Can I Be an Online Part-Time Tutor?

When you think about becoming an online part-time tutor, your first question is: Where do I start?

There are several options at your disposal. In this article we are going to help you understand the benefits of being an online part-time tutor and where can you start your career.

Let's start by talking about the benefits of teaching online.

Benefits of Online Part-Time Tutoring

• Control When and How

To begin with, online tutoring is very flexible. It allows you to teach any number of hours per day. Usually, part-time teaching amounts to 20 hours per week at online schools.

However, on the online teaching platforms we will discuss later, you can set your schedule and decide when and how your sessions are conducted.

• Make Extra Income

Many people nowadays are searching for extra income. And online tutoring is a great way to make money.

For sure, you know a subject or a skill you can teach. For example, let’s not go far, your mother tongue is already a great start.

Normally, to make extra income and not be dependent on any online schools, people refer to online teaching platforms.

Usually, the platforms take a percentage of your lesson price, but even so, you can make a nice income by working just a few hours a day.

• Help Someone Struggling

One of the benefits of being a tutor, which is often not mentioned enough, is that our work helps others.

As we have already mastered a skill or subject to some extent, we can lead another person through this path and help them master it too.

This can be math, Excel, a new language, or even a physical skill. By being a tutor, we help our students succeed and achieve their goals.

Also, we, tutors, receive great inspiration and happiness when our students make progress.

We should be proud and take this as a great benefit of the profession.

Do I Need Specific Qualifications?

In general, it is teachers who are required to have the proper qualifications to start teaching. To start tutoring, you don’t need any specific qualifications. Here you can read more about the differences between a teacher and a tutor.

However, some countries like South Korea, require by law to have proper qualifications, we would advise checking the law beforehand.

However, it is good to have a degree or certificate in a subject or area you tutor, however, if you are still a student or a native language speaker, or even have working experience, it is enough in most cases.

Do I Need Specific Tools?

Online tutoring requires two types of tools hardware and software.

When it comes to hardware, it is a laptop or PC, camera, headphones, and a microphone. You don’t need to buy all of them separately. A laptop with a built-in camera and headphones with a microphone will work perfectly.

When it comes to software, the good news is that if you are planning to give just a few lessons a day, you don't need a lot of specific tools at the start.

While you are starting, an Excel sheet to track your students is good enough.

The same goes for scheduling lessons. Normally, the platforms where you will tutor already have a sophisticated scheduling system that can integrate with your Google Calendar and a video platform for your lessons.

If the platform doesn't cover video, Google Meet is a great option to handle your classes.

If you are interested in deep dive into how to become an online tutor, feel free to read this article.

How Much Should I Charge for Tutoring?

The price you should charge per lesson depends on multiple factors, such as the platform, your knowledge level, location, and skills.

As a rule of thumb, new tutors who are just starting should charge a bit lower fee to attract new students, especially on platforms that already have a variety of tutors.

However, do not go too low, especially if you provide a more specific service like test preparations or Business training.

The best approach is to look at your competition. Explore some profiles of other tutors on the platform to get an idea of how much they are charging per lesson.

We have already done some research, and you can read our comparison in our article "How to Determine Tutoring Prices Per Hour."

Platforms for Part-Time Online Tutoring

In the past years, online education had a leap in development, so you have too many options at your disposal.

Here are some of the options to explore.

Platforms for All Types of Teaching

1. Tutor.com

The platform offers personalized one-on-one tutoring sessions with certified tutors in various subjects.

2. Preply

Connects students with tutors for language learning and other subjects, allowing flexible scheduling.

If you are interested in knowing more about Preply, feel free to read the article about “My Journey as a Preply Tutor for the past 8 months”.

3. TutorMe

Provides on-demand tutoring and homework help in over 300 subjects. The platform uses machine learning to match students with tutors.

4. Chegg Tutors

Offers tutoring in a wide range of subjects with flexible scheduling options.

5. OutSchool

Provides a platform for teaching a variety of subjects to K-12 students, including unique and niche topics.

6. Skooli

Offers instant online tutoring for K-12 and college students in various subjects.

7. TakeLessons

Provides a platform for teaching both academic subjects and extracurricular skills like music and languages.

8. Brainfuse

Offers tutoring services to schools and colleges in a range of subjects with a focus on personalized learning.

