The Ultimate Travel Kit for Online ESL Teachers

As an online ESL teacher, I love the flexibility of teaching from anywhere. Whether I’m traveling for work or personal reasons, I always make sure I have a compact, lightweight travel kit that allows me to teach my regular students without interruption.

When traveling, I take advantage of peak teaching hours in different time zones while ensuring I can still see my regular students. To avoid last-minute cancellations or tech issues, I pack a small but powerful ESL teaching travel kit—all in a children’s plastic pencil box that fits easily in my carry-on.

This way, even if my checked luggage is lost, I’ll always have my essentials ready to teach!

What’s in My Travel Kit for Online ESL Teaching?

Here are the must-have items I carry to keep my online ESL classes running smoothly while traveling:

✅ ABC Flashcards – Perfect for younger students learning letters and phonics.
✅ Number Flashcards – Great for counting activities and number recognition.
✅ Animal Flashcards – Fun and engaging for vocabulary lessons.
✅ Finger Puppet – Helps make lessons more interactive and engaging.
✅ Meg & Mike 2D Puppets – Ideal for storytelling and role-play activities.
✅ Small Basketball (Stress Ball) – Works as a fun prop or reward system.
✅ Whiteboard Marker – Essential for quick explanations on my mini whiteboard.
✅ Binder Clips – Useful for organizing props, flashcards, or creating a quick backdrop.
✅ Post-It Note – A simple hack to cover my camera when needed.
✅ Blue Sticky Tack – Great for sticking flashcards or setting up a background.
✅ 2D Rewards – Small, packable rewards to keep students motivated.

Additional Travel Teaching Tips

✅ Always Pack Your Essentials in Your Carry-On – I always keep my props, headset, and computer in my carry-on to avoid missing a class due to lost luggage.
✅ Pick Up Bottled Water or Take a Waterbottle – When you arrive at the hotel, grab a couple bottles of water to have on hand or check the hotel room coffee machine to make sure you are all stocked up. Teaching online can be ‘thirsty’ business!
✅ Bring a Paper Map – A foldable map can be a great teaching tool for geography lessons or conversation starters about travel.
✅ Invest in a Portable Background – If you teach from different locations, having a foldable backdrop or binder clips can help create a consistent classroom environment. (Check out my post on portable backgrounds!)
✅ Use a Small Whiteboard – A mini whiteboard is perfect for drawing, writing vocabulary words, or explaining tricky grammar points without relying solely on digital tools.

Final Thoughts

Teaching online ESL classes while traveling is completely doable with the right preparation. By keeping a compact, carry-on-friendly travel kit, you can stay flexible, professional, and ready to teach from anywhere.

Have you ever taught while traveling? What’s in your ESL teacher travel kit? Share your favorite travel teaching hacks in the comments!