How To Find Work-at-Home Teaching K-12 Jobs

Teaching online is not a new concept.

However, online teaching has become the new frontier for teachers, students, and parents alike with the pandemic’s rise. Due to current circumstances, everyone has needed to adapt to a world of social distancing and virtual classrooms.

Because of safety concerns, many schools have decided to venture off into the world of virtual teaching. If you are a teacher and you are worried about the prospect of teaching online, do not worry—many have gone as far as to describe the work to be similar to that of teaching the traditional way.

Online teaching, also known as e-learning or distance learning, focuses on teaching students from the safety of one’s home. Like in a traditional classroom, you will need to prepare lesson plans, assessments, class activities, and homework. You will also need to monitor the student’s progress and design assessments to test their skills.

Here you will learn more about what are the needed requirements, skills, and qualifications. You will also learn about how flexible working from home will actually be and how much you can expect to earn from it.

What Are The Educational Requirements And Experience Are Necessary To Work As A Teacher Online?

Before pursuing your career as an online teaching professional, you must receive the proper education. Just like any educational profession, you must take the time to earn either an associate’s, bachelor’s degree, or higher. Keep in mind that to be a licensed teacher, you will need at least a bachelor’s. With an associate degree, you can find a job as a teaching assistant or a substitute teacher.

If you still do not have the necessary credentials to become an online teacher, another alternative is to become an online tutor. Even though many professional tutors have a four-year degree, you can get a job with a high school degree or a GED.\

Most, if not all, institutions will require you to have a teaching certification from your state. However, if you are interested in being an educator, keep in mind that it is not just about earning a higher degree. Working with children is not always an easy task. A person needs to be patient, caring, and understanding.

As a teacher, you will need to connect with your students to make engaging and relatable lessons for them, even if you work online. To work as a teacher, you will need to possess excellent communication skills, at least one year of experience, and working knowledge of the courses you will be covering.

Because you will be working from home, you will also need to have an understanding of computers and the online platform. Many institutions will provide their teachers with the proper technical training so that they may be able to design different courses and multimedia experiences for their students.

How Flexible Would It Be For You To Work From The Comfort Of Your Own Home?

One of the most alluring qualities about working from home is the ability to set your own hours. If for any reason, you are unable to teach at what many consider regular business hours such as a 9 to 5, you will have the option to work evenings or even weekends. We all have an energy cycle. Working from home can give you the chance to work during the hours when you feel the most active.

Because you will be working remotely, you will be able to connect with students from different parts of the world.

Having this type of flexible schedule—you will have the opportunity to spend more time with your family.

Even though you will have a flexible work schedule, try to balance your job and your home life. The last thing you want is to feel trapped at work. Keep in mind that working from home takes a lot of self-discipline and motivation. Because you will be able to set your own hour’s focusing can take a great deal of inner strength.

One of the things that make working from home difficult from time to time is the fact that there is no physical separation between your workspace and your leisure space. If you choose to do this, you will need to create a designated work area and make sure that there is a change in scenery from one room to the next. Not doing so can cause unwanted stress and anxiety.

How much can a teacher make from working at home?

One of the many perks of being an online teacher is the ability to choose your own class sizes. Many online instructors may earn from $5 to $15 for each student with the ability to have up to a maximum of twenty students.

This is not the only payment alternative. Many online teaching positions can be paid on a salary basis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, someone with a bachelor’s degree and is adequately certified can earn around $40,000 to $60,000 a year. If you are going by an hourly rate, the national average is $22.

Remember that your salary will largely depend on your completed education level if you choose to pursue a teaching career. As mentioned above, a teacher’s salary depends on the amount of experience and the level of education they have received. Keep in mind that this also depends on state to state. Below you will see that averages of a teaching professional:

• Tutor. Though many tutors have a bachelor’s degree, you can get a job with a high school degree or a GED. An online tutor’s average salary is around $30,000, which is roughly about $15 an hour. As a tutor, you will be working one on one with a student in various subjects. Your job is to offer support to the student and make sure that they complete their assignments and project and are well prepared for any test or presentation.

• Associate Degree. With an associate degree, you can find a job as a teaching assistant or a substitute teacher. With this degree, you can earn up to $40,000.

• Bachelor’s Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $50,000.

• Master’s Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $60,000.

• Doctoral Degree. With a bachelor’s degree, you can earn an average of up to $70,000.

It’s essential that once you earn your degrees, you focus on the next step. Earning your teaching certificates, this is a critical step in achieving a higher salary. Before you accept any compensation offers, make sure you do the proper research on what they offer in other teaching institutions.

Where Can I Start Looking For An Online Teaching Job?

Now that you have a better idea of what you might be earning and the necessary skills and requirements, you will need to get an online teaching job. The next thing for you to do is finding the right place for you to teach. Here is a list of organizations or online teaching institution:

1. K12. K12 is an entirely remote learning institution. It provides an educational program for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This gives children that are homeschooled the opportunity to be a part of an advanced learning institution.

2. VIPKID. It is dedicated to helping ESL students improve their English. To become a VIPKID teacher, you will need at least two years of teaching experience, a bachelor’s degree, and you must be authorized to work in either the United States or Canada.

3. Kaplan. Many people recognize Kaplan as a college-level instruction for college prep. With this program, you will be able to help students test prep for the SAT, ACT, and AP subjects.

4. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. This institution is dedicated to catering to some of the brightest minds. They specialize in helping gifted children develop their skills in math, science, and liberal arts.

5. Connections Academy. Connections Academy offers students an opportunity to attend a high-quality education tuition-free. While working for Connections Academy, you will be given a chance to work either one on one with your students with a full classroom.

6. EduWizardS. EduWizardS is an online tutoring platform. Here you will work with individual students and help them excel and become well prepared in any given subject.

7. California Virtual Academies. This institution is dedicated to California residents. If you choose to work there, you will be able to give your students an innovative and challenging educational environment. Keep in mind that if you choose to work for this institution, you will need to be certified as a teacher in the state of California.

Final Thoughts

Before teaching at any institution, make sure you have done the proper research. With the right credentials and experience, you will be able to find a good teaching job online.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.