Is this Online Teaching Thing FOREVER? Here's what I think.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Check out everything I offer for online teachers here: courses.onlineteacherdude.com/

[@JoseAngelFlores]

The pandemic really changed everything for me. I´ve been an English teacher for many years, working at companies, had my own school for many years and then I closed it because of the pandemic. But for many years I was driving all over town here in Monterrey, Mexico, from company to company. Then with the pandemic, it was all online classes and it´s been that way for the most part after it ended. Now I´ve got a couple of classes where I have to drive to the offices of my students and the rest are online. But there´s Chatgtp and there are so many things happening. For now I can say I have a lot of work, but I am definitely a bit concern about what the future holds for us language teachers. Great video!

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks for sharing! It is interesting to think about isn't it? I certainly don't want things to change THAT drastically, but I think we need to prepare and be open to change too. Thanks for the comment.

[@Coolagreen16]

As an English teacher though I'm already using Chatgpt to help me (while I can...) From setting homework tasks to helping explain grammar points (that's honest, right?). However, I certainly feel an "indepentent" English learner could already utilize it to learn English quite well, "independently" (literally). Things could be changing especially if it can be projected as an image (video generated teacher) with AI voice. "OK chatgpt, I want learn about reported speach today", or whatever. OK, chatgpt, teach me the content of 'English in Mind', textbook level 4, oh yes, we're on page 51 btw. Is it possible this is where we're is going here?

[@ShikokuFoodForest]

My situation was very similar to yours, except I haven’t started teaching online yet. I’m Canadian in Japan. Been teaching at schools and have had my own school. However, all my schools, including my own, closed as a result of the pandemic. I’m just considering starting online teaching later this year. Any advice/recommendations?

[@danielvillarreal6610]

@JoseAngelFlores, I learned the word “pobresor” in Mexico 🇲🇽, so I’m glad to hear that you’ve got work via the magic 🪄 of the Internet!

[@CrackerJayherber]

Well, I'm a relatively new English teacher. I'm on Cambly at the moment and I do enjoy working from home (Just being able to work at home automatically is better than going in physically to a job). As far as the future is concerned, I definitely would agree with you that we need to adjust with the times because things are always changing. You've inspired me to take more control of my independence. So, I do look forward to your course and getting students outside of a platform such as Cambly. I do see myself loving to teach in the years to come, but how I approach it WILL change. Thank you, Sir!

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Great, have you purchased yet?

[@CrackerJayherber]

@@onlineteacherdude1284 Not yet, Sir. We're on a trip in Spain. Once I get back home and have a chance to focus on my work then I will purchase your course. Take care!

[@KristensClassroom]

I've been having these thoughts lately too! This is a great chat!

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks Kristen!

[@katzztheva]

Thank you so much, it is great to hear your perspective. I am a veteran homeschool mom who homeschooled 3 kids from birth to 12 yrs, and they are now all three learning adult life on their own. I go into teaching online after some years of working online, going to school online for college degrees, and not teaching online. I love what I do and I see myself working online at least for a while more. I would love to learn how to maybe have affordable resources for homeschool families to be able to know how to homeschool their kids, as so many are unhappy with their local public schools. I see education becomes more internet based than physical based. I would love to connect more with online teachers and collaborate and learn from them. :)

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks for watching!

[@onlineadventureswithkelsey]

This is such a good topic to think and talk about. I know the end goal is to not do it forever, but it is good to think about what it would look like to shift things. Recent events in my life personally have given me a fresh perspective of what I’m wanting out of all of this.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

I agree Kelsey! Interesting to think about.

[@imdee9024]

So glad I'm not the only one thinking about this.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks for watching!

[@danielvillarreal6610]

Hi Tim, I’m working on setting up a self-generated phased retirement sort of like one of my favorite grad school profs did. Of course, his was funded via the university’s payroll system and mine will be done by Yours Truly. I plan to reduce my university teaching hours as soon as my American pension kicks in and later on, to reduce them even more (maybe to ZERO) when my Taiwanese pension kicks in. Meanwhile, I’m focused on adding freelance students to the mix. I’ll be simultaneously freeing up time during the day and adding freelance students. When my daytime schedule opens up more, I’ll be upskilling a lot to build my business.

[@NN57143]

I’m out of ESL teaching right now but I like to check in and sort of take the temperature of the ESL industry. I always come straight to your channel. 😊 I hope you’re thriving. 🌱

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Oh, thanks so much for commenting and checking in!

