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  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent_Smith View Post
    Online teaching has made it more viable as a decent way to earn a living without actually having to wear pants, for a change.
    I've not worn socks or trousers since the end of April. My dress shirt is all the students see. Sandals and shorts cover the rest.

    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...or put the glass down...
    If you're drinking and teaching, you wouldn't last long online, to be honest. Teaching for 8 twenty five minute classes with a 5 minute break in between them in a row takes more than a fair bit of concentration and energy, at least for me.

    I've got a buddy who turns 50 next year. His plan is to get a retirement visa and teach online, rather than continue to do classroom teaching as he won't need a non-b/wp anymore.

    If I had paid more attention to him last year when he started teaching online I'd have probably quit my reqular job if I didn't need a visa for the wife.

    $2000 USD/month is easily achievable while working at home.
    Last edited by Topper; 21-07-2020 at 11:25 PM.
    "I was a good student. I comprehend very well, OK, better than I think almost anybody," - President Trump comparing his legal knowledge to a Federal judge.

  2. #52
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    Are you getting the same regular students or is it pretty random?

  3. #53
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Is that via an agency, Topper?

    Or do you have your own gig?

    Is it a block of hours, or spread throughout the day?

    Cheers.

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by armstrong View Post
    Are you getting the same regular students or is it pretty random?
    The students pick the teacher, so being engaging with enough knowledge of English gets you repeat bookings.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Is that via an agency, Topper?
    Yes. They provide the materials, I do the delivery and do expansion tailored to the student's level.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Or do you have your own gig?
    I'm working on that now, you make more money that way.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Is it a block of hours, or spread throughout the day?
    Spread out through the day right now. I'm doing analytics on the best times to have "Topper Time" and when to have slots open for booking.

    As I teach mostly Thai students, I still have adults working from home who take daytime classes along with young students taking classes as the day is their "stay home" day.

    Via repo, someone asked how much to actually live where I'm at. For me, it's about 1600 usd/month. Myself and my wife are getting up there in age, so insurance is important, which is expensive.

    Without insurance, you could live here quite comfortably on 1200 usd/month.

  5. #55
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    Although I'm not a 'TEFLer', I do teach online from my home in Luang Prabang, north Laos. I teach elementary 'Science-with-English' to students aged between about 5-12 years old. My students are located throughout the world and most book directly with me via the iTalki website. I earn typically $3,000 USD each month for 35 hours a week of teaching, spread throughout the early morning and late afternoon/evening, with about 5 hours rest time in the middle of the day.

    I could earn more because the student demand is there, but $3k is fine for me. I rent a 2-bed house that's 100 metres from both Mekong and Kham rivers for $350/month, pay no more than $300 a month for food and drink, $200 per month for a $1 million medivac/medical insurance policy. Life is good at 61 years old...

    Update: here's my 'classroom'

    The TEFLer Thread-115764663_714928829300520_2008157856150234912_n-jpg
    Last edited by Simon43; 23-07-2020 at 08:25 AM.
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  6. #56
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    ^That looks like a nice setup. Good for you, Simon.

    ^^Sounds like a decent salary, Topper.

    ---
    I taught English overseas for eight years in International schools, but I am an Elementary teacher who teaches in the public system here in Canada. I teach English to people all over the world online the odd evening and weekends. I really enjoy it as it keeps me in contact with people around the world where we mostly just chat and I learn about their lives and countries. I pretty much log in whenever I want to work.

  7. #57
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    But mostly you just sponge off your parents and live in their retirement community at 50, right?
    LOL

  8. #58
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarilynMonroe View Post
    ^That looks like a nice setup. Good for you, Simon.

    ^^Sounds like a decent salary, Topper.

    ---
    I taught English overseas for eight years in International schools, but I am an Elementary teacher who teaches in the public system here in Canada. I teach English to people all over the world online the odd evening and weekends. I really enjoy it as it keeps me in contact with people around the world where we mostly just chat and I learn about their lives and countries. I pretty much log in whenever I want to work.
    Did you teach your students the use of capital letters?

  9. #59
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    $3000 a month is great in Laos obviously but I wonder how long you can do 35 hours a week? Must be really boring just sitting there talking to kids online.

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    $3000 a month is great in Laos obviously but I wonder how long you can do 35 hours a week? Must be really boring just sitting there talking to kids online.
    While I can't speak for Simon, for myself it's hasn't been bad. For me, I would equate it to like working in an upper end language center in Thailand where you get a wide range of students from children to adults.

