How to teach English online – thinking about starting in 2022? Go for it!
Since you’re here reading this blog, you probably have already been thinking about becoming an online English teacher. Maybe you have heard about the benefits of working as an online English tutor, for example travelling the world while working a high-paying job. We are living in a digital age, and, with the online teaching sector growing, there has never been a more perfect time to jump into this amazing experience. Teaching English online sounds like something you want to do, but you don’t yet know how to get started? We at TeacherTee are here to help you get into teaching English online, providing you with all the necessary information, online TEFL jobs, certifications, lesson plans and helpful tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your new job. With this post, we will give you an overview of what to take into account if you want to become an online English teacher (and don’t you worry, it is going to be super easy!)
Looking for a way to fund your travels? Teaching English online might be just your thing! Photo by Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash
Creating Your Individual Online Teaching Experience
Once you have decided that you want to become an online English teacher, you will have to ask yourself a very important question first: What do you want your teaching experience to look like? Take your time to think about the following aspects in detail (and feel free to enjoy learning new things about yourself while you’re at it): Do you prefer to work as a freelancer, or would you like to work with a company? How much time do you want to spend teaching? Maybe you are a stay-at-home parent who wants to work while the kids are at school, a student who wants to work a high-paying job which you can organise around your classes and lectures, or a traveller looking for ESL jobs to fund your travels. Or maybe you want to make online teaching your new full-time job. Once you are clear about how much time you want to spend on teaching, think about whom you want to teach. Do you want to teach younger children, or help students pass their TOEFL? Do you want to teach students from all over the world, or do you want to teach students with a certain background? Furthermore, think about financial aspects: How much do you want to earn? How do you want to be paid? This may sound like a lot to do, but once you know exactly what you want to get out of teaching English online, you can start working on your online English teaching career.
Creating your own schedule is one of the benefits of working as an online English tutor. Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
The second thing to decide on is whether you want to work with a company or on your own. For beginners, it might be helpful to start working with a company in order to get an insight into how teaching online works. In addition, companies often assign you students and provide you with fixed curriculums, so that you can focus on improving your teaching. Bear in mind that most companies want you to hand in a TEFL certification, expect fixed working hours, and offer a limited pay potential. If you are looking for an online teaching job with a company, you might want to have a look at how to get a TEFL certification and our Job Board. When applying, make your CV stand out with our TEFL CV Design Services and ace your job interview with our tips and tricks. You see, TeacherTee really has your back!
Get comfortable and take your TEFL course online! Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Although working with a company has a lot of advantages, so does working as a freelancer. Being your own boss you get to schedule classes flexibly, choose your own students and create your own curriculum – check out the Lesson Plans TeacherTee has to offer! Financially, as a freelancers you do have a much higher pay potential. When working on your own, a TEFL certification might come in handy, but you definitely do not need one in order to be successful, as great teaching relies to a vast extent on a vibrant personality. Nevertheless, working on your own does come with a few challenges. Since you get to decide when to work on your own, you do have to be able to keep yourself motivated. In addition, you will have to market yourself – let your students know you are ready for them! Maybe you want to create your own website or advertise on Facebook and Instagram. Building a student-base might take a little while, but it’s definitely worth it. Now that you got in contact with your students, the only things you need are a chair (or hammock) to sit on and a desk to place your laptop to teach your first lesson. Don’t forget to check our website for tips and tricks concerning a teaching-friendly workspace and helpful equipment! You might also want to keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook…
Creating your own workspace for teaching ESL is an amazing part of the experience! Photo by ergonofis on Unsplash
What are you waiting for? You know when, whom, and what you want to teach, you decided whether you want to work with a company or on your own, and you are familiar with everything we at TeacherTee have to offer – Go for it!
Written by Johanna Brand