
Work Online and Teach What You Love

Outschool is an online teaching platform for students ages 3-18. These classes are taught by independent teachers, who chose what they want to teach. This job is perfect for stay-at-home parents, those that are retired, travelers who want a remote position, as well as anyone with a hobby that they have excelled at and can teach to others.
Outschool was founded by Amir Nathoo in 2015, and is based in San Francisco, CA. All Outschool classes take place online for students and teachers.
Although teachers must reside in specific English-speaking countries, students come from over 100 different countries.
The classes are live and recorded, and taught through the use of Zoom. Students are able to access their own camera and microphone so they can communicate with the teacher and other students as if it were a real classroom.
If a student misses a class, they can also access the recorded lesson at their leisure
Outschool teachers do not need to have formal teaching credentials or even a college degree. In order to become a teacher, they require:
A teacher can list classes on the platform with a description, as well as the times available and schedule. The teacher also has the opportunity to choose the price they charge per student, as well as the number of students that they want in each class.
Outschool recommends pricing classes at $10-$15 per learner per hour spent in class, but it is up to your discretion.
Outschool does take a 30% service fee from enrollments, but the amount you get paid is dependent on what you charge and how many students you teach per class.
For example, say you are teaching a one hour class one day a week over the span of 8 weeks. You open it up to 10 students at $75/student. This amounts to $750. Outschool charges you 30%, which leaves you with $525, after they take their fee. That’s $525 for eight hours of work, which is roughly $65/hour.
Another example: Say you are teaching an one-time class for 1 hour and open it up to 8 students. You charge $10/student and 6 students end up enrolling in your class. Of that $60, Outschool takes their 30% fee of $18. You still end up with $42 for teaching for one hour. Not bad, at all.
That makes this one of the highest paying side hustles you can find online.
Teachers will receive payment through Paypal 7-10 days after your class begins.
All teachers at Outschool are independent teachers and are considered independent contractors. This means that you will be responsible to report your earnings and pay taxes on what you earn. (Similar to many other teaching companies).
Of course, as a teacher that works at home, you will be able to include certain expenses as deductions on your taxes that will decrease the total amount of money you will owe during tax season. Please consult with a tax specialist to get more information on this.
The teacher is able to decide how long each class runs. My son has taken weekly 30 minute classes (circle time), but you can teach up to 90 minutes. It really depends on the age group. Outschool suggests smaller lessons for younger kids and longer lesson plans for older kids. All my lessons are approx 50 minutes in length and my age group is mostly kids ages 12-16 years.
Outschool teachers can offer one time classes, as well as an ongoing class (which will automatically renew each student on a subscription until the parent stops it), a class that runs for a semester, or even a class that only runs for a few weeks. Classes can be during the week, weekends, morning, afternoon, evening, and even on summer, winter, and spring breaks.
Outschool offers the following subject choices:
Some examples of popular class titles that are offered by other teachers are:
So if you are interested in making great money from teaching something you love from the comfort of your own house, then this is one of the best jobs you can find online.
Many of the students on Outschool use the platform to supplement their homeschool curriculum.
But Outschool classes are not just limited to homeschool children. Many students who attend school in a traditional setting also use Outschool to dive deeper into their interests, for further learning extensions, or to just have fun outside of the conventional classroom.
Outschool enrollment has increased tenfold with the pandemic causing many families to turn to virtual school and homeschool while they stay at home. This makes it a great time to get started as an Outschool teacher as the demand for instructors has increased greatly
If you want to become an online teacher, the first step is signing up. You can go here to do that.
Next, you’ll need to work through Outschool’s application submission process. There are three sections to complete:
Outschool reviews your bio, profile and your course submission to approve your application. If you’re approved, the next step is the background check. Background checks are free and are done through a company called Checkr.
Once you’re approved you can schedule an optional call with a current Outschool teacher to get a feel for how to use the platform. After that, you can start creating and listing classes!
It can take a little time to get through the review process but if you pass the test, teaching on Outschool can easily become a flexible side hustle to do in your spare time.
I hope that after reading this Outschool review you have a better idea of how the platform works and why it’s a good side hustle.
Are you interested in how to become an online teacher? Or do you teach with Outschool?
Share your experiences in the comments.