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Have you always dreamed of being a teacher? Do you love working with kids? Are you seeking a job that’s both interesting and makes a good amount of money?
If you answered “yes” to any or all of those questions, then you should consider applying to VIPKID!
What is VIPKID?
Headed up in Beijing, China, VIPKID hires teachers to give children in China an immersive elementary education.
As a teacher for VIPKID, you would be teaching English one-on-one with a student through a virtual platform.
Just imagine–you can fulfill your dream of becoming an English teacher from absolutely anywhere, even your own bed!
VIPKID students are aged 4-12.
The teaching materials and curriculum follow the United States Common Core State Standards to give children a structured education while encouraging ingenuity and open-mindedness.
I know what you’re thinking–this is a scam. I thought the same thing at first, but it’s 100% legitimate, I promise.
You don’t have to take it from me: VIPKID is the Top 2018 Remote Job on Forbes and was named one of the most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company.
I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty impressive!
VIPKID has leading investors backing it, like Jack Ma and Kobe Bryant. This company is on a roll, and its growth will only continue, so it’s an amazing time to get involved.
Do I Qualify?
Qualifying to be a teacher with VIPKID is a lot easier than you may think. The requirements to become a teacher are:
- You must be eligible to work in the United States or Canada.
- You must have a Bachelor’s degree, but it can be in any field!
- At least 1 year of teaching experience, either formal or informal, is needed. This can be traditional classroom teaching experience or other experience with kids, such as mentoring, tutoring, coaching, being a youth-leader, or even babysitting.
One of the reasons why VIPKID is awesome is because the qualification requirements are flexible.
You can have a Bachelor’s degree in a variety of fields, and your background in teaching doesn’t have to be traditional.
What Does the Job Involve?
As a VIPKID teacher, you’ll be educating young students in China through your webcam.
You won’t have to clock in and out at rigid hours–you can set your own schedule so that you’ll actually like going to work, (virtually, of course).
VIPKID recommends working during peak times in Beijing.
For example, teacher demand is high from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Beijing time, or 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Eastern Standard Time.
Note that your lessons will be in addition to the students’ full, in-person school day, so they’re usually only able to attend VIPKID classes after school or during the weekend.
You get to dictate your availability for teaching in a way that fits your lifestyle.
But, note that VIPKID encourages teachers to have a minimum of 7 and a half hours available each week for teaching.
You can, of course, teach way more than that, (and earn more money!).
What Do I Need To Get Started?
In order to be a VIPKID teacher, you’ll need a computer with a camera, headphones with a built-in microphone, a strong internet connection, and anything that will help you complete lessons, (think alphabet charts, puppets or figurines, etc.).
Other than what’s listed above, all the materials you’ll need to teach will be provided to you by VIPKID.
That includes software, lesson plans, and virtual teaching materials. This seriously minimizes the amount of prep work that you’ll have to do for each lesson.
How Much Will I Get Paid?
Many people doubt the potential to make money online, but VIPKID is proof that you can make a decent income with just a computer and an internet connection.
With VIPKID, you can earn anywhere from $17 to $22, right from home.
Seriously! You’ll be teaching when you want, where you want, and earning an awesome hourly rate.
To get more specific, the baseline pay rate is $7 to $9 for each 25-minute class.
Your wage will be determined based on your background in teaching–more qualified teachers are paid more.
In addition to the base rate, VIPKID pays its teachers incentives.
For example, for completing a class, you can get a bonus $1 incentive. If you finish 30 classes in a month, you can get a 50-cent bonus, and if you finish 45 classes in a month, you’ll get an additional $1.
Those incentives can really add up!
The earning opportunities don’t end there, however.
You can get a load of extra money from incentives by earning positive parent feedback, referring a successful teacher to VIPKID, and having a trial class student sign up.
Other incentives include class bookings made within 24 hours or less and student no-shows.
You can earn $2000 per month as a VIPKID teacher! As far as online work goes, it doesn’t get much better than that.
How Do I Get Started?
Ready to give working for VIPKID a shot? Here are the steps:
- Fill Out an Application and Submit a Resume
Step number one in the process of becoming a VIPKID teaching is filling out the simple online application.
It’s a super quick application and only takes about 5 minutes–how easy is that?
Start your VIPKID application by clicking here.
In addition to completing an application, you’ll need to send in a resume so that VIPKID can make sure you have the experience needed to become a teacher.
- Interview with a VIPKID Recruiter
Once your application has been processed and approved, you’ll go through an interview with a recruiter.
The interview will last approximately 30 minutes. There are two different ways that you can do this, either:
- Have a digital face-to-face interview with a recruiter using the VIPKID video conference software. They’ll ask you some questions and then you’ll give a short, 10-minute lesson demo.
- Make a recording of a demo lesson for a recruiter to assess. This option is better for applicants with difficult schedules.
- Learn More About VIPKID
Upon passing the interview, you’ll be given information to learn more about the company, as well as the teaching techniques and materials that you’ll be working with.
You’ll learn all about the VIPKID teaching standards and curriculum so that you feel fully prepared to teach a class.
VIPKID needs teachers to have the skills for online teaching.
These include total physical response, (the use of gestures and body language), phonics, student output, energy, reward systems, and appropriate language.
In addition, you’ll go over how to time each class in order to fit in all the necessary materials.
Make sure you study up, because there will be a quiz to ensure that you know all the required material!
But don’t worry–the quiz is totally doable, and if you do a good job of going over the provided information, you’ll pass no problem.
- Complete a Mock Class
To become a VIPKID teacher, you’ll need to conduct a mock class with a fellow VIPKID teacher. The class will be 25 minutes long and you’ll be provided with a lesson plan to follow.
You have a couple of days after receiving the lesson plan to get ready for your mock class.
Keep in mind the importance of good pacing, speaking clearly, and using fun props to get your points across.
Use your imagination to pretend that the teacher judging you is a young student!
Once you wrap up the mock class, you’ll spend a few minutes with the VIPKID teacher to go over how the class went.
This is a great way to get valuable feedback for your future classes.
- Submit Forms and Pass a Background Check
If the mock class goes well, you’ll be given a contract to sign and be asked to provide additional documentation.
VIPKID needs comprehensive information on their teachers in order to meet online safety requirements and give their users peace of mind.
Once you’ve passed the background check, you’re all set to log in to the VIPKID portal, post your availability, and start teaching!
Why Should I Work for VIPKID?
There are so many reasons why working for VIPKID is an amazing opportunity. These are the main ones:
- You can work from just about anywhere! Instead of committing to a single school, you can relocate whenever you want. You’ll have the flexibility to work from home–say goodbye to long, inconvenient commutes!
- If you have a passion for working with children or experiencing different cultures, you can do both at once. You’ll be learning about Chinese culture while working with kids to improve their English–as far as jobs go, that’s a pretty great deal.
- You don’t need to invest in tons of equipment or go through extensive training. Course materials and lessons plans are given to you, so you’ll be thoroughly prepared without having to go through a complicated process.
- VIPKID is hot right now–the company has secured millions of dollars in funding and has over 500,000 registered students. So, it goes without saying that VIPKID is actively looking to hire awesome teachers to work with their students.
Conclusion
When it comes to making money and being passionate about your work, you don’t always have to compromise.
With VIPKID, you’ll be doing meaningful work with children and making a great hourly wage, all at the same time.
So, what are you waiting for? 20,000 teachers are already working with kids using VIPKID, and you could be one of them.
Click here to start the process of becoming a VIPKID teacher.
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