Why I Love Teaching: Confessions of An ESL Teacher

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Teaching English is a fantastic opportunity, even if you aren’t a traditional teacher. Whether you want to work part-time or work full-time and stay at home, you can find something to fit your schedule.

In this article we will discuss why I love teaching.

For me, teaching English online has opened the opportunity to work from home as a self-employed individual. I am in control of the hours I work and when I work. I also plan to travel when the travel restrictions lift to take a few risks and cherish some moments as a young adult.

Other people decide to teach English so they can stay at home with their kids while only working a few hours a day. 

I Love Teaching Because…

I love teaching because I get to impart knowledge while learning something about myself. Teachers create lifelong, memorable relationships that a student will take with them while they derive direct benefit from our teaching… We make a difference!

Teaching English has been a blessing for me as it replaced a traditional 9-5 job for me and allowed me to work on other entrepreneurial projects to enhance my income further.

It has enabled me to create strong bonds with my students and provide valuable knowledge that will help them speak English fluently with direct benefits in their life. Some of my students learn English to get a job promotion, work abroad or do well in their exams. I am delighted that I can help them achieve their goals.

Why I Enjoy Teaching English

So, if you are thinking of working online or abroad, here are some reasons why you should consider getting started teaching English:

1. Helping Others

Even if you become a millionaire in the morning, you will soon realize that no amount of money changes your life to the point you feel utter contentment and peace. A lot of money causes other problems so forget it if you think you will be happy when you make X amount of money.

Did you know that people feel truly fulfilled when they give to others? Teaching is known to be one of the happiest professions on earth. Despite teachers’ complaints and their hardships, it still stands as one of the most satisfying careers.

Why? Because you are helping and benefiting others. And there is nothing to regret if you live a life helping others. 

2. Lifelong Learning

As a teacher, you are constantly learning and growing your knowledge; it never ends. Not only do you learn about the course you are teaching but you learn about yourself and your skills. You learn from the students and the students learn from you. It’s a two-way street.

Teachers are lifelong learners who have to keep up with the changing trends and continue their training so they can teach effectively.

3. Showcase Creativity

You will use your creativity to create engaging lessons for your classroom. As an English teacher, you may have to adapt the lesson to meet the students’ level. You create games and follow up activities to enhance learning.

You will find something that clicks with your students and just works every time. Simply adding a memorable quote or story could make a dull lesson suddenly become more interesting.

Why I Love Teaching English Online

There are many options as an English teacher and other avenues to explore.

1. More Potential Income

If you have a few extra hours each month, why not consider teaching English online? Not only is it a fulfilling experience, but you can put some money aside for discretionary expenditure or savings for a rainy day.

Teaching online is a very satisfying experience, and you will receive praise and thanks from students you’ve helped, all while earning money. 

If you work for just a minimum of 4 hours extra per week, with the average pay being $20 per hour, that’s $80 extra per week, or $320 extra per month. Check out our review of Palfish, an app that only requires a minimum of 2 hours of work per week, with up to $22 per hour.

You could even try Cambly, which is the equivalent to ‘chatting’ to strangers for $10-$12 per hour.

2. No Commuting

An amazing thing about working from home is that there is no long commute. Travel expenses can work out as a substantial sum of money each year, whether spending on gas or the local bus.

You can sleep in and save a lot of time that you’d usually spend twiddling your thumbs in traffic. Park your spot in the online classroom instead!

3. Earn Bonuses

There are many bonuses you can receive teaching English online, the most lucrative benefit being the referral bonus.

When you sign up new teachers to an online teaching company, you receive a ‘referral bonus.’ This bonus could be anywhere from $20 to $200 per teacher referral.

How this works is if you know a friend or an online acquaintance who is interested in teaching online, give them your referral link (usually consists of the teaching website with your unique referral name), and the teacher can sign up to teach.

When they pass the interview and begin teaching, you will receive the referral bonus.

Some teachers make six figures by teaching, creating a Youtube career for themselves, and signing up so many teachers per month. You can share your referral link in Facebook groups, your social media sites, blogs, or Youtube. This can add a substantial sum of money to your income each month.

I work for Dada. Let’s say I signed up ten teachers in one month. That’s ten teachers x 100 dollars, which is 1000 dollars. $1000 extra to enjoy per month!

It’s best to offer advice and answer any questions these new teachers have with the onboarding process.

4. Travel

Many teachers who teach online or abroad travel to different countries for the experience of a lifetime. You are no longer fixed to one location, and you can take your laptop to Turkey, Thailand, or Timbuktu.

Did you always dream of soaking the sun up in Bali or eat a delicious hot pot in China? Well, now you can, while learning even more about other delightful cultures and having stories to tell.

The major benefit of teaching online is the travel aspect, and many others around the world do the same. It’s even okay to travel solo. Consider moving to somewhere like Chang Mai, Thailand, if you want to learn from the sea of other online nomads who reside there.

5. Make Friends

They may be virtual friends and not the kind you can meet every day, but you can make some good connections out there. I know many people who bring amazing skills to the table, provide advice, and are just excellent teachers. As I am also a blogger, I also have contacts in the blogging space.

You may think working from home is a very isolating environment, and it certainly can be, at times, try to make friends with other teachers with a question or reply to their Facebook posts.

You can find many online ESL teacher Facebook groups, so no matter what company you join, you can be connected by other bright, intelligent minds who think like you.

6. Flexibility

Teaching ESL online comes with unbeatable flexibility, which means that you can teach when you like. However, some companies require you to set a fixed schedule that is difficult to change or get extended time off.

There is no one ‘best’ company, just read the reviews and see what works for you. I have four different companies where I can add hours to my schedule and my schedule will fill up with a class of students.

You can teach when your own kids are at school, teach in the morning or teach in the evening. There are platforms that operate 24 hours per day, like Preply, and they can provide a steady stream of students, even in the AM.

Conclusion

These are the reasons why I love to teach English online.

If you want to work online or travel abroad but need some extra cash, I highly recommend trying this. If you want to stay at home with your children but still be able to afford to take them out and buy them that new bike, try teaching English online. It’s going to change your life!

Want to see some more quotes by real-life English as a Foreign Language teachers on why they enjoy teaching? Check out the quotes here.

If you want to earn a certificate, see my number one TEFL certificate here.

The TEFL Academy is a really great course and teaches you a lot, and it provides excellent value for a level 5 qualification.

If you are interested in becoming a teacher, take a look at my other articles down below, to find out more information. 

Useful Links

• Pros and Cons of Online English Teaching
• What Online Teaching Certificate do I Need?
• Teach Any Subject with Outschool
• Online English Teaching Jobs
• Inspiring Quotes for Teachers
• Other Reasons to Love Teaching