I am loving this season of getting to be home with my children. When I write out my gratitude list each morning, being able to stay home and be present for these moments is almost always at the top of the list. Prior to being at home, I was a classroom teacher. I taught everything from Pre-K to 8th grade. And I loved it for many years. But on the flip side, I feel like I missed a lot with my oldest son. I didn't get to spend mornings at the library storytime. I didn't get to sit down at lunch with him every day. We didn't go on afternoon walks. When I think about it now, I get a little bummed.
That's why I'm so thankful for opportunities like VIPKid. Right now, I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Not only do I get to spend my days as a mom, but I'm finding that I enjoy teaching again. I thank God daily for recharting my course and placing me here.
So what exactly is VIPKid?
Here's a quick rundown. I am an independent contractor for a company based out of Beijing, teaching English to students in China. I currently teach one-on-one sessions, but the company is growing and expanding to offer courses to full classrooms, as well as to students in other countries. VIPKid teachers operate on Beijing time, so I teach early in the morning, before my own kids wake up. As an independent contractor, I set my own hours. I am paid per class, with various incentives. While I have a home office, I am free to work from anywhere. The coursework and lesson plans are created for me, so I have little to no prep time. In short, it is the perfect job for a stay-at-home mom... if you can even call it a job. I absolutely love it.
But what is it really like? Here are some of the questions I get asked most often:
*How does it work? Do you get assigned students? When parents sign up, they are able to select their child's teacher from a pool of teachers. I have a profile with a short intro video and a few pictures, as well as a little blurb written by me, and some personality tags created by my interviewer. Parents see my available schedule, and are free to book any open slot. After they take a class with me, they are then able to choose to take another class with me, or they can select a different teacher for their next session. My schedule is usually a combination of regular students (who book with me almost exclusively), students who rotate through several teachers, or brand new students (possibly taking a trial class or their very first full session).
*Do you have to teach in the middle of the night? Since I set my own hours, I choose when to work. The only restriction is when students in China are sleeping or at school. The peak times for being booked are 7:00-9:00pm BJT. I am in CST, so this is currently 6:00-8:00am (or 5:00-7:00 when the time changes). The whole weekend is a peak time. This is an extra-curricular activity for these students, so they are taking classes outside their regular school hours. Sometimes students will book during their lunch break, which would be the middle of the night for me. I simply choose not to work at that time. The hours I have chosen for myself are 4:00-7:00am, Monday-Friday. Because I set my hours, I can choose to change that at any time. If I decide I don't want to open slots on a random Monday, I can easily choose to work on a weekend. Or not. I can just take the day off. It's completely up to me and my budget. With that said, I do see teachers who work overnight "shifts." They do this because they want to, not because it is required.
*So when do you sleep? I set a bedtime for myself of 9:30. I turn off the phone and social media at 9:00. I spend about 30 minutes reading to relax. I turn out the lights at 9:30, and I am asleep (ideally) by 9:45. I wake up at 3:45, so this gives me 6 hours of sleep. However, because my days are completely free, my youngest one and I often take a nap in the afternoon. I also make sure that I get plenty of sleep on the weekends. Because my weekdays are free, I am able to accomplish all the "stuff" that has to be done, and my weekends are free for family time and resting.
*How much money can you really make? So this is one of those questions that I have to say just depends. Teachers are paid a base rate of $7.00-9.00 per 25-minute class. There is also a $1.00 incentive for a class finished on time, as well as a $1.00 incentive for teaching at least 45 classes per month. For most teachers, this works out to be $18.00-$22.00 per hour. When we made the decision about whether or not this would work for our family, we figured out the amount that I needed to bring home each month for it to make sense financially. I broke that down into a number of classes per month. We found that 120 classes per month (or 30 per week) was the magic number for me. I am able to contribute to our monthly income, but I don't work so much that I can't function. I teach around 15 hours each week.
*Do I have to have a teaching certificate? No. You are required to have a Bachelor's degree (in any subject), and some sort of experience working with children (mommyhood, teaching, Sunday School, babysitting, coaching, etc.) Your experience and education will be considered when determining your pay.
*What other requirements are there? You must be a native English speaker. You must have high-speed internet (ideally one that connects to the router), headphones with microphone (not just earbuds), and a webcam (the one already installed on your computer is fine). You will be required to create a suitable teaching environment, including a quiet space and an appropriate, educational background). A quick Pinterest search will show you some extremely creative ways to make this happen. I've seen teachers work from their bedroom closets and their laundry rooms!
*Do you have to grade their work or write lesson plans? There is no grading or lesson planning. There is no documentation that I have to keep up with for each student. I just log in and teach. After each session, I write a brief paragraph of feedback about the lesson. If the student is a regular student, this paragraph often becomes a conversation between me and the parent. For a new-to-me student, I am simply touching on the skills they have mastered and what still needs work. I click a few buttons to rate them on a scale and then I'm done. The entire feedback process for each student takes around 5 minutes. As for lesson planning, I spend a few minutes glancing over the lesson slides (similar to a PowerPoint) ahead of time just to make sure there aren't any wonky slides that I don't understand. As I've taught more and more, there are fewer and fewer lessons that are new to me. Once you've taught a few, you'll see that they all have a similar pattern. I take a moment to gather any props I might use, and I'm ready to go. Each teacher is different, and preps differently. You'll find what works best for you. My prep time currently takes less than 5 minutes. If I'm teaching a new lesson, I will add an extra 5 minutes to go over the slides.
*Do you actually get to talk to the kids? I have been amazed at how many relationships have been formed with these students. I know them by name, and they know me. I am welcomed into their living rooms, kitchens, offices. They are excited to show me around their homes and introduce me to their family members. As we talk about the vocabulary, I get to see their personalities, their likes and dislikes. Every single day, we are laughing and talking. As we take more and more classes together, they become more comfortable trying new sentences. They want to talk. They want to try out this new language. They brighten my day every single morning. I had a student complete one level and move up into a level that I don't teach. I actually cried. These are real kids, real families. Real relationships are formed across the globe.
Overall, this has been one of the best seasons of life for our family. I cannot tell you how much this company and this opportunity have meant to us. If this idea intrigues you, I encourage you to do a little digging. Ask questions. Feel free to follow me on Instagram (@love.read.learn) to get a glimpse into my daily life as a VIPKid teacher. Follow this blog on Bloglovin for teaching ideas and resources! If you have more questions, email me! I'd love to hear from you! I promise to share the good and the bad! No secrets here! :) What questions do you have?
Have you already decided you want to teach with VIPKid? I would love to help you during the process!
My referral link: Apply with VIPKid
My referral code: COURT0151
Talk to you soon! Happy teaching!
Courtney
