Outschool is a website where teachers can offer online group lessons about a wide variety of topics. This post covers Outschool teacher reviews, pros, and cons for anyone who is considering teaching online with this popular platform.
I became an Outschool teacher after hearing tons of friends rave about their experience. I love teaching online and exploring work-from-home opportunities, so Outschool seemed like a great fit!
Overall, my Outschool teacher review is extremely positive! While it requires a bit of work upfront, Outschool can definitely be a solid online teaching platform long-term. To help you decide if this platform is a good fit for you too, let’s take a look at some teaching for Outschool reviews, pros, and cons!
About Outschool
Outschool is an amazing way to start teaching kids online! On this platform, teachers can offer live, small-group, video classes about subjects they love. Kids can meet new friends, practice academic skills, and explore new topics of interest.
Since it launched in 2017, the platform has grown to over 700,000 kids and thousands of happy teachers. You can read more about Outschool and its mission here.
Outschool Teacher Reviews, Pros, and Cons
| Teaching with Outschool Pros | Teaching on Outschool Cons |
|---|---|
| Straightforward application process | Outschool takes 30% class fee for commission |
| Flexible hiring requirements (no degree required) | Teachers must prepare their own lessons |
| Teacher training resources provided | No guaranteed hours or bookings |
| Can teach almost any subject you’re passionate about | |
| Flexible scheduling and daytime hours in North America | |
| Teachers set their own pay rates | |
| High earning potential | |
| Outschool is free for teachers |
Teaching With Outschool Pros
There’s a lot to love being an Outschool teacher!
Straightforward Application Process
The Outschool application process is pretty easy and straightforward. They walk you through exactly what you need to do to apply and it doesn’t take too long.
You’ll fill out the information about yourself and your experience with the subject matter you wish to teach. You’ll also submit a short introduction video in your classroom space to show Outschool what you’re all about.
No Degree Required
I love how Outschool has more flexible hiring requirements than a lot of online teaching platforms. This enables more people can share their skills and expertise, and I’m all about that!
You need to be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. You’ll also need to pass a background check.
You don’t need a degree or professional teaching experience to teach on Outschool. Teachers should be experts in their subject area and have a strong passion for education, but teaching certifications aren’t required.
Teacher Training Resources Provided
When I went through the hiring process, I was very impressed by the teacher training resources provided by Outschool. They have dozens of posts answering common teacher questions where you can learn pretty much anything you want to know about the platform.
They also have live training sessions with experienced teachers where you can learn about making lesson plans, using Zoom features, and troubleshooting common online teaching issues. There are tons of videos and articles to help you navigate your first classes as a new Outschool teacher.
You Can Teach Many Subjects
One of my favorite Outschool pros is that teachers can offer classes on almost any subject they’re passionate about. If you love gardening, teach a class about plants! If you’re a huge photography nerd, offer a session about how to take better photos!
There is a demand for traditional academic subjects as well as extracurricular topics and hobby classes, so there are plenty of opportunities to share your knowledge.
I also think it’s genius that Outschool provides a list of topics specifically requested by parents! You can see parent topic requests here for some inspiration! Because teachers can create classes about almost anything, there’s more room for creativity and sharing of passion, which is a beautiful thing.
Schedule Flexibility, Teach Online During Daytime Hours In North America
Outschool teachers can make their own schedules and teach as much or as little as they want. You can choose when your classes will be and how long they will last, which is great for teachers with a busy schedule.
A common question I get from online ESL teachers is if it’s possible to teach online during the day in North America. With Outschool, you totally can!
The highest demand for Outschool classes is during the daytime in North American time zones. This makes Outschool a great addition for people who are currently teaching English online for companies geared to students in China.
High Earning Potential
Teachers get to set their own pay rates per student on the Outschool platform. Since classes are small groups, your earnings increase as more students book your classes. This has allowed some Outschool teachers to make great money from the comfort of home.
When you read Outschool reviews from teachers around the web, it’s clear that many educators love having the ability to teach what they’re passionate about. Since teachers set their own prices and can choose the class size, it’s possible to make a substantial full time income from teaching for Outschool.
Outschool Is Free For Teachers
Outschool is free for teachers and there is no charge to sign up. Once you teach a class, Outschool will take a percentage of your earnings as their commission in exchange for you getting to use the platform.
