Teaching English online is a new way of becoming a digital nomad. With so many stories coming from our internship programs, here is the first about teaching English online. 

1. As an online English Teacher, what are the most important considerations when considering teaching platforms to join?

This is definitely different for everyone. For me, I needed flexibility. Many online teaching platforms require a minimum amount of hours to be taught at certain “peak hours”. As I have been travelling and teaching for the last year, I could never guarantee that I would be available for these peak hours (especially considering I am changing time zones quite often). I joined online teaching platforms that allowed me to choose my working days/hours and times of lessons. 

2. What does a day in the life of a busy online English teacher look like?

Quite honestly, if you are unimaginative with your lessons, days can be quite repetitive. Online students are often looking to practise their conversational skills. So, if you don’t get creative with your conversation topics, you will never get past the basics of “tell me about your job, family”, etc. 

If you are imaginative, your day can be exciting, and you can learn a thing or two from your students about cultural differences between your countries and topical issues. 

Regarding schedule, your day can look however you want it to look. You can teach a regular 9-5 with a lunch break, or you can do one lesson a day if you are feeling under the weather, tired etc. That’s the beauty of it! 

3. Share with us tips and tricks about being a successful online ESL teacher.

Most platforms will allow you to set your availability in advance, and students then choose a teacher based on their availability and preference. Set your availability as far as possible – you’ll have a better chance of getting booked by students. 

Also, make sure to create a captivating introduction video. This is usually how students pick their teacher. There are thousands of teachers out there. You want to stand out!

4. There are pros and cons to everything, right? Tell us your top three as an online teacher.

Pro – flexibility – you set your own schedule. 

Con – the accountability is on yourself to schedule your day. Although you are accountable for adhering to the code of conduct of the company you teach with, it is ultimately up to you how often you teach. It’s easy to fall out of a daily working routine (especially if you are travelling). 

Pro – you will talk to and meet people from all over the world with different views, opinions and cultures. 

Con – with a lot of companies, the wages don’t reflect the time and effort you put into lessons. 

Pro –  it has allowed me to earn an income while travelling the world

Con – as it is online, you must sort out your own taxes within your home country, which can be confusing if it’s your first time.

5. What has been your most rewarding experience as an online English teacher?

Helping students prepare for exams and finding out they passed a few weeks later. 

6. What do you wish you knew before starting an online English teacher career path?

There will be days when you love your job! But there will be days when students don’t turn up, and you won’t get paid, and on these days, you will dislike your job! Keep your head up, it’s not a reflection on you as a teacher, and it’s not our fault.  

7. Where do you see the online English teaching market going? How big is the demand for teachers?

There is a huge market for online teaching. Especially since covid. People are realising that most services they once received outside their homes are now readily available online. The companies I work for are always hiring. There are often bonus peak days where you can earn double pay per hour, as the demand is so high for teachers on these days.  

8. What led you to teach English online?

Honestly, I spent so long looking for a role that would allow me to work remotely. I have been travelling on and off for years and I needed to find something that allowed me to continue to travel. It was the perfect solution for me. 

9. Do you teach young learners, adults or a mix of both? How do you manage your schedules?  (Are you full-time/part-time)

I teach adults only, and I teach part-time so I can enjoy my travels at the same time. Then, I set my availability in advance, and no matter what comes up on that day, I make sure that I am available to teach. I never cancel lessons (unless I am unwell) and schedule my lessons for the morning time as this is my most productive time of day. It also gives me a sense of routine while travelling. I usually get up, have my breakfast, do some quick yoga and then teach for a few hours. I keep the late afternoon/evening free. 

10. What does a typical working day look like for you? Give us a rundown.

As I just mentioned, I like to keep to a specific schedule from Monday – Friday. No matter what country I’m in. It gives me routine, and I’m less likely to get travel burnout if I’m in a routine. I get up, eat breakfast, do some yoga and then teach for 2 hours, take a quick break, teach for another hour, have lunch and then teach for another hour  (if all my slots are booked!) Then you’ll usually catch me at the beach, surfing or spending time with friends. 

11. We all dream of having the freedom to choose our hours and being  your own boss. What’s your favourite thing about teaching English online?

Definitely the flexibility. Although I keep a routine, it’s great to know that if I ever want to change that, I can! I could teach one lesson a week from now on if I wanted. Along with that flexibility comes location freedom – all I need is my laptop and decent internet, and I can make money to travel the world. I’m currently writing this article from Medellin, Colombia!