Are you someone who knows a certain subject well, such as knitting, piano, Spanish or writing? You could turn your know-how into a lucrative career without even leaving your home. That’s because students around the world are looking for virtual teachers in a wide range of subjects to instruct them remotely. While some virtual teachers have certificates in education and experience in the classroom, fact is, formal training or teaching experience isn’t required for many work from home teaching jobs.
Wondering if you’d be happy as a virtual teacher? Ask yourself if you have these traits: “Successful virtual teachers are engaging, enthusiastic, patient and tech-savvy,” says Lily Jones teacher career coach and CEO of Educator Forever. These qualities ensure you can effectively share information with students and keep them motivated.
“Don’t be afraid to get started,” encourages business advisor Gwen Bortner, founder and CEO of Everyday Effectiveness. “You don’t have to know everything on the topic you’re teaching. You just need to know more than the people who sign up to learn from you,” says Bortner who is also the virtual teacher of Craftsy’s popular video class “How to Teach It”.
How much can I make as a work from home teacher?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can earn $21.55 per hour and $44,820 annually on average by tutoring online.
However, that figure can be different based on how you decide to virtually teach. For example, in many cases when you give private lessons, you get to decide how much to charge. To pick the rate that works best, check out the fees other virtual teachers are charging. Then adjust your rate by taking into account your level of expertise and amount of experience you have.
When using pre-recorded videos to teach, you may get paid from a royalty based on the number of views your videos receive.
And if you’re hired by a school or company to be their virtual teacher, you may get paid by the lesson or by the hour, depending on the position.
How do I get started with my work from home teaching job?
The tools you’ll need to be a work from home teacher are a computer with a webcam and microphone along with a reliable Internet connection.
If your Wi-Fi Internet connection is weak (for instance, your video lags or freezes), buy a CAT-6 Ethernet cable (Buy from BestBuy, $10) and a USB-C to Ethernet adapter (Buy from BestBuy, $15). Attach the cable directly from your computer to your modem and you’ll get a stable, fast connection.
One big benefit of being a virtual teacher is that you can customize the job to fit your needs. For example, you can record and upload videos that students can watch at any time. Or you can teach students in real time through live video. Additionally, you can choose who your students will be (kids or adults), the subject you’ll teach and whether you want the flexibility of making your own hours or the predictability of being employed by a school or company.
On top of that, there are a wide variety of teaching platforms and tools that you can use to create your virtual classroom. Read on for all of these options that can help you launch your virtual teaching jobs and the easy steps to get started.
