Teaching is a satisfying job, whether you’re in charge of a big class or a few smaller, more focused groups. Because it’s more personal, small-group teaching can be very appealing. Teachers can build better relationships with their students and help them learn more.
If you want to teach small groups, you might wonder what you must do and what chances are out there. This piece tells you how to get into small group teaching jobs and answers essential questions that will help you.
How do you teach a small group?
Teaching a small, organized group of students, usually between 5 and 30 people, is called “small group teaching.” It is a common format in many school settings, such as
Schools and colleges: You can find small group lessons in remedial or tutoring classes.
Universities: Seminars and workshops are often used in addition to extensive lectures in many classes, especially those about science or the humanities.
Private tutoring: Many teachers work with small groups to help students learn specific subjects.
Professional Training: Small group training sessions are a great way to learn by doing in the business world. These sessions are usually for learning IT, management, or speaking skills.
2. Why should you look for jobs teaching small groups?
Working together in small groups has unique benefits for both teachers and students. As a teacher, it can be very rewarding because you can adapt your lessons to each student’s learning style, lead important discussions, and get feedback right away. Most of the time, there is more room for imagination and interaction in small groups, which can make teaching more fun and interesting.
Smaller groups also make it easier for teachers to monitor students’ growth and adjust lessons to meet everyone’s needs, which makes education more effective.
3. How to Begin Teaching in Small Groups:
Get the right qualifications.
If you want to teach small groups, you must have the right skills. Most teaching jobs demand at least a relevant college degree or a specialized certification. For instance, if you want to teach in schools, you’ll need a degree in education and any other credentials your local education board requires.
For business or specialized training jobs, a degree and experience in the field may be enough. However, some companies might also need a certain kind of teaching license, like a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate or a Certified Trainer license.
B. Get more experience
It would help if you had a lot of experience to get jobs teaching small groups. To get more experience, you could teach or train people as a volunteer at the group you work for or offer to tutor others. Many places of learning are more likely to hire people who can show they have experience, making learning settings better.
C. Learn certain skills
When you teach small groups, you need skills that go beyond knowing a lot about the subject, like:
Adaptability: Changing your lessons to fit the needs of different students.
Communication: Good interpersonal communication is needed to get kids interested.
- Engaged listening means paying attention to kids and meeting their needs.
- Managing a classroom means keeping an eye on group talks and ensuring they stay on track.
2. The network In the Business or Education World
Building a professional network is essential to finding chances to teach small groups. Go to classes, conferences, and events where people in your field can meet and network. You can also meet with people in the same field and find out about job openings by joining relevant online communities or groups on sites like LinkedIn.
E. Use job boards and other platforms for hiring people
several job boards are specifically for teaching jobs, such as
Indeed: Offers a wide range of teaching jobs around the world.
- TES (Times Educational Supplement) is based in the UK but posts job openings in education worldwide.
- HigherEdJobs is an excellent site for people who want to teach at the college level.
- Ensure your CV and skills are up-to-date and use these sites to learn about new teaching jobs.
CV Block for Small Group Teaching Job Application
Here is a sample CV block that you can use when applying for small group teaching roles. The table includes examples of real-world companies that offer teaching and training positions:
Company Name | Company URL | Job Requirements |
---|---|---|
Pearson | www.pearson.com | Bachelor’s degree in Education or relevant field – Teaching certification (e.g., TEFL for language roles) 2+ years of teaching experience |
EF Education First | www.ef.com | Fluent English speaker TEFL/TESOL certification Experience in small group teaching preferred |
Kumon | www.kumon.com | – Degree in Education or related field Experience working with children Excellent communication skills |
Udemy | www.udemy.com | Expertise in the subject matter Proven teaching experience Ability to create and deliver interactive lessons for small groups |
Outschool | www.outschool.com | Bachelor’s degree in a related field Experience teaching online or small groups – Must pass a background check |
How to Get a Job Teaching Small Groups: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What skills do I need to apply for teaching small groups at work?
In general, you need the following to apply for work teaching small groups:
You should have a degree in education or the subject you want to teach.
Credentials for teaching:
In some places and jobs, you may need credentials like a teaching license (for schools) or a TEFL certificate (for teaching languages).
Experience:
- You must have taught for many jobs before, preferably with smaller groups.
- Some business training jobs may not require formal teaching qualifications. Still, they expect you to know a lot about the industry and, if possible, have a certification in teaching.
2. How can I get more practice teaching small groups?
Here are some ways to get experience:
- You could offer to lead small group classes at your workplace or a community center as a volunteer.
- If you want to get better at teaching one-on-one or small groups, you should start giving private lessons.
Teach Online:
- Many websites let you teach small groups of people about what you know. Many people like platforms like Outschool and Udemy.
- Work together with schools. Some schools may let volunteers run clubs or lessons outside of school hours.
- Connecting with other teachers can also lead to chances to help or observe more experienced teachers.
3. Where can I become a small group teacher?
You can find jobs teaching small groups in several places, such as:
- Websites like TES, Indeed, and Glassdoor regularly post teaching jobs on their job boards.
- Websites for universities: Many colleges and universities offer part-time or adjunct teaching jobs, especially in courses taught in seminars.
Business job boards:
- Sites like LinkedIn often have company trainers and group leader openings.
- Talking to schools, community colleges, and training companies in your area is also helpful.
4. What skills do you need to teach a small group?
Specific skills are needed to teach small groups, such as:
- Adaptability means changing how you teach based on what the students need.
- Facilitation means leading a discussion and making sure that everyone has a chance to participate.
Communication:
- Breaking down complex topics in a way that a small group can understand.
- Collaboration means setting up a place to learn where students can work together.
Comments and Assessment:
- Giving each student specific comments and help to help them get better.
- These skills will help you lead the group well while meeting each individual’s wants.
5. What kinds of jobs could you get after training small groups?
Teaching small groups can lead to many different kinds of jobs, such as:
Full-time teaching jobs: If you have experience teaching small groups, you can move to bigger classrooms or steady teaching jobs.
Making curricula: You could create training programs or school lessons for others.
Corporate Training: If you like working with professionals, you could turn your skills into corporate training jobs in IT or management development.
Consulting: Teachers with extensive experience often work in consulting, where they give advice on school programs or create custom training materials.