How was I introduced to teaching online?
I stumbled upon it in an interview for an admin position and the recruitment agent recommended teaching English online. I’ve been unemployed for a while and after she explained the terms I went for it. The training was provided for three days and thereafter demo classes for two days followed by the final assessment and I was hired.
Before I tell my story, for those interested here's a quick, ‘What you need’.
Device: desktop computer or a laptop, Windows or MAC it all depends on the platform the company will use.
Camera: I bought a HD external camera, most laptops these days come with an in-built camera.
Headset: Logitech was my choice headset with a microphone for clearer communication and omitted background noise.
Internet: you will need a fast Internet connection to teach English online. Between 4 Mbps to 10Mbps more or less but uninterrupted.
Certificate in either TEFL or TESOL
TEFL: A Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification is an internationally recognized qualification to teach English abroad and a critical component of your international teaching job application.
TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages – a term that is used to distinguish English language teaching as a professional activity that requires specialized training.
Props: charts, flashcards, toys, or common word props making it easier for your student to understand through visual learning.
TPR: Total Physical Response is a method of teaching language or vocabulary concepts by using physical movement to react to verbal input.
My journey from the call centre to the home office.
I started in a call centre which meant I kept office hours during the day. We had the option of working a night shift because of the time difference which I took advantage of. Eventually, change took place within iTutorgroup and they required their teachers to have a degree and I didn’t thereby losing the job.
Working from home
I started searching for ‘teaching English online’ jobs and I found DaDaABC, based in Beijing they employed native speakers with experience and certificates in teaching English. I enjoyed teaching with DaDaABC because of the platform and teaching material, both user friendly and understandable. Unfortunately, I was dependent on a landline that got stolen throughout our block which resulted in a penalty fee and a warning. After the criminals stole our telephone line for the second time I lost my contract with DaDaABC.
Conclusion
Teaching requires patience especially with kids and I loved teaching the kids because of their energy. Be punctual and show enthusiasm while in a lesson, your students can pick up on your authenticity. Prepare your lessons in advance, most institutions allow time for preparation and provide the lesson materials ahead of time. Don't worry, every company I worked for has paid me well but you need a quiet environment and lockdown has made that part difficult for me.
Overall if you wish to teach online do your research and have fun.
