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Question
How can I start teaching from home?
Answer
Interesting question, and one that is very reflective of the times. With gasoline prices at record highs and flex-time becoming the norm, people are increasingly looking for ways to take physical commuting out of their careers.
However, for understandable reasons, teaching from home still remains the exception rather than the rule. Certainly, up through the high school level, teaching is still considered something of a hands-on occupation. But online colleges have become wildly popular, especially for adults and for specialized courses like English as a second language. These types of programs might afford you an opportunity to teach from home.
To find programs like this, approach your search as if you were a student. Look for online degrees or courses in your particular subject area, and then contact the institutions offering those programs to see if they have any teaching opportunities for you.
Some cautions, though. First of all, since online education creates efficiencies of scale (i.e., a teacher can handle more students), these jobs are likely to remain more scarce than their in-person counterparts. Second, be sure to check out the reputation of the institution, and verify payment terms, before you do any work for them. Finally, at least for accredited programs, keep in mind that online teaching will have the same prerequisites as traditional teaching jobs. You may need to be certified in some way; each school's requirements are different.
However, for understandable reasons, teaching from home still remains the exception rather than the rule. Certainly, up through the high school level, teaching is still considered something of a hands-on occupation. But online colleges have become wildly popular, especially for adults and for specialized courses like English as a second language. These types of programs might afford you an opportunity to teach from home.
To find programs like this, approach your search as if you were a student. Look for online degrees or courses in your particular subject area, and then contact the institutions offering those programs to see if they have any teaching opportunities for you.
Some cautions, though. First of all, since online education creates efficiencies of scale (i.e., a teacher can handle more students), these jobs are likely to remain more scarce than their in-person counterparts. Second, be sure to check out the reputation of the institution, and verify payment terms, before you do any work for them. Finally, at least for accredited programs, keep in mind that online teaching will have the same prerequisites as traditional teaching jobs. You may need to be certified in some way; each school's requirements are different.
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