Working online from home… the HOT new trend

by Jillian Zavitz

Working online from home is the hot new trend.  Everybody is doing it, and if you aren’t already doing it you want to do it.  There are many things that sound attractive about working from home.  No commute, no office politics or gossip, and being able for the most part to set your own hours.  

I’ve been teaching online from home for the past 2 years and don’t ever want to return to a traditional teaching environment.  Teaching English online has so many benefits that a traditional teaching job just can’t compete with.  However, having said that – teaching online is not as easy as just turning on your computer and rocking away.  There are a few things that you need to keep in mind to be successful in this up and coming industry and especially if you are looking to start working as an online English teacher.

1. Teaching online does not mean less work – lesson planning prep, email contact with the students, organizing your week and your schedule takes time – excellent time management is a MUST for someone to be successful in online teaching.
2. Professionalism is a must – sometimes it is easy to forget that although we may be teaching from our homes – professionalism needs to be maintained.  It is easy to forget that although all communication is via the internet – it doesn’t make it any less real.  Treating is as you would any other job is a must.
3. Knowing that the 9 to 5 work hours do not apply – of course working 9-5pm from home would be ideal – but that is usually not the case.  Time zones are different – people’s schedules are different – and to teach online you need to give a little to get a little in return.
4. Keeping up to date – your tools for teaching obviously need to be up to date and top of the line.  You cannot teach on a computer that takes ages to load up, nor use equipment that is less than the best.  Quality is the key to being successful. 
5. Understanding that not everyone can do it – teaching online is not for everyone.  It’s not as easy as just setting up a website advertising your services. It’s hard, it takes time to get good and even after investing a lot of time and energy into – some teachers just don’t make the cut. 

There are many people that excel at this teaching from home concept – they understand that it is a competitive business – and take the necessary steps to ensure that they stay one step ahead of the competition.  It’s not easy to teach online – there are never any guarantees or security.  It’s hard – but it’s worth it!