The world is in a state of panic. The novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 has finally reached every continent and is causing disruptions and pandemonium like most people have never experienced in their life before. Most countries have more or less shut down completely with only businesses considered “essential services” continuing to operate.

This includes grocery stores, medical facilities, and pharmacies. Apart from those, the economies of most countries have ground to a halt. Restaurants, movie theatres, bars, gyms, libraries, schools, sporting events have typically been shutdown and/or cancelled. Every country is dealing with the pandemic slightly differently but the general theme is clear; stay at home, don’t go out in public unless absolutely necessary, and don’t gather in groups.

It’s a dark and difficult time for everyone but as long as we follow protocol and lie low for a few months, it’s one that will hopefully be behind us before we know it. Self-quarantine is an effective way to curb pandemics like COVID-19 and much of the world is confined to their homes until further notice. Quarantine can be tough and lonely but that’s not to say there isn’t a silver lining to it.

Quarantine can be a time to inwardly reflect and improve on yourself once away from the distractions of everyday life. It can be a time to get to know your family better, work on personal goals or gain a skill that you previously didn’t have the time to complete.

Taking an online course like the TEFL can be a great way to put your time in self isolation to good use and come out improved with a new qualification under your belt. The course is completely online and doesn’t require you to leave your home at all. In addition, TEFL certification can be a great way to earn extra money during these times of economic hardship. With schools shut down all across the world, classes are moving online to help ensure that children meet their learning goals in time to successfully pass the semester.

While there has always been strong demand for online teachers, it has increased tenfold due to COVID-19. Teaching English online serves the dual purpose of helping students move forward with their education and helping teachers pay their bills.

At myTEFL, we’re doing our best to help our industry meet the rising demands for online teachers. We’re reaching out to many online academies to help increase job placement assistance and options for our graduates for one. We are also publishing this comprehensive guide to teaching online during the coronavirus pandemic to give aspiring online teachers all the information they require to make the transition from TEFL graduate to online teacher as smoothly as possible.

We’re also offering a 33% discount on our online courses to help with affordability during these times of economic uncertainty. If you are enrolling, enter the promo code ONLINE2020 at checkout.

So please take a read through, we’ve put a lot of time and care into this guide. We hope that it comes in handy for anyone wishing to make the most of their time in quarantine.

Stay safe and lie low out there folks. These are strange times indeed but once it’s over and the dust settles, we hope to be back at doing what we’re truly passionate about; helping our graduates travel and see the world through the power of TEFL.

– The myTEFL Staff

The reason that this section is titled “qualifications” instead of “requirements” is because the following are just that; qualifications. If you do not have all of the following qualifications don’t worry! There are hundreds of online companies out there and not all of them have the same requirements.

Some don’t require bachelor’s degrees, some accept non-native English speakers and some will even accept non-natives with no degree. Part of myTEFL’s job placement assistance includes recommending employers tailored to your unique profile.

In addition, the demand for online teachers is so high right now that many online employers are overlooking their standard requirements to help meet student needs.

• Conduct your lesson exactly as you would in a real online classroom, unless you are asked to do something different.
• Make the beginning of your lesson strong. You may be asked to stop the demo earlier.
• As this interview is for an online teaching position, please be prepared with a clutter-free space, proper lighting, professional attire, and proper positioning in the center of the camera.
• Your interviewer will have the same lesson material on hand. No need to create a PPT, but you can prepare some visuals, e.g. flashcards or realia.
• Be energetic, engaging, and excited. Monotonous speech is boring and difficult to understand especially when you teach low level students.
• Your lesson should be age and level appropriate:
  • Use gestures extensively. Incorporating helpful body language and gestures into your lesson is key for communicating with students who have little knowledge of English.
  • Speak slowly and use graded language (don’t use many unfamiliar words).
  • Make learning fun and have fun yourself. Keeping your lesson entertaining and interesting helps students stay connected.
  • Get students to participate as much as you can. Watch your TTT (Teacher Talk Time).
  • Praise students often.