9. GoPeer

Connects college students with K-12 students for affordable tutoring sessions.

10. Varsity Tutors

Offers live online tutoring and classes for a wide range of subjects and test preparation.

11. Tutors Panel Academy

A comprehensive platform providing tutoring services across various subjects with flexible scheduling.

12. Wyzant

Wyzant is an online teaching platform that connects students with private tutors across various academic subjects and skill levels.

13. Pearl Tutoring

Provides a platform for personalized tutoring sessions with a focus on academic subjects.

Platforms for Teaching Languages

1. Lingoda

Specializes in language learning with live online classes in English, German, French, and Spanish.

2. VivaLing

Specializes in language learning for kids and adults.

3. Italki

An online platform for language instructions for one-on-one sessions. 

Platforms for Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)

1. VIPKid

Specializes in teaching English as a second language to children.

2. Cambly

Focuses on conversational English practice with native speakers for students around the world.

3. Magic Ears

Provides online English teaching jobs with a focus on young learners.

4. Qkids

An online platform for teaching English to young learners, offering a flexible schedule.

Platforms for Teaching Math

1. Yup Math

Provides on-demand math tutoring for middle school and high school students.

2. Mathnasium

Focuses on math tutoring for students of all ages, offering both in-center and online sessions. Works as a franchise.

Handling Challenges

During your process of becoming an online part-time tutor, you will find a lot of challenges, we will address three of them and give you a few tips on how to overcome them.

Remember, our blog is a great source for finding new tips, teaching strategies, and latest developments. We are also here to give you tips and tricks to help you solve many of these challenges.

• Technical issues

No matter how much you are prepared. Technical issues may and will happen. Low internet connection, headphones not connecting properly or issues connecting to the platform to give lessons.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with the platform you are using to quickly solve the issues that may arise.

Another thing you cannot forget is that you should be in constant communication with your student or parents in case of technical issues.

Is not professional to make the student wait without any information on your side.

Get ready to connect at least 5 minutes before to make sure everything is fine with your equipment.

Also if during the lesson you suffer any technical issue, make sure to inform the student about it.

Additionally, extend the lesson time to compensate for the time lost with issues.

• Difficult students

Some students will be difficult to handle and you will need to develop strategies to handle them in the best way.

First things first, stay calm! Never ever get angry during one lesson, escalating the situation with a student will solve nothing. Once again it is highly unprofessional to do so.

Second, try to understand which type of student it is and what will work better in terms of teaching methods.

Third and last tip, if you are feeling lost in how to explain a topic, use AI tools to help you get some ideas on how to explain the topic in more accurate way.

• Time Management

You need to make sure to manage your time well. You shouldn’t be late for lessons or delay in sending your students the necessary materials.

For example, if you finish your job at 05:00 pm then calculate carefully how much time you need to start your part-time tutoring job.

Don’t schedule lessons for a time you know you cannot or will be challenging to make it.

Also when rescheduling and canceling a lesson, make sure to notify your student enough time in advance (normally 24 hours).

Don’t cancel lessons, 5 minutes before, this can break the loyalty between you and the student and make the student look for a tutor somewhere else.

However, emergencies happen. That is why make sure instead of cancelling a lesson to reschedule it at a convenient time for both you and your student.

• Get new students

Getting new students is a bit challenging for beginner tutors if they don’t know how to do it effectively.

Online platforms are also full of tutors and you need to know how to make your profile stand out.

Here are 5 tips to help you get new students for your part-time tutoring job:

• Clearly describe your skills and knowledge in your online profile of the platform

• Make sure to attach any diploma or certification you may have

• Add a good-quality profile picture to your profile

• Have a competitive rate for your lessons

• Shoot a good-quality video if required by the platform

• Promote your profile in your social networks (who knows? Maybe someone you already know will be interested in your tutoring)

To sum up, being an online part-time tutor can be a very rewarding and flexible way to earn extra income. It does not require much preparation and tools.

Whether you’re already a subject matter expert, a native language speaker, or simply passionate about helping others learn, you will find the online tutoring industry the best place to be.

Do not be afraid to take advantage of the many online platforms. In a matter of days, you can easily get started as an inline tutor and set your schedule.

Overall, the flexibility, income potential, and ability to make a positive impact make online part-time tutoring an attractive option.

And with the right approach and dedication, you can build a thriving online tutoring business on your own terms.