Many families using Outschool will seek out personalized learning experiences for their learners, in addition to group classes. By offering 1-on-1 classes, you can expand your reach as an educator and use your expertise to have a profound impact on individual learners. These types of classes can be taught using any class format, and you have the opportunity to work with families to find the right instructional style for their needs.

Educators who offer 1-on-1 classes often see:

• More positive reviews. Our research shows that 1-on-1 classes are most likely to encourage 5-star ratings.
• Increased enrollments. 1-on-1 learners often provide repeat enrollment opportunities across both group sections and 1-on-1 classes.
• Strong learner connections. The 1-on-1 setting gives you the opportunity to make an even bigger impact as an educator by helping individual learners follow their passions.

What are families looking for in a 1-on-1 experience?

There are several reasons that a learner may be interested in customized curriculum and instruction. They may be looking for:

• Enrichment in a topic area. Picture that learner in your group classes that is as passionate as you are about your area of expertise. How far could they go with specialized instruction?
• Instruction for unique abilities. Gifted learners or learners with unique needs may benefit from instruction that is geared towards their abilities, challenge areas, and/or learning style.
• Private lessons. 1-on-1 classes are often popular for learners looking for private instruction, especially for topics such as music, visual arts, or interpretive arts.
• Tutoring support. Reach learners needing additional skill development in a core subject area, language learning, or extracurricular interest.
• Mentorship. Aspiring young professionals in your field of expertise may love the opportunity to work individually with someone who is an expert in their desired future career area.

Preparing a 1-on-1 Learning Plan

Designing a curriculum for a 1-on-1 course requires a higher level of learner and family input than you may usually consider when creating a group class. Since you’ll be offering personalized instruction, it’s important to communicate with each family ahead of time to establish things like:

• Their goals for this 1-on-1 experience
• Accurate expectations for both you and the learner
• The learner’s skill level and experience within the topic area

Additionally, you’ll want to think about how you’ll keep your 1-on-1 lessons engaging for the learner and build a strong rapport that encourages enthusiastic participation in class. Consider how you’ll integrate tools such as:

• Name games, get-to-know-you activities, and icebreakers that help both you and your learner loosen up at the beginning of class and get excited to learn together.
• Design a curriculum that allows your learner to have a voice in their own learning plan. This can be especially helpful if a learner has any resistance to engaging in their 1-on-1 class, empowering them to guide their experience alongside their educator.
• Zoom features that keep your class interactive, engaging, and exciting for your learner.
• Personal connections that inspire deeper learning experiences based on your and your learner’s background, experiences, and interests.

Communication Expectations for 1-on-1 Classes

Because you’ll be interacting individually with a learner to work toward personalized goals, parents will want to be kept in the loop about their learner’s progress and understand what outcomes they should be seeing. Setting aside the time to provide consistent updates to your 1-on-1 families helps keep parents excited about your learning plan and encourages those 5-star reviews that help grow your business.

Remember, you must always use the Outschool classroom to communicate with parents or learners, and all meetings must take place on the Outschool Zoom platform (even when you’re working 1-on-1).

Promoting Your 1-on-1 Class

When adding a 1-on-1 class to the Outschool marketplace, consider how you’ll promote your listing to families and boost enrollments.

• To reach new learners looking for tutoring-style classes, include terms like 1-on-1, tutoring, private lessons, etc. in your class listing to ensure it shows up in learner search results.
• To engage existing learners, explore our tips on how to transform a small group class into a 1-on-1 opportunity.

Take the time to understand how to create ongoing classes and then get to work developing a plan for your very own personalized learning experiences! For inspiration from a peer, check out Verlanie’s story about growing her tutoring business on Outschool.