Online Tutor / Early Childhood Teacher for 4-Year-Old — ₱20,000/Month

Online Tutor / Early Childhood Teacher for 4-Year-Old — ₱20,000/Month

Remote | Part-Time | 15 hours/week | Monday–Friday | Long-term

We are an Australian family looking for a warm, creative online tutor/teacher for our 4-year-old son, ideally for at least a year and potentially several years.

This is a one-on-one role with the same child. We want someone who can get to know him well, follow his interests, and create personalised, enjoyable learning rather than simply using worksheets or the same prepared lesson for every student.

About him

He is 4 years old and has not started formal school yet.

He speaks well once engaged and loves stories and picture books. Some favourites have been Richard Scarry, Hairy Maclary and Dr. Seuss.

He is especially interested in:

• cars
• tow trucks and vehicle recoveries
• building and making things
• seeing how machines work
• watching people repair and construct things

We would like his interests to become starting points for learning.

For example, a tow-truck activity might include reading, counting, drawing, storytelling, simple physics, building something, problem solving, or discussing how someone might think or feel.

What we want to teach

The main priority now is learning to read, including:

• letters and sounds
• phonemic awareness
• phonics and blending
• early reading
• spelling and writing

Over time, we would also like to introduce:

• maths
• science and basic physics
• biology, health and understanding the body
• emotions and understanding how the mind works
• problem solving and reasoning
• creativity
• building and engineering
• art
• practical life skills
• independence
• general knowledge
• geography
• some history as his interests develop

For example, because he loves cars, history might naturally include early cars, the Ford Model T, how cars used to be built, and how engines, factories and roads developed.

We especially want to develop skills such as problem solving, creativity, emotional resilience, curiosity, persistence, flexible thinking, communication and confidence with mistakes.

Learning style

We strongly prefer play-based, hands-on and interest-led learning.

Even though teaching is online, we do not want him simply watching presentations on a screen.

Activities could include:

• drawing or painting together
• building with cardboard or blocks
• using toy cars
• making signs or maps
• counting physical objects
• simple experiments
• storytelling
• crafts
• solving building or construction problems together

We can prepare materials at home before lessons.

Books, craft supplies and other learning materials will be paid separately by us.

Emotional development

Emotional development is also important.

Like many young children, he can become frustrated when something is difficult or doesn't work as expected.

We are looking for someone who can stay calm and connected, help him understand what he is feeling, work through problems, tolerate mistakes and gradually develop persistence and emotional regulation.

We prefer guidance and support rather than pressure, shame or forced compliance.

Schedule

₱20,000 per month for 15 paid hours per week.

This gives approximately 3 paid hours each weekday, including both live teaching and preparation/research.

Initially we expect approximately two short sessions per day:

• Morning session: usually around 25–35 minutes, starting flexibly somewhere between approximately 7:00–9:00 am Philippine time, depending on his schedule that day.
• Second session: usually around 11:00 am Philippine time, approximately 30–45 minutes.

The second session may be lighter — for example stories, conversation, drawing, building or another enjoyable activity.

At age 4, we do not expect him to sit through long formal lessons. Session length should depend on his attention and engagement.

The remaining paid time can be used for:

• planning activities
• researching things he is currently interested in
• preparing lesson materials
• finding suitable books and resources
• planning his reading development
• thinking of hands-on projects
• keeping simple progress notes
• adapting future lessons based on what works well

As he gets older, more of the 15 hours may gradually shift from preparation into direct teaching.

The exact lesson times can be flexible from day to day.

Long-term

We are looking for someone who can commit for at least one year and ideally several years.

As he gets older, the role may expand in teaching time and responsibility.

Continuity is important to us. We would prefer one teacher who gets to know him very well rather than frequently changing tutors.

Who we are looking for

Experience with children aged approximately 3–6 is particularly useful.

Experience in any of these areas is a bonus:

• early-childhood or elementary education
• preschool or kindergarten teaching
• early reading / phonics
• play-based learning
• child development
• creative or project-based learning

Formal qualifications are useful but not mandatory.

More important is that you are:

• warm and patient
• creative
• engaging with young children
• excellent at spoken English
• comfortable following a child's interests
• able to improvise when an activity doesn't go as planned
• able to make learning interactive
• comfortable helping a child through frustration
• reliable
• interested in a long-term position

Our son is half Filipino. Cebuano/Bisaya or Tagalog would be a bonus but is not required.

How to apply

Please keep your application simple.

1. Brief introduction

Please tell us:

• your experience with children aged 3–6
• any experience teaching early reading or phonics
• any experience with play-based learning
• your education or relevant training
• where in the Philippines you are based
• whether the approximate morning and 11:00 am Philippine-time sessions work for you
• whether you speak Cebuano/Bisaya or Tagalog

2. Short 1–2 minute video

Please record a simple video speaking directly to our son as though you were meeting him for the first time.

He loves cars, tow trucks, building things and stories.

You might introduce yourself, show him something interesting, ask him a question, or tell him about something you would enjoy reading, making or discovering together.

Please don't spend significant time preparing or editing the video. A simple phone recording is ideal.

We mainly want to see your natural spoken English, warmth and way of engaging with a young child.

3. Three short questions

Lesson

He is fascinated by tow trucks and vehicle recoveries. What would you do with him for a 20–30 minute lesson?

Frustration

You are building a cardboard vehicle together. It keeps falling apart. He becomes frustrated, pushes it away and says:

“I can't do it!”

What would you do next?

Long-term

If you taught him from age 4 until age 6 or 7, how would you hope his learning — and your role — would develop?

Short answers are completely fine.

Selection

We will invite a small number of applicants to a paid 25–30 minute trial session with our son.

Experience and qualifications matter, but we are ultimately looking for someone with the right combination of teaching ability, creativity, patience and a natural connection with him.