For anyone who is wanting to teach English online, whether you are going to be teaching independently or for a platform, you will be required to create an introduction video. It can sometimes be a little overwhelming if you are unsure how best to create one, but in this post I will share the ultimate guide to creating an online teacher introduction video.

By following these steps in this post, you will learn how to plan, record, edit and create a professional and polished looking introduction video. I documented my process with the video above when I had to update my Preply introduction video.

1. Equipment Needed

Before you sit down to just record your introduction video, you will need to have a think about the equipment needed that is required to capture that professional looking video. All this will help you plan the recording of your video, so here is a little more information about what you could use to help record your video. I did write up a guide about a setup for teaching online previously which you can read in your own time, and there will be similarities to what I am sharing below.

New Teaching Setup

This is the type of setup that would suit those that have a minimal workspace for teaching online, with little invested for online teaching. You could place your iPhone or Galaxy smartphone with a the tripod below or tape your phone to a music stand just to record the video at eye-level.

  • Evershop Ring Light with Tripod: If all you have is a smartphone such as an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, then the following tripod would work for you. You just need to attach your camera at eye-level and then record your video. You could use a wired microphone from your smartphone to capture your voice and this would be the bare essentials for an introduction video.

Experienced Teaching Setup

On top of the tripod for a smartphone, this setup is for those online teachers that have a laptop or desktop plus an external microphone dedicated for their teaching needs. If you have the equipment, or desire such equipment, then you don’t need to pay a fortune to have a professional looking setup.

  • Røde NT-USB+ Microphone: This microphone would plug into your laptop or desktop via USB C. You could record your audio separately to your video and sync it together in your video editor.

Pro-Teaching Setup

In addition to the Røde NT-USB+ Microphone, you could also invest in a professional camera to record your introduction video. If you already have a video camera, then you are possibly making YouTube video content for potential students or other teachers. I would not recommend everyone to just purchase a video camera, to only make an introduction video. However, if you are keen to get into the world of video creation, then improved video equipment might be a worthy investment.

  • Sony Vlog Camera ZV-1 II: This is a content creators camera is an affordable choice for those that are wanting to get a camera that essentially works from the box. You can add

2. Software & Editing Tools

There is much free software available for those wishing to record their introduction videos, that the barrier to entry has now become available for almost all online English teachers. If you decide to invest in the Røde NT-USB+ Microphone, then you will need audio capturing software. Here are a few options available.

Free Audio Capturing Software

If you wish to capture audio with the Røde NT-USB+ Microphone, then you could download Audacity ® which can be used on either Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. The process of recording is intuitive and can export audio in a range of formats. There is other audio capturing software available but Audacity has been around for a number of years and there is no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Free Video Editing Software

  • Davinci Resolve: This free software is very powerful and can be used for both Windows or Mac operating systems. It will take some investment of your time to get used to this software, but once you learn how to use Davinci Resolve you will have gained invaluable video editing skills.
  • iMovie: For anyone that has purchased an Apple device whether it be an iPhone, iPad or Mac device, all will include iMovie as a free video editing tool. I used it for a number of years and it can be quite powerful, with it being more intuitive that Davinci Resolve.

Paid Video Editing Software

  • Davinci Resolve Studio: If you are serious about getting into video editing and can see it becoming more than just a hobby, then you could invest a little to get more advanced settings and tools with Davinci Resolve Studio. It costs (at the time of this article) a one off payment of $295.00 for lifetime access to all future upgrades. This is available for both Mac and Windows.
  • Final Cut Pro: There are some limitations to iMovie and once you have mastered this entry level video editing tool, you will find yourself wanting to achieve certain things in your video which is not possible. At this point, you may want to consider investing in Final Cut Pro. This software is only available within the Mac operating system and costs (at the time of this article) a one payment of $299.99. It is similar to Davinci Resolve Studio but there are restrictions to Final Cut Pro with no auto-captioning available unlike the aforementioned software.

3. Creating the Introduction Video

Aside from all the equipment and software that is required to capture and edit the introduction video, you will need actually record the video. Furthermore, there are a few things to consider to include in your introduction video, and I like to split it up into three parts.

You could watch the video above to help you spot the three parts that I include.

Part 1: Introduce Yourself

The most important part of any introduction video is to introduce yourself to potential students and in this is what I include in the first part of the video. I usually include my name, where I come from and where I currently live. For this very brief part, I included the following in my video.

