Here's what you need to know about teaching online freelance before you jump in.
1. Students
The lifeline of your business is your students. The goal is to get as many as you can but it may take weeks (or even months) before you get one to enroll in your class.
But if you know where to look or how to promote your services, you can start teaching online in no time.
Some sly online teachers sign up for companies offering tutorial or teaching services just to build up their credibility, widen their experience, and eventually poach students. Poaching students is unethical, but some teachers argue that it's sometimes the students who suggest this.
Other teachers who are uncomfortable with this idea market their services using online marketplaces such as Fiverr, or bid jobs at oDesk.
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Many beginners would want to know whether or not a teaching certificate or degree is needed to teach English online. Ideally, yes. But the reality is that any students don't care. As long as you are a native speaker, you're already qualified to be their teacher.
That said, you'll have to deal with a lot of more experienced teachers -- or tutors, if you prefer to use the term -- in your country or abroad.
Did I say abroad? Yes. Case in point. There are MANY online teachers based in the Philippines offering very low rates.
And then there are the established companies to compete with. These brands have the budget to market their services, train their teachers, and make sure that you stay out of their business.
3. Teaching Online
Without the proper training, you'll be groping in the dark. Even if you're a licensed teacher, you still need to equip yourself with the fundamentals. While many of the classroom teaching techniques are applicable to online teaching, others are not. Plus, there other skills that you must develop such as multi-tasking. You can't ask the student to wait while you search for an image on the Internet. Otherwise, you'll come across as a teacher who wastes time.
Usually, your classes follow a one-on-one approach (as opposed o the usual one-to-many). The challenge is to come up with activities that are fun, engaging, and can be enjoyed by your student.
4. Earnings
There is a ceiling to what you can make teaching English online. Unless of course, you step up and turn this into a business. Or follow what this teacher does.
RELATED: Turn Your Internet Cafe into an Online English School
Bottomline
Some people I know think that teaching English online is easy. But in reality, it's a serious business. So before you think of advertising your teaching services, be prepared for the above-mentioned challenges.
