10 top tips for working remotely that every online TEFL teacher should know

From timing your traveling right to picking the perfect digital nomad destination, these tips for working remotely should help any budding TEFL teacher with an eye on a new job online…

Manage your schedule right

Lots of remote workers will find that they end up juggling several jobs and tens of students every week. Things can get confusing pretty fast when it comes to timetables and whatnot, so be sure to get yourself a good app or spreadsheet to keep track. Google Sheets works well. So does Trello.

You can’t work from a hammock on the beach

Well…you could. But just don’t expect to get anything done! There might be stock images of digital nomads swinging in some fabric between two Antiguan palms all over the internet, but that’s just not the reality of remote work. You need a stable desk, good lighting, an ergonomic chair, and fast internet.

Be sure to check what the internet is like where you’re going

Yes, you might be dreaming of living with the remote tribes up in the Peruvian Andes or the Hmong hill people of northern Thailand, but it’s probably not going to work out if you’re looking to be an online English teacher. You simply gotta’ have internet wherever you travel, so check average speeds and message Airbnb hosts for speed tests before booking.

Get the right tech

Your laptop is now your whole office. Our advice? Don’t skimp on that. It’s important to have tech that works and works every time you need it to. Get something with a good processor and plenty of RAM, not to mention the right inputs for all your additional gear, from webcams to headsets.

Calculate time differences

The temptation to hop on the next flight to Vietnam for some spring rolls in the Old Quarter of Hanoi or whizz across to the French Alps for some skiing between lessons is real. We know. But you always have to consider what the time difference between different locations will do to your teaching. No one wants to be waking up at 2am for vocab training!

Check business laws and admin

Different destinations have different rules about what you can and can’t do on tourist visas. Most digital nomads get around this by keeping quiet about the work they do when abroad, while also moving from A to B roughly once per month to ensure they never overstay. However, it’s always a good idea to know what the laws are in a particular place, and, if you’re planning on hanging around for longer, what you have to do to get residency and register your business.

Choose your destinations wisely

Think very practically about the place you’re looking to travel and work in next. We’ve been in situations where everything sounded perfect but was far from it. For example, make sure you’re withing walking distance to the beach if you won’t have a car rental in Greece. Or, be sure that ski lodge you’re looking to secure for the season is near enough to the chairlift. It’s that sort of thing.

Budget properly

A life of perpetual travel means a lot of outgoings. You’re going to be paying for everything from flights to digital nomad insurance to accommodation. Get ready for that and budget accordingly, ensuring your teaching wage covers the basics (and hopefully more).

Travel in the shoulder season

One of the fantastic things about not being tied down to office or school holidays is being able to choose when you visit somewhere, not just where you go. Pick the shoulder seasons and you should find that the weather is still good, prices are lower, and there are fewer people around. Italian Alps in October, anyone?

Enjoy it

As tips for working remotely go, this has to be the simplest of the lot. Basically, don’t do it if you’re not enjoying it. Online English teaching has boomed in recent years and helped all sorts of people fulfil a dream of travel and work. But it’s not for everyone. It’s important to be honest with yourself if it’s not and reassess what you want from life.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips for working remotely. If you have any more to add to this list, be sure to drop them into the comments below. Or, if these tips for working remotely have spurred you on to think about becoming a digital nomad English teacher, be sure to check out our 140-hour Master Course, which we’ve designed specifically for online work.