The ultimate all-in-one platform for ELT teacherpreneurs

Years ago, I was teaching English at a university an hour’s drive from my home. Luckily, I had three English-teacher friends all commuting to the same city. Our daily carpool conversations usually revolved around classroom dilemmas and teaching methodology. Very often, while brainstorming our lesson plans, one of us would say, “Ellii has the perfect lesson for that!” or “Today is an Ellii day!” (Of course, back then, it was ESL Library, but you get the idea.) Ellii was the most popular resource in school.

When I left classroom teaching and became an independent “teacherpreneur,” turning to Ellii was a no-brainer. Here’s why Ellii has everything I need to run my teaching business.

Engaging, ready-made lessons for every student

Like many independent teachers, my students range widely in age and level on any given day. I always count on Ellii to meet each student’s needs and interests.

When a shy middle school student came to her first 1:1 lesson terrified to speak English, Ellii’s True Grammar Stories got her excited to discuss trailblazers like Ruby Bridges and fascinating places like Chile’s Marble Caves.

When a socioeconomics student felt “stuck” expressing her opinions, Ellii’s Discussion Starters lesson on Universal Basic Income gave her the language to communicate more deeply on a real-world topic that truly mattered to her.

When the cashier at a convenience store in Cyprus asked me to explain the present perfect tense, I pulled up Ellii’s Present Perfect Grammar Practice Worksheet on my phone for an impromptu grammar lesson. He responded, “You just clarified in five minutes something that has confused me my whole life!”

Ellii offers a massive library of high-quality, ready-made lessons, interactive games, engaging videos, and more—with new materials added daily. Ellii’s content isn’t just interesting and current; it’s designed by real teachers to foster meaningful language encounters and genuine human connection.

Super simple class management

Student accounts

As a private teacher, I need a simple system to keep track of everyone and give each student a personalized learning experience. Ellii’s built-in LMS (Learning Management System) is perfect for this. Ellii offers an affordable Individual plan that comes with 35 student licenses. Students can be placed into an unlimited number of classes. I can create a class for one specific student or add multiple students to the same class.

Drag-and-drop lesson prep

With Ellii’s kanban-style Lesson Planner, class prep is a breeze. I just drag and drop content into the Prepping, Teaching, or Taught lanes to get ready for upcoming classes, assign tasks to my students, and keep track of what’s been done. I have full control over the timing and pace of each student’s learning journey. My business students appreciate a structured, intentional flow of exercises. My grammar fanatics love having a curated collection of tasks to tackle. And my conversation students enjoy seeing connected topics and feeling a sense of progress in their language development.

Flexible organization

Whenever I’m browsing Ellii’s content library, something always catches my eye. I can quickly “like” lessons or save content to customizable Folders. I can also create Flashcard Sets to share with my students. Whether I’m planning days ahead or pulling things together last minute, Ellii keeps me organized.

Streamlined grading & feedback

Ellii’s Grade Feed also makes it easy to monitor and support my students’ progress. I can leave meaningful feedback with stars, written comments, and—my personal favorite—audio responses. When I’m pressed for time or just need a little inspiration, the suggested responses (created by an Ellii writer) and Ellii Bot (built-in AI assistant) are lifesavers.

Built-in support & professional development

Teachers spend hours a day connecting with students, but running an independent teaching business can still feel isolating. Over the years, I’ve leaned on Ellii for support and guidance.

Ellii is built by teachers, for teachers. Beyond great lesson content, Ellii supports teachers with a weekly newsletter, a huge library of teacher resources, and tons of tutorials, demo videos, and practical teaching tips. When I’m looking for a curated sequence of lessons, I turn to Ellii’s ready-made Courses & Study Packs. When I’m not sure what to teach next, I check the Discover page and Lesson Calendar for fresh content and timely topics. If I’m ever stuck on how to break down a tricky language point, I head to the blog—it’s full of expert insights and inspiring stories from the Ellii team and guest writers from the English teaching community.

Teacher webinars

And coming soon, Ellii is launching a brand-new webinar series for independent teachers! Join our free, practical sessions led by experienced educators who understand the unique challenges of private teaching. Register now for one of our upcoming webinars on August 28 at 2:00 pm ET or August 29 at 11:00 am ET.

Discover how Ellii can be your full teaching tool kit—everything you need to help your business thrive!