5-Steps to Build a Career Teaching Online
And make your own e-learning platform!
Six years ago I was struggling to get a job after my graduation. Today, I make a full-time living with an e-learning platform I built.
When I was applying for jobs I found it extremely difficult to get one. I was rejected in every interview that I appeared for.
To keep myself occupied I started preparing for some exams. I used books and YouTube videos available online for my preparation.
I faced difficulties due to many reasons. Sometimes, the relevant content was not available in a book or online. Sometimes, the explanations were not enough.
I saw a problem there and I had a feeling that I could explain these concepts better.
Since then I have built a YouTube channel with over 100k subscribers and an e-learning platform to help students in their careers.
These are the 5 steps you can apply if you want to make a living teaching online.
1. Learn to teach
Knowing a subject and knowing it enough to teach a person are two different things. You need to improve your teaching skills first.
I used YouTube for the same. I started a channel called APSEd and put videos daily.
My initial videos were shitty. I was nervous. I did not speak loudly. It took my time to build confidence.
If you have not taught a class so far, you may need to improve your teaching skills. YouTube gives an amazing opportunity for the same.
Start a YouTube channel and teach a topic daily.
2. Make low-tech videos
There are two main modes of teaching:
- Record yourself teaching on a whiteboard
- Use a graphic tablet along with a laptop for screen capture
I used the second option. The graphic tablet was the only additional purchase that I made to make these videos.
Both the options are good. It depends on how you feel comfortable while teaching.
I liked the freedom of using my laptop and recording the videos on the screen.
I used a wired-earphone with mic for audio and a free screen capture software for recording.
It was a low-tech setup and it allowed me to produce volume.
The process of understanding a topic and explaining takes time and effort. It is essential that your teaching process is not complex.
Use a simple setup. It will help you create videos frequently.
3. Engage in comments
If you want to improve a skill, it is not possible without feedback. You need to engage in comments to utilise it.
Most of the people in comments are nice. But some people are often ruthless. They reply with mean comments.
If someone is criticising you, ignore it. If they are criticising your explanation or process, learn from it and improve.
Such comments will help you understand what you lack and you can focus on improving it.
Comments not only help you improve teaching skills but also guide you to new video ideas. Record such videos.
Initially, I even recorded a video even when just a single person asked for it and made a fan by doing so.
4. Grow your audience
There are many YouTube Channels that teach but most of them do not get any traction.
You can avoid that fate if you:
Teach an entire subject
Even though most of the people find your channel by searching for a particular video, they stay when the entire subject is available.
You need to find out what people are looking for and make sure they come back to your channel for more.
You can check other similar YouTube channels and Google to find out what people are looking for.
It is important that your videos are covering the syllabus of an exam. It can be the syllabus of a school exams or any kind of entrance exam in your field.
Do not make long videos
If you make videos of 1-hour duration, nobody is going to pay attention. People click on a video for a quick solution to their question. They will not spend an hour watching your video.
The optimal video duration varies based on the subject you are teaching. As a rule, do not make videos longer than 20 min duration.
5. Launch a paid course
Launching a paid course when you have no audience is similar to shooting in the dark. You do not know what works and what does not.
First, utilise YouTube to make free courses, interact with people and build followers.
If you have a following of even 10k subscribers, you can launch a paid course.
You can use any platform to launch a course. If you have built a decent following, you will not need Udemy or other similar platforms that takes a major chunk of course fee.
I used a platform that provides service for individuals and companies who want to make their own e-learning platform.
You can offer live classes, cohort-based courses, doubt support, question bank etc., to make your paid product look attractive.
If you put effort on creating a YouTube channel, it will help you to market your product well.
These are a few basic steps you can take if you are interested in teaching online.
I would suggest creating videos even if you are not interested in building your own platform.
If you are a student, it will help you to understand a subject better. Your videos act as a portfolio. You can show your work when you apply for a job.
Let me know in the comments what stops you from teaching or creating any other content online.
Stay tuned for more.
