Written by a current iTutorGroup teacher, here is the rundown on the platform: the pay, the real bookings situation, and requirements to be successful, and more.
Remember, you can teach English online from home to both junior and adult students for iTutorGroup. Enjoy flexibility and guaranteed peak hours.
Tell me more about iTutorGroup
- Pay: *varies by your location of residence!
- Students: kids and adults
- Requirements to get hired: native speaker
What’s the iTutorGroup’s platform like?
The iTutorGroup platform is user-friendly, almost as easy as Microsoft Paint. You don’t need much training to use the platform as the tools are pretty self-explanatory.
However, the training programs iTutorGroup offers are beneficial, especially if you want a growing career in the industry. You do not get paid to do optional training but your value boots as a Consultant; you’ll get booked more classes with student variety. Of course, you’ll receive training as a new hire but it’s unpaid as well.
In order to teach adults, you must train yourself with iTutorGroup’s training programs. All of these materials can be found on the homepage of the Consultant.
All about Pay Rates
and Incentive Pay
The iTutorGroup Hustle
The average pay at iTutorGroup is about $8 per class, including contribution bonuses. This all depends on how many classes you teach. The more you teach, the more opportunities will arise—therefore, slightly more pay, up to $10-12 or more.
Incentives and Bonuses
If you do more training through iTutorGroup‘s program, eventually, you will start teaching content from Oxford University Press. These classes are often 25 minutes with one or more students. You might have to teach 40-minute OUP classes to one student, depending on where they are in the lesson. OUP 40-minute classes usually pay $10-12 or more.
Some of the cons play into this, however; the pay structure depends on where you live in the world. For example, Consultants in the U.K. may not make as much as those in the U.S. My advice is to read over the contract after you pass your interview. The pay scale of different online English employers varies widely, and iTutorGroup’s pay is on the higher end for high cost of living areas, but low for, say, expats living in developing countries.
Ratings Matter at iTutorGroup
iTutorGroup is a great fit for a teacher who likes ratings and immediate student feedback.
Do you like having your hard work rewarded? If you like working for commission and having a chance to have your hard work reflected in an immediate boost in your pay then this is a great company for you. At iTutorGroup, higher ratings mean more pay.
Most of the time, they do not take the survey. I don’t pressure my students to do this since I find their comprehension to be more important than my performance. But it’s good to encourage them occasionally because it helps the company—and of course, your ratings.
Beware, though; I’ve heard some Consultants get bad ratings because of technical issues, whether it’s on their end or not. I also experienced my first troll student, who thought it would be funny to give me a low rating after a great class. If you can weather these occasional blips and focus on delivering consistent, quality lessons, then you are a good fit for iTutorGroup.
All about Bookings and Schedulings
Flexibility
When it comes to scheduling, iTutorGroup is quite flexible. But it’s very important you keep track of what hours you’re teaching and stick with them. You will get penalized for canceling a class under 24 hours or missing a class. They take about $5-$10 out of your paycheck for it. Luckily, you get one free pass during a personal emergency. Overall, you have 6 chances—not free passes—until you’re eliminated from the company.
But be advised that iTutorGroup’s scheduling team will book you within the hour a class will start or even switch it out to a completely different classroom (new lesson, new students). This doesn’t help because you’re not getting a heads-up at least 12 hours beforehand and you might have to scramble previewing a lesson. So, be careful which slots you choose to have open and make sure you can commit to them.
You also have to be punctual; once the clock strikes the time for class, you cannot enter the classroom one minute late—not even a second late—otherwise, you will be marked absent. It’s best to enter the classroom at least three minutes early, to be safe.
Class Materials and Lesson Planning
Do I need to make my own lessons?
No, absolutely not.
iTutorGroup creates the lesson and you just need to teach it.
iTutorGroup’s lessons are pretty simple; most of them are 12-14 PowerPoint slides with a few questions.
It’s up to you to engage the student. You can do this by asking more questions about themselves to promote conversational practice and help shy students open up more.
But even if you have a great track record of entertainment, not all students are motivated to learn. I’ve found the most challenging students are teens since school is the last thing on their minds. You’re going to have students who will refuse to show themselves on the webcam or not even pay attention. The most you can do is ask or mention it in their progress report.
My iTutorGroup Story
Before I joined iTutorGroup, I had very little experience as an online English Teacher. I only taught part-time on a mobile platform to kids and that was about it. I was a passionate journalist and content creator.
Fast forward two months later, I would say I’ve advanced as an English teacher, thanks to the learning opportunities through the company.
I don’t think this company gets as good credit as it should. Like every other company, it has its hits and misses. But if you want to start teaching groups, teens, or even adults, this is a great online opportunity to get your feet wet.
If you believe teaching English is your calling, I definitely recommend trying out for iTutorGroup as they have many opportunities that will benefit * your* career; not only will you find out which age group to teach but you will enhance your skills in classroom management and content creativity.
Need a referral to get started?
Feel free to use this code during your application process and contact me:
Finally, remember to check out our Comparison Chart that shows all the online ESL companies. Sort through the many ESL companies by clicking on the columns.
