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While private webcam tutorials have existed for a number of years now, some tutors still aren’t sure how to get started with teaching what they know to students! We’re here to help you get started with tutoring!
Who is the Typical Student?
More often than not, online tutors will find themselves teaching school pupils, either studying for a GCSE or A Level exam. However, it is not unheard of for parents to sign their children up for extra lessons when they are younger. There are many reasons why parents or their child(ren) might choose to use a tutor, some of them being to help further their knowledge in a subject, to build confidence, learn important skills and also to all them to have tailored and individualised attention.
That said, 'grown-ups' can also benefit from tutoring services, whether they are preparing for an exam, degree, work training diploma or just to acquire a new skill.
What does Online Tutoring in 2020 Look Like?
When it comes to this type of tutoring services, everything’s changing from month to month, let alone year to year: the materials, how you prepare the lessons, what content is to be covered and how you speak to the students...
You best get ready because you can now help students succeed at any stage of their education. What's more, with recent events in mind, online tutors will certainly have noticed a surge in requests for distance learning so it is important to be fully prepared for what could be a busy and successful year in online tutoring.
To get to grips with digital technologies, which are being increasingly used in schools, there’s nothing better than online tutoring.
By directly interacting with your computer, you’ll be able to help students with their revision, and motivate them by using digital technologies.
Learn how to get started with online private tutoring.
Getting Started with Online Tutoring
You might think that if you have a laptop or computer, an internet connection and your brain then you are all set to start online tutoring, but actually there's a bit more to it than that. But we aren't saying it's difficult - just stick with us!
Obviously, it is important to think about many factors like where you will advertise your services, what software you might use, what supporting resources you might use, how you will communicate with your pupils (ie have you thought about setting up templates if you are to take on numerous students, to help with general admin tasks?) and also setting out your working hours.
Here are a few tips for you to ponder whilst preparing to become an online tutor or expand your business!
Teach Online with Private Webcam Tutorials
What Equipment do you Need to Teach Online?
In order to prepare your private lessons, you need to have the right tools.
Teaching online comes with plenty of advantages. However, it can quickly become a nightmare if you have faulty equipment.
Firstly, you should get the right tools:
- A decent webcam for effective video conferencing can be found for anywhere between £30 and £60 or you can get a digital camera that also acts as a webcam for between £100 and £300.
- A headset for communicating with the student (between £15 and £30).
- A new computer running Windows 10, for example.
Of course, good equipment isn’t all you need. You also need to think carefully about which programmes you’re going to use:
- Instant messaging platforms and programmes (Skype, Google Hangouts, Slack, etc.)
- File storage and Cloud services (Dropbox, for example)
- Use a programme for planning tasks (Podio, Fusioo, etc.)
- Online video libraries like YouTube, for example.
With all these teaching resources, you should be ready to give your first lesson!
Check Your Internet Connection
Even with the best equipment, your online lessons could quickly become a nightmare if your internet connection isn’t great!
For effective one on one tutoring over the internet, both parties need to make sure that their internet connection is quick and stable.
You should opt for fibre optic internet (available from most ISPs) which has very little delay. In general, fibre optic services aren’t that much more expensive than ADSL services. You should also check your student’s connection before accepting any tutoring jobs.
There are plenty of sites where you can check the speed of your internet connection.
Using Online Teaching Resources to Enhance your Lessons
Make the most of working online!
Whether you’re preparing classes for primary school students or secondary school students, there are a lot of online educational resources available to you.
You can organise your remote academic support tutorials directly online.
Depending on your subject, there are a number of resources available to you to help you teach online:
- Specialised sites for certain subjects
- Free educational apps for smartphones (Duolingo, Babbel, etc.)
- MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
- Online video courses (there are a lot of YouTubers specialising in educational content)
- Content for national exams
By being organised, you can prepare classes tailored to each student’s level. There’s nothing better than digital resources when it comes to learning!
Tips for How to Teach Online
Stay In Touch
You need to ensure that your student has learnt everything they studied during the lesson. In order to do this, you need to make sure you stay in touch with them.
Whether you use instant messaging or emails, you should make sure that you’re available to answer any of your students’ questions.
