☕ Confessions of a Home-Based ESL Tutor: The Good, the Bad, and the Funny

Working from home as an ESL tutor may sound dreamy and most of the time, it is. I’ve had the chance to teach students from Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and beyond, all from the comfort of my little home office. But like any job, it comes with its fair share of real-life moments.

Story Time…

✅ The Good

What I love most is the connection. Some of my regular students have been with me for years, and our lessons often feel like catching up with old friends. I also love setting my own hours. I usually teach from 7 PM to midnight, Monday to Saturday and my internet is super reliable at 600 Mbps, so classes run smoothly.

⚠️ The Not-So-Good

As reliable as my internet usually is, there was one time when the connection went completely down just minutes before my class started. It was frustrating because everything was prepped and ready but all I could do was message my student using mobile data and reschedule. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s a good reminder to always have a backup plan and stay calm under pressure. Moments like this are super rare but they’re a real part of working from home.

😂 The Funny

There’s never a dull moment in online teaching. I’ve had cats walk across keyboards, students accidentally call me “mom,” and one memorable moment was when I praised a student’s “new haircut”... only to find out it was a wig!

But one of the funniest moments was during a class when I got distracted by a commotion with my neighbor who lives in the adjacent condo unit—lots of banging and shouting. My student couldn’t hear anything on her end, so I explained what was going on. She laughed and asked—half-jokingly (I think)—if I could go closer so she could hear what they were arguing about, that is, if it was safe. I actually went near the window for a second, and we both burst out laughing.

It’s those unexpected, shared moments that make online teaching feel more real and sometimes, more fun.

What about you? Care to share an unforgettable moment you’ve had with your tutor?