Go From School Teacher to Entrepreneur
COVID-19 is transforming what it means to be a teacher, bringing financial opportunity.
Teaching is a noble but demanding job. It’s also relatively rare for a teacher to be paid well. Without an advanced degree and tenure, schoolteachers often get a pretty raw deal. It’s getting more difficult for a teacher to buy a house in the UK, and many U.S. teachers take a second job just to get by. Still, the emotional satisfaction of doing something truly important often helps teachers stick to their profession.
In 2020, teachers saw the typical lack of resources and support compound, as they went from educators to medical safety and logistics organizers, as well as de facto front-line workers. Some schools have opened and already closed again, due to positive COVID-19 cases. Most, however, have opted for the online option.
At the same time, more parents than ever are opting to home-school their children, potentially further diminishing the budgets to pay teachers. And, as the traditional education system slowly crumbles under pressure, the demand for private tutors is growing exponentially. Concerned parents are looking for highly qualified educators to help their children navigate the sudden changes around them. Parents even band together into “pods” to hire tutors for group lessons.
Teachers have to change, but change is good (and profitable)
While the schools are trying to adjust as best as they can, the private education industry is exploding. Where before there was a significant skill divide between remote online tutors and school teachers, social distancing rules have largely bridged that gap. A professional teacher now has to rapidly master the skills particular to teaching online. In other words, school teachers now have to catch up with online tutors.
The new skill-set for teachers has to involve structuring their materials to incorporate interactive and multimedia content, be engaging, and maybe even structured as an immersive journey. Not only do they have to compete with the restless nature of school children, but they also have to compete with immediate access to the internet. When traditional classrooms provided some level of control, teachers must now compete with the universe of distraction in front of every student — the internet. And, to compete effectively, the teachers must develop more than just curricula, they have to develop experiences.
The teachers who can develop this new, e-learning set of skills stand to gain a significant advantage over their peers, as well as their private education competitors. What’s more, they can open up a world of possibilities in terms of their earning potential.
Learn to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Without “Selling Out”
The internet is saturated with self-made gurus, coaches, and influencers. To wade into the muck of self-promotion can feel like a step down. This whole business of “selling yourself” can feel like a significant hurdle for many professional teachers. To that, we say, gleefully, you don’t have to!
While you should absolutely adopt some of the business mindset when it comes to building an education business all your own, you should shoo away those images of slimy door-to-door salesmen you’re likely conjuring up. In online education quality, reputation, and genuine care for your students’ outcomes helps you establish a personal brand that lasts.
As a teacher, you are actually in a perfect position to start your business without quitting your day job. By adopting your teaching style to fit with online instruction, you create a skill-set that is becoming in high demand.
By simply bringing your skills to a platform like Tutor.id, you can start finding individual students and groups that are looking for your expertise. The trend towards remote education means that you are no longer constrained by geography. Instead, you can reach students who need your expertise across the state, the country, or on the other side of the globe.
Better yet, with Tutor.id, you are in total control of your time, payment, pricing, and student relationships. Other online education firms act like schools or agencies, requiring a dedicated time, or giving you limited control over who your students are. With a platform like Tutor.id, you can take back control, managing your schedule, availability, and payment.
By marrying the online teaching skills with your professional approach to education, you have a leg-up in the industry. A student (or parent) is far more likely to pick a seasoned educator with experience of working in the school system. Ironically, while the world is going through one stage of shut-down or another, the opportunity to create an independent business doing what you love has never been greater.
If you are looking for opportunities to put your education experience to good use while maintaining control over your time, try Tutor.id to easily manage online lesson scheduling, and make tutoring payments effortless.
