Online Tutoring: To Do or Not To Do?

By Tamiera Vandegrift on December 23, 2017

Online tutoring can be a really great job. It’s flexible, which allows you to fit it in with your schedule. Face-to-face tutoring requires you to work shifts sometimes, which makes it difficult to juggle with other obligations in your life. There’s also a ton of online companies and services that will help you get an online tutoring business started. In this day and age, with all of the technology we have at our fingertips, it seems almost silly not to transition to online tutoring exclusively, right? Well, like anything, online tutoring comes with its ups and downs. If you’re making the decision whether or not to pursue a part-time or full-time career in online tutoring, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for some of the pros and cons of online tutoring!

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Pro: It’s pretty convenient

Online tutoring is pretty easy for your schedule and the schedule of the student you’re tutoring. You will both save gas money and time by simply meeting through a Skype call or a chat room service. It’s also helpful if the student has a difficult schedule and can only have short sessions. With online tutoring, sessions can be pretty quick and easy. Also, with online tutoring, you have some pretty great resources on your side.

With the Internet, you can use Google platforms, screen capture, and websites like Lynda or Khan Academy to find answers to the things you might not know off of the top of your head. You can even show your students how to store notes from your sessions on their computer for later access! By being an online tutor, you will have access to a lot more resources than you would if you were a traditional tutor.

Con: It can be challenging

Although the Internet has its fair share of positive resources, it definitely has some negative ones too. For instance, computers can be a source of distraction for students, especially if they’re kids. It can be difficult for students to keep their attention on the lesson at hand instead of emails and Facebook messages. This can result in a huge waste of your time and theirs.

Also, it could be difficult giving a student the attention they need from a tutor in a digital sense. For instance, if a student is more of a hands-on learner, they will not benefit from a PowerPoint presentation or digital whiteboard. It can be hard for a tutor to recognize issues a student could be having through a computer screen. At the same time, not all subjects are equal. It can be difficult to teach lessons in mathematics or science over the phone or computer, when these subjects typically need to be written out and solved physically. While online tutoring has its advantages, it also has its fair share of issues.

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Pro: It pays well

Depending on how successful your brand and business is, along with the platform you work for, online tutoring can be a seriously lucrative career choice. For instance, some services allow online tutors to make $9 to $13 per hour. Others allow them to make $30 or $40 per hour. Often, this depends on each individual tutor and the skills and experience they’re bringing to the table.

For instance, if you have your Bachelor’s or Master’s in a certain subject, you are likely to be paid more in that subject than someone still in college or someone with only their high school diploma. If you begin your own services, you can charge as much or as little as you would like.

Con: It’s not always reliable

As much as we all love technology, it’s no secret that it’s not the most reliable service out there. With online tutoring, unreliable technology can be a serious problem. Since Internet connections aren’t always dependable, it can be a major pain and inconvenience to suddenly be kicked out of a session or suddenly lose connection from a student. With problems like this, you can find your Skype calls or sessions riddled with errors and issues, which can ultimately result in complete disconnection and a complete delay in productivity. If this is a recurring issue, it can result in a major blow to your business and your wallet.

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Pro: It can be successful

Being an online tutor allows you to spread your business to dimensions wider than your hometown. You can find yourself working with students in other cities, states, and even countries! Because of this, you will virtually never find yourself running out of business or out of students. Online tutoring is such a lucrative career because all students need help in a subject, but not all of them have time to seek a traditional tutor. As an online tutor, you can fill in the blanks.

Online tutoring can be a lucrative and successful part-time and full-time career, but it comes with its fair share of issues. By taking these pros and cons into account, you will be able to make the decision of whether or not online tutoring works for you.

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