I have taught online for many years and am happy to share with you where you can look for remote work. Not only can you teach Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) but you can also teach many other subjects online. In this article I will show you where you can find online teaching jobs.
If you want to find a teaching job then you should know:
- Remote Teaching Companies
- Aim 4 A Tutoring
- Connections Academy
- Teach Away
- Qkids
- VIPKID
- How To Obtain The Best Teaching Job
- Carefully Prepare Your Resume
- Earn Suitable Certificates
- Prepare Your Teaching Equipment
- Take The Time Zones Into Account
- Adapt Your Behavior To The Country You Are Teaching In
Now that you know what this article is about let’s jump in and find the perfect teaching job for you.
Remote Teaching Companies
There are plenty of such platforms on the Internet. Below I have prepared a list with the most popular online teaching jobs platforms.
Aim 4 A Tutoring
This is one of the most popular companies that hire online educators. The working schedule is part-time and usually requires you to use Skype to teach students from all around the globe. All applicants must have a valid university degree in the subject taught. You will also have to possess prior teaching experience (at least one year).
The available subjects include but are not limited to:
- Math
- English
- Science
- TOEFL (Teaching Online English As A Foreign Language)
If you want to apply for a working position at this company you will have to send an email to [email protected] containing your resume and several required details. Applicants are required to have:
- Laptop or PC
- Fast and Stable Internet Access
- Speakers / Headphones and a Microphone
- Web Conferencing Software (i.e. Skype)
Some taught subjects may require you to own a digital table and a pen mouse. If that is the case you will be informed during the hiring process. There are several required qualifications you have to fulfill. These qualifications include:
- Bachelor’s Degree in the taught subject
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in the English language
- Prior teaching experience
- Ability to work in different time zones (Europe, North America, or Australia)
If you consider that you are suitable for this working position you should send an email to the above-mentioned email address containing the following information:
- One paragraph about why you want this working position
- Expected compensation
- Skype username
- Available hours (in USA EST timezone)
Connections Academy
https://www.connectionsacademy.com/
This is another well-known online public school for grades K-12. It is a virtual educational institution that works with school districts in several states of the USA to serve students remotely. In order to be hired, you have to possess a certification that demonstrates both your teaching experience and your subject-related knowledge.
The subjects you can teach on this platform are:
- Reading
- Math
- Foreign Languages (e.g. English, French, etc.)
- Social Studies
- Speech Pathology
- Arts
- Music
- P.E. (Physical Education)
- Special Education
All students are K-12 level. Besides the remote jobs available on this platform, there are also positions that require you to teach in a certain location (e.g. teach in a school in your state). The initial compensation is not listed on their Terms and Conditions. However, regardless of your experience, you may receive a pay increase depending on the following aspects:
- Annual Students’ Review
- Performance-based Bonus Plans
- Career Ladder Opportunities
Please note that Connections Academy schools require teachers to live within the state that the school is operating in and be certified in that state as well. All such jobs will be listed with Home Based USA locations.
Teach Away
Teach Away is a great option when it comes to finding an online teaching job. Using the available search engine you can find plenty of working positions adapted to your experience. Their online teaching jobs are divided into six distinct positions as follows:
- Certified Teacher
- College and University
- ESL (English as a Second Language) Teaching
- Preschool and Early Childhood
- Principal and Admin
- School Support and Librarian
You can also use one of the available filters to sort the vacancies found by the search engine. This way you will be able to find a job on a specific subject or teaching level. The available teaching levels include:
- Early Childhood
- Elementary
- Middle School
- High School
- University
All the jobs posted on this platform will contain plenty of details. This happens thanks to the complex yet intuitive process required when posting a new job vacancy. I strongly suggest taking a look at their website.
Qkids
Qkids connects online English teachers with over half a million Chinese students aged 4 to 12.
The standards you have to meet to work with Qkids are:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Associate/2-year Diploma
- Eligible to work in the United States or Canada
- Teaching license or TEFL certificate
- Computer with a stable internet connection
- Clear audio-video capabilities
- Minimum 6 hours/week
In order to be eligible for this online teaching position, you will have to be a resident of the United States of America or Canada.
The base rate is $16 per hour. One hour includes two lessons. To earn more, you must be eligible for attendance and performance bonuses. The hourly rate can go up to $20 if you fulfill all the requirements for bonuses.
If you are interested in working with the Qkids teaching company, apply now for this remote position.
VIPKID
The VIPKID platform helps you to teach English online to Chinese K-9 students. It features an irregular schedule with maximum flexibility. They have a contract length of 6 months for workers but this can be renewed if you do good work.
The requirements you have to fulfill for this job are:
- Bachelor’s Degree (or higher)
- At least one year of teaching experience
- Eligibility to work in the United States or Canada
- Laptop and headset
- High-speed internet connection
Just like Qkids, VIPKID only accepts applicants that live in the United States of America and Canada. This happens because of the native English speaker requirement.
