How to Tutor Over Zoom? Free access and features for Online Tutoring Sessions

With the rise of demand for online tutoring, practical tools and platforms such as Zoom are becoming more convenient. Since online tutoring lacks the classroom setting and face-to-face interactions, the innovative features of Zoom add more depth to online tutoring sessions that can go beyond in-person tutoring. This article answers how to tutor over Zoom by giving practical solutions, including:

• Create a professional and distraction-free work area
• Ensure your students are familiar with Zoom
• Use virtual whiteboards to add more depth and engagement to your online session.
• Create breakout rooms for group activities and discussions
• Encourage students to use the Polls feature to give feedback.
• Use the Annotations feature while screen sharing to add more visualisation to your tutoring session. 

How to Tutor Over Zoom? Setting Up for Success

In an online setting of education, which can be distracting, unfamiliar, and confusing for some learners or educators, setting up a professional learning environment is key. The technical setup for online tutoring sessions must be sufficient to create a professional and familiar environment. It is advisable to choose a high-quality camera, microphone, and lightning. If your laptop has a high-quality camera, you won’t need to invest in one; if not, a webcam with 720p resolution is sufficient. For more engagement during online lessons, a distraction-free background is also helpful. Opt for solid colours for the background and avoid harsh lighting; the best light setting for online tutoring is natural light.

Access Zoom for Free

Online tutors with higher ratings have more autonomy in choosing students and setting more flexible pricing and working hours. The ultimate goal of gathering practical tools and equipment is to add more depth and professionalism to your online classroom, which results in better student outcomes. One of these great online tutoring tools is Zoom. By setting up a Zoom account for your online tutoring sessions, you will have access to interactive whiteboards and screen-sharing permissions. Below is a step-by-step guide to creating a Zoom basic account and scheduling your first session:

1. Go to the Zoom website.
2. Scroll down and click on sign up.
3. Enter your birthday.
4. Enter your Email address.
5. Verify your email address via the confirmation email sent to you. 
6. Create your profile by adding your name and photo and choosing a password.
7. Click “Meetings”, and schedule a meeting.
8. Choose the date and time for your meeting.
9. To add participants, click on “copy invitation,” copy the body, and share it via email, calendar, etc. 

The Zoom free account allows 40 minutes for each meeting; if your tutoring sessions are going to last longer, consider investing in a paid account to ensure longer sessions and additional Zoom features such as polls.

Zoom Features for Online Tutoring

Zoom offers constructive features for online tutoring. Let’s take a look:

Zoom Features for Tutoring
Zoom Feature	Helpful for
Screen Sharing	Providing examples, exploring ideas, reviewing lessons, etc.
Virtual Whiteboards	Explaining topics, assessment, problem-solving simultaneously, demonstrating, etc.
Session Recording	For later review by students or tutors.
Virtual Backgrounds	To create a background. It’s possible to choose a photo from your device; however, for a more professional view, it’s best to make a physical background in your work area.
Breakout Rooms	Helpful for dividing students into small groups for practices, discussions, etc.
Waiting Rooms	Prevent uninvited members and chaotic entry Connect to students before entering the virtual classroom.  You can enable waiting rooms through your account setting for all meetings or individual meetings at the beginning.
Polling Feature	Creating questions to assess students’ knowledge; students can also create polls, which are excellent tools for tutors to gather feedback.
Annotate Tools	Add more dynamic features, such as shapes and arrows, to your online sessions.  Excellent for solving problems, answering questions, explaining concepts, etc.

What Is The Best Zoom Plan for Online Tutors?

Choosing a Zoom plan depends on several factors, such as your teaching style, the number of your students over class, etc. Most tutors and teachers prefer Zoom Pro, which costs relatively less and allows 30 hours of group meetings per session. 

Choosing The Right Zoom Plan for Online Tutoring
Feature	Basic Zoom	Zoom Pro	Zoom Business
Maximum Meeting Duration	40 minutes	30 hours	30 hours
Virtual whiteboards	3	3	Unlimited
Number of Participants	Up to 100	Up to 100	Up to 300
Breakout Rooms	Yes	Yes	Yes
Polls & Quizzes	No	Yes	Yes
Access across any device	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ideal for	One-on-one tutoring (short sessions)	Most online tutors (small groups, longer sessions)	Tutors who need advanced features

Effective Communication Strategies for Tutoring Over Zoom

In a virtual environment, clear communication is vital due to the limited non-verbal cues and potential for misinterpretation. Utilising Zoom for online tutoring sessions helps tutors overcome common challenges and create an interactive learning environment. Aside from the regular strategies for building reports, regular check-ins, active listening, using learners’ names, integration, and responding to non-verbal cues are essential for engagement in an online setting. Below are additional tips on how to tutor via Zoom:

1. Test your equipment before each online session.
2. Set your camera at eye level and look at your camera to make eye contact.
3. Express your enthusiasm by warmly welcoming your students.
4. Be sensitive.
5. Pay attention to nonverbal cues, and ensure positive body language by smiling and nodding.
6. Do not sit still; move left or right, and lean towards the camera when needed.
7. Use positive reinforcement.
8. Ask open-ended questions.
9. Encourage learners to use non-verbal feedback on the Zoom platform.

• How to Interpret and Respond to Non-Verbal Cues During Online Sessions?

