When we interview tutors for this blog, many of them mention how they've grown personally and professionally. As the saying goes, “When one teaches, two learn.”

To help even more of us in the Engoo tutoring community learn from their experiences, we've categorized and shared some of their stories below.

Professional growth

As examples of professional growth, tutors mentioned improved time management, critical thinking, people skills, and communication skills.

I’ve noticed that Korean and Japanese students are very on time. They value even seconds! I call students five seconds before the start time so they can pick up exactly on time, and they always do. They’ve inspired me to manage my own time better and to seize the day.

Cherie | Philippines

You might get a grumpy student one lesson, a serious one the next lesson, and then a complete jokester. There will be students you don’t like, but you’ll still need to treat them like any other student. As a result, I’ve learned to always have a professional and diplomatic attitude.

Addie | Romania

Better social skills

Many tutors admit to being shy. Some credit online tutoring with bringing them out of their shell!

I'm an introverted person; but students have different personalities, and you see the benefits of breaking out of your box. They do things that rub off on you, and you see that life can be more fun.

Chiedza | South Africa

This job has been great for my communication skills. I used to be quite shy. I’m now much better at forming friendships outside of work.

Anonymous | UK

Thanks to the discussions, I’ve gotten better at talking to strangers, listening attentively, and coming up with conversation topics.

Alesia | Belarus

Deeper cultural understanding

Tutors said that they not only learned about students’ countries and cultures, but also about their own country and culture.

Before Bibo, I only knew that Japan had robots, and there was Tokyo. Now I know more about Japan than about my own country!

Anonymous | Bosnia & Herzegovina

I learned a lot about different cultures and countries, mostly Korea and Japan. I love that students are happy to share their culture. For example, if it's a national holiday, they'll tell me what meals they eat. Japanese students will show me the cherry blossoms in the spring. They'll tell me about their experiences with that tradition.”

Anonymous | US

My country was a British colony, and we speak English so often that we sometimes forget our own language. But I’ve noticed that the Japanese love their language and culture. They’ve taught me to appreciate my own native language.

Mesi | Nigeria

Students often ask me about aspects of my country that I normally wouldn’t discuss even with other foreign friends. To answer their questions, I had to look up information, which allowed me to think more deeply about the history, culture and ‘biggest industries’ of my country, and how to introduce it to others in an easy-to-understand way.

Addie | Romania

New perspectives on the world

Tutors also felt that online tutoring gives them an opportunity to have interesting discussions with students every day. As a result, they've been exposed to ideas that they wouldn’t otherwise have come in contact with, helping them develop a broader worldview.

I enjoy listening to different ideas. Very often people have extremely interesting ideas that make me think, ‘Wow I’ve never thought about this in my life.’ My students help me see the world in a new light. Also, during discussions, I have to think about things I've never thought about: medicine, machines, whatever. This has helped me get better at thinking about issues from different perspectives.

Alesia | Belarus

When I lived in the UK, I thought of everyone as 'British,' 'French,' 'German,' and so on. Traveling and tutoring has made me see that we’re all the same. I noticed a lot of similarities between us and Japan and Korea. We just want to enjoy life.

Anonymous | UK

New teaching styles

A lot of our tutors have classroom teaching experience. Online tutoring exposed them to a different side of English language education.

I’m an English and Science teacher at a public school. Before online tutoring, I always taught with a curriculum. I wondered why people would want to come to class without a clear plan. But I realized that they’re still learning English, just with a more free-form approach. So this experience has taught me to make my classroom less like a classroom. I let students have a greater say in deciding what to do, as long as it’s in English.”

Royaltyunen | Benin

“Online tutoring has opened me up to a different kind of teaching experience and helped me become confident with teaching. Even if I get complaints, I get to reflect on the negative sides as well and improve my teaching.”

Naty | Zimbabwe

“I used to teach English in public schools in Thailand, and it was hard work. Progress was non-existent because the class sizes were so large. Whereas with online tutoring, you can take a student from very little English to more advanced in a short period of time. It’s fantastic!”

Anonymous | UK

👋 That’s it for now!

Did you relate to any of these experiences? What personal and professional improvements have you seen in your own tutoring career?

A huge “thank you” to all tutors who’ve participated in interviews so far! Happy tutoring!