If you love kids, have you thought about starting to teach with Outschool?
This online portal is a great way for teachers and even non-teachers to make some extra money sharing their knowledge and passions with children of all ages.
If you haven’t heard of Outschool, you are in for a treat.
I personally have booked classes for my kids on it multiple times which made me wonder how to teach with Outschool and make some extra money myself.
You see, here’s the great thing about teaching with Outschool – you don’t need to have a teaching degree or to be a teacher at all!
This is a completely different online learning site from the “teach English to Korean students” sites that you probably know.
Outschool is part extra-curricular, part homeschooling assistant and is perfect for these virtual-everything times, which is why it has taken off like crazy in the last year.
This step by step to getting starting teaching on Outschool will have you up and running in an afternoon.
To help you become a success, we will look at everything you need to know to get started teaching on OutSchool including:
- What Is Outschool
- Outschool Teaching Requirements
- What To Teach on Outschool
- How To Find Outschool Teaching Jobs
- Teaching on Outschool Reviews
Plus we will give you answers to some common questions that prospective Outschool teachers ask:
Is It Worth Teaching On Outschool?
How Much Do You Make Teaching On Outschool?
How Do I Become Successful on Outschool?
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Image of my kids taking an Outschool Frozen Dance Class
What Is Outschool?
Outschool is a fantastic online portal that hosts hundreds of different classes for children from preschool to college age. You can check out the site here for yourself.
Classes offered range from the academic (reading programs, coding, science) to fun activities such as Princess Ballet or Minecraft group play.
As an OutSchool teacher, you can apply to teach whatever subject you have a penchant for and create your own curriculum.
All classes are taught via Zoom and group sizes vary although when my kids have taken part, the largest group was around 6 children.
Who Is Using Outschool?
You might be wondering who is booking Outschool classes for their kids. The children in your OutSchool Zoom class might be:
- Homeschooled
- In Virtual School
- On a Vacation or a PD Day where there is no school
- Looking for an extra-curricular before or after school
- Interested in fun activities on the weekend
Speaking from personal experience, if you want to teach with Outschool, you can really tap into whatever interests you.
My two children (ages 5 and 7) love Outschool! I’ve booked them into classes before regular school, on weekends and I always book them a class when they have a day off for the dentist or something like that.
They always ask for me to book them into a class whenever they know they have some time off school.
Is Outschool Legit and Safe To Use?
Given that I personally use and book Outschool, I can confirm to you that Outschool is completely legit. The payment process is encrypted and secure.
If you are worried about privacy issues for your kids, you do not need to give their real names and using a video is not obligatory (although I have not attended an OutSchool class where a child did not have their video turned on).
Why Teach With Outschool?
If you are interested in online teaching and making money online, then I think Outschool is the way to go.
Here are the best reasons to become an Outschool teacher:
- You can teach any topic that interests you and you don’t need an official qualification
- Class times can be all over the map so you can fit them in around a full-time job
- No degree or teaching experience is required
- Pick your own schedule- You can teach as much or as little as you want.
- Set your own pay rate, class size, and student age ranges so that you get the classes you want
How To Start Teaching With Outschool
It is really easy to sign up with Outschool and start making money by teaching online classes.
- Check the requirements
- Complete Outschool 101
- Apply to Outschool
- List your First Class
Step 1: Check The Outschool Teaching Requirements
First all you need to make sure you are actually qualified to create a class to teach. Although you don’t need a teaching degree, Outschool does still have a list of requirements.
Outschool Teacher Requirements
- Be at least 18 years of age
- A resident of USA, Canada, England, Wales, Australia, or New Zealand
- Pass a criminal background check and identity verification
Unlike most other online teaching jobs, to teach with Outschool, you do not need:
- A teaching certificate
- Any teaching experience
- A degree
Technical Requirements to Teach With Outschool
Educators on Outschool need:
- A laptop or desktop computer
- A webcam and microphone – most newer computer models have these built-in!
- Fast internet – you should have a minimum upload speed of 3mbps and a minimum download speed of 1mbps
- One of the 2 most recent versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
- Comfort with technology or a willingness to learn!
Step 2: Take Outschool 101
This 5 minute overview is required before submitting your application, and covers the basics of what it means to be a teacher on Outschool.
The topics covered in this course are:
- The Basics
- What is Outschool?
- Teach what you want
- Look at some of the classes our teachers are offering now
- Teach when you want
- Set your own rates
- Run your own business
- Who are our learners?