Nonverbal cues are the essence of effective communication, which are often overlooked in online settings. As a general guide, if the students are in a slumped posture and seem to wander, they might be bored. Consider adapting your teaching method; if they seem confused, ask them if they need more clarification on a topic. Screen fatigue is also common in online tutoring sessions; if your class takes longer than 45 minutes, set aside some moments for students to rest their eyes and do some movement. 

Read more: How do I use Google Classroom as a private tutor?

Leveraging Zoom Features for Teaching

With Zoom’s highly functional features, you can create a unique learning experience for your online students. One of these features is Zoom’s interactive whiteboard, which allows tutors and students to write, draw, and practice in an interactive environment. To use Zoom interactive whiteboards, you need to download the Zoom desktop client.

Another great feature of Zoom is screen sharing; the paid version allows private sharing, meaning that you can share specific windows to keep away distractions. Screen sharing promotes engagement during online sessions; you can use it to showcase online resources or work through problems in real time. Editing files simultaneously with your students, solving problems, and creating mind maps are helpful teaching strategies that are possible via screen sharing. Here are additional tips on how to tutor over Zoom:

• Use Zoom’s breakout rooms for peer learning, small group discussions, etc.
• Utilise the screen-sharing feature for more resources, visual aids, etc.
• With permission, record your lessons or allow your students to record them for later review.
• Use the chat function in a Zoom meeting.
• Gather feedback by utilising the Polls features of Zoom.
• Enable annotations through settings and then in meeting basics; this feature allows you and learners to be more involved during the screen sharing feature. 

Preparing and Delivering Engaging Sessions via Zoom

Session planning is one of the most critical duties of an online tutor. It is important to set clear objectives for the course and each online tutoring session with appropriate materials and activities. Fortunately, Zoom functions allow creativity and engagement in online group classes or private tutoring sessions. Nonetheless, the teaching method and resources are determined by the tutors. Below are tips on how to tutor on Zoom:

• • Use multimedia resources, such as short clips or songs related to the topics you teach.
  • Take your time with each topic, photo, video, etc. Allow students to comprehend them and ask questions.
  • If your teaching style or the subject you teach requires writing and demonstrating, consider using a writing tablet.
  • Incorporate gamification elements using screen sharing or virtual whiteboards.

With the practical features of platforms like Zoom, tutors can enhance the quality of their lessons. But what are the different types of tutoring? Read on to find out more: Types of tutoring methods.

Managing Challenges in Zoom Tutoring

Zoom offers several highly functional features for online tutoring; however, there might be challenges for both students and tutors. Below are the most common challenges faced by Zoom users and how to overcome them:

Technical Issues

Technical issues are common during online tutoring sessions, no matter which platform you use. Regarding how to tutor on Zoom, there are some steps you can take to minimise these issues, including:

• Ensure a stable internet connection for yourself and your students.

• Test your equipment beforehand.

• Make sure your students are familiar with Zoom, and reserve a short time to introduce the features that you will use.

• Attend your online sessions a few minutes early to address any concerns.

Student Distraction

Whether in an online learning environment or an in-person setting, student distractions can be frustrating for teachers. When tutoring online, teacher distractions are also common. The tips below can be helpful:

• Create a work area, and do not allow your pets in during your sessions.
• Inform your family members or roommates about your tutoring schedule and ask them not to disturb you.
• Discharge your doorbell or home phone to eliminate distractions.
• As for student distractions, it’s best to discuss the objectives and your expectations beforehand.
• Keep students engaged by utilising various methods and Zoom features such as polls and breakout rooms for group activities.
• Encourage participation.
• For private online tutorials, make sure you keep the content tailored to the student’s needs and learning objectives.

Time Management

Below are helpful strategies for time management for online tutors: 

• Plan your course and each online tutoring session.
• Design a session structure for different activities and topics; be flexible accordingly.
• Utilise tools such as Google Calendar and create a section dedicated to your Zoom virtual classrooms.
• Use Zoom Calendar Client to send meeting invitations and set reminders.
• Be clear about your expectations and objectives during a session and the entire course.

You will find valuable tips on how to tutor on Zoom in this YouTube video by ClassPoint: How to Teach Online with Zoom – A Guide for Teachers

Assessing and Enhancing Learning Outcomes

Student assessment in online settings can be more practical with Zoom features. One of the best tools for online evaluation is virtual whiteboards, which can be used for collaborative problem-solving and explanations. You can also use Zoom features to create quizzes and polls to gather information about students’ learning. Additionally, the private chat feature allows tutors to provide feedback to individual students. 

Another valuable feature of the Zoom platform is that participants can also create polls. By encouraging your students to develop their own questions in this interactive manner, you will gain more insight into their learning progress, gather feedback and adjust your teaching method and resources accordingly.

This YouTube video by Zoom provides a step-by-step guide to polling for Zoom webinars and meetings.

Continuing Professional Development

Staying updated with the latest online tutoring methods, resources, and tools help tutors remain ahead of their careers. There are multiple ways to enhance online teaching skills, including online academic support tutorials, attending webinars, joining online teaching communities, and exploring new educational technologies. By joining Ostado online tutoring jobs in the UK, you will gain more technical knowledge and access to the best tutoring methods and tools while having the opportunity to tutor your favourite subjects on your convenient schedule. 

Conclusion

Teaching online tutorials through Zoom promotes engagement, interactiveness, and creativity during online sessions. Zoom offers valuable features for online tutoring, including virtual whiteboards, break rooms, calendars, etc.