[@flamencojondotoday]

That was very encouraging! Thanks Teacher Tim.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

So glad it was encouraging!

[@RoyAlf]

I've been teaching business English online via Zoom for quite some time now, and I'm always up for trying out new platforms. My student numbers tend to fluctuate, so I'm diving into creating a KZbin channel focused on a specific niche. The ultimate goal is to build a thriving business around the channel while still offering personalized one-on-one lessons. To make this happen, I'm on the hunt for diverse digital products and services that I can promote. Diversifying my income streams is a must-have for long-term success. However, my lack of marketing background makes it a bit tricky to juggle all the aspects of running a business, from teaching and video content creation to filming, editing, social media promotion, and email marketing. So, I need learn from the experts and find effective ways to overcome these challenges.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

My advice is NOT to start a youtube channel with the aim of making it a thriving business before its started. This can take ages. I'm 5+ years in and its not a "thriving" business. I make around $100 / month on ads and I have over 20k subs. Start YT for fun, as a hobby, dont take it seriously, have fun with it and if it grows, great, if it doesn't...no harm no fowl. Don't start thinking of offers and products to sell on your channel before its even created. I would wait until you have significant growth first.

[@cyndig1670]

Good talk!

[@junieg3662]

Thank you so much Tim for your insightful videos. I enjoy teaching on Cambly, but had found myself feeling down because the pay is rather low and I had been thinking about the long term and how I want to make more money to achieve a better quality of life so this video is very timely. It’s important to think about the long term and what’s sustainable.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks for sharing! I agree.

[@eslgamer3934]

Wow, your videos are truly inspiring! As an experienced online tutor myself, I can appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into creating quality educational content. It's amazing to see someone like you who has achieved such professionalism and success in the field. I'm currently in my second year of running my online tutor business, teaching ESL internationally for a total of 5 years. My student base is split equally between independent learners and those through a renowned English tutor platform. Just recently, I hired a virtual assistant to handle scheduling and social media, allowing me to focus more on teaching. Your videos resonate with me on a deep level, and I can see myself following in your footsteps in the next 5 years. I'm definitely considering enrolling in one of your courses to further enhance my skills. Keep up the fantastic work, and thank you for being a constant source of inspiration!

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Why thanks so much! If you'd like to be interviewed on my channel, sounds like you have a story - reach out!

[@eslgamer3934]

@@onlineteacherdude1284 Yes lets get in touch

[@Coolagreen16]

Such a good question, and related questions. Will AI be a factor? Tim, what you've done in the last 5 years or so is pretty amazing. Good for you, and thanks for the inspiration.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks so much for watching and leaving a comment! AI will definitely be a factor I think.

[@josec.6504]

English teaching is definitely going to change in the future, but it will be slow enough for us to be able to adapt and survive. We just have to try to stay on top of things. Ai is just another tool. We should be using it, not fearing it.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Agree Jose.

[@kristenalmonte1110]

I think online teaching overseas depends on your time zone if you are the U.S. I am a single parent of a 5 year old. I would love to teach ELL students online but my daughter will need me to stick to EST time so that I can adhere to her school schedule, get her ready in the mornings and pick her up after school. If you don't have kids, I think this is a great option for a time.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

That's what a lot of teachers love about the Chinese ESL companies because they can finish work before their kids wake up in the EST area time zones but it is an early morning start.

[@frazerhainsworth08]

Alright, check it out, folks. This online teaching thing, is it gonna be around forever? Well, here's the deal. It's gonna stick around until AI becomes so damn advanced that it's indistinguishable from humans in real time. That's some crazy sci-fi stuff right there, but hey, technology keeps evolving, right? But here's the kicker. Even if AI reaches that mind-boggling level, there will always be people who value and prefer genuine human connections. You know what I'm talking about. That human touch, that personal interaction, the emotions and experiences we share with our fellow humans. AI might come close, but it can't replicate that depth, that connection. Now, let's take it to the extreme. Imagine a world where AI is indistinguishable from humans. Well, at that point, either we're under attack from freakin' terminators, like in the movies, or we're livin' in a world of abundance, where nobody needs to work. Yeah, you heard me right. No more 9-to-5 grind, no more worrying about teaching online or anything else for that matter. So, while we ponder the future of online teaching, just remember that human connection will always have a special place. AI can do a lot, but it can't replace the real deal. So, let's appreciate the power of genuine human interactions and see where this crazy ride takes us.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

I appreciate your insights Frazer - good stuff and agreed. take care

[@ylara71]

I think there are so many factors that come into play. Future plans? 5 year goals? 10 year goals? Single or married? House owner or not? Children or no children? Health? Insurance? Savings? Economy? Where do I live? Being close to family or not? One thing is for sure. Time flies and life happens. For some, the security of a company, a school district, etc is what must be and for others is not. And then there are those that are doing both. I am at the end of my career. My children are grown. I will see where this goes.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thanks for sharing!

