In 2018, thousands of people found themselves without a job and looking for ways to make money. It was a perfect storm of a shrinking labor market, a rising cost of living, and COVID-19. While some found temporary work and kept their jobs, others turned to the Internet and found ways to make money online. One of the most in-demand jobs was online tutoring. As schools and universities reopened and hiring began, demand soared.
If you’re looking to make money online, one of the best options is to become an online tutor.
Why? Because with the right training and tools, anyone can become an online tutor and do pretty well for themselves. If you meet the criteria, you can make a good living online and continue to contribute to society as you please.
The Rise In Online Tutoring
In most cases, online tutoring is considered a “work-from-home” job because you don’t have to be in front of a classroom full of students to teach. With virtual classrooms, you can access your students from anywhere in the world and teach them virtually.
While there is always a demand for teachers, particularly in this world of online tutoring, there isn’t always a demand for all teachers. So, if you’re looking to make extra money, consider doing what you know best. In addition to helping students with their homework, you can provide them with personalized learning experiences by engaging in a more holistic approach to education. For instance, you can take into account their interests, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as those of the curriculum in order to devise a personalized learning plan. The benefits of this type of teaching is that it can help develop both students’ and teachers’ confidence while also helping to improve grades. Overall, it’s a win-win-win situation.
How To Become An Online Tutor
If you meet the criteria for being an online tutor, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve got the necessary skills. While anyone can go into online tutoring, you’ll need to prepare for the job by becoming a subject matter expert on the platforms you plan to teach on. For instance, if you’re going to teach English as a Second Language (ESL), you’ll need to have a solid foundation in English grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. In fact, you’ll probably want to consider getting a certification in ESL in addition to becoming a tutor.
In addition to subject matter expertise, you’ll need to prepare for the job by doing research on the following:
- The prevailing rates for online tutors in your area
- The benefits that you can offer to students (bonuses, etc)
- How to become a better educator (more professional, creative, etc)
- What to charge (you’ll need to determine how you’re going to be paid)
- How to handle tricky situations (parental consent, etc)
- How to market and promote yourself (networking, etc)
- How to build a successful online tutoring business
Get A Professional Education
If you’re worried about whether or not you’ll be able to pull off being an online tutor, don’t be. You’ve probably spent more time worrying about money in the past than you should have and, for the most part, worrying is unnecessary. In today’s world, it’s easier to obtain a professional education than ever before. With many universities offering remote instruction and the ability to work online, it’s no longer necessary to obtain a traditional education in order to become an expert in your field. In most cases, you’ll only need a high school diploma or the equivalent in order to get started. In some instances, you’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree for the full-time job.
For those concerned about whether or not they’ll be able to make a living as an online tutor, there will always be demand for teachers particularly in areas where there are high rates of unemployment. In addition to helping to reduce income inequality by creating more job opportunities for people with less education, you can also help develop your students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills by engaging with them on a more personal level than is typically involved with a textbook.
If you’re interested, you can contact institutions of learning near you to see if they offer any remote teaching positions and, if so, apply immediately.