How to Balance Teaching English Online with Parenting

If you’re a parent, regardless of whether your child is a baby or a teenager, it can be difficult to fit a career around your parenting role. Children of all ages are demanding of your time, and trying to juggle their needs with a full-time job outside the home can often feel overwhelming.

While in the past, most families consisted of one working parent and one staying at home, times have certainly changed. Families today look very different from those even a couple of generations ago, and there is an ever-growing need for two incomes to make ends meet. With this in mind, remote work is becoming a top choice among parents who want to work and earn money but also need a job that fits their family’s requirements.

Why Choose Online Working As A Parent?

Balancing parenthood with your personal growth can often be challenging. Whether you wish to advance personally or whether you’re eager to progress in your career, becoming a parent can sometimes mean your own goals take a back seat. There’s no denying that parenting is a major responsibility, so it isn’t surprising that many mothers and fathers find themselves failing to fulfil their true potential due to their caring obligations.

Recent surveys have shown that although 98% of women report wishing to return to full-time employment after having a baby, only 13% actually find this a viable solution. There are many reasons why this is the case, but perhaps two of the most significant are the high cost of childcare and the difficulties parents face when trying to fit work around their caring responsibilities. It isn’t hard to see why an increasing number of parents are starting to seek out online employment opportunities, and teaching English online is one of the most rewarding possibilities.

How Does Teaching English Online Work?

Although most people think about teaching English as an in-person role in a traditional classroom, that’s no longer the case. In fact, there is a huge demand worldwide for skilled English teachers who can deliver lessons to learners of all ages online.

Online English teachers have the freedom to work from any location of their choice as long as there is a good internet connection. That means you can easily work from home, where you can keep an eye on your children and manage their needs without having to deal with a daily commute or pay for costly childcare. Even better, classes can fit around your childcare schedule since there are students in every time zone who are eager to learn and develop their English skills.

How Does Online English Teaching Work Alongside Parenting?

While you can teach English online from home, you’ll still need to plan your schedule carefully. After all, you don’t want to be interrupted in the middle of a class by a screaming toddler or grumpy adolescent!

Here are some top tips to point you in the right direction:

Have A Dedicated Teaching Space

One of the most important things you can do is have a dedicated space in your home where you deliver your classes. Setting boundaries with your family is also crucial to avoid disturbances. Make sure that they know the times that you’ll be working and that they aren’t to enter your workspace during those hours.

Align Your Hours

It’s crucial to align your work hours with your child’s schedule. If you have a toddler at home who always takes a nap between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., for example, that would be the perfect time to plan a class. If you need to pick up your son or daughter from school at 3 p.m., it makes sense to avoid arranging any classes around this period to give you time to do the school run without rushing.

Utilise Time Management Technology

Tools such as timers, automated messages, and online calendars can all be extremely useful for streamlining the teaching process. Harness the power of this technology and use it to your advantage to make the best use of your work time.

Take Breaks

It’s vital to plan some short breaks from classes into your day. Not only will it give you some time to unwind before the next lesson and ensure you have valuable opportunities to attend to your child’s needs and reconnect with them.

Protect Your Own Time

Remember that you’re working as an online teacher to improve your work/life balance, so ensure that you’ve set effective boundaries that protect your own time outside your teaching commitments. Decide the hours you’ll be working, plan your classes in advance and avoid doing extra work outside your scheduled work periods. Your downtime is your own, and you should use it to spend some quality time as a family.

How Do I Start A Remote Teaching Career?

If you’re wondering how to start a remote teaching career, the first step is to obtain TEFL certification. There’s no need to have a university degree to follow this career path. As long as you are a native English speaker and are keen to develop the skills you need, this qualification will give you the experience and knowledge you need to be successful in your virtual classroom. It’ll also give you an advantage over non-qualified teachers when you start looking for work with one of the online English schools.

Once you have your TEFL certificate, the next step is to secure a position. Many online English schools seek out qualified candidates to deliver lessons to diverse learners of all ages and backgrounds from all around the globe. Once you’ve successfully secured an online teaching role, you can start setting your boundaries and arranging your teaching commitments so that they align with the balanced lifestyle you desire. You’ll find no better way to create the best possible work/life balance and manage your parenting responsibilities effectively while still enjoying a rewarding career.