[@scotthilberg8894]

Great insight by the Godfather😎

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

haha thanks Scott.

[@Kay_Watermelon]

I feel like I'm so far behind everyone on this journey. I am just just now trying to get started in teaching English online. I need work that is remote and discovered a skill for it while travelling and meeting people around the world wanting help with their English. I just really don't have any desire to work in a physical classroom or to teach kids. I think even the TEFL courses seem to geared towards only that, which is frustrating. Thankfully I started creating lessons on other topics on TpT to have some passive income. But as well all know, we need several different streams of income working independently online. But I still think I am so very late to the game in trying to get involved with teaching online.....

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Hi! Why do you feel like you are too late? There will always be a market for online teaching. Just start! :)

[@ShikokuFoodForest]

I’m a Canadian, certified, experience teacher living in Japan for over 12 years now. I’ve always taught in-person lessons in classrooms at a variety of schools including my own. However, times have changed and all my schools where I’ve been working have closed. So, I’m just beginning to think how to best make the transition to online teaching working for an employer or better - getting my own students! I can’t help but wonder if the online English-teaching market is already saturated with teachers. Any advice on ways to best market myself online?

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Thats too big a question for a yt comment, but you can watch my other videos on this topic.

[@marymorgret-thomas2016]

In five years, I hope to reach even more students by selling my adult speaking-class curricula to other teachers. But, I gotta figure out how to do that. 💪🏻

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

i hope i can help!

[@carlchegg3400]

Hi Tim, it appears several Chinese online ESL companies are ramping up hiring and offering more classes to students. VIP, ME, and Bling are just name a few. Have you heard if China is reversing their double reduction policy? If so is it welcomed news for us teachers??? Be great if you can do a video to discuss

[@stewartrobertson-xt1co]

I can confirm Magic Ears are back up and running, we just had a training session this morning! According to the trainer, the regulations have been changed!

[@carlchegg3400]

@@stewartrobertson-xt1co what are the changes exactly? Did China U turn on the double reduction policy?

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

can you email me please with any correspondence you have? [e-mail]

[@timetraveler6949]

I didn’t hear this. How do you know they’re hiring? Is palfish back up or vipkid?

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

@@timetraveler6949 VIPKid never went away - they have been operating since 2016 I think. Their hiring halted big time and they changed their marketing.

[@solomonbenjamin8627]

Hi Tim l like to take TESOL program i am from Canada i have my MBA degree and pg in IBM i have industry experience in customer service no teaching experience i like to switch my career in teaching any suggestions looking for online tutoring

[@rachelw2156]

Thank you so much for this video. It's very helpful and encouraging. I know you have courses for teachers going solo. Do you have any for teachers starting with companies for the first time? And if so, do you accept PayPal or another method. I've been watching all the videos, but nervous where to start. Thank you.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Hi Rachel, I do! Its a free course, called The Online Teacher Bootcamp - you can get it in the description of the video.

[@teach3r8]

People want to talk to people, to real humans. The idea that language learning will be totally AI based, without humans, seems next to 0 in probability. On a certain dating website, they charge $204/ hour (billed per minute) to talk to other real humans, that are also paying $204/hour. So they take $408/ hour simply for hosting clean video calls.

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

I agree, human connection will never be lost but my goal with the video was not to argue about AI - that's coming whether we like it or not. its more to think about the future.

[@timetraveler6949]

Dude even $20 an hour is good for many- it’s all relative. Check your privilege 😊

[@onlineteacherdude1284]

Absolutely, $20 an hour can be life changing for someone. It was for me! Even $10 / hour, while low, can be what someone needs to get by in the moment. I never said that it wasn't. I'm just sharing what is possible if someone isn't happy with their current rate. Watch the video and check yourself before you leave a comment that doesn't align with what my intentions are. Peace.