What Are the Different Types of Online Teaching Opportunities?

Online teaching opportunities come in many different varieties. Teachers are needed for a number of different subjects and for very different student groups. Online universities, for example, hire teachers in a wide variety of subjects to teach specific classes. A very different type of job might be found providing online tutoring either through video or text. Not only are the subjects and students different, but the teaching methods used in these jobs are varied as well.

One of the most common types of online teaching opportunities involves working for an established online university or school. This type of job may cover any number of subjects and typically involves designing a curriculum, assigning work, and helping students. The precise requirements of this type of job differ depending on the school in question, with some requiring lectures or even guided discussions. A person teaching online through a school will usually be required to use a variety of learning interfaces on the school's website.

Many people are able to find online teaching opportunities that involve working one on one with students in a tutoring arrangement. Typically, this type of job entails working through video chats with the student and providing answers and guidance. Tutoring this way can be difficult if the student is not motivated to learn. As such, it can be very hard to teach effectively in this manner.

Sometimes, special opportunities can be found as well. Workshops online might hire teachers in specialized subjects, or a person might be able to create an instructional teaching website if he or she has compelling qualifications. Convincing students to sign up for a workshop or class that is not affiliated with any school can be difficult in many subjects, but self-help courses and some alternative medicine classes can be successful based on a teacher's reputation. These online teaching opportunities require the teacher to take the initiative and design the class entirely independently as well as advertise the class in order to make it profitable.

Many people forget that online teaching opportunities often have the same requirements as physically located opportunities. If someone is teaching at an online high school, for example, she must be qualified to teach in that program in order for the program to be reputable. Tutoring qualifications are often assessed on a more individual basis, but a person's experience must be compelling in order to get clients. A good way to find a range of different online teaching opportunities that a person is qualified for is to start by teaching offline in physical locations and then work toward moving into a school's online program.