Thanks to technology, people can now pursue their careers even in the comfort of their own homes. Online tutoring is one of the rising job paths that allows educators and students to experience and earn through private teaching. Online tutoring can either be a full-time job or a side hustle to earn extra income. With the right commitment, you can establish a career in online tutoring.
Online tutors provide one-on-one support to their students and help improve their academic performance by helping with assignments, reviewing class materials, and providing feedback that helps motivate students to study harder. Before you decide to become an online tutor, you must be committed to doing these tasks, along with other crucial factors.
Here are the things you should consider before you begin an online tutoring career:
- Qualifications
Online tutoring requires different qualifications, depending on the employer you choose. Some college students could land an online tutoring job if they applied for basic kindergarten or elementary tutoring. Other employers require a four-year degree, certificates, a Ph.D., or a classroom teaching experience for tutoring higher year levels.
Moreover, you need the right skillset to become an online tutor. You need to be an active listener and be aware of your students’ responses. You should also know how to properly address and instruct students according to their year level. Adjust your tone and talking speed if you need to, especially if you want to teach little kids.
- Individual VS Platform Based Tutoring
What platform do you want to use? If you decide to become an online tutor, you can choose between going solo or joining an existing tutoring platform. If you plan to become an individual tutor, you can choose your rates, and everything you earn from your sessions will be yours. The drawbacks to individual tutoring, however, include not receiving enough students, especially if you’re fairly new to the tutoring scene.
If you want a stable job opportunity, joining an existing platform will work best for you. There are many online tutoring platforms, like Tutorme, that provide tutors plenty of sessions to give you the exposure you need. Another advantage to platform-based tutoring is getting access to the platform’s lesson space and using their existing tools to help you improve your sessions. By choosing online tutoring platforms, you’ll get appropriate training, effective tools, and exposure to establish a career.
- Private VS Group Lessons
Before applying for an online tutor job, you should also decide whether you want to tutor privately or take on groups. Private tutoring means a one-on-one format, and the student will get undivided attention from their tutor. Meanwhile, group sessions will require a couple of students in one session. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with private lessons to avoid getting overwhelmed. It will also hone your skills and ready you for bigger online sessions.
- Online Tutoring Tools
Online tutoring requires the right tools so you can interact with your students efficiently. It’s best to familiarize yourself with different options, such as:
- Zoom
- Google Hangouts
- Zoom Whiteboard
- Skype
If you’re choosing the platform-based route, your employer will most likely provide the tools you need. Tutoring individually might be a challenge at first because you have to test out different platforms and tools you can use to conduct your sessions. Before you begin offering your services, train and acquaint yourself with tools you choose to use for your sessions.
- Teaching Strategies
You can maximize the power of education with the right methods. It’s best to utilize different teaching strategies to make your sessions interactive and diverse. If you want to tutor kindergarten, you may want to prepare games, props, videos, and images that will capture their attention and help them focus during sessions. For higher year levels, you can encourage students to interact by giving them presentations, making them participate during discussions, and giving them assignments to see how much they learned from the session.
You can also give feedback during sessions to continuously make students aware of their improvement and motivate them to do well in class. Every strategy differs, depending on your type of student. If you’re not sure what your approach should be, you can start by introducing yourself to each other and learning your student’s characteristics. You can then adjust your strategies according to what kind of learner they are.
- Reliable Internet Connection
Of course, you should never forget one of the most crucial factors in online tutoring. A reliable Internet connection is a must if you want to establish an online tutoring career. You don’t want to be suddenly cut off during sessions as it may affect your credibility as a tutor. Sessions will be disturbed if you have a weak Internet connection, and your student might lose interest if they have to wait for you every time your session disconnects.
To ensure a smooth and productive session, you must always check your Internet signal before beginning your classes. If you currently don’t have a strong connection, you might have to change your service provider or upgrade your internet plan.
- Schedule Flexibility
The good thing about online tutoring is that you have better schedule flexibility than physical classrooms. Consider online tutoring if you want to have more control of your time. If you choose individual tutoring, you can accept any offers and set a schedule whenever you want. You can choose to accept full-time tutoring opportunities or opt for one-time sessions with students.
If you choose online tutoring platforms, you can still have a flexible schedule according to your employer. Some platforms give you the freedom to choose your work schedule as long as you can reach the minimum work hours required. Other platforms allow you to be your own boss and provide the flexibility that works well with your lifestyle.
Takeaway
Whether you’re an educator who wants to utilize their skills and passion for teaching or a student who wants to make extra income, online tutoring is the perfect solution to share your knowledge and earn a living. Before applying for an online tutoring opportunity, make sure to consider the essential factors listed above to see if online tutoring is the right career path for you. If you’re truly committed to teaching other people, you’ll have no regrets about choosing to become an online tutor.
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