Do you love teaching but want more flexibility and convenience in your career? Online teaching may be your perfect career fit.
Online teaching is one of the fastest-growing industries globally. The outbreak of COVID-19 made in-person classroom instruction impossible, creating an opportunity for online education. Statista estimates the online market in the U.S. will reach $166bn in 2023.
You can now teach online through digital education platforms without going to the classroom physically. Online teaching allows you to widen your job search by creating an opportunity for you to instruct learners across different learning levels and locations.
Unlike traditional teaching, online teaching allows you to enhance the creativity in your lessons. You can instruct your learners using different platforms such as message boards, interactive websites, recorded audio, video conferencing, and video lessons. In addition, teaching online helps you establish a flexible schedule by setting your class times and dates.
In this article, we’ll examine the different teaching careers available for you as an online teacher, their qualifications, and key responsibilities.
What Is Online Teaching?
Online teaching is delivering synchronous or asynchronous instruction to learners via the Internet.
Online learner instruction can provide you with opportunities that traditional classrooms may not offer. This digital platform gives you the flexibility of teaching methods, allowing you to connect with your learners in multiple ways. You can also travel the world while still facilitating learning among your learners.
Numerous online teaching positions make it easier to get a teaching job, especially if you have yet to attain your teacher certification.
15 Online Teaching Careers
You need a computer, a high-speed internet connection, and a quiet space to teach online. You should also have a microphone and webcam and be familiar with online video platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Skype.
Let’s look at different online teaching careers you can pursue:
1. Special Education Teacher
A special education teacher works with learners who require additional support to realize their potential. These are learners with learning, behavioral, emotional, and physical disabilities or developmental delays. You may also work with gifted children.
As a special education teacher, you will often work with a team of other professionals, such as occupational therapists, psychologists, and speech therapists, to support your students.
Your key responsibilities as a special education teacher include:
- Developing individualized education programs for each learner that address their unique difficulty.
- Planning, preparing, and delivering lessons.
- Researching and adapting teaching methods that support learner education.
- Making use of special facilities and equipment to support learner education.
- Checking and assessing learners’ work.
- Providing accommodations such as extra time on tests, visual aids, and assistive technology.
- Working closely with parents or caregivers to ensure your learners receive the support they need in and out of the classroom.
To qualify as a special education teacher in public schools, you must have a bachelor’s degree and state-issued teacher certification. Certification relevant to special education helps you become more skilled and competent at handling learners with special needs.
Remember, besides teaching academic subjects such as math, writing, and reading, you’ll also teach life skills such as communication, self-care, and social skills.
2. Middle School Teacher
A middle school teacher is a teaching professional who handles learners in their formative ages of 11 and 14. These are learners who are between the 5th and 8th grades of schooling.
You guide your learners through adolescence and inspire them to develop their unique talents. You also prepare them to acquire the knowledge and skills they will require for effective learning at the high school level and beyond.
Some of your responsibilities as a middle school teacher include:
- Creating a safe and supportive learning environment.
- Researching, planning, and crafting lesson plans that are optimized to capture curious minds.
- Imparting knowledge of advanced and complex school subjects such as math, science, and social studies.
- Guiding and inspiring young learners’ emotional, educational, and social growth.
To qualify as an online middle school teacher, you must acquire a bachelor’s degree in a core subject such as math, science, or history. You also need a teaching certificate in the state you wish to teach in. A master’s degree is also a requirement for teacher certification in some states.
You can also take the alternative pathway to teaching in middle school, which requires you to complete a teacher preparation program approved by the state and attain a state teacher license.
3. Elementary School Teacher
An elementary teacher works with learners in grades one through five or six, inspiring their personal and educational development. As an elementary school teacher, you teach learners subjects like mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and history.
Your responsibilities extend beyond the classroom. You must also nurture a safe and inclusive learning environment that develops the young ones’ curiosity, love for learning, and critical thinking.
Your responsibilities as an elementary school teacher include:
- Supervising learner activities inside and outside the classroom.
- Working closely with parents to ensure a holistic approach to education.
- Designing and delivering age-appropriate lessons that accommodate your classroom’s diverse learning styles and abilities.
- Cultivating social and emotional skills in students and guiding them through their formative years.
- Administering, marking, and grading assessments to measure learner progress and understanding.
- Identifying and addressing individual learner needs and providing additional support for learners depending on their learning abilities.
