Online English Teaching - A Full-time Job or the Perfect Side Hustle

06 March 2024 News

Since the pandemic and the work from home revolution, loads of new, flexible job opportunities have opened up. I, like many others, have discovered that one of the most flexible and lucrative is teaching English online. All you need is a laptop with internet access and a decent camera and you're all set. When it comes to choosing an online teaching company to work for, the choices may seem endless; however, for me, Twenix, a company based in Spain, stands out from the crowd.

Flexibility

I've been combining working at Twenix with studying for my Masters, and what I really value is being able to vary the hours I teach based on how busy I am with uni work. Twenix teachers have complete flexibility to decide when, how much or how little they work. You simply open up slots in your Twenix calendar when you're available to teach and the system matches you with students who are free at the same time. What's more, there's no minimum number of hours you need to teach, so during busy periods I hardly teach at all, but then when things calm down I open up more slots. Also, if something comes up you can transfer your classes to other available teachers; or teach last-minute classes at 15-minutes notice if a gap suddenly opens up in your schedule.

No-Prep & Hassle Free

Something I've found really refreshing about Twenix compared to other platforms I've taught on is the fact that you don't have to do any lesson prep or correct any homework. All the lesson plans are provided for you on the Twenix platform; you just have to log in 5 minutes before class, skim through the content and teach it. The classes are only 26 minutes long and they really fly by. On top of that, there's no need to market yourself or fight over students with other teachers; students are automatically matched with available teachers. You just teach your classes, leave feedback for the student and get on with your day, or teach another class, it's up to you.

Engaged Students & Engaging Topics

One thing that always put me off teaching English in the past was the idea of teaching screaming kids or moody teenagers. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but the idea of being in a classroom full of 20 of them just never really appealed to me! What's great about Twenix is that all the students are adults and all the classes are one-to-one. They're all professionals based in Spain and Italy, and, due to the matchmaking system, you might never teach the same student twice, so you're constantly connecting with new people from different places and with fresh perspectives. 

Students choose the lesson content for each class based on their preferences, interests or work needs, so you know that they're going to engage with the topic. I've had some really interesting conversations with students who are experts in fields like finance, renewable energy and the film industry, it's been really eye-opening.

Quiet Months & Demanding Standards

As with any job, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. There are some times of year when demand drops and it's more difficult to book classes. This seems to happen particularly in August, when everyone in Spain and Italy is sunning themselves on the beach, and, more strangely in January. I had assumed that students would be booking classes in droves as part of their new year's resolutions, but apparently not!

Another thing to bear in mind is that standards are pretty high at Twenix. It's never been an issue for me but they expect you to maintain an average feedback rating from students of 4.7/5 star, so you've really got to be on it in your classes. However, if you are struggling, the teacher support team offers a lot of guidance in the form of online materials, videos and webinars that can really help get you back on track.

So there you have it, if you're looking for full time teaching work, or just a new way to earn on the side while studying or travelling, why not check out Twenix? You won't regret it!

Katy, 25, Twenix Teacher