In terms of the hourly rate, compensation is between $14 and $22 per hour. This company also offers the possibility to earn more through bonuses and referral programs.
How To Obtain The Best Teaching Job
If you are planning on applying for an online teaching position then you have to do your best to obtain it. I have prepared a set of tips you should use in order to maximize your chances of being hired as an online teacher.
Carefully Prepare Your Resume
Having a suitable resume is one of the most important aspects when applying for a teaching job (both online and offline). There are several things you should include (and even highlight in your resume). These aspects include but are not limited to:
- Education and Credentials (Degrees, Certifications, Graduated Courses)
- Teaching Experience (Any Relevant Teaching Experience, Both Online And Offline)
- Your Skills
- Teaching Skills
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Organization
- Passion and Creativity
- Patience
- Technical Skills
- Coaching
- Curriculum Knowledge
- Disciplinary Action
- Educational Plans
- Grading Exams
- Group Counseling
- Software Skills
- MS Word
- MS Excel
- Skype
- Zoom
- Learning Management System (LMS)
- Teaching Skills
- Accomplishments
If you want to learn more about how to showcase your skills I strongly suggest taking a look at the following article:
ARTICLE: Complete List of Important Job Skills for Teachers
Below you will also find an amazing article that will guide you throughout the resume writing process:
ARTICLE: Teacher Resume Examples and Writing Tips
Earn Suitable Certificates
TEFL Certificates
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Online courses teaching English represent one of the most rapidly growing fields worldwide. The TEFL certificate is a must when it comes to teaching a foreign language in a non-native English speaking country.
The TEFL certificate is not equivalent to a TESOL certificate. The main difference between the two types of certification consists of the fact that the latter applies to the teaching of English to non-native speakers in a native English speaking country (i.e. United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).
Some countries require their teachers to have a valid TEFL certificate before being able to actually teach students (e.g. China). However, there are also expectations from this rule (e.g. Private Schools).
To get a TEFL certificate you do not have to previously earn a degree in an educational field or prior teaching experience. However, there are certain standards that must be met in order to obtain this type of certificate.
The standards that you must meet include:
- More than 100 hours of coursework
- More than 10 hours of practice (actual teaching non-native English speakers)
- Accredited curriculum
- The guidance provided by an expert (Master Degree in TEFL or equivalent)
You can earn a valid TEFL certificate even online. However, you must choose an online TEFL course that is accredited and meets all of the above-mentioned standards.
Keep in mind that online classes cannot help you fulfill the practice requirement. To get a minimum of ten hours of practice, you must find a way to teach non-native English speakers online.
To learn more about TEFL/TESOL certificates, follow this link: International TEFL Academy
Prepare Your Teaching Equipment
If you are planning on teaching online you might want to optimize your equipment first. There is some hardware you will be using intensively when teaching online (regardless of the subject taught). Below I have prepared a brief explanation on how to get the best equipment that increases your chances (and eligibility) for online teaching jobs.
Suitable Laptop Or Computer
This is the most important piece of equipment you will be using when teaching online. Your laptop helps you perform all kinds of tasks associated with online tutoring. For example, you will be using it when creating training content for your students, when teaching online (live classes), and even when you will be assessing your students.
There are certain specifications you need to take into account when choosing a laptop/computer for online teaching. These characteristics include but are not limited to:
- Processor (Generation and Speed)
- Gigs of RAM
- SSD / HDD
Generally any computer less than 4 years old of around $500 will do for this style of training. For most training online an i3 or i5 Intel processor with 4 gigs of RAM with a solid-state disk (SSD) or 8 gigs so RAM with an older style hard drive is more than enough.
This does not take into account any extra educational software you may use on top of the one supplied by the Tutoring company. If you are going to be running other software at the same time you may wish to use an i5 and a minimum 8 gigs of RAM. You can use the equivalent AMD. If you are using a Mac just be sure to check this is ok with the tutoring company as they may not have their software suitable for Mac.
It is a great idea to check your computer’s specifications. You can find various tutorials on the Internet that will guide you throughout the entire process of specs checking. These links will help you start your research: Windows / MAC.
To learn more about which is the best computer setup for online teaching, I suggest reading the following article:
ARTICLE: eLearning Authoring: A Perfect Professionals Computer Setup
Fast And Stable Internet Connection
This is the second most important requirement in terms of technology you need to fulfill. Most of the online teaching companies require their teachers to have a fast and reliable Internet connection. This way, you can make sure that your lesson will not be interrupted by any connectivity issues (e.g. lack of network signal, low speed connection, etc.).
If you generally have trouble watching online movies (on Netflix and similar platforms), you might want to consider getting a better internet provider.
