Teaching online can be difficult to break into if you don’t know where to start. Luckily, experienced teacher Mary Costello has got the answers you need!
My self-employed online teaching career started eight years ago when I was living in Colombia, teaching English to business professionals in person. It was rewarding, but the daily commute and long work days were a struggle.
So, I had a go at online teaching and loved it; I have learnt so much over the years and I wanted to share these insights, from my experience of one-to-one adult lessons, with new teachers and those interested in transitioning to online teaching.
Marketplace language platforms
If you’re just starting out online, language platforms can be appealing as a way of gaining some experience, and not having to worry about setting everything up on your own. However, many platforms charge teachers high commissions, and have systems designed to offer maximum flexibility to students, at the expense of teachers.
If you do sign up to a platform, don’t get complacent; this is the mistake I made. I had a steady supply of new students, but I was building up my profile on a platform, rather than my own business.
Never stop looking for new students Your calendar is full, and you’re earning good money. Success! But don’t forget: things can change overnight in the online teaching world. A student can suddenly become sick and take a break from lessons, or another could have urgent work commitments to deal with.
Over eight years, I can’t remember a time when all of the students on my books have actively been taking lessons. Something always comes up with at least one of them. Don’t take too many students on at once, but never stop advertising your services.
Ghosting
Ghosting is very common with online learning.
You have a trial lesson with a new student. They need English classes for work reasons and are ready to start. However, they fail to make another booking. There can be a number of reasons for this: some people take a trial just to get some free practice, they could have chosen another teacher, or life might have got in the way.
Learners you’ve been teaching for a while might also disappear. When they take a break, such as a holiday, this can cause them to lose the habit of taking lessons. You can check in with them, though, by sending a friendly message.
Establish a cancellation policy
I recommend doing this straight away, in a trial lesson.
Learners don’t want to lose one-to-one lessons they aren’t able to attend, and will often ask to cancel at short notice. This, however, doesn’t take into account your time and loss of income, so it’s essential to have a clear policy in place.
A 24-hour cancellation policy is fair, in my opinion. Teachers tend to feel mean about charging students for missed lessons, but if you aren’t firm on this, it often becomes a habit.
Don’t go it alone
There are many other online teachers out there, so you might see them as your competition, but teaching online can be very lonely. Connect with other teachers and coaches; they are your colleagues and support network. It’s also a great way to share ideas and opportunities.
Develop a niche
You want to be busy and make money, so the more people you can teach the better, right? When I first started online teaching, people asked me to teach them different things, and I thought why not? Of course I can teach business English, prepare you for the IELTS exam, job interviews, and so on.
I really enjoyed developing myself during those early days, but the cost was many late nights and feeling very stressed. I spread myself too thinly, and didn’t have enough time to prepare myself completely for all those different types of lessons.
There’s a consensus that you should have a niche, and an ideal type of learner. It makes lesson planning a lot easier. Plus, you’re more prepared for the typical problems your learners encounter.
Seasonal fluctuations
Teaching English online to adults is seasonal. Very few learners take lessons over summer.
It depends on which part of the world your students are from, but around Christmas and the end of the year is typically a quiet time too. In the New Year, people are eager to learn, after making their New Year’s resolutions.
Avoid the race to the bottom
During quiet times, it can be tempting to lower your prices. Earning something is better than nothing after all!
This strategy might work in the short-term, but the problem in the long-term is that it will be more difficult to increase your fees with those lower paying students. The time you spend preparing and delivering those classes might prevent you in busier times from having free slots for higher paying students.
When setting your lesson fees, factor in preparation and admin time, plus other costs freelancers need to account for, such as holiday pay.
Build rapport
You have a much closer working relationship with learners in one-to-one lessons than in group ones. Spend time at the start of a lesson asking them how they are, show interest in their lives, while maintaining professional boundaries.
Don’t forget to smile! When you’re concentrating, this can be overlooked. Even if you’re nervous, the student is probably a lot more nervous than you!
Diversify your income
Teaching live one-to-one lessons is very unstable and unpredictable. Try to earn additional income in other ways, by offering a different type of learning experience. For example, create a digital product, such as an e-book, or make a group programme. You could also set up a subscription service, providing exclusive content.
Create a conducive work environment Set up a quiet, comfortable working space with a tidy, professional background for your online lessons.
Also, it helps to be tech-savvy; it’s incredibly frustrating, and a loss of income, if you can’t complete a lesson, due to a technical problem.
And of course… enjoy yourself!
Teaching online can be a very interesting, rewarding experience, and a great way to develop yourself professionally. Just be prepared to take the rough with the smooth!
