TeachCast Review Summary

TeachCast employs US residents to teach ESL online to international children and adults. You must have completed a diploma/2 years of college and a TEFL/TESOL/substitute certificate. Pay is $12-$14 an hour, with paid training, though you must commit to a fixed schedule of 25 hours across 5 days a week.

TeachCast Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Long-established company and online ESL program
• Paid per block, even if no classes are scheduled
• Paid training
• Potential pay rises following evaluation
• Hires teachers as W-2 employees, not as independent contractors
• Regular teaching schedule (25 hours a week)

Cons:

• Pay is not the highest
• Lacks week-to-week flexibility – must commit to a regular 4-hour block, 5 days a week
• Some graveyard shifts (depending on time zone)
• Not always hiring
• Few reviews from existing teachers (though what is written is positive)

What Is TeachCast and Is TeachCast Legit?

TeachCast LLC (also known as TeachCast Global) is a subsidiary of Eleutian Technology, headquartered in Cody, Wyoming (USA). The company provides online language instruction for businesses and educational organizations, and has delivered over 2 million lessons since its founding in 2006. Its legitimacy is underlined by endorsements from The British Council, Nagase Corporation of Japan, Kingsoft of China, and Seoul Digital University of Korea.

TeachCast with Oxford is Eleutian’s partnership with Oxford University Press (OUP) that has run since 2012, delivering the latter’s ‘Let’s Go’, ‘Headway’ and ‘Business Venture’ courses to children, secondary and adult students, and professionals respectively. OUP lesson plans and materials are provided to teachers, who deliver one-on-one, to small groups, or via live streams simultaneously watched by up to 2,500 TeachCast students (predominantly in Asia and particularly Indonesia).

Here is a video introduction to the TeachCast with Oxford program:

TeachCast Salary

The starting TeachCast pay rate is US$12-$14 an hour, depending on a teacher’s experience and the project they are hired for. There is the potential for pay rises following teaching evaluations.

Teachers are paid for each block they are scheduled for, even if no classes are allocated during that time. There is also paid training amounting to $120.

Unlike many online teaching companies, TeachCast hires teachers as W-2 employees, not as independent contractors.

TeachCast payments are made bi-weekly/fortnightly via direct deposit into an American bank account.

TeachCast Hours

TeachCast hours are divided into 4-hour teaching blocks, delivered on 5 consecutive days. This amounts to a minimum hours commitment of 25 hours a week:

Schedules are decided for the entire (Indonesian) school year, running from July-May.

Lessons generally last 50 minutes and are scheduled within these blocks, with a teacher meeting each class once a week.

TeachCast Requirements

TeachCast requires its teachers to:

• Have completed an Associate’s degree or 2 years of college (minimum)
• Hold a TEFL/TESOL or substitute teaching certificate (minimum)
• Be a US resident in one of the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY
• Be energetic, innovative, and enjoy working with students in group classes

TeachCast Technical Requirements

TeachCast teachers must have access to the following equipment/facilities:

• A controlled work area that is quiet and distraction free.
• A headset that is low profile, comfortable, lightweight, and has a noise-cancelling microphone with good sound quality. Wireless headsets are NOT allowed.
• A High Definition webcam.
• A wired ethernet connection. Wireless internet connections are NOT allowed.
  • Must have access to the modem/router, with the ability to reset in case of problems.
  • Minimum of 3 Mbps upload and download speeds. You must test your internet speed here, select a server in Seattle, and take a screenshot of your results.
• Computer Specifications:
  • Processor: 2.0 GHz (dual core), 2.8 GHz (single core), or better
  • Memory (RAM): 4 GB or more
  • Operating System: Windows 10, OS X10.9 Mavericks, or newer
  • Latest version of the Google Chrome browser with JavaScript enabled
  • Anti-virus protection

TeachCast Application Process

Specific TeachCast jobs are advertised periodically here.

If a position is not currently listed, you can still schedule a TeachCast interview via this link; just set your time zone, select an available slot, and provide the following information:

• First and last name
• Phone number
• Email address
• How did you hear about TeachCast?

The company also provides an email address for applications: [email protected].

TeachCast Interview

The TeachCast interview lasts around 30 minutes and is conducted over Zoom. As part of that, you will deliver a short lesson to the interviewer lasting 1-2 minutes, which you should plan ahead of time. You may choose any topic and target age, but must ‘make the lesson engaging, energetic, fun, and interactive’.

Should you pass the interview, you will also have to successfully complete TeachCast’s training program before you can start working for the company. This comprises 15 hours of self-study modules, one-on-one and/or small group sessions with your trainer, and covers information about the company, its lesson materials, online teaching, systems, cultural diversity, policies and procedures. As compensation, teachers receive $120 for successfully completing this program.

TeachCast LLC Reviews

The TeachCast Glassdoor page gives the company an average score of 4.8 out of 5, with 100% willing to recommend them, though this is calculated from just 6 TeachCast reviews and only 1 written in the last year (at time of publication).

Though a small sample size, these TeachCast job reviews talk positively about the employment status, company pay, training, management, professionalism, students, and evaluations. The only negatives mentioned are the ‘graveyard’ time of some blocks, having to check in 30 minutes before a shift, and ongoing changes in policy:

Conclusion – Is TeachCast Worth It?

Employee status and a paid schedule of 25 hours a week, regardless of bookings, are what makes TeachCast stand out from most online ESL companies for teachers wanting stability over flexibility. The timing of teaching blocks may be inconvenient, depending on the US state you reside in, while the relative absence of teacher reviews might also offer an air of caution.

To apply to TeachCast, check their current openings, schedule an interview, or email [email protected].

A full list of other online teaching companies can be found here.