4 essential skills for online tutors

Online tutoring is a great way for university students, teachers and industry professionals to supplement their income. If you’re ready to give tutoring a shot, and have decided which subjects you want to teach, the next step before starting an online tutoring side-hustle is to develop some essential skills that enable effective online teaching and communication. In this blog post, we’ll explore the four essential skills every online tutor should possess and how they contribute to success in tutoring and other aspects of life

🧠 Strong subject knowledge

Strong subject knowledge is the bare minimum requirement for an online tutor

📈 How much subject knowledge is enough?

Your knowledge should be sufficient to effectively help students, even though you won’t know everything. It’s normal to occasionally come across problems that you can’t solve immediately. However, you should still have enough knowledge to find a solution promptly and address about 90% of problems on the spot

Subject knowledge is measured by the level of assistance required by the student. You should be at least a few levels ahead of your student in the same subject. For example, as a second-year university Physics student, you should be able to tutor high school-level Physics, but you won’t have enough knowledge to tutor at a postgraduate level

🕵️‍♀️ Why is strong subject knowledge necessary for tutoring?

Strong subject knowledge helps you provide accurate and insightful explanations, address student questions effectively, and guide students toward a deeper understanding of the subject matter. If you’re not well-versed in a subject, it’s better to build your knowledge before attempting to tutor it

💪 How do I improve my subject knowledge?

There are many ways to improve knowledge of a subject such as structured courses at universities or self-study with online resources. Think of it as an investment, as understanding any subject well improves critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. The more knowledgeable you become in a subject, the more likely you’ll be seen as an expert, which can benefit your future career too

🗣 Effective communication

Effective communication skills play a vital role in online tutoring. Without the advantage of body language cues, it’s especially important to express ideas clearly and understand subtle language cues to gauge how your student is feeling

🙊 Why is effective communication necessary for tutoring?

Good communication helps you work with your students, explain concepts clearly, and make lessons interesting. It also helps you build more rapport with your students, and take on the role of a guide and role model

📢 How do I become a better communicator?

The best way to become a better communicator is to practice. Some good ways to practice include public speaking, taking drama classes, trying to speak to new people and making friends. Getting feedback from students and peers helps too. You can also learn by studying and emulating good communicators such as stand-up comedians and world leaders. Having strong communication skills is essential for success in any area of life. It helps you excel in professional interactions, build healthy social relationships, and foster personal growth

👨‍💻 Technological expertise

As an online tutor, you’ll need to have a good understanding of technology as it’s the basis of what your sessions run on. It’s important to familiarize yourself with online learning platforms, educational tools and digital resources that enhance the learning experience. Your students will also usually look to you to guide them through lessons and technical difficulties.

I’ve also written detailed posts about essential technical skills for tutors and the role of AI in education, which may be worth reading

👶 Why is technological expertise necessary for tutoring?

Online tutoring heavily relies on technology for communication and content delivery. Being technologically proficient ensures seamless interactions with students and helps overcome technical challenges

👩‍🎓 How do I improve my technological expertise?

Practice makes perfect. Take the time to discover reliable resources and educational platforms that can help you deliver a positive online tutoring experience. The platforms you select will compensate for the absence of in-person interaction, so take your time and choose wisely. Running your online tutoring on a specialised education platform like Kedyou can save time and enable you to deliver engaging lessons from the start (it’s free forever and you can get started in less than 5 minutes). Developing expertise in online teaching is a valuable skill that expands career opportunities, as it is highly regarded in most sectors

⏲ Time management

Good time management skills are crucial for maintaining a structured tutoring schedule and maximizing teaching efficiency. If you’re like most tutors, you probably have other commitments like work or study. This means you need to make the most of your time to effectively balance tutoring with other responsibilities. If you’re unsure about whether you can handle another student, remember you’d rather avoid taking on too many students than risk delivering a subpar experience

⌚ Why are time management skills necessary for tutoring?

They ensure consistent and focused tutoring sessions that cover necessary materials and meet student expectations. They also help you balance the responsibility of being a tutor with other commitments in life

🏓 How do I improve my time management skills?

We’ve previously written about effective time management strategies, and reading that post is a great starting point. In summary, prioritize tasks, use procrastination to your advantage, focus on one task at a time, and avoid unnecessary use of “productivity apps” since they are almost always designed to keep you on the app rather than make you productive. As with the other skills above, developing good time management skills is valuable in any field or endeavour you choose in life

🚀 Conclusion: What skills do I need to be a good tutor?

Strong subject knowledge, effective communication, technological expertise, and time management are essential skills for tutors. Other useful skills to develop include effective memory techniques and study techniques which you can teach your students. Developing these skills will improve your teaching, create engaging experiences for your students, and open doors in your personal and professional life outside of tutoring