Written by Aidan Tyler-Scott
There are many benefits to becoming a freelancing online English teacher. You are your own boss, which is everyone’s dream. You get to choose your hours, your price range and be in charge of your own schedule. But, some challenges come with doing it on your own. You have to be in charge of marketing your services, creating your lesson plans, and figuring out where to find students. To help you figure out all the nitty-gritty details, we share the basics of establishing yourself as a freelancing online English teacher.
1. Create a Teaching Curriculum
The first thing you should focus on is building your resources and creating a teaching curriculum to follow. You don’t want to write and plan a curriculum later on when you have a full schedule of students. Your curriculum is the core aspect of your freelancing career. So, researching lesson plans for different proficiency levels and building a TEFL curriculum first is imperative.
2. Setting the Right Price
Before marketing your online teaching services, work out your rates. Firstly, figure out how many students you can take per day, per week, and per month. Secondly, figure out how much you would need to run your business and make a lucrative profit. Lastly, look at how much competitors are charging per lesson. Once you have got all the necessary information, you can work out your lesson rates. Also, think about discount packages that you could include within your marketing.
3. Choose a Trustworthy Online Platform to Teach
It’s important to use an online platform that you and your student can use for the lesson. Skype or Zoom is a good online platform to use in the beginning. Once you have a few students, investing in a platform specifically designed for online classrooms is necessary. Platforms like Classin, WizIQ, or LearnCube are ideal for freelance tutors.
5. Market on Media Platforms
Now that you have your curriculum, figured out your rates, and chosen the right online platform for online classes, you have to market your services. Fortunately, social media is a free way to market to a ton of people. There are many TEFL groups on Facebook that you can share your services and pricing. Create a LinkedIn profile to share your services and build your brand. Fiverr, a free online freelancing platform, is a great space to set up your services and pricing. And don’t forget, after a few students sign-up, word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing tool out there!
Freelancing for the Win
Freelancing is a fantastic opportunity to build up your own business and be your own boss. Starting your own thing can be daunting, challenging, and overwhelming. But (a big but), it is super rewarding once you have started and established your brand. Follow these 4 vital tactics to become a successful freelancing online English teacher. You will definitely be proud.