To become an elementary teacher, you must hold a bachelor’s degree. In most states, you must also complete a student teaching requirement and pass a final test to become fully licensed.
A master’s degree makes you more effective in your roles, earning you higher wages and administrative positions.
4. Teaching Assistant
A teacher assistant (TA) plays a significant role in the classroom, supporting learners in their educational, social, and emotional development. You may work with learners individually, in groups, or as a whole class.
As an assistant teacher, your roles involve assisting the classroom teacher in duties such as preparing lesson plans for classroom instruction, making resources, and creating displays of learners’ work.
You play a supporting role under the supervision of the lead teacher to give learners much-needed educational support and instruction.
If you haven’t acquired your teacher certification yet, becoming a teacher assistant helps you gain valuable experience before pursuing a degree program to become a fully licensed teacher.
Your roles as an assistant teacher include:
- Listening to learners read, reading to them, and telling them stories
- Supervising learner’s group activities
- Helping the lead teacher plan learning activities and complete records
- Helping learners who need additional support to complete tasks
- Watch, record, and report on the progress of learners
- Lead classes with help from the regular teacher
- Grading learner assessments and taking learner attendance
The qualifications for teaching assistants vary from state to state and school district to district. While some states only require a high school diploma, others may demand two years of completed college coursework or an associate degree.
Some districts require you to pass the district’s local or state assessment. Check for the specific requirements in the school district you are seeking an online teaching position.
5. Art Teacher
If you are an art enthusiast who wants to share your craft with the world, teaching online may be your dream job. Becoming an online art teacher involves teaching learners over the internet.
Teaching art involves specializing in different forms of visual arts, including drawing, sculpture making, photography, printmaking, painting, and ceramics, all of which you can teach online. Alternatively, you can have specialized classes teaching learners how to work with a specific medium, such as digital photography or oil painting.
With proven art skills, you can hold online general art classes teaching in private studios, public or private schools, community centers, or museums. You can also work with individual aspiring artists, helping them develop art skills and specific techniques.
Some of your key responsibilities as an online art teacher include:
- Designing and implementing art lessons that meet individual learner’s abilities and interests.
- Provide feedback on learners’ work and offer guidance on techniques and materials.
- Sourcing for art resource persons for your art students depending on their competence levels.
- Directing learners on appropriate art supplies and where to get them.
- Organizing online or in-person art exhibitions and showcases of art displays for your learners to celebrate their achievements.
- Sparking enthusiasm and encouraging artistic creativity to grow their love for art as an emotional outlet.
To become an art teacher, passion alone is not enough. You need to get a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license. You can also opt for a bachelor’s degree in education in Graphic or visual arts, drawing, ceramics, or art history. You should also be able to effectively use a computer to upload materials and communicate with your learners.
To teach art in an online university, you need at least a master’s degree in fine arts (MFA). Also, if you are instructing aspiring artists, recruiters will expect you to be a professional artist yourself. You should, therefore, create a portfolio to showcase your professional work to potential employers.
6. Language Teacher
Becoming an online language teacher involves teaching students to speak, comprehend, and write in a foreign language over the Internet. You provide instruction in the culture and literature of countries where the language is spoken to enhance understanding.
You must also be creative, engaging, and patient to keep your learners engaged and interested. Teaching languages online lets you connect and build relationships with many learners worldwide.
Your responsibilities as an online language teacher include:
- Developing educational content such as quizzes and notes
- Preparing and delivering lessons to improve learner’s writing, reading, and conversational skills in the specific language.
- Designing your teaching content and style to meet learners’ needs and levels of understanding.
- Assigning learners roles that guide them into consolidating learning material
- Tracking and reporting on learner progress
To qualify as an online language teacher, most platforms require native-level proficiency in the language you wish to teach. You also need experience delivering one-on-one classes with proven results, preferably online.
However, a bachelor’s degree in education or the language you plan to teach increases your hiring rate and earnings. If you plan to teach a language online in a public school, you must hold a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license.
7. Tutor
Becoming an online tutor means privately teaching a single learner or a group of students in a specific subject area. Online tutoring involves providing extra learning materials for the learner to learn and review, usually via a video call software such as Zoom. Your responsibilities as an online tutor include:
- Designing tutoring activities and content around the learner’s goals and areas of need.
- Helping learners complete assignments given at school.
- Guiding your learners in test preparation by giving them tips to pass tests.