Staying in touch with your student means you can save time during your lessons. Rather than spending 20 minutes going back over something they were struggling with between lessons, they can work on it during their free time thanks to the answers you gave them.
Don’t hesitate to share some exercises online to help them. Staying in touch also allows you to avoid cancelled lessons. If you or your student have something come up, you can contact one another immediately.
Finally, you can also use digital communication to organise your lessons to make better use of your time.
Checking Homework via Webcam
You can also provide homework help via webcam. Whether through the webcam or via a scan, your student can show you the homework their teacher gave them and you can help them during your academic support tutorials
How to Give Online Tests to your Students
You can share links to online exercise or put them on task-planning sites. There are a number of sites that allow you to create online tests to send to your students. Check out this article that lists 26 of the best tools to help you create online assessments.
Online resources and materials help students to build on and retain their knowledge. By correcting their homework, you can help your student to progress in a number of different subjects.
You can provide online tutorials in plenty of different subjects:
- Maths
- French
- English
- Spanish
- German
- Geography
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
Take the time to explain certain aspects of your subject. It’s better to take the time at the start of your course to make sure that your students on the right page.
Students can make a lot of progress and pass their exams.
Listening
It doesn't matter whether you're an English tutor, chemistry tutor, or maths tutor. It’s important that the teacher listens to their students.
According to a 2015 Opinion Way survey, 55% of parents said that “being a good listener” was a teacher’s most important quality. A lot of teachers with larger classes struggle to listen to all of their students. This means that parents expect you to listen carefully to their child, even if you are at the other end of the country.
The goal is to provide effective teaching and get good results. If you know your student well, you can give them educational advice to help them on their way.
Furthermore, students appreciate working with a good educator. If you want to get good feedback on your Superprof profile, you’re going to have to meet and exceed your students’ expectations.
Read more about how to organise tuition online.
The Advantages of Teaching Online
Parents and Tutors Can Save Money
In addition to being fun, webcam tutorials are also cheaper. In fact, remote classes cost a lot less than face-to-face tutorials because there are fewer transport costs. You can earn your full salary without having to pay for petrol or public transport.
You can also organise video conferences which cost the parents less than group tutorials but earn the tutor more money. If your student wants to get a class with their friends, you’ll end up earning more money and end up with more positive reviews.
Everyone’s a winner!
More Students
Online tutorials are great for plenty of different types of teachers:
- Qualified Tutors: If you’ve got a great CV, you’ll be able to find students from all over the country. It doesn’t really matter exactly what your qualifications are, they’ll stand out to potential students.
- Specialised Tutors: If you’ve got a speciality (exam prep, English as a foreign language), this will put you ahead of other tutors. The rarer your specialisation, the more your tutorials are worth.
- Native Tutors: If you’re teaching foreign languages and you’re a native speaker, you’ll do well. In fact, a lot of parents want to find a tutor who speaks the foreign language natively. It can also be quite difficult to find foreign speakers offering one to one home tutoring in some smaller towns. You won’t have any problems finding interested students, though!
If you’re just looking for students where you live, you run the risk of getting paid less or struggling to find students. If you offer online tutorials, on the other hand, you can reach far more students around the country. You can also reach students in other countries where English is spoken.
Find more about how to teach English online.
Simple Organisation
Teaching online tutorials has never been easier and webcam tutorials are a great way to teach students.
You can teach from wherever you want. If you’re currently a student, you can give lessons from campus, from a cafe, or from another country. Say goodbye to geographical limitations!
Your student could study while on holiday as long as they bring their computer with them.
You could use this type to help them study for exams:
- GCSEs
- A Levels
- University Exams
- BTEC
- Etc.
Since you won’t be wasting time travelling, you can spend more time teaching. Online academic support tutorials can help you create a better link with your student. You can focus on your student and give them more autonomy in their learning.
You don’t need to waste time getting your things out. All your documents and resources are right there on your computer and accessible in just a few clicks.
You’ll notice that it’s easier for both parties to find a time that works for them. The time saved by not travelling can be used to teach more and earn more. Now you can use modern technology to teach!
The platform that connects tutors and students
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