While distance learning teaching classes have existed for almost a century, the internet revolution has made new tutoring experiences possible, with new online tools to help students and their teachers. The whole process has been greatly streamlined for the benefit of all.
Today, online courses are a booming market. And rightly so, as online education and training have many advantages:
Tutoring, English language courses (ESL, TEFL), arts, technical education classes... Everyone can now benefit from a distance learning class with a qualified tutor whose work has been reviewed for quality. Getting a degree or certification in any skill has never been easier.
When you teach online courses as a freelance tutor, there is only one way to earn more money: you want to teach to as many students as possible.
For this, teachers must first showcase their skills, like providing quality courses that are didactic and easy to assimilate. Some pedagogical training can also be very useful for the teacher, as there are many live discussions with students involved.
Then, finding and keeping as many students as possible will be a guarantee of regular teaching work. Having a full teaching schedule is a proof that the courses or training provided are successful! Once that is secured, teachers can think about eventually increasing their rates, according to experience.
Of course, teachers can change their fees depending on the course or training: teaching at a school level does not have the same course requirements as an advanced technical training. We will come back to the topic of how to find students later in the article.
Generally, pay rates can differ according to your working status and depend on what you teach. Even if many fields of learning are popular, English language learning is always the most in demand. Companies want to provide business English classes to their employees, and students around the world are eager to join US or British universities. ESL has become a must for academic achievement. As a tutor, especially one with a native knowledge of English, you can benefit immensely from that worldwide enthusiasm.
The status of online teachers can be many different things. Indeed, to teach online courses as a freelancer, a simple self-employed status may be sufficient, but you might be able to choose a more elaborate company status, depending on your needs or professional goals, and your country of residence. You will have to pay a certain amount of taxes as well. Be sure to inform yourself about all the legal requirements to do freelancing jobs, or start a company, in your country of residence. If you work as an independent, specify your terms and conditions in any contract you sign, and take note that you will have to chase invoices and do more administrative work in general. Working through online platforms can be a more practical choice, with less administrative hassle, but more demanding financially, as many might take a commission on your earnings and a small service fee for money withdrawals. Another option is to work for an online school directly as an employee. But this provides less flexibility and requires more experience. There are also school recruiting companies you can turn to.
For those who are new in the business, an online platform can also provide useful information for legal registration, degree and teacher certification requirements, as needed. A good start will help you earn more as you get experience in the field.
To give online courses, forget flyers and word of mouth. The best way is to market yourself to students by using the internet. To offer tutoring or private lessons, you need to apply two methods:
Posted in newspapers, business periodicals, job websites, or on social networks, these ads have the benefit of being free. They provide general exposure but are often drowned out among other ads that have nothing to do with education, training, or home-schooling.
There are many professional platforms for online courses you can use today. We think this is the best way to put a teacher and a student in direct contact for a course or training, via video or audio lessons, in a sort of virtual classroom.
Here are a few examples you can use to familiarise yourself with the process:
| 1 | Preply | An online language learning platform. The courses are done online from home, and tutors can put in an application on Preply for free, to give private or group lessons in a virtual classroom. Tutors in many languages work with students from all over the world, and ESL and TOEFL English lessons are offered as well. |
| 2 | SuperProf | Private Tutors. This training site claims to have 12 million online courses for 1000 different subjects, like English tutoring (TEFL, ESL), music or sports coaching. Tutors/teachers set their rates and choose how many hours they want to teach. |
| 3 | Kokoroe | An online tutoring platform specialising in technical courses: 180 skills for any job training, whatever the level. The platform also provides numerous certifications. |
| 4 | Lingoda | Another online language learning platform with classes for numerous languages. Students around the world can choose the course intensity they want and get personalised feedback on their progress. With at least 2-3 years of valuable teaching experience and a certificate, tutors can send in their application to become part of the learning community. Being a native speaker is not a requirement. |
| 5 | Sherpas | This French site offers the services of teachers from top schools. Once the selection has been made, the platform puts the teacher and students in contact for private lessons and tutoring at all levels. With Sherpas, teachers are also free to choose their hours and their rates, while students can learn with the assurance of having the best tutors. |
(Internet sources, June 2022)
An online platform offers targeted visibility to students looking for online courses, and often allows teachers to freely set their hourly rate. The availability of reviews on teachers and their performance helps students in choosing the most suitable tutor for their needs.
Becoming an online teacher and giving private tutoring classes in languages, mechanics, oil painting, or even yoga, is now very easy and practical.
By taking advantage of an online platform, teachers are free to exercise their passion for teaching, but also make it a real job to do from the comfort of their home, for as many hours as they want.