Teaching from home?
March 22, 2012
Teaching is a job that is appealing to many mothers because it allows them to work when their kids are in school and to be home when their kids are, such as on holidays and during the summer. Now a new type of teaching job allows teachers to work from the comfort of their own home.
Many people know that online classes are popular among college students, but they're also gaining popularity among students in elementary school, middle school and high school.
"A number of charter schools, academies, and educational organizations have begun recruiting top-notch teachers for all sorts of teaching positions like math, science, geography, foreign languages, music, art, technology and even physical education," explained Working Mother magazine.
Licensed and certified teachers run the classes virtually and are responsible for all aspects of the instruction. Technology makes it possible for students and teachers to interact and hold discussions, much like they would do if they were in a regular classroom.
Many of the companies that hire online teachers are nationwide organizations that contract with local school systems. They include Connections Academy, Educate Online and Eduwizards.
Some companies also hire certified teachers for tutoring jobs. These part-time positions offer teachers even more schedule flexibility, so many people choose to do them in addition to a full-time job.
"Because a teacher who functions online does not have to stay face to face with the students and just has to grade or guide them via e-mail, she can do that in her spare time or in parallel with another job that she has," according to SalaryGuideHQ.com. "This is why this job becomes more and more popular every day. It is easy to manage online teaching jobs and it does not occupy a lot of time."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia require public school teachers to be licensed. Licensing criteria varies by state but often requires a bachelor's degree.
In addition, "a number of states require that teachers obtain a master's degree in education within a specified period after they begin teaching," according to the BLS.
Moms who want to go to college in order to pursue an online or traditional teaching career should know that they can use various grants for parents, scholarships for mothers, single mother scholarships and other financial aid to offset the cost of their education.
They can also choose to get their degree at a traditional brick-and-mortar learning institution or online, as many colleges and universities now offer online teaching programs.