    Online teaching is also different for other reasons. I had one older lady who is divorced and her kids are away at school and just wanted someone to "practice" her English with. I've got more than several kids that their online classes are babysitting time. I've had older students whose company is providing classes take one or two and then get too busy to take a class. On the other hand, the entire data analytics team from the same company studies regularly with me.

    If you can set up a studio like Simon and deliver lessons, there are teachers making 45-50USD/hour. You'll need to develop the content though.

    Outschool seems to be the current favorite option.

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    $3000 a month is great in Laos obviously but I wonder how long you can do 35 hours a week? Must be really boring just sitting there talking to kids online.
    My typical day is: I get up at 4.45am, go for a 2-3 Km jog around town. have brekkies, then from 7am, I teach four 30 minute lessons with a 30 minutes break after the first hour, These are all individual kids, all are regular students. We either use a science book and use additional Google resources, or if the kid is too young to read, then it's just chat and pictures.

    Then I stop teaching at 9.30 and have the rest of the daytime free to go and ride my trails bike, visit the waterfalls etc etc. From about 4pm, I do 3 more hours of teaching, again in 30 minute blocks with 30 minutes break after 2 lessons.

    My students are from many different countries, with different abilities and opinions. The Russian kids are always serious and dedicated to learning technical topics!

    As a science teacher, I could charge $40+ an hour to teach college students. But that would require me to think..... Teaching science to kids is so easy and fun (of course, if you hate kids, then it would be no fun, but I'm OK with them). In any case, since they are private students, I can choose not to teach a 'brat', because there are always other students ready to book that timeslot in my calendar.....

  12. #62
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon43 View Post
    As a science teacher, I could charge $40+ an hour to teach college students. But that would require me to think.....
    ...appropriate instruction for youngsters also requires thought: to suggest that it doesn't reflects poorly on your effort...

  13. #63
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    ^^I assume you get no holiday pay or benefits though?

  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...appropriate instruction for youngsters also requires thought: to suggest that it doesn't reflects poorly on your effort...

    Perhaps I should have expressed myself better. If I were to teach higher level Physics to college students, I would be bombarded with difficult questions about Maxwell's equations, radiation theory etc. I'd have to spend additional time to prepare myself for these lessons. I'm not willing to have those 'headaches' for the extra $.

    I have previously been teaching young students for many years at 'international' schools in Laos and Myanmar. My pedagogical qualifications are specifically concerned with teaching young students. I'm good at that I have also written lesson plans/content for more than 100 different science topics. So it's no stress or effort for me to teach these students.

    @Jofry, no holidays or benefits of course. Most of my working life has been as a contractor or self-employed. I take time off when I want to (which is not often). I have private medical insurance with medivac.

  15. #65
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    Sorry to be a pain but.....medivac doesn't apply now due to the Covid crisis? If you get sick you can't fly to Bangkok?

    It's one of the main reasons I left Kunming. The health care is diabolical.

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    Sorry to be a pain but.....medivac doesn't apply now due to the Covid crisis? If you get sick you can't fly to Bangkok?

    It's one of the main reasons I left Kunming. The health care is diabolical.
    Actually, it is possible to be Medivaced to Bangkok now, but that certainly wasn't the case a few months ago. It's not a good situation at all, since Lao hospitals are .. er ... crap! But I'm not willing to turn my life upside down and to return to the UK - a country I left almost 20 years ago. I ride my motorbike very carefully. I exercise/eat healthy food. If I get a longterm illness, such as cancer, I can move to Bangkok to be near the hospitals etc. But for now, I've carved out a 'blissful', stress-free lifestyle for myself in Luang Prabang

  17. #67
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...appropriate instruction for youngsters also requires thought: to suggest that it doesn't reflects poorly on your effort...
    It's a simple fact that you need to be more sure your ducks are in a row when you're teaching older teenagers and adults than when you're teaching kids.

    Your schedule sounds OK Simon. It looks like you've landed on your feet.

  18. #68
    Thailand Expat Jofrey's Avatar
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    ^^ Ok, that's great to hear. How do you get around the COE business on medivac?

  19. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofrey View Post
    ^^ Ok, that's great to hear. How do you get around the COE business on medivac?
    You mean being allowed into Thailand? Medivac would really only used in life or death scenarios, and I know that such cases from Laos have been allowed to enter Thailand.

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