Looking for a flexible online teaching opportunity? We are seeking passionate educators to teach English online to over 500,000 students in China – with the flexibility to teach from anywhere and earn between $14/22/hr.
A. Who can work for VIPKid?
While having classroom teaching experience is a plus, is it NOT required. As online ESL teaching is a relatively new field, it is open to people of various professions. VIPKid’s minimum requirements are:
- A Bachelor’s degree or higher in any subject
- Eligibility to work in the U.S. or Canada
- Update Fall 2020: At least 2 years of language teaching experience (including homeschooling, tutoring, coaching, mentoring, or other life experiences)
- Being a native English speaker (if you have any concerns regarding an accent or any of these other criteria, please let me know)
B. How do I apply?
If you would like my personal guidance, please use this referral link and enter IVANA0001 in your referral code, then email me at introvertedonlineteacher@gmail.com for 1:1 mentoring and resources:
With my referral code included (‘IVANA0001’) and emailing me (I have no way of contacting you otherwise!), you will have access to prep materials, personal coaching from me to prepare for your interview, and tips on how to start getting students booked ASAP!
C. What does the online classroom look like?
The lessons are fully prepared and filled with content (I don’t have to create any lessons), the student shows up on video and there is a chatbox to the right of the video as well.
D. How much can I make?
As of 2020, VIPKid’s pay structure depends on the number of classes taught each month: From what I’ve seen discussed by other VIPKid teachers and my own income, teachers on average tend to make between $18-20/hr. VIPKid also pays an extra $2/hr for short notice classes, or classes that are booked within 24 hours.
E. What is scheduling like?
You can choose as many or as few hours to open each week (no minimum hours per week required) and classes are 25 minutes each. There is no planning or grading required beyond what a teacher wants to do to prepare! The most popular times are 7-9am EST but there are also times available earlier or weekend (and some weekdays) evenings and nights. Some teachers do this full time, others only a few hours a week – it is SUPER flexible!
What the booking portal looks like:
F. What is the application process?
The most updated process is:
- Fill out basic info (about 5-10 mins)
- Complete a 10-minute questionnaire and a 1-minute teaching sample from your phone (or if you want, a live interview)
- Here’s a sample slide you would teach (NOTE: this sample is just ONE way to teach – I usually don’t speak quite as slow or “unnatural” necessarily with real students. The main thing is that teachers use simple language, put their hand to their ear, and be friendly!): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lCLTGQ5eMr1WEP2Mgxp6lT2GVAVJK1x8/view?usp=sharing
- Participate in a 25-minute mock class (10 minutes of teaching) with a mentor and applicants get unlimited tries at this point to certify in upper and/or lower-level classes
G. I’m potentially interested in this opportunity but it also seems daunting. Can I do it without much teaching experience/not knowing Chinese/not being super energetic/etc.?
YES! There are many successful VIPKid teachers who were previously in other completely unrelated roles, just out of college, etc. who have grown to love online teaching! You don’t have to know any Chinese either as the lessons are full immersion English. There is also a lot of room for growth and different types of teaching styles – I am not super loud or energetic but have parents and students who want me to teach them with my style. This has been the best job I’ve ever had and there truly is a niche for people of all ages, genders, and personality types – basically, anyone who enjoys learning and being self-driven in their own success.
H. Sounds great! What are the downsides?
As with any job involving technology, teaching children, and being an independent contractor, there can be unexpected quirks involving tech glitches, adapting to student needs in the classroom, etc. Also, some teachers may find it difficult to work with the times available depending on your time zone and schedule. However, most of these potential issues have solutions that if you come across, I’d be able to help you with! I personally have found the teaching expectations, company policies, and compensation to be fair, so some of it can come down to personal preference as well.
I. I’ve seen that it can take a while for new teachers to get booked. How long does it take to build a student base?
Honestly, it really depends! When I started, I got booked right away by making sure I had a clear profile picture, consistent schedule, etc. Based on the experiences I’ve seen shared by other teachers, sometimes teachers get booked right away and other times it may take some time to build a student base. Generally, this field isn’t a “make tons of money right away” type of job, but there are MANY things you can do to increase the likelihood of bookings. Having been working in this field for several years now, my knowledge of both this and other companies will help you navigate the online ESL world and understand how to attract students to your profile.
J. Do I need to pay for your mentoring?
No! If a teacher is hired and teaches their first class, then I receive a referral bonus from the company. As mentioned earlier, I take referring very seriously and make sure to answer promptly and honestly, provide up-to-date info, and personally guide anyone I refer.
K. General VIPKid Info:
As the global online K12 education leader, we are the #1 Company for Remote Jobs by Forbes (as rated by FlexJobs), and ranked in the Top 100 Best Places to Work 2019 by Glassdoor. We’ve created a live, one-on-one online learning platform that connects motivated kids studying English in China with inspiring people like you. Also rated in Fast Company’s top 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World, we work with educational partners like ETS, TESOL and National Geographic Learning to develop the best curriculum and cutting-edge learning platform.
WHY TEACH WITH VIPKID?
- Flexibility with no commute and no minimum hours
- Curriculum provided so that you can focus on just teaching
- Exclusive voluntary workshops to improve your teaching skills both inside and outside of the VIPKid platform
- Additional income available for referring other teachers or assisting with special projects
- Amazingly passionate and supportive community of 70,000+ teachers
- Optional local events and quarterly conferences
WHO WE ARE
VIPKid connects children in China with the world’s best teachers for real-time one-to-one online English immersion learning. Simply said, we allow teachers to change kids’ lives without uprooting their own. A global education technology company, our mission is to inspire and empower every child for the future. Founded in 2013 and formally launched in 2014 after a year of piloting and curriculum development, we have become one of the world’s market-leading education technology companies, with offices in both China and the U.S., and 10 more international offices over the next three years.