Teaching online from home
Welcome back to our “Teacher Feature Series,” where we speak with educators who teach online across borders. Today we share Heather Carter’s story and experience teaching with HAWO American Academy.
Heather Carter, HAWO American Academy
About Heather and her educational background
Heather holds an Associate’s Degree in Early Childcare and Education and has earned Level 1 and Level 2 teaching certificates. Her formal training, combined with years of hands-on experience in early childhood settings, prepared her well for a transition into online teaching.
How Heather found her role at HAWO American Academy
Heather discovered the position at HAWO while researching remote teaching opportunities. At that time she was working part-time as a lead toddler and preschool teacher at a daycare center and had served as both teacher and director in similar centers for six years. Wanting to grow professionally and explore new possibilities, she applied and was contacted for an interview the next day. Within four days she was hired and began teaching online. Heather has been with HAWO since November 2016.
What Heather appreciates most about teaching with HAWO is that each day brings something different—new students, returning learners, and fresh discoveries about each child’s interests and learning style.
What is exciting about teaching online from home?
For Heather, the greatest reward of teaching online is the chance to meet people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Remote teaching opens opportunities to learn about students’ lives and traditions while helping them build language skills in a comfortable, familiar environment.
Effective teaching methods she uses
Heather combines structured lesson materials with engaging, hands-on activities that students can follow during a session. She uses simple props—puppets, flashcards, and a dry-erase board—to make lessons interactive and memorable.
After completing the targeted lesson objectives, she makes time to ask personal questions and talk with students about their interests and family life. Heather believes that connecting with students beyond curriculum content helps them feel seen as individuals, not just learners.
Building rapport is central to her approach; students who feel valued are more likely to return and continue progressing.
Why building relationships matters
When teachers value students’ time and celebrate their milestones, learners feel motivated and supported. Heather describes these moments—when a student reaches a milestone or beams with pride—as rewarding for both teacher and student.
A success story
One of Heather’s earliest free-trial lessons was with a student who already had basic English but needed guidance. Although she felt nervous and had limited materials, the trial went well. The student enrolled the next day and consistently booked Heather’s classes at the same time each day. Over time the student progressed through HAWO levels and advanced to level 4, achieving success in English exams and spelling bees. Heather remains involved in that student’s learning and family life, and watching the student thrive continues to be a profound source of joy.
Thoughts on teaching live online from home
Heather admits she was skeptical at first—moving from a traditional classroom to a home-based online environment can feel daunting. However, she highlights the freedom remote teaching offers: you can design and personalize your own classroom, bring your personality into lessons, and build meaningful routines and rapport.
HAWO encourages teachers to be authentic and creative, which helps attract bookings and build a strong teacher profile. Working from home also allows teachers to plan lessons at a pace that fits their style while maintaining consistency for students.
Mentoring new online teachers
If mentoring a new teacher, Heather would share a short recording of one of her lessons to demonstrate pacing, classroom management, and techniques for engaging young learners online. She compares this to practicum and student-teaching experiences in college, emphasizing the value of observation and practical examples.
Key learning strategies for new online teachers
Heather recommends watching recorded lessons to learn how experienced teachers interact with students. She also urges new teachers to bring their natural energy and sense of fun into each class—making students laugh or smile should be a goal for every lesson. When students are engaged and enjoying themselves, the teacher knows the lesson was effective.
Personal interests and cultural motivation
Outside of teaching, Heather is an avid writer and a published poet with a passion for creative writing. Her interest in culture began early: at 14 she traveled to Japan as part of a student exchange, attended school with a host sister, and experienced a new culture first-hand. That exposure inspired her to teach students from other countries and to incorporate cultural curiosity into her lessons. Her students enjoy talking about their customs and family traditions.
Heather is also a fan of the Harry Potter series—she recently read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and enjoys the movies as well.