Online Tutor – A milestone for international education

First and foremost, it is important that the tutor is good at teaching and has a subject that he or she likes to talk about. This can be his or her native language, another school subject, playing an instrument or any other talent or skill. It can be any skill that can be taught online. The next important requirement is good technical equipment consisting of fast Internet access, headset, webcam and a computer, laptop or smartphone. Furthermore, a good tutor is only as good as his or her environment. This means that the tutor should have access to a quiet spot where he or she can concentrate on his or her students. The last point is availability. If one’s own schedule is already full, there is no time left to give lessons. This is why tutors need to make sure that they have enough time during the week or on weekends.

Basically, online tutors do not need a special certificate. However, if you possess a certificate that proves your qualification we highly recommend to mention this in the profile. Online tutors can also upload their references in their profile so that interested students and families can check the qualifications before hiring them. 

Not only the tutor, but also the family needs to fulfil some criteria.The priority is obviously that someone in the household needs and wants to learn something which can be taught by a tutor, for example a language, playing an instrument or a subject from school or university. The second thing that families need to provide is payment. An online tutor is a relatively cheap way to acquire new skills - of course, this service is not free. Each online tutor can fix a price for his or her lessons and the family must be willing to pay for it. Last but not least, comes flexibility. The tutor might not be available at any time. Make sure to have a fixed time schedule and to attend the lesson.

We live in a time where there are hundreds of good video chat programs out there - the problem is choosing only one. Most online tutors use programs like MS Teams, Zoom, Google Meet and  Skype. But if you google “video chat program” you will find a lot more options. Key is to agree on one program that both the tutor and the family can use. Tutors who want to give lessons to many students should stay flexible though and stay updated about new trends in video chat programs. 

AuPair.com makes the matching process for online tutors and families as easy as possible. When registering one can select a program. Choose “tutor” and then “online tutor”. This way, interested users can see that you want to be an online tutor or that you are looking for one. After you have matched, you will have the option to exchange messages as soon as one of the users has a Premium membership. Note: only one user needs to be Premium to get in touch and usually it is the family that purchases the membership. 

The tutor should think about which payment procedure is the most convenient for him or her beforehand. In private messages, he or she should let the family know about the preferred payment method. The online tutor should at least select two options so that the family can choose. However, the more options are available the easier. There are plenty of methods worldwide and it is crucial to see which method is available in which country. Some payments methods are for example:

We highly advise against payment methods that require paying a fee. This is not necessary and in some cases might not be safe. Double check before using a certain method and google the name of the provider plus “experiences”. 

If you need to pay taxes depends on the country you live in and on how much you earn with being a tutor. In most countries, there is a certain limit when it comes to salary. Often, you are allowed to earn a certain amount of money without needing to pay taxes. However, when you cross that limit you must transfer the tax. Please make sure to check this limit before starting to teach your online students. It is very important that your job is legal. 

 

If you want to know more about the offline Tutor program you can find more information about it in the Tutor program article. 

 

In case you prefer to become a live-in Nanny or an Au Pair just click on the links and read more details. You can also become an Online Au Pair with our new program Virtual Childcare.