- What it’s like to teach on Outschool
- How is Outschool different?
- Who Can Teach?
- Who can teach on Outschool?
- Technical requirements for teachers
- Next Steps
- What’s next?
- We’re here to help
- Start your application!
Step 3 – Apply To Outschool
Applying to Outschool involves two steps:
- Filling out the application
- ID verification and a background check
The Outschool Application Process
You need to complete 3 parts to your application.
- About You
Let Outschool know your expertise in the subjects and your experience in working with kids. Give as much detail as possible.
2. Sample Class
Show Outschool that you have a clear idea for your class by writing a sample class description. Gear it towards your potential customers (parents and guardians).
3. Teach Outschool something
Submit a short sample class video (3-5 minutes) teaching your class to show your teaching style and the kinds of things you plan to teach with Outschool.
This also allows Outschool to see your teaching space so make sure it looks great!
Once your application is approved, you will need to go through a background check and ID verification before you can list your first class.
Step 4: List Your First Class On Outschool
You are ready to list your first class!
This is the fun bit that involved creating your teachers profile and setting your schedule.
First of all though, have you decided what to teach?
Here’s a look at some of the best Outschool classes right now:
What To Teach on Outschool
If you tick all the boxes and are ready to set up your classes, you might be wondering what to teach on Outschool.
The truth is, you can teach anything and everything. There are dance classes, drawing classes, preschool reading groups and more.
The idea behind Outschool is that children can dive deeper into their favorite interests so anything that interest kids is a go.
If you are stuck with thinking of what to teach, spend some time on Outschool and see what kinds of offerings there are.
Then consider what you are an “expert” at.
Maybe you are an avid gardener or you love singing songs to your kids. You don’t have to have official qualifications but you do want to be passionate about whatever you choose to teach.
Here are the different categories that are available on Outschool:
What Classes Do Parents Request on Outschool?
The nice thing about Outschool is that parents can request classes on certain topics that their kids are interested in.
Outschool then publishes this list for teachers to see so you can use it for inspiration
Each week, Outschool compiles a list of the new topic requests and search terms submitted by parents to serve as inspiration for educators creating Outschool classes.
If any of these topics match your area of expertise, they recommend creating a class that Outschool families are interested in.
Here is the list of most recent classes requested by parents:
- Dolores Huerta, Activist
- My Father’s Dragon Bookclub
- Cello Lessons
- Death Valley National Park
- Animals and Habitats
- Korean Culture Tourism Class
- Introduction to Microsoft Office
- Note Taking Strategies
- Kahoot Math Games
- Pixelmon
- Puberty Classes
- Softball Techniques
- Space X
- Zoe and Sassafras Bookclub
- Cheerleading for Beginners
- Reading Comprehension
- Tap Dance
- Memes Club
- Beast Academy Math
- Create Your Own Games
- FIFA Soccer
- Anime drawing
- Nutcracker
- Robotics
- Kerbal Space Program
- 7 Wonders of the World
- Vietnamese Language
- Bollywood Dance
- Yu gi Oh
- Studio Ghibli
- Tennis Footwork
- Real Estate
- Tai Chi
- Public Speaking with Confidence
- Calculus Tutoring
- Preschool ABCs
- Learn to play Bridge
- Dogman
- STEAM K-12 Coding
- Harmonica
- CogAt
- Snap Circuits
- Abacus
- Wordly Wise
- Charlotte Mason Classes
- Math Olympiad
- Gym Class
- BeatBoxing
- CAD Drawing
As you can see, there are so many different topics you can use for inspiration.
How To Set Up Your Teacher Profile on Outschool
Your teacher profile serves as a bio for parents to learn more about you. When parents search for classes for their kids, there are two main criteria they look at:
- The teacher’s bio
- Reviews of the class
Although you don’t need teaching experience or a degree, make sure to note any and all experience and qualifications that make you the best person to teach a class on your chosen topic.
Add the following to your teacher’s bio:
Name, Headline or Title, and About you information
Record a 30-90 second intro video (remember, kids might want to watch this too)
Your email, phone number, and location
Listing Your Outschool Classes
Setting up your classes is the fun part! Outschool recommends starting with a one-time class so parents can get to know you as a new teacher.
Starting with a one-time class makes teachers 35% more likely to get their first enrollment.
After that you can schedule weekly ongoing classes so you have guaranteed income coming in.