This means that there is no risk to signing up. Outschool only takes their share if you book classes and earn money. There are no upfront costs to teachers.
Here’s where you can sign up for Outschool!
Teaching On Outschool Downsides
Of course, no platform will be perfect for every single educator. In this section, we’ll look at potential Outschool cons to consider.
Commission Split
Like I mentioned above, Outschool is free for teachers but they do take a commission from every class you teach. When you teach on Outschool, the platform will keep 30% of your earnings from each class as their fee.
Because the Outschool platform is free for teachers to use and includes access to a large student base, I understand why they charge a service fee. I appreciate the work that went into the platform, and for me, the convenience was well worth it.
When you set your pricing for a class, keep in mind that the platform will take 30% and you’ll take 70% of the class earnings.
Lesson Planning and Prep
Outschool is different from other online teaching platforms because teachers must create their own lessons and curriculum. For some, this is a good thing! It means you can teach almost any subject you want and have complete creative control of the lesson.
But others might see this as a downside because a lot of work goes into preparing lessons. Creating lessons can be daunting for new teachers and experienced teachers alike, and some educators prefer platforms where lesson plans are provided.
You aren’t compensated for the time spent creating lessons, so it’s important to consider lesson prep time outside of class when pricing your courses. The nice thing is that once the materials are created, you could use the same teaching resources again and again for different classes if you wanted to.
No Guaranteed Hours or Bookings
Unfortunately, Outschool cannot guarantee that your classes will be booked by students. While they offer tons of resources to make your classes as amazing as possible, it ultimately comes down to whether or not parents decide to book your course. This means that you might end up creating a course that no one signs up for, which is a bummer.
Luckily, you can always make adjustments or offer a different subject if one of your courses isn’t getting booked the way you’d like it to.
It’s also important to note that all Outschool teachers are considered independent contractors. Being an independent contractor means that you’ll have tons of schedule flexibility, but won’t receive any benefits, and hours are not guaranteed.
My Outschool Teaching Review
Outschool teacher reviews around the web are overwhelmingly positive and my experience has been great too! The hiring process was straightforward and I really appreciated all the training materials Outschool provided. I attended the live session about how to use Zoom features in my classroom and read all the support articles I could find about best teaching practices.
It took me a few weeks of reading through all the support documents before I was ready to open my first class, but when I did I felt confident. It was time to teach.
For my first class, I taught a lesson about 3D drawing. I kept my class size small and opened it up a few weeks in advance. The class was 30 minutes long and 3 students enrolled.
When the day arrived, I got my classroom area and technology all set up before the start time to prevent last-minute tech issues. My students arrived right on time and we did introductions, then dove into the lesson.
For the first few minutes of class, we looked at examples of parallel and perpendicular lines. Then we drew 3D boxes and banners using lines and shading. The students were amazing and engaged in the material, and getting to teach drawing was so fun!
It took me a few days to create my lesson materials and practice using the Zoom classroom. I did a Zoom call with a family member to make sure my classroom and technology were all working smoothly. I also practiced my lesson, which was extremely informative. I learned that my initial lesson plan was too long for the 30 minutes allotted and I needed to remove some activities.
Practicing with another person before my first class was SO helpful. I’d highly recommend that all teachers run through their class with a friend using all their technology, teaching tools, and props. You’ll learn a ton and provide a better experience for your students.
The nice thing is that once you’ve done a class or two, it gets much easier for subsequent lessons. You’ll already know how to use the technology and have an idea of what activities work best in an online setting. While it might take more time to prepare for your first Outschool lesson, your prep time will likely get shorter with experience.
Final Thoughts: Outschool Job Review
Outschool is an amazing platform for teachers who want to offer classes about topics they love. Sharing our passions with students is such a joy and Outschool makes it easy for teachers to do exactly that. With excellent teacher training resources, high earning potential, and the chance to share a topic you love with the world, it’s worth giving Outschool a try.
Learn more about teaching online and Outschool
- How To Become An Outschool Teacher Explained
- 5 Outschool Teacher Tips From My First Class
- Teaching Yoga And Meditation On Outschool: Teacher Review
