With the advent of the internet, learning and sharing knowledge has become easier then ever thanks to many online schools. While some are accredited and offer college credit classes, others offer non-credit and leisure classes. Both have students that want to learn skills from qualified instructors, but how does one become an instructor? Whether you have a Master’s degree or a GED, as long as you are knowledgeable about a particular kind of subject matter, there is a school and a teaching position out there for you.
For those that have a Master’s degree, many Community Colleges recruit adjunct faculty that live across the entire United States. The key to obtaining a job as an online Community College instructor is to have a Master’s degree in a particular subject area. A degree in education is fine, if you want to teach education classes, but if you wanted to teach, say, English, you would need a Master’s degree in English. Some schools are more liberal with their requirements and will accept a person with a Master’s degree and eighteen graduate credits in the subject area they wish to teach. Some good sites to visit are the career listings provided on the Chronicle of Higher Education and Higher Ed Jobs’ websites. Of course, the higher the degree a person has, the better of an opportunity to teach more classes, as instructors with terminal degrees are generally needed to teach Master’s level classes.
However, those without such education need not worry. Many states hire certified teachers to teach from their state’s virtual academies. These are traditional school classes delivered online. Professional qualifications usually include at least a Bachelor’s degree, permanent certification in a subject area, and computer literacy. The best way to obtain one of these positions if qualified is to perform a search with your state’s name and the words “virtual school” or “virtual academy”. Since these positions fill up quickly, it is best to apply as early as possible.
Finally, for people who have expertise in a subject such as a hobby, or work- related subject matter, there are online schools that allow you to share your knowledge and teach non-credit classes. When you register, you submit a course proposal, and once it is approved, you write the curriculum, online lessons, and exams you will need for your class. Most classes last six weeks long and are offered several times a year. While you decide what you will charge for your own class, the hosting school will take a percentage of your amount. This covers: billing the students, processing your payments, web hosting your class, and providing technical support to the student. Some providers that offer non credit classes are Universal Class, Ed 2 Go, and LVS Online. Which ever provider you decide to go with, as long as you have the passion to share your knowledge with others and drive to completely author and teach a course on your own, you will be a successful online teacher.