- Providing them with feedback on their progress
- Inspiring and motivating your learners to do better
To successfully pursue a career as an online tutor, you must have an undergraduate degree. Some tutoring sites may require you to have a high school diploma or a relevant subject-specific certification. For instance, if you want to offer tuition in A-level mathematics, you must have a math degree.
8. Course Developer
An online course developer is an individual who designs digital educational programs, curriculums, and training materials for businesses, educational institutions, and organizations to be facilitated remotely.
Your job involves making decisions influencing learner content consumption while creating courses so trainers can measure learner progress.
Your roles as an online course developer include:
- Creating dynamic courses that help online learners engage with lessons and content effectively.
- Collaborating with educators ensures courses are easily teachable and packed with essential content.
- Working with human resource departments to identify employee training needs in various departments.
- Establish significant strategies for measuring learner understanding of course content.
To qualify as an online course developer, you must hold a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Employers may also require that you have several years of experience in the virtual course creation industry.
9. EFL Teacher
An English as a Foreign Language(EFL) teacher works with non-native English speakers, helping them read, write, and converse effectively.
Some of your key responsibilities include:
- Planning, preparing, and delivering lessons online
- Assessing and giving feedback to your learners on progress
- Creating tests and marking them
- Creating engaging linguistic activities and fun ESL games to adapt to online teaching.
To qualify as an online ESL teacher, most companies will require you to have trained as an English teacher and have a TEFL certificate. However, other employers require you to have a bachelor’s degree in education.
10. Educational Consultant
An online educational consultant can work with students, teachers, parents, and institutions to improve educational experiences in several ways. In schools, you are tasked with reviewing curriculums and advising curriculum developers on the best ways to enhance educational content to improve learner outcomes.
You can also help special needs teachers and parents create individualized educational plans for enhanced outcomes or help individual learners plan their educational journey and career goals.
Your key responsibilities include:
- Evaluating institutions’ admission programs
- Assisting educators with mastering and incorporating new learning tools
- Advising Edtech and book publishing companies on updated and valuable products to learners.
- Helping learners identify their ideal school and college settings based on their educational interests.
- Help develop educational initiatives to help address and minimize dropout rates
To become an online educational consultant, you need a bachelor’s degree and several years of teaching experience. Most employers prefer a master’s degree. You may also pursue university degree programs tailored to becoming an educational specialist. Knowledge of the challenges and requirements of running an institution is an added advantage in successfully navigating this role.
11. Lead Teacher
A lead teacher oversees other teachers in the same grade level or subject. You are the head of a grade level or department as an online lead teacher. Your activities influence the overall grade or school goals.
As a lead teacher, you are tasked with mentoring newly recruited teachers and guiding them on successful integration into the educational world.
Some of your key responsibilities include:
- Working in collaboration with curriculum specialists in developing and reviewing specific online courses.
- Monitoring your grade level or department to ensure learning is running smoothly.
- Providing leadership and direction to online teachers teaching sections of the course.
- Providing a final report concerning the offered course and recommending changes for improved learner outcomes.
- Creating pacing guides and helping other online teachers in planning lessons.
To qualify as a lead teacher, you must hold a bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or a related discipline. A master’s degree is preferred in some cases. You may require additional certification if working in a specialized environment such as a foreign language school or a special needs learning institution. You will also require teaching experience to perform as a lead teacher effectively.
12. Instructional Designer
Instructional designers are tasked with creating effective and engaging learning experiences. Your job will involve collaborating with subject matter experts( SMEs) in designing and developing learning experiences.
Some of your roles include:
- Writing educational content and redesigning courses
- Creating educational videos, podcasts, and content
- Training educators on delivering learning material
- Researching innovations in educational design and delivery
- Creating and developing interactive storyboards into interactive eLearning experiences
- Developing job aids, facilitator guides, and slide decks
Advanced education in the subject ensures you are adequately equipped to effectively carry out your high levels of responsibility in instructional design. To qualify as an online instructional designer, you must hold a master’s degree.
13. Subject Matter Expert
A subject Matter Expert is the go-to person for trustworthy content about a specific topic. In education, your day as a subject matter expert involves answering questions, giving presentations, and solving educational problems. You can effectively play your role online in e-learning course development teams in ensuring high-quality, relevant, up-to-date, and accurate information is passed on to learners.
In your operations, you may also be paired with instructional and graphic designers to share valuable information on the curriculum and assist in outlining teaching points for effectively designing learning experiences.