The ping is also very important. The ping represents your internet connection’s reaction time. For example, a 1000 milliseconds ping means that it takes your computer 1 second to get a response from the remote computer. This would definitely not be acceptable and pings under 50ms to 100ms would be more acceptable but check with the tutoring company.
There are multiple speed tests that can be found online for free. If you want to see the speed of your internet connection, try out the Ookla Speed Test.
Dedicated Video Recording Hardware
Even though this is not a requirement for most teaching companies, it definitely represents an advantage when applying for an online teaching position. If you are using a laptop then it probably has an integrated webcamera.
Due to the poor footage quality of this piece of equipment I strongly advise against using it for online teaching. My suggestion is to go to an electronics shop and buy a dedicated camera.
Besides the enhanced footage quality a dedicated camera may include certain functions that will make your videos more interesting. These functions may include:
- Greenscreen
- Light Adjustment
- Background Removal
Despite the general opinion you do not have to pay an arm and a leg in order to get a decent quality camera. If you can not decide what dedicated camera to buy I strongly suggest taking a look at the Recommended Tools page to find out what type of camera worked the best for me.
High-Quality Audio Recording Equipment
Plenty of online teaching companies require their teachers to own a headset and a microphone. This is because the majority of the classes take place using web conferencing applications. For example, Aim 4 A Tutoring uses Skype in order to connect students and teachers. This is why you need to spend some extra money when buying high-quality audio recording equipment.
A high-quality microphone is just as important as a web camera. The situation is similar to the above-mentioned piece of equipment. Using the built-in microphone will result in a poor-quality audio recording.
I strongly suggest spending some extra money on a high-quality dedicated microphone. Just like a camera, it may include additional helpful functions. These functions may include but are not limited to:
- Noise Cancelling
- Voice Filters
- Adaptive Sensitivity
- Volume Equalizer
If you are not yet decided on what you want to use, I suggest you take a look at my favorite dedicated microphone.
Take The Time Zones Into Account
Online teaching includes one major aspect you need to take into account. Time zones are all different around the world. If you are planning on working for an online teaching company then you should be aware of the time zone difference between you and your potential students. Let’s see a simple example to get a better understanding of how hard would be to teach online if you do not take time zones into account.
When teaching online in America you need to also take into account the difference between your country’s time zone and one of the six time zones that are used in the USA. These time zones include:
- (H.S.T.) Hawaii Standard Time (UTC -10) – e.g. Honolulu
- (A.K.D.T.) Alaska Daylight Time (UTC -8) – e.g. Anchorage
- (P.D.T.) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7) – e.g. Los Angeles
- (M.S.T.) Mountain Standard Time (UTC -7) – e.g. Phoenix
- (M.D.T.) Mountain Daylight Time (UTC -6) – e.g. Salt Lake City
- (C.D.T.) Central Daylight Time (UTC -5) – e.g. Chicago
- (E.D.T.) Eastern Daylight Time (UTC -4) – e.g. New York
If you are living in a country that uses UTC +2 time zone (e.g. Egypt, Romania, etc.) you will have to deal with a 12 hours difference between you and your Honolulu student. It means that when your student wakes up in the morning you are probably eating your dinner. This is why it is very important to be aware of the time zone difference between you and your potential students.
Adapt Your Behavior To The Country You Are Teaching In
Understand Their Culture And Etiquettes
When applying for an online teaching position that involves teaching foreign students (e.g. T.E.F.L. or T.E.S.O.L.) you should spend a fair amount of time doing some research about that country’s culture. They may have some particular behavior etiquettes.
For example, if you are planning on teaching Austrian students then you must know that they are amongst the most punctual students you will ever work with. As a result, it would be unacceptable for you to be late for a class unless something urgent intervenes.
Take Advantage Of The Body Language
It is very important to adapt your body language and to make sure you avoid misunderstandings. Children are keen observers of facial expressions, tone of voice, and overall body language. This is even more important when they are learning a new language as they are trying to guess what you want and are trying to explain.
When dealing with children the most important thing to do is try to be as expressive as you can be with your face and body language. It lifts the mood of the room and engages the students. Make sure you always smile at the entrance to a class and when you finish.
Make sure you are being professional when teaching online which means that you should behave and speak in a manner that portrays confidence while putting your audience at ease.
Overcome The Language Barrier
Also, you may encounter a language barrier, especially when working with students from countries where English is not spoken at all. If your students are taking their first English you will obviously encounter some communication issues. They will not be able to understand you perfectly. Depending on their previous knowledge some students may not be able to understand you at all.
The language barrier may appear even when working with advanced students. Sometimes, the students may switch back to their native language when they have to communicate with each other.
You can overcome this issue by having a basic knowledge of their native language. It is a great idea to use a conversational dictionary to deal with such situations.
