A guide to online tutoring

Online tutoring can be a great way to earn money. If you're interested in starting your tutoring business continue reading to find out the differences between online and face-to-face tutoring, the resources you'll need to teach a class online, how to advertise yourself, and much more.

Online vs. face-to-face tutoring

There are plenty of similarities and differences between online and face-to-face tutoring and if you're having a hard time choosing between one or the other don't worry, you can get more information on tutoring online or face-to-face.

One of the clearest similarities is that no matter the medium, the subject you're teaching stays the same. The content of a science course won't change if you choose to teach online over teaching in-person. The only thing that changes is the modality and the tools you choose.

However, there are plenty of clear differences between online and in-person tutoring. For instance, scheduling and time management.

If you teach a class face-to-face you need to consider how much it takes you to commute to the meeting place and how much it takes you to go back home. Commuting can take hours out of your day, especially during rush hour.

On the other hand, if you teach online you can schedule classes during the time other tutors use to commute and earn extra money.

Another difference is your working environment and adaptability skills. If you teach all of your classes online you will have one set spot in your house where you work.

Having one place set for work can make your job easier because you'd be comfortable, you'd know what resources you have around you, and you'd get used to working in that environment. But, you can get tired of working where you live, so sometimes it might be best to change things up.

However, if you give face-to-face lessons the location of each session can change with every student. You can teach them at their home, in a local library, in a classroom, in a cafe, and so on. Having a working environment change constantly can also be draining, which is why you have to learn to be adaptable to different environments.

Keep in mind that to be a tutor you don't have to choose one single modality, you can apply for in-person and online jobs and schedule the classes based on your time of availability. However, there is no way of telling you which modality is best because different things work for different people.

How to become an online tutor

If teaching is your passion and you wish to become an online tutor there are some things you need to figure out first, before you start tutoring.

For instance, you need to have the proper qualifications, a Bachelor's degree, or experience in education, to name a few.

Many people don't know this but to become a certified tutor you will most likely need to present a Bachelor's degree, and it is much better if it's in your subject or subjects of interest.

For example, if you studied and got a degree in math or English, then it would make sense for you to tutor kids who are struggling in math or English.

You can also double major in college and learn about a specific subject and about education. That way you wouldn't require further teaching training in the future.

If you weren't able to choose any major in the field, don't worry, there are plenty of other options.

For example, there are many associations that certify tutors across the country. All you have to do is complete the required paperwork and hours of work or hours of training. Continue reading about how you can become an online tutor and all the available certifications.

Once you have all the qualifications you can apply to all the tutoring jobs you wish and see how many offers you get from clients who recognize all your experience and qualifications.

Necessary tools to teach private tutoring online

If your goal is to teach and become an online private tutor we've got a list of handy resources you can use to make your lessons more interactive and fun.

• Digital whiteboard - you can search for any whiteboard website and use it to do math problems step by step. Or you can use it to show your students how to tackle their English assignments. Using a digital whiteboard for teaching can make the class more fun and interesting.
• Web conference platform - there are plenty of free websites or apps you can use to hold your sessions with students. Any platform you use is good, you just have to make sure that your student is comfortable using the same platform and that they have access to a good internet connection.
• Content creation tools - learning to keep your students concentrated and entertained can be tricky but is something you must learn especially with online tutoring. Teachers sometimes forget that part of the job is keeping the students interested in any of the subjects they are struggling with. To make your tutoring sessions much more interactive you can use visuals like diagrams, presentations, or infographics. If you want to make content for more than one student you can record a video of yourself for one lesson you can use with different clients.
• Keep track - if you start teaching many different students you will need to come up with a system to keep track of each student's progress. Luckily there are plenty of resources and services designed to help teachers do their job. You can use an online planner to schedule each class and find a platform where you can track the grades of every test and homework to be able to see their improvement throughout the school year.

If you need help figuring out what resources to use you can go learn more about the tools you’ll need for online tutoring.

How to advertise yourself as an online tutor

Learning to advertise yourself and your work can be challenging but it is something you must learn how to do if you want to get students, clients, and earn money.

You can start advertising by defining what kind of clients you're interested in. For instance, if you want to teach math or English to students in high school then your advertisement should send a message to the parents.

If you learn who is your audience you can communicate directly with them and let the advertisement do its magic!

The next step is figuring out which outlet or medium you want to use to promote your work. Keep in mind you can advertise your business on social media, Google, websites, local newspapers, magazines, or any type of communication outlet you can think of.

When you're talking to possible students or clients you can show them what a typical lesson or class looks like with you. That way they can figure out if they like your methods and if they would want to hire you.

Finally, one of the most important things of advertising is transparency and honesty about what your business offers. If you make promises you need to keep them or else you will get bad publicity or reviews.

If you have a budget for advertising then you can pay to run ads on Facebook or Google and see if you find students that way. However, there are many free resources you can use to promote your work.

Below there is a list of online free resources to promote your tutoring classes:

• Create a profile on Superprof - you can create a profile on our website and talk to students who would be interested in hiring you. Many tutors offer the first lesson for free so that the student has an opportunity to get to know you first.
• Listing services - if you register in an online listing service your private lessons can be found easily on Google.
• Embrace social media - social media can be tedious but it is a great way to promote yourself, and your work. You can post a video talking to future students or a picture of you teaching a couple of sessions, and so on.
• Create a blog - you can open up a blog on WordPress and write about your methods, techniques, experience, subject of interest, qualifications, and everything that has to do with your business as a tutor.

Continue reading to find out how you can advertise yourself as an online tutor.