I’ve been an online English teacher with Edmentum for the last three years. When I first started looking I was home with a new baby, I had just resigned from my classroom teaching job and I wanted a job working from home. I would literally job hunt all day every day, with my resume ready to be submitted to an employer at a moment’s notice.

Over the years I’ve shared my experiences and knowledge with friends and co-workers who are interested in a part-time job for extra spending money, or who are looking to make a change and leave the brick and mortar classroom.

With so many teachers and parents looking for work from home jobs in today’s world, I wanted to share my journey of what I have learned about getting a job as an online teacher.

1. Job search engines are AMAZING. My job searches always started with a trip to indeed.com. In truth, since I started using indeed about 5 years ago I was hired for three different jobs using this incredible website. Playing around with the key word searches was also really important since I was looking for very specific positions. ‘Remote teaching jobs’ wasn’t as successful for me as ‘online reading teacher’. Jobs are literally updated all day every day, so I would check my recent searches multiple times a day. The second you see a job that you are seriously interested in, APPLY! Have all of your documents ready to go (references, letters of recommendation, certifications, resume, etc.). Some companies will contact you the same day and others may take a day or two, if you hear from them at all. I also suggest keeping a document listing what job you applied for and the company. When you apply to more than two or three it’s very easy to get them mixed up.
2. Teaching English to children overseas. Once you find some job listings, it’s important to be aware of the different types of online teaching jobs available. One of the most popular part time jobs is working for companies like GOGOKID and VIPKid. These companies will oftentimes give you the lesson plans and materials, but it’s up to the teacher to incorporate props and engage students. Teachers control their calendar and students sign up for sessions where there are openings. Ratings and teacher feedback are very important for these positions. As a secondary teacher, while I did apply to VIPKids, I never went through the entire process because I knew I wouldn’t be a good fit. I am friends with teachers who work for these companies and see how passionate they are about working with their students. Just a little heads up, these jobs typically happen early in the morning (like 5 am ish).
3. Online school companies. Back in 2014, I worked in a building with a supervisor who also taught part time for K12. When I started my online job hunt I started with K12. I wasn’t qualified for any of their open positions (more on this in a second), so I started looking at other companies. Along with K12, Edmentum and Connections Academy are other popular online schools. As an employee of Edmentum, I can only speak on their requirements and expectations. I was first hired as a contractor (part time and without benefits), then I switched to full time (with benefits) and I currently work as a contractor again (by choice). During my time as an Edmentor, along with teaching, I have co-hosted a PD session on Accommodating Special Education Students in the Virtual Classroom, attended IEP meetings, participated in curriculum committee meetings, collaborated with sales and marketing, and more.
4. Making sure you’re qualified. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is the importance of multiple state certifications. Why? Every state is different in their teacher requirements. Edmentum works with schools literally all over the world, and have to follow specific guidelines when hiring teachers. For instance, in order to teach students in Indiana you need an Indiana certification. I was hired by Edmentum to teach New Jersey students, which was the only certification I had at the time. My Instructional Leader had me get my Michigan license so I could work full time with a school there. I was also told to get certifications for Indiana and Illinois because that’s what the company needed me to get. Some states will make you get fingerprinted, even though the job is for an online company, and even CPR certification. It’s also up to you to make sure keep your certifications up to date. As a heads up, some companies require that you live in the state you are teaching in, like K12 (which is why I wasn’t qualified from earlier). So before you fill out a job application make sure you read the job requirements.
5. Creating your own courses. If you’re looking for a more flexible online teaching job, I would suggest taking a look at Outschool. Teachers create all kinds of classes for all ages. I keep seeing ads for princess Sing-a-long tea parties in my Facebook feed for Outschool. Personally, I have never worked for taken a course through this platform, but I see lots of parents talking about it in Facebook groups.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.