Marketplace Mastery
For many teachers, marketplaces like Preply, italki, Wyzant, and Outschool are the perfect balance between teaching with a company or independently.
Let’s learn how to get started teaching with marketplaces and directory sites – from setting up your profile to standing out and thriving!
Understanding Marketplaces and Tutor Directory Sites
Online teaching marketplaces and directory sites are websites where you can create a profile to promote your classes to students, who search for teachers via a filtering system. Unlike teaching with an online ESL company, you can set your own prices and have more freedom over your teaching.
| Online Teacher Marketplaces | Online Tutor Directory Sites | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Preply, italki, Outschool, Cafetalk, Wyzant, MyTutor | SuperProf, FindTutors, TutorPerch |
| Pricing | ✅ Set your own prices ❌ The platform takes a percentage commission | ✅ Set your own prices ✅ No commission or student referral fees |
| Teaching materials | ✅ Use your preferred teaching materials | ✅ Use your preferred teaching materials |
| Marketing | ✅ The platform actively markets you to new students | ❌ Limited marketing included, payment may be required for featured listings |
| Tech | ✅ Usually provide payment processing, booking, and virtual classroom systems | ❌ Usually don’t provide tech tools. Clients contact you directly to discuss and book classes. |
| Requirements | ❌ May be more selective in which tutors they accept | ✅ Usually less selective, as long as you meet their basic requirements |
Application and Profile Basics
Get these essentials set up to help you get listed on any marketplace platform or tutor directory:
Profile Picture
The first key part of your profile is your profile picture.
- Clearly show your face and shoulders, straight-on.
- Wear appropriate clothes for teaching.
- Smile and look welcoming!
- Make sure the background is appropriate yet fun for kids (e.g. classroom background).
- Hold a prop, e.g. your class toy or reward system.
Profile Bio
Your profile bio is NOT all about you! Check out these great tips from Louisa to help you create a profile that actually draws in students.
Intro Video
Most marketplaces require you to create a short (30-60 seconds) intro video. Let’s watch Teacher Lula’s top tips:
Preply
A particularly popular platform among Abridge Academy teachers, Preply is an easy marketplace to get started on! Check out these top tips and teacher insights:
Outschool
Outschool is a great platform for teachers wanting to scale up their business with group classes or teach more topic-based classes such as the Abridge Academy debating, stories, or phonics lessons!
Why Teach with Outschool?
- Teach your passion: any subject, hobby, skill, or language.
- High earning potential: Outschool’s group class model means the average teacher earns $40 – $50 per hour.
- Flexible schedule: no minimum hours.
- Teach one-on-one, group classes, or self-paced courses.
Outschool Requirements
To teach on Outschool, you must:
- Be aged over 18.
- Be resident in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, or the United Kingdom.
- Verify identify and have a clean criminal record (Outschool will process your background check for free).
- Expertise in your niche, either through qualifications or experience.
- Reliable and fast internet connection.
- Follow their community standards and class content policy.
Unlike many other platforms, Outschool does not require a degree or formal teaching credentials. However, in our experience, they tend to favour more experienced or qualified educators, or those with particular niche skills such as teaching coding, theatre, dance, etc which are in higher demand.
First Class Listing + Video
As part of the application process, you must create your first class listing. This includes putting together the class details as well as a short intro / demo video.
Example Class video:
