
    • TABS Heads Retreat
    • TABS Marketing Retreat Online
    • TABS Summer Session Online
    • TABSLab: Reslife Leadership
    • LinkedIn Group

    Join an Upcoming TABS Event!

    Register Now
    TABS Marketing And Admission
    • Overview
    • North American Boarding Initiative
    • Student Recruitment Opportunities
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Eastern Europe
      • North America

    Join an Upcoming TABS Event!

    Register Now
    TABS Research And Reports
    • Overview
    • Coronavirus Resource Microsite
    • TABS Community Portal
    • Policy Exchange
    • Research & Reports
    • KeepingTABS Blog
    • News
    • Helpful Links

    Join an Upcoming TABS Event!

    Register Now
    Blog Home Back To Main Site
     
    CONNECT
    ORDER | GO
    Professional Development
    • Overview
    • Annual Conference
    • TABS-NAIS Global Symposium
    • TABSLab Reslife
    • Independent School Conference on Law & Policy
    • Summer Session
      • This is the Life! Boot Camp
      • Admission Academy
      • Residential Life Academy
      • New Teacher Academy
    • TABS3D Webinars
    • Call For Proposals
    • LinkedIn Forum
    Marketing & Admission
    • Overview
    • Recruitment Fairs
      • TABS Asia Tour
      • TABS Latin Tour
    • Outreach & Public Relations
    Research & Resources
    • Overview
    • Research & Reports
    • KeepingTABS Blog
    • News
    • Bookstore
    • Helpful Links
    • Sponsors
    • Find A School
    • Connect With Colleagues
      • LinkedIn Forums
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
    • Associates
    • Boarding School Jobs
    • About Us
      • Our Mission
      • Board of Trustees
      • TABS Staff
      • TABS Calendar
      • Ruzicka Compass Award
      • TABS News
      • Reports & Finance
      • Contact Us
    • Join Us
      • Overview
      • Become a Member
      • Become an Associate Member
      • Become a Sponsor
      • Become a Volunteer
      • Careers with TABS
    • TABS Member Site
    • Go To TABS Public Site
    • Login

    Recent Posts

    • On the Violence at the U.S. Capitol
    • Beyond Synchronous and Asynchronous: Elastic Proximity
    • Are your fundraising priorities still relevant?
    • Keeping It Simple: Leading in A Time of Crisis
    • How to be Your Best on Video Chat

    All Posts

    Recent Comments

    • Best boarding school on Letting Her Go
    • Karen on Letting Her Go
    • Allison Kimmerle on Letting Her Go
    • Sherri Bergman on Letting Her Go
    • Gino Pagliericci on Boarding School Security Series – Part 1

    Blogroll

    • AdmissionsQuest
    • EdWeek's Independent Schools, Common Perspectives
    • The Advisers' Blog
    • The PIE News – US Secondary School Agencies Partner to Define Model Standards
    Note: TABS welcomes and values contributions from leading voices across the independent college prep boarding school world. However, the opinions expressed by our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect those of TABS.
    Home › Administration › How to be Your Best on Video Chat

    How to be Your Best on Video Chat

    Posted on March 27, 2020 by Courtney Williams — No Comments ↓

    Video chat with a funny white Persian cat. Isolated on white background

    How to be Your Best on Video Chat

    By Courtney Williams

    Well, here we are in the midst of COVID-19 chaos, catapulted into what seems like a digital-only world. You might be reminded of Harry Potter, The Jetsons, or The Twilight Zone… as you repeatedly broadcast a video image of yourself to your colleagues. How about some tips to help you be your best on the live screen? (You’re welcome.)

    CLOSE YOUR OTHER APPLICATIONS AND BE IN THE MOMENT. People can see you reading and typing. We all think we are getting away with it, but when you start reading email or texts, your eyes change and your shoulders move. It’s not a matter of mental focus or whether you are responding in turn – your shift of attention is all over your face.

    RESPECT THE CONVERSATION by silencing phones, and keeping pets or other people out of view. Your colleagues may have difficult, proprietary (or hilarious) inside information to share.

    WHAT’S IN THE BACKGROUND? Working at home, we can be so accustomed to our surroundings that we don’t realize what’s in full view – that old graduation party photo, our partner’s laundry, or a half-drunken bottle of Cabernet. Aside from revealing intriguing things about your personal life, a cluttered background can be distracting. Create a pleasing neutral space or employ one of the chat room’s supplied backgrounds.

    EYE CONTACT or the appearance thereof, is achieved by looking directly into your camera. If you’re too close, you can’t look at the camera and see the other people on screen at the same time. Give yourself a little distance, so you can take in the whole picture and keep your eyes from moving around.

    CAMERA ANGLE can be adjusted to great effect. The slightest move can take ten years off or reveal your worst fears. What angle is most flattering to you will depend on your face and the lighting at that time of day. Try a few angles before your next chat.

    If the camera is below your face, you’ll appear to be looking down at your colleagues, giving you the superhero look. If the camera is above you, you’ll be looking up at Daddy! To avoid introducing a superiority or inferiority complex, level the camera with your eyes.

    Most importantly, make sure you sit up straight and are in the frame. Your head should be toward the top of the screen and you should see your face and shoulders.

    LIGHTING is everything. All vanity aside, more light will produce a sharper image, and low light will make you look blurry. Natural light on your face will be the most flattering. This means sitting so you are facing the window. Light hitting the front of your face will soften lines and wrinkles. Sunlight tends to fill the room and create ample, even light, so open those blinds! If you don’t have good natural light, turn on as many lamps as you can to create light from multiple directions.

    LIGHTING NO-NOS:

    • Strong light behind you, aka backlighting = halo or glow around your head. Though you might look like a benevolent deity alighting to grace your colleagues, they won’t be able to see your eyes or facial expression. It is well worth it to re-position yourself for the sun…your own Copernican revolution.
    • Light at an angle = more contour (read: sags and bags) but it can give you a film noir look, which might suit your mood.
    • Overhead lighting alone = bad Soap Opera look.
    • Lighting from below = campfire story time.

    TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT AND WIFI. Most laptops have good cameras, mics, and speakers, but do a trial run with a friend or colleague in advance. Hardwire your computer if needed. You might need to purchase or borrow a camera eye or a noise-cancelling headset with a microphone. Re-test with the new equipment.

    DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Even if you don’t dress in work attire from head to toe, make sure you are at least dressed from head to toe.

    Now you’re ready… Roll Camera! 🎬

    About Courtney Williams

    Courtney Williams is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Harvard Radcliffe College. She is a freelance writer and independent filmmaker. She frequently writes for TABS, and produces digital content for the commercial and nonprofit sectors. She lived and worked in NYC for 20 years and has retreated to Southern Oregon, where she serves on the Board of the Oregon Media Production Association and is an adjunct professor of film at Southern Oregon University.

    ‹ Maintaining Role and Boundary Awareness when Teaching Remotely in a Time of Crisis
    Keeping It Simple: Leading in A Time of Crisis ›
    Posted in Administration, Boarding schools, Boards, Business Office, Communications, Heads, Independent Schools, Marketing, Social Media, TABS, Technology

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    *

    *

    You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

      © 2021 KeepingTABS
      ↑
      Responsive Theme powered by WordPress