Hello. My name is Martin and I’m from the UK but I live in South Korea.

Part 2: Teaching Experience & Qualifications

In the second part of the introduction, I would share my teaching experience, which would include the courses that I teach, as well as the qualifications that I have. It is important to highlight this so that you are able to connect with students who you are happy to work with. Here is what I included in the second part of the video.

I teach a range of different subjects which include IELTS preparation classes, Business English, as well as General English. Having lived in Korea for a number of years now, I’ve taught myself how to communicate in Korean and I know exactly how difficult it can be when you’re learning a new foreign language.

I hold a range of different qualifications which include an MA in English Language Teaching, a BA Honors in International Business and the teaching qualifications I hold also include a CELTA, a Trinity Young Learner Extension Certificate as well as a Diploma in English language teaching. I’ve taught a range of different nationalities and ages English for nearly 20 years.

Part 3: Approach to Teaching & Call To Action

The final part of the introduction video is perhaps one of the most important elements. It is to introduce more about your approach to teaching as well as offer a call to action for potential students. In terms of the approach, you will have to think how you deliver your lessons. For example, would you flip the lesson, would you incorporate grammar, or would you focus on a specific course such as exam preparation. These are all worth considering as it will help you create a video that is best suited for potential students.

The call to action is essentially to prompt learners to book a trial lesson. For example, if you want to focus on IELTS preparation courses, you could encourage learners to book and you will see it in the hook that I have included at the end of this quote from the video above.

Students can expect a range of fun engaging activities whether it’s passing an exam, whether it’s preparing for a job interview, or just confidently communicating in English. I think the activities that students can do outside of class in preparation for their lessons could be the grammar, the reading, the writing, the listening, and then in our class students then focus on receiving feedback based on the reading, the writing, etc. and I also give feedback based on their speaking ability on the particular topic we’re looking at. As mentioned previously I focus predominantly on IELTS preparation classes business English and general conversational classes

Thank you for considering me as a potential tutor and if you want to pass an IELTS exam, improve your business English, or your general English ability then I’ll see you in class.

4. Post Production

Creating a Thumbnail

The first step in post production, with your video is to create a thumbnail which encourages or prompts potential learners to click on your introduction video. There are a range of tools that you could use, but I tend to focus solely on free tools such as Canva.

In order to create a thumbnail, you could capture a still image from the video or get someone to take a photo of you. Then, use some of the free tools available on Canva to create an engaging thumbnail, and I used this website to create the thumbnail for the introduction video above. This website is a powerful tool for those that wish have some editing capabilities and it is always worth experimenting.

Exporting & Uploading the Video

While exporting the video, it is always best to record and export in the best possible quality such as 4K. However, 1080p format is still fine as most people are likely to watch your introduction video on a smaller screen, such as a smartphone. Nonetheless, most editing software, whether free or not, can export to 4K.

The final step is to upload your video and you have two choice; YouTube or Vimeo. For those online tutors that wish to use their video for student matching services such as Preply, it is encouraged to use Vimeo, but there is no harm in also uploading your video to YouTube too.

5. Final Tips for Recording

There are some final tips and pointers that I recommend for anyone who wishes to create a polished introduction video. It would separate those videos that have been quickly created and those that have been produced with time and effort.

Look at the Camera

What I recommend for anyone recording themselves is to look at the camera. It may seem strange or weird but you have to imagine that the lens of your camera or smartphone is a new student that you are talking to. If you don’t look directly at the camera, you may appear dishonest or lack confidence and potential students could possibly try to find another tutor.

Relax and Breath

The next tip I have for anyone recording themselves is to relax and breath. What I find myself doing is getting used to talking to the camera by not even recording but going through a few dry runs of the script. Once I am feeling relaxed, I hit record and then go through the three parts of the introduction video script a number of times until I am happy. For a 1-2 minute video, I usually have around 8-10 minutes of video footage ready to edit.

Smile

The final recommendation that I have is to smile when you are recording. It will make your speaking sound more energetic and engaging. You may feel a little weird smiling to a camera but you soon get used to it. Try it out and grab a cup of tea to help you feel comfortable.

Thank you ever so much for reading this guide, and I hope that it has helped when you are required to create an introduction video. Let me know if what your experience has been in the comments.