Blogging and teaching English online are two of my favorite digital nomad jobs, and believe it or not, they go pretty well together. I started teaching English online in 2017. Education had always been my jam, and online teaching turned out to be perfect because it offered flexible hours and allowed me to travel more.
A year prior, I had started a travel blog about my weekend trips with friends, but it had always been a hobby. As I started to write more about my teaching and traveling experiences for loved ones back home, I got bit by the blogging bug.
From there, I began the long – and hilarious and frustrating and rewarding – journey of transforming my little hobby blog from an internet diary to a helpful resource. Maybe one day, I dreamed, I’d even earn some money from it.
As I’m sure you know, blogging for fun and blogging for a living are very different animals. It took me months of cringey trial and error before I figured out how to make my first dollar blogging (a whole dollar!!), but all the while, I had my job as an online English teacher to keep things running smoothly.
These days, it’s pretty common for travel content creators to juggle blogging with other side jobs. In order to have more diverse income streams, bloggers might also work as freelance writers, virtual assistants, website designers, social media managers – the list goes on and on. In this post, I’ll break down why teaching English online makes an awesome remote side hustle for bloggers, and what you should do to get started today!
1. You get to make your own schedule
As an online English teacher, you can make your own schedule. For most platforms, there are no minimum or maximum teaching hours. You don’t need to teach a certain amount of hours per month or week to keep your account active – but it will be there when you’re ready to teach.
2. There are minimal tech requirements
Some remote jobs have bulky tech requirements, but for teaching online, a relatively modern laptop with a built-in webcam, headset, and reliable internet connection is all you need.
You won’t need to pay to sign up for any legitimate online teaching platforms and you can probably find teaching props around your house. The cost to get started with online teaching is minimal.
A lot of people are worried about traveling light with all their classroom gear. Luckily, you really don’t need much stuff to have a fun and effective classroom. This post talks about which items you’ll need for your nomadic online classroom and how to pack it all up.
3. Location Flexibility
Most online teaching companies only require that you have a strong WiFi connection to teach. This means that you’re not tied to any one location for your job. Whether you’re exploring a new city, visiting loved ones, or living out of your RV on an epic road trip, you could take your remote teaching job with you!
4. You won’t feel creatively burned out
Creative burnout is a real thing. Unfortunately, there’s a limit to how much awesomeness we can produce in a day. If you find a side job that requires a lot of that creative energy, you might not have much inspiration left for your own work.
While teaching online does require some creative thinking on your feet, it’s totally different from writing blog posts, editing photos, making social media graphics, and creating your fabulous travel blog content. Since you’ll be able to use a different set of skills while doing your teaching job, your creative muscles will be fresh and ready to go when you switch to working on blog content.
5. You’ll have a financial safety net
Blogging can definitely be a “feast or famine” type of game. The past few months have been a prime example of that. Many travel bloggers lost a significant portion of their income when travel regulations changed and staying home became the new normal.
The reality is that algorithms shift, affiliate programs change their policies, and I’m pretty sure no one will ever actually figure out Instagram. Having an online job in a totally different field can provide a valuable financial safety net.
This cushion takes some of the pressure off of you as a blogger. You can rest easy knowing that you’ll have a fun, reliable, remote job option to keep you afloat even if things get wacky in travel blog land.
Requirements To Teach English Online
Now, you might be saying, “I don’t know the first thing about teaching!” But don’t worry, there’s a good chance you already have everything you need to start teaching online. While there are some companies that require more advanced credentials like Bachelor’s degrees or TEFL certifications, the two basic things that you need are:
- You must be a native or near-native English speaker (C2 proficiency)
- You must reliable access to high-speed internet
The first step to becoming an online teacher is choosing an online ESL company. The links below will help you find companies that match your specific credentials.
- 26 Top Online Teaching Companies: Read about dozens of legitimate teaching English online jobs and their requirements here
- 12 Companies Where You Can Teach Online Without A Degree: These solid platforms hire teachers without degrees
- Best TEFL Companies: Having a TEFL certification will give you more online teaching job opportunities.
You can read more posts about online teaching, including specific company reviews, on this page.
Teaching English Online For Travel Bloggers
For me, being able to balance travel blogging with online teaching has meant reliable remote income and greater peace of mind. If you’re a travel blogger looking for a fun remote side job, this might be a great fit for you too!
If you’re not ready to start teaching just yet, save this pin for later so you can come back to it when the time is right. Happy Blogging, and Happy Teaching!