Your key responsibilities in online learning as an SME include:
- Act as a knowledgeable source of valuable, subject-specific information
- Prune educational content to consist of only the most important details and
- Add details into educational content to enrich the course content, enhancing learning experiences.
- Use your expertise and understanding of a topic to create lessons and course objectives
- Give feedback by reviewing modules, course activities, and full courses
To become a subject matter expert, you must first gain knowledge in your subject area. In education, you can acquire your master’s degree and then complement this by continually taking courses such as online classes or certification coursework. You should also seek opportunities to increase your subject matter skills, such as volunteering on projects to acquire hands-on experience.
It is important to continually seek continuing education opportunities by attending conferences, participating in discussions on the subject, and posting current news and the latest trends on social media.
Establish yourself as an authority in this area by creating an online presence. You can use Q&A websites to offer expert knowledge and participate in social media forums that help you showcase your knowledge in that subject.
14. Kindergarten Teacher
If you love working with children, working as an online kindergarten teacher gives you an opportunity for a rewarding career with flexibility, increased access to learners, and reduced administrative work.
As a kindergarten teacher, your role involves instructing learners from the start of school (0 years). You may teach online in public and private institutions or teach individual learners.
To effectively teach kindergarten children online, you must develop interpersonal, communication, and critical thinking skills.
Your key responsibilities as an online kindergarten teacher include:
- Assessing learning
- Reporting learning outcomes to administrators, parents, and guardians
- Evaluating the effects of instruction
- Designing suitable online class activities for content delivery
- Identifying individual learning needs for individualized educational programs and support.
To become a kindergarten teacher, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an early education program. You can also pursue alternative certification programs to become a kindergarten teacher if you hold a non-educational degree.
15. Curriculum Developer
A curriculum developer is tasked with creating lesson plans, instructional suggestions, curriculum documents, and other content valuable to educators in enhancing instruction. As an online curriculum developer, you connect remotely to a team of designers, creating a curriculum for specific subjects.
You must ensure that a wide range of competencies are covered within the curriculum to account for all learning abilities and interests.
Your key responsibilities include:
- Advising teachers on improving their teaching strategies and creating classroom instruction materials that meet learner needs.
- Creating new curricula and reviewing course content and materials such as textbooks, homework assignments, and course materials.
- Observing teachers and providing feedback to improve teaching skills
- Researching and approving technology materials such as software programs, computers, and tablets
- Analyzing test results to determine necessary changes in the curriculum
- Training learners, faculty, and educators on effective technology use
- Researching effective and innovative methods of curriculum instruction
To become an online curriculum developer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in education and prior experience as an educational administrator, teacher, or education consultant. Some positions also require a master’s degree in curriculum development or educational leadership.
Online Teaching Salaries
Working online as a teacher can earn you a decent salary and an increased learner base.
For instance, online English teachers make between $10 and $40 per hour, depending on their level of qualification.
Online teachers without experience can earn a $10 base rate per service hour. Online teaching platforms such as Preply do not require a degree or prior teaching experience.
The average salary for an online teacher in the United States is $56,728 annually.
How to Get an Online Teaching Job
Teaching online gives you multiple benefits compared to traditional classroom teaching. Understanding how to find those online teaching jobs is key in helping you successfully navigate the world of remote teaching and find positions that match your qualifications and salary preferences.
Here are the key requirements for working on these online teaching platforms:
- Creating a profile: Your profile involves creating a portfolio that showcases your skills, achievements, and experiences. Ensure you do this professionally and engagingly to attract learners from the onset.
- Paying a small fee: Though some online teaching platforms are free, some require you to pay a small fee for onboarding.
- Applying for teaching jobs: To apply for an online teaching job, search online teaching platforms and find vacant positions matching your qualifications, salary, and subject preferences. Remember to read reviews of current and former educators on the organization or platform to learn about the working environment.
- Start teaching online: Once accepted into an online teaching platform, it is time to grow your following by creatively preparing and delivering your lessons. Use educator-learner interaction channels such as discussion boards to engage your learners actively.
Make an Impact from Home
Online education has exponentially grown since COVID-19. The demand for online teaching skills is growing as online teaching platforms and private learners continue to increase.
Teaching online can give you flexibility and experience working with a diversified and wider learner base. In addition, your administrative and record-keeping requirements, as in a traditional school, are reduced, giving you time to focus on what matters.
Ready to begin your online teaching career? Join Teacher of Tomorrow today and get your teacher certification.
