3 reasons to become...

Hallöchen!, I am @lfeprofe and here are 3 reasons why your foreign language teacher might have decided to become an ONLINE (/private) foreign language teacher. Or maybe is that you?

In my professional life, I have heard more than once and twice and thrice that online foreign language teachers are not as competent as face-to-face teachers. I have been told that real teachers wouldn’t work online. However, there are so many reasons why your Spanish, English, Arabic, Chinese or German FL teacher might need or want to work in an online environment (academy, school, platform, or company) and, most of these reasons, surprisingly or not,  have nothing to do with their competence as a teacher, so, los geht’s!  

        Reason number zero -because we must start with the bad news-: The current state of the economy, the working conditions, and the devaluation of the teaching profession. I will not go further with that one for the moment.  

        Reason number one. Flexibility. Online teaching offers teachers a flexible schedule and no geographical barriers. They have the possibility to work whenever and wherever. That flexibility also allows your teachers to have a healthier balance between their work and their personal life. Sometimes their own choose of lifestyle, their health issues or personal circumstances may demand of such flexibility.  

        Reason number two. Accessibility and inclusivity. As we just said, some health issues or disabilities and some life circumstances (transitive or permanent) may demand of certain work accommodations that sometimes are easier to find or reproduce at your own home. 

         Reason number three. Economic, time and environmental sustainability. Working from home reduces their time and cost of commuting. Teachers can take the time to enjoy their morning coffee, cook healthier and cheaper meals, have more personal free time and generally adopt a slower pace of life. That may allow them, again, to balance better between their personal and professional lives.  

Having said all this, what do you think now? Can it really be that there are no real teachers on the online environment? Do you know of another reason to work online that you want to share? Have you transitioned from the traditional education environment to the online/private education world?

Also, as an extra note, I must say that all these listed and reaffirming reasons to work as an online teacher aren’t a complete realistic representation of the working conditions in online education. I also have a list of disadvantages that I would like to share with you in some point. Also, public education should be a more welcoming and valued environment where teachers could receive better accommodations in general.  But whether your teacher works for an online academy, school, platform, or company or for a face-to-face physical organisation: they all deserve your respect.  

And that would be it. I hope you enjoyed the reading :) I am always happy to receive any type of constructive feedback.