If you have been on italki for more than a year with less than 50 completed lessons, you may need to use a strategy employed by new teachers: lower pricing and changing your availability to suit your students’ preferred lesson times.
The reason for this is that you don’t yet have enough lesson statistics to attract the large proportion of students who prefer more experienced (in terms of the number of lessons) teachers. Your initial objective is to build up momentum and increase your number of completed lessons and student reviews.
Please review your profile and make sure it fulfils these requirements:
- Lower lesson rates and a schedule that matches the peak times of your major student markets
It is very important to take into account what time you make yourself available. Your students come from all over the world and as a result, there will be different time zones for you to consider when setting your availability. The average italki student is a working adult who prefers lessons after work and is more flexible on weekends. Please download the appropriate italki Teacher Handbook for information about your target student markets, preferred lesson times and pricing guidance.
- A good introduction video
Speak normally (not too fast) and make sure your voice can be heard clearly without background noise. The background in your video is not too cluttered and there’s good lighting. If you teach kids you should include some teaching tools (ie. black boards, flash cards, props, puppets) in your video.
- A well-written introduction
Research other teachers’ profiles and see what you like and don’t like. Generally speaking, it’s good to let potential students know about what your interests are, what you do, where you’ve been. You should also mention your work/teaching experience and what you specialize in. Definitely mention any experience you have of learning languages and what those languages are.
If you are a Community Tutor, you may mention more about your personality, life experience, hobbies and the proficiency/accent of your teaching language. If you are a Professional Teacher, you may want to mention more about your teaching qualifications and experience.
Example 1 (Professional Teacher):
Example 2 (Community tutor):
- Clear Information about your lessons
You should choose a specialization as this allows you to focus on your strengths. In the long run you’ll develop your reputation in this area and that will give you a very solid foundation for attracting students. Do not offer many different types of lessons because you think this will make you more appealing to a wider audience.
This may, in fact, have the opposite effect and lead to students questioning whether you have the necessary experience and knowledge to teach these lessons. Teaching what you are good at is important for your reputation and teaching career. Meanwhile, consider the student market for your lessons. A teacher offering a lesson called “Football English” may find it hard to attract students because the market is too niche.
Make sure you have assigned lesson categories and tags to your lessons as this is another way for a student to find you via the lessons you offer rather than where you are from and the language you teach.
- A Contact Teacher Form
Please set up your Contact Teacher Form. Students who fill in this form are serious and it will help you to better understand their requirements. You must regularly check your messages and respond promptly. Responding within 24 hours will give your potential students a much more positive impression of you. Read this FAQ for more information.
Comments
20 comments
Excellent! ^^
Since I started teaching (Full Time) on italki last Feb 2020, I completed 730 lessons with 100s of great student reviews and positive feedback in 5 months, however, my bookings are declining April = 261, May = 173, June = 114, and July = 37. Is something wrong with italki algorithm? Can someone enlighten us? Thank you.
Paul - i agree with this. same almost identical collapse in classes. perhaps my drop off was even worse. we do need some understand here from Italki. Lots of other teachers mention the same issues.
Italki please do something about the algorithm. My profile isn't visible anymore. This July I haven't seen any new students.
I agree with all of them. Suddenly it all changed. Is it maybe because is summer so people prefer of course to go to holidays or is a consequence as well of the pandemic that a lot of people are having less incomes... ? or there is something with the algorithm of Italki. This is quite concerning.
Does anyone know how search results work? Yesterday I was at the top and today I'm among the last ones...
Maybe you didn't participate in the 'new' - about to end - $5 promotion?
Hey guys, I feel the same. Although I do run my own Facebook ads and a YouTube channel. I think it helps bring exposure to my profile. Yes, maybe this $5 promotion is affecting the more experienced teachers. However, Keep offering a high quality service and once you weather the storm, it will all be good. 😊 Also, start creating online courses at teachable to supplement your income. If you have a youtube channel start looking for sponsors. If you want to survive in this environment you must learn to create multiple streams of income.
Great. Very helpful.
There's always a decline during the summer months. Always. Couple that with the disruption caused by the global pandemic and you're witnessing a huge upheaval in normal scheduling.
During the months of March through June, demand for online teaching was much higher than normal. Then, when lockdowns were lifted and with good weather, everyone went outdoors.
So, there's normally a dip in Summer months, but this year we had an artificial bump in the winter and spring followed by an unusually severe drop in summer. Things are just now starting to pick up again.
Here's hoping we get back to normal quickly!
Guys, I have participated in the promo and the result has been an INCREASE in classes. Against expectations my class amount has been above the 200 classes every month since June (in September I had a four-day break but still got 192). I think it has to do with the language you teach and what you offer your students. I have been teaching here since March and have as of today (Nov.10, 2020) 1585 classes done. So for me, I got a huge increase in summer, and it still keeps growing, even to the point of getting new students and having to tell them to start classes in 2 or 3 weeks. So it isn't just the algorithms, it is many other factors unknown to many. Stay strong and happy teaching.
Congratulations on that, Johannes!
Personally, I have no idea what "the promo" is, which is curious. But, I've been on this platform for more than four years and still haven't reached 500 sessions, while on another platform, I average 80 sessions per week.
Two months ago, I got many sessions simultaneously here, but now, back to the "normal" less than 10.
Very strange how different people get such vastly different results.
Very helpful indeed!
hello teachers, any explication about Italki algorithm, i was in the first page but now i dont even appear in the first pages
any clarification ?
The rating in italki has decreased tremendously. My price is very normal and I teach my students with so much fun and grace but I do not know why my rating keeps dropping. Please can someone help me explain what is happening?
Well, it's been nine months since my last post on this thread, and nine months since my last session on italki. But, still averaging 80-100 sessions per week on another platform, offering the same exact things at an even higher price. The difference is promotion. The other site promotes itself much more effectively.
I'd drop italki, but, as it doesn't take any of my time anyway, what's the point?
@Tantse. Your students are responsible for your rating. So I'm pretty sure, most of them are rating you low.
Steve M Can you let me know what the other platform you are referring to?
Encuentro esta información muy útil. Estoy seguro que poner en practica estos consejos ayudara a muchos tutores y profesores a mejorar sus estadísticas.
Hi, searching Google and Youtube with "is teaching on Italki dead?" you will see that you are not alone, PRO or community tutors, experienced tutors suffer also. NEW teachers have nothing for weeks as well.
I put INSTANT LESSON on and I reduced my rate to $5 30 min $12 hour to get 2 bookings of 30 min.
I also never appear as ONLINE even though I'm online all day.
It looks like the tsunami of students with the pandemic is gone BUT the mass of teachers who are joining is still there.
As a student I also found that booking a teacher from the App is not working all the time. BUGS. it says I'm already in another class while I'm not and the teacher is available.
I hope Italki solve the problem quickly.
Feb 2022
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