OutSchool Review: What is OutSchool?

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Outschool is the largest remote learning marketplace, featuring more than 100,000 live classes in various topics such as math, reading, engineering, health, etc. Each of the courses is taught by a teacher who is passionate about the topic at hand. The classes are meant for kids between the ages of 3-18 to learn about various topics. It’s the perfect way for kids to spend free time on the weekends or after school.

There is a cap on the number of kids allowed in each class to ensure a good learning experience. Zoom is used to facilitate the lessons and encourage interaction with every student. The online service was initially used by homeschooling parents who needed a break from teaching their kids, but parents everywhere see the benefit of using Outschool’s classes.

Outschool Classes
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What Courses are Offered Through Outschool?

There are hundreds of thousands of classes to choose from on Outschool’s marketplace. The lessons can range from chemistry and math to emotional development or hobbies. The classes are meant for students between the ages of 3 to 18, with the recommended age for each class listed next to the title. Topics you’ll find covered includes:

  • Arts: Art classes offered includes sewing, film, theatre, dance, photography, and drawing classes

  • English: Different English classes offered include Literature, Poetry, Essay Writing, Book Club, Spelling, Grammar, Creative Writing

  • Life Skills: Life skill classes offered includes Critical Thinking, Social Skills, Study Skills, Financial Skills, and Cooking

  • Music:  Music classes offered includes Music Theory, Composers, Singing, Piano, and Guitar

  • Coding & Tech: Coding classes offered includes Animation, Internet Safety, Engineering, Robotics, Video Game Design, and Coding.

  • Health & Wellness: Health and wellness classes offered includes nutrition, mindfulness, exercise, emotions, and hygiene.

  • Social Studies: Social studies classes offered includes politics, economics, anthropology, American history, world history, and geography.

  • Math: Math classes offered includes Probability, Statistics, Calculus, Fractions, Geometry, Numbers, Algebra

  • Science & Nature: Science and Nature classes offered includes Psychology, Marine Biology, Anatomy, Astronomy, Physics, Zoology, Biology, and Chemistry.

  • World Language: World language classes offered includes Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Chinese, German, Latin, Japanese, French, American Sign Language, and Spanish.

  • Learner Favorites: Learner favorites are fun classes that students can choose based on their favorite topics such as adventure, unicorn, dogs, cats, Minecraft, Pokémon, Lego, Fortnite, and Dungeons and Dragons.

Are the Teachers Knowledgeable on Outschool?

There is a wide variety of teachers on the Outschool platform. Teachers must pass a background check and be a resident of New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, or the United States. There is no need for the teachers to hold a formal teaching credential or a college degree. The idea behind this decision is to encourage those who have a wide range of interests to apply to teach on Outschool to offer more classes to students.

There is no formal curriculum or guidelines that teachers need to follow when presenting their class, which means that you don’t always know what you’ll get when signing your students up for a class. Some teachers are passionate about their hobbies, while others are retired teachers or have PHDs. The style of class management ranges from screaming and loud participation to quiet, orderly classrooms. Some classrooms will let parents watch, while others prefer for you to stay out of the way.

While Outschool does thoroughly review every course outline and structure before approving the class, it’s still important to vet the class yourself. Parents can find reviews under each class written by parents or students who took the course. Reading through these reviews will help you weed through the classes to find the right one for your student to take.

OutSchool Referral Link

Use this OutSchool Referral Link to get $20 off to try your first class and to ensure that you get the support and guidance you need as a new teacher on the platform. Read our OutSchool referral article to give you more information on how the Outschool referral program works.

Outschool Referral

How Much Does an OutSchool Class Cost?

Instructor’s on the platform can choose the price they want to sell their class spots for. You can find most one-time classes for less than $20 a class. Each lesson is between 30 minutes to one hour long. Once your kids or students have tried out a few classes, they’ll be able to determine which teachers they enjoy and which they would prefer not to take again. Once you’ve found a series you like, you can sign up for 10-week long classes that can range between $100 to $600.

How Big are Outschool’s Classes?

The classes are capped at 12 students per teacher. The small group size allows every kid to have an opportunity to participate and talk in the class. The age ranges are split well so that the class material and structure fit the learning styles and abilities of the age group.

What Technology Do Students Need for OutSchool?

All classes are taught through the Zoom platform. Students will need a device that works with Zoom, such as a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. The application makes it easy for students to participate and join classes while allowing teachers to mute students, share their screens, and control the classroom. Zoom’s messenger function makes it easy for students to ask a question or make a comment on the material they’re learning about.

How Do I Teach on the OutSchool Platform?

It’s a simple process for teachers to get started on the Outschool platform. If you’re ready to become a teacher on the platform, log onto the Outschool website in your internet browser. If you received a referral link, you’ll want to use that to sign up. If not, proceed through the main website. Click on the “Teach” button located at the top of the page, followed by the “Sign up to teach” green box. You’ll need to sign up using an e-mail account or Facebook. The application will ask you to provide some basic information about yourself, such as your experience, name, and background. Once you’ve submitted this information, you need to wait to hear back from the platform to see if you’ve been approved.

If you’ve been accepted, you can start to create your first class. You’ll need to submit it to the Outschool program before you can offer it to students on the marketplace. You want to make sure that you’re knowledgeable about the topic you plan to teach and show off your current skills. If you don’t know much about the issue, you won’t be able to create meaningful class content. Teachers need to create their own curriculums to submit because Outschool doesn’t tell teachers how to teach or what to teach.

Make sure when writing your proposal that you use proper English. The Outschool team will be checking for any grammatical errors or spelling issues. At its foundation, Outschool is an educational program, so they want to ensure the teachers they choose on the platform are well-spoken, write clearly, and have knowledge on the topic at hand. Once you’ve been approved for your project, it will start to appear live on the Outschool marketplace.

How Much Does It Cost to Teach on Outschool?

It does not cost any money to teach on the Outschool platform. You will need to sign up, be a resident in a qualifying country, pass a background test, and submit a program application to list your course on the marketplace. When you sell a class, the platform will take 30% as a service fee from enrollments, which means you don’t have to pay out until you get paid. Once you have finished your classes, you’ll get paid via Paypal after the course begins.

What are the benefits of teaching on the Outschool program?

There are many benefits that teachers love about the Outschool program. Some of the most common reasons people choose this platform includes:

  • Extra Money: Teaching online allows professionals to make extra money to supplement their day job. You’re able to work entirely remotely according to your schedule. You get to choose when your classes will be held and how much you plan to charge for them.
  • Freedom for Creativity: Other online learning platforms require teachers to follow a curriculum or specific teaching style. At Outschool, they allow you to teach the way you want or how you know works best for kids. You get to design the content, the activities, and how students will participate in your class.
  • Motivated Learners: The students who choose to be in your class have voluntarily chosen to be there instead of forced. This means that you’re likely to work with students interested in the topics you’re teaching, which creates a better learning and teaching environment.
  • No Red Tape: Unlike teaching at a physical school, you won’t need to spend your time filling out a bunch of paperwork to teach. Instead, once your application or course is accepted, you can focus on teaching. Plus, your payment is sent via Paypal as soon as your class starts. Outschool is the easy way to allow educators to teach!
Why teach with Outschool

Who Can Teach at Outschool?

Anyone can teach on the Outschool platform if they can pass a criminal background and are residents of either Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom. You’ll also need a secure internet connection to teach your classes.