The Next Chapter: My ESL Teaching Journey 💻
Introduction: 📋
Social media is flooded with posts, videos, and reels of individuals who claim to be earning while staying home to care for their families. It's the ultimate dream...
But is it easy to become an ESL Tutor?
Do I only need basic English knowledge to assist online students?
How can I assist learners in developing their English fluency or proficiency?
What about the technical requirements or gadgets I must use to teach online?
Do I need to invest in equipment or gadgets to start my ESL teaching journey?
These were the questions running through my mind...😕
English Learning Platform on Facebook: 📚
After more than one year of applying to various online and remote jobs, I was accepted as a part-time English Tutor when a former schoolmate contacted me via mobile phone to verify if I would like to work at her English learning platform on Facebook. This learning platform teaches English to kids and adults, mostly from local learners, whether beginners or at advanced levels.
But there was no orientation on how to do the work; she instructed me to watch Zoom-recorded sample video lessons of her teaching students to get an idea of how to start teaching English online. After watching the said videos, if I'm ready, she will assign a student for me to teach. Her IT assistant has set up a Zoom account and sent all the lesson material links via Google Docs. I was again instructed to browse and self-study the said lessons. There were sample corrections and comments that I had to pattern when sending the video lessons to their Gmail address. And just like that, I'm now an online ESL Tutor.
First Online ESL Teaching Experience: 📖📝
Online teaching for the first time was truly nerve-racking; the good thing was it's only a 25-minute Zoom class. The student is a 20-year-old male who wants to be a Customer Service Representative or Virtual Assistant. My first student was considered a demo class or mock teaching by the platform owner, and she gave me feedback after watching the recorded video.
The following was her feedback: She told me to practice my English pronunciation, and I didn't detect two mispronounced words by the student. I have to speak pure English and refrain from speaking Tagalog words. She reminded me not to be too early in starting the Zoom class because it is automatically recorded. I have noted all the constructive feedback.
The second experience of teaching online with the same student was unforgettable for me because I waited 15 minutes for the student, but he was a "no show", meaning he failed to attend a scheduled class or lesson without prior cancellation. I was both anxious and relieved. Anxious due to nervousness about whether he would attend, and relieved because I was paid for waiting. The third Zoom class for the student was cancelled ahead of time, so I wasn't paid, and after that, he didn't renew his class.
A Regular Student and Additional Students: 👧👦👨👩
Finding a connection between a teacher and her student is a benefit of being an online ESL Tutor; it was fate to have a regular student and maintain a stable income. I'm glad to assist with her goal of enhancing her speaking skills and improving her vocabulary since she has foreign clients as a VA. Our topics are everyday life situations, life quotes, and conversation topics. I enjoyed talking with her, and it's like we're having a personal Zoom chat instead of a class, and the classes are more relaxed and engaging. For 2 months, she was my first regular student, and I am thankful to have gained an acquaintance and connection on LinkedIn while being her English tutor.
During my second month of ESL teaching, I gained additional students. Most were Filipino adults between the Intermediate and Advanced levels of English proficiency. In other words, my specialization in ESL teaching became focused on adults and young adults who want to enhance and improve their English skills, connecting to work or school qualifications.
Second Regular Student for 6 Months: 👩
It was truly a blessing to have another regular student. She is also a teacher, but a religion teacher who spreads the Gospel to her students. She wanted to enhance her speaking and writing skills because her clients are foreigners. Our lesson material topics are everyday life articles and conversation topics.
However, there were some challenges concerning her class schedule because she often changes it to fit her work schedule, which I understand. Still, it was stressful for the platform owner due to constant changes in scheduling since her IT assistant resigned. On the other hand, it was rewarding that she mentioned how the regular classes improved her English-speaking skills and gained more confidence in conversational and writing skills. And I was a bit sad that she couldn't renew her classes due to a hectic work schedule in June 2025.
Challenges and Struggles of an ESL Tutor: 📒
The main challenge I faced as an English Tutor, according to the platform owner, was that she couldn't reach me when there were newly enrolled students or students who abruptly changed their schedules. I didn't realize that I must be available 24/7 at her beck and call. And she told me it was one of the reasons she couldn't give me new students. Is that really the case with online ESL teaching? Maybe I should have set boundaries or a schedule of my availability to conduct online lessons. Clear communication is key to understanding between two individuals.
Another struggle for me was how to smile while speaking; my inherent trait is that I look serious and nonchalant when I talk, and I rarely smile. She also pointed out that I always seem to frown a lot during the recorded videos. She reminded me to be lively and cheerful during the lessons. It was during this time that I had no regular students and no income for daily expenses.
A Sad Reality of Work: 💔
After 11 months of gaining online English teaching experience, I was advised by the platform owner that if I didn't improve my teaching style, she would ask me to leave, or I could be retained, but I wouldn't be given any students. Don't get me wrong, I will always be grateful for this opportunity she has given me. But her constructive feedback is straightforward and direct. So, it left me with no choice but to resign.
Sometimes, as an ESL Tutor, one has to have a fallback or another part-time job to make ends meet. I was too complacent to realize that I was dispensable after all. Lesson learned that in remote work, you must have other skills or jobs to continue earning from home.
Conclusion: 💖
It isn't difficult to find online ESL teaching jobs because some platforms or websites don't require a college degree or a teaching certificate. Some international English learning platforms only need community tutors to be fluent or near native speakers to assist professionals with their conversational skills. They also provide lesson materials that can be accessed by the tutor and student.
A laptop with a built-in camera and a noise-cancellation headset are the basic necessities or technical requirements that I started with. But I still need to invest in the essential technical requirements of an online job: a wired internet to ensure a smooth connection for foreign students, or better yet, reliable internet and backup power to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality classes for students, if there are power outages.
Looking back, I truly enjoyed teaching English online, and the majority of the students were all nice and friendly. And I realized that my specialization is more on conversational English, preparations for speaking tests in CELPIP and IELTS, and assisting with the basic writing skills of adult English learners. God willing, I will be accepted into another ESL company as an online English Tutor.
Comments
Post a Comment