Tutoring online can be a great way to make some extra money while helping someone achieve their goal of finishing a degree and having a brighter future. One of the things that keeps people from giving it a try is they don’t know how to get started. With that in mind we wanted to share a list of tools that can be used to make tutoring online easy.
#1 – Calendar
Chances are you won’t be able to be online all day and night, so you will need a way to let students know when you are available to meet with them to answer questions or conduct tutoring sessions. There are a few good options for this. One that we came across recently that we like is called Calendly (https://calendly.com/)
#2 – Video Conferencing
Most of the topics students require help with involve some type of topic like math or science where it helps to be able to draw figures or plots to help explain things to them. It also makes it quicker to write out equations, instead of typing them out in a word processing tool. There are several great options for this, but be sure to pick one that is both cost effective and includes a screen sharing ability. One we like is called Zoom (https://zoom.us/)
#3 – tABLET OR PEN
As we mentioned above, being able to quickly draw figures, plots, or work through equations in real time while explaining something is very important. If you have a standard computer that does not have a touch screen, you will need a tablet to do that. If you have a newer laptop with a touch screen a pen might be a good option. One tablet we like is made by Wacom ( https://www.wacom.com/). You can find them in Best Buy ( if you live in the United States ), and you can also find a good deal on one on Amazon. They have a wide range of options but we have found the smaller one that is the lowest in cost works just fine for most online tutoring needs.
#4 – Tutortonight
Here at TutorTonight, we have been working hard to develop a platform that you can make use of to connect with students in need of tutoring online. If you or someone you know what to give it a try, just click the “Log in | Sign up” link at the top of this page and complete the sign up form, selecting Tutor as the account type. You will receive an email to activate your account at the email address you sign up with, and if you add a picture on gravatar.com (https://en.gravatar.com) using that same email, that picture will appear on your Tutor profile. You can make use of the MircoPost feature on your profile to add updates and links to your calendar or other resources you wish to make available to potential students. And be sure to sign up for our email newsletter so you can stay up to date on the improvements and new features we are working on.