Are you someone who has always been passionate about learning and love to share your years of experience and knowledge with others? If this sounds like you, you may be the perfect type of person to enter the world of education.
Teachers, private tutors and all kinds of educators help play an important role in keeping the world moving forward as they support, assist and provide motivation to students so they can do their best and fall in love with learning for years to come. Educators are certainly some of the most important members of our global world today.
We know all know how amazing classroom and traditional teachers are, but we also need to mention the importance of private tutors and educators who are now able to facilitate their lessons online with platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.
In this article, we're going to explore some of the ways you as a private online tutor, teacher or educator can transition to teaching your students online. In today's world and with the effects of Covid19 remote learning is becoming more important than ever.
If you are not currently working in the education field but feel like this could be the career change you need, there are a few things to consider before diving in. It's essential that if you're interested in entering the world of education you understand a few key factors.
Here at Superprof, we strive to support folks interested in pursuing their interest in education and becoming private tutors who have the flexibility and choice to work from home and determine their own hours. As we mentioned earlier, due to the ongoing effects of Covid19 and the increase in remote learning online educators are now in much higher demand than they ever have been before!
So, let's check out some of the main resources and how you can do-it-yourself in terms of developing the skills, knowledge and qualifications you need to become one of the best private tutors who will be able to make a difference in their students' lives.
What tools will I need as an online tutor?
Any new and aspiring private online tutor needs to have some decent technology to ensure they can deliver a top quality experience to their pupils. Having the right equipment will also help you feel more organised and boost your confidence as a professional.
Here's a few of the key items you will need to get started:
- Desktop computer or laptop with clear and working webcam features
- Working internet connection; preferably high speed and with good download and upload speeds
- Designated workspace, for example at home with your own desk
Not everyone has the privilege to make space to work at home so there is always the option of seeing if you can book a space at your local library or rent an office or co-working space. As long as you're somewhere quiet and secure that's the main thing!
You can live without these, but if your laptop isn't one of the latest or most up to date models, a microphone headset can be an excellent way to ensure quality audio during your classes with your pupils.
Which video platform is the most secure to use for online tutoring?
Today we are more connected than ever through technology, and the online world continues to expand every day. With rapid advancements in technology there have also been advancements in remote education.
There are many different video and screen sharing platforms, but when it comes to online private tuition which one is the most secure and works for delivering online classes effectively? During the many lockdowns over the last two years experienced by cities all over Australia, there were a few different platforms that became the most popular for schools during periods of remote learning with primary and high school aged children.
- Google Meet: this is great if you want to share documents, create jamboards and utilise chat functions all in the one place!
- Zoom: one of the most popular video-sharing platforms worldwide, also good for screen sharing and lightening the mood with funky backgrounds
- Webex: favoured by schools in particular for its security
For cities like Melbourne and Sydney, who have both experienced many lockdowns since the beginning of the pandemic, you will probably be surprised by how much pupils and school aged children have adapted to new ways of learning and connecting online!
University students in Australia are also more adept at their Collaborate Ultra skills which is another video sharing platform used for remote education, and is still popular among university students even out of lockdowns.
How to Market Yourself
We've briefly gone over some of the tech, software, how to deliver your classes and how to get started as an online tutor, what next? In order to teach online classes you'll need some online students! Let's find out how you can put yourself out there and market your skills, knowledge and experience.
As an online tutor you'll need to find out how to market yourself, you can do this by making posts of websites such as Gumtree, Skillshare or other learning-based platforms which seek to connect tutors with pupils.
If you choose to tutor with us here at Superprof you can fill out your profile so some of the students who are searching for a private tutor. Whether for English, Chemistry, Maths or HSC, having a profile with us you'll be easy to find on our website.
How much should I get paid?
Given that online tuition has to happen on the internet, you are likely to be paid through online payment platforms such as Paypal. If you choose to work for a tutoring company, depending on the company you be paid fortnightly or monthly.
Here at Superprof if you choose to tutor with us, it is entirely up to you at what rate you set your lessons. However, one thing to keep in mind is that we encourage the first lesson is free to give our students are chance to see if their tutors work for them.
Discover more about tutoring jobs in Australia and cities such as Sydney and Melbourne here.
How to Ensure Child Safety
A large number of private tutors work primarily with primary school aged and high school aged kids. For this reason it's extremely important to go over how you can ensure your lessons are a safe online space for your pupils.
Not all parents are comfortable about having their kids attend online lessons with a private tutor without first seeing their Working with Children Check (WWCC). You can apply for a WWCC through the Australian government, as you'll be getting paid for your services you will have to apply for the WWCC for jobs that cost approximately $100. Your check will be valid for 5 years though so it is definitely worth the investment.
Another way to put your students and their parents at ease is choosing a video sharing platform that is trusted and secure. These are simple steps you can take to make sure your classroom is a comfortable and safe space for everyone involved.
Having a secure platform and a WWCC are legally required if you plan on working with kids, their safety is important! Discover more about WWCC in Australia here.
Children are able to learn well when they are in a supportive and safe environment, whether that means in person or online. Apply for your WWCC today if you know you want to work with high school and primary school aged kids and not university students.
Explore more options for teaching English online here with us at Superprof!
Teaching Techniques for Online Tuition
If you're just getting started in the world of tuition it can be helpful to practice a few techniques about how you can assist your pupils in the best way possible in your online classroom.
Find out about your student
- What level are they currently at?
- What level do they want to reach?
- Do they have a dream ATAR score?
- What's their learning style?
- What foundational knowledge do we need to revise?
It can sometimes be helpful to be in correspondence with the classroom teacher, and of course it's important to ask if the child's parents are also okay with this. Open communication between all educational support for a student is a good way to make progress!
Tips and Tricks for Online Tuition: How to be an Effective Online Tutor
To maintain a steady number of tutoring students you'll want to make sure that your students enjoy their classes and want to keep learning with you. Let's check out some tips and tricks to help make sure your classroom is a fun place to be.
Here's some of our Superprof tips to help boost your confidence as a new or aspiring private tutor:
- Do some of your own research; textbooks, tutoring blogs, YouTube videos etc
- Make adequate time for your pupils
- Keep professional
- Create lessons appropriate for your students and their level
- Start your lessons off with a warm up activity
- Support and help develop children and their critical thinking skills
- Know when to incorporate your years of learning experience
- Encourage independent learning and organisational skills
- Find suitable resources
Another important reason to want to make your lessons fun and engaging is that it means you'll get great reviews! Here on our Superprof platform our potential pupils can browse through reviews left by previous students, so having good things said about your lessons is a huge advantage!
To find out more about being an online tutor and how you can develop your professional skills in the world of education make sure to read some of our other articles to support you on your journey.
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