Here’s what you’ll do to create your classes:
- Set a title, subject, and brief summary of your class
- Choose the course type (one-time, ongoing etc)
- Create a cover image and a course description video.
- Set the course format, including age group, class size, and course duration
- Write a course description explaining what will be taught and how the class is structured
- Set the pricing for your class
You can also add information about any materials needs before the class or if there will be any homework assigned.
You can then submit your course for approval
Teach With Outschool FAQs
How Much Money Can I Make As An Outschool Teacher?
Entrepreneurs on Outschool set their own prices and are paid based on the number of learners that enroll.
Outschool recommended listing your classes at $10-$15 per learner per hour spent in class.
On average, educators on Outschool earn $40 per teaching hour!
Outschool’s business model is to take a service fee each time a learner enrolls.
Outschool takes 30% of the parent’s payment, and educators receive 70%.
All class fees must be paid through the Outschool platform to keep everyone safe and secure.
In most cases, you will be paid 7-10 days after the class begins. Outschool will pay you directly via Paypal.
Do I have to pay to be an Outschool teacher?
There is no cost involved to apply to be an Outschool teacher and list your classes.
It is free to sign up and you won’t directly pay Outschool anything (other than the commission mentioned above).
Are there minimum hours required to teach with Outschool?
There are no minimum required hours to teach on Outschool.
If you have a flexible schedule, you can list classes based on parent demand to make sure that you are making the most of your teaching time!
With the ability to teach at part-time or full-time hours of your choosing, the Outschool platform provides a wonderful opportunity for a diverse group of educators.
Learners from around the world will be excited to take classes during each day of the week and within all time zones.
Will I be an Employee of Outschool?
No. Educators on Outschool are independent and owners of their own teaching businesses!
This means that you are an independent contractor responsible for managing your own schedule and paying your own taxes.
Outschool provides the platform, promotes Outschool to families and organizations while you are responsible for creating and delivering classes to your students.
Are Outschool Students only in the USA?
Outschool learners come from around the world! There are students from over 170 countries taking part in Outschool classes.
This means that you can hold your classes in different timezones and attract learners from everywhere.
It also means you have a lot more opportunity to make money on Outschool than on an online teaching platform that is focused on one part of the world.
What Types Of Class Can I Teach on Outschool?
Outschool offers kids and parents a few different options depending on how much they want to commit to a class. You can choose the type of class you will offer when you create your listing.
One Time Classes
These classes meet once at a specific time. This is usually for a one-off topic that can be explored in an hour or so. You can schedule the same one time class for multiple days and times.
Ongoing Classes
Ongoing classes are a class that you teach again and again. These classes meet every week on a set schedule.
Students can join as often as they want and the lessons don’t build on one another since the students might be different each week.
Note that anyone can sign up for an ongoing class and then cancel after one so they are not locked into your schedule.
Ongoing classes don’t guarantee attendance but they make it more likely that you will get return students.
Multi-Day Classes
These are courses about a specific topic that last many days. An example are Kindergarten homeschool programs that are 3 mornings a week or camps that go every day for 10 days
Starting To Teach On Outschool – Conclusion
Is It Worth Teaching on Outschool?
If you love sharing your passions and are someone who enjoys talking to children, then teaching with Outschool can be a lucrative side-hustle that can fit your schedule.
Outschool allows teachers and non-teachers to make money online, from the comfort of home.
Plus the Outschool teacher reviews are pretty awesome – see for yourself!
Given that you can make up to $40 and get started for free, why wouldn’t you give it a go and get started as a teacher on Outschool?
How Do I Become Successful on Outschool?
Successful teachers on Outschool have packed classes where they make the maximum amount of money for every class they run.
Given that you are holding the class anyway, the more students you have – the more money you make!
Outschool can be pretty competitive with lots of teachers vying for the same students so here are some tips (both from Outschool and from my own experience as a parent) on how to become a success on Outschool:
- Schedule your class as early as possible. That gives parents more time to find and book your class.
- Experiment with different options and types of classes (ongoing, one-time etc)
- Share your classes on your own social media and promote them online
- Answer parents quickly if they send you questions about your class.
- Set your availability and look for requests for more times (this is a feature parents can use)
- Improve your class listings with tons of information about what you offer
- Build on your successful classes with more related content
- Offer different times for different timezones
- Weekend classes are much harder to find so consider adding some in
- Do one-off seasonal classes like Valentine’s coding or Christmas storytime.
Excited to get started? Sign up with Outschool here
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