180 Days With VIPKid | My Experience

“The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately.” – Unknown

Wow, it feels a bit weird to be typing this after a long hiatus from this blog. I made a resolution this year to try to write more and I'm finally here to share my first post of 2020! 

The past few months have been a bit mad, especially since October. I have been hustling and keeping myself busy, and I've somehow managed to (thus far) avoid burning out. (Blog post about avoiding burnout anyone?) Over the summer, I took a lot of time off work. This was part choice, and partially due aspects beyond my control. I took the opportunity to take some trips to visit friends, attend weddings, and to spend weekends camping in the mountains and the lake district of British Columbia. It was refreshing and much needed. However, I began to worry in September when I was still unable to get a sufficient number of shifts at work - and ya' girl has got bills. I began applying for permanent positions at my place of work, and casual positions elsewhere. I spent a long time on Indeed browsing jobs in my field. This is where I first encountered VIPKid.

So...what is VIPKid?

In their own words:

"We aim to provide a truly global education— and with teachers and students all over the world, we’re able to deliver exactly that. Our technology enables personalized learning and a connection between teachers and students across the world."

VIPKid teachers teach ESL via the VIPKid online platform/app. Students are (typically) based in China. Classes are taught via video chat, and the curriculum is designed by VIPKid (and some of it's ESL teachers), so there is no need for lesson planning!

Bonus: You can teach and earn money without ever leaving the comfort of your own home.

VIPKid describes their educational philosophy as follows:

"One of our core beliefs is that every teacher, student, and employee who works with VIPKid has a need to learn (and keep learning). And since there’s no one-size-fits-all for education, we’re constantly exploring ways to spark curiosity and create more opportunities to grow. As such, we base our curriculum on a progressive pedagogy and put our ideals into action. In addition to our 500,000 paying students, we support 300 low-income rural schools in China through our Rural Education Project. This program provides free English classes to students, helping to improve even more lives."

How does one become a VIPKid Teacher?

The requirements are as follows:

Eligibility to work in the US or Canada
Native English speaker
Bachelor’s degree in any field
At least 1 year of experience in working with children
Background check

You will also need a webcam, headset, and a computer.

More information can be found on VIPKid's website, here.

You can also click here to use my personal referral link.

(Please reach out via email if you use this link so I can help guide you through the application and interview process!)

Many videos can be found online outlining the entire hiring process; though it is important to ensure that you are following the most recent practices, as they have changed periodically throughout the years.

I'm not going to lie, I was pretty skeptical at first, and I was a little bit worried that this was some type of scam. After some research online, reading blogs and watching videos of other teachers' experiences with VIPKid, I realized that it was actually legit! I began watching videos on YouTube and following teachers on Instagram.

I submitted my application through the app on my phone and was asked to film a demo video. I quickly filmed and submitted a demo - which was filmed on my phone, in my car, outside of the Dollarama, using a poster board I'd just bought (seriously lol). After this I was given a 'base pay' offer, and I progressed to the next stage of interviewing, the dreaded mock class. YouTube saved my life during this process, I watched every video available about this step. 

Much to my surprise, I passed my mock class on the first go! I credit this entirely to the abundant resources that are available online via YouTube. When I say they saved me, I mean it!

After passing my mock, I then began the next steps, which included submitting documents for a background check, submitting a photo of my B.A. Degree, and submitting a bio and an intro video for my teaching profile. 

Once everything was approved, I nervously opened up my schedule... I took a New Teacher workshop, which helped immensely. VIPKid now has a program for new teachers to enroll in to help them navigate the platform and the process of teaching your first class, I have heard great things about this! I would definitely recommend new teachers take advantage of this program.

I also joined multiple Facebook groups; including the Official VIPKid group, a group for Canadian teachers, and a group for teachers local to Calgary and surrounding areas. I also certified in as many levels as possible right away to increase my chance of receiving a booking.

My first class, oh boy. It happened a lot faster than I'd been expecting. I'd heard it could take a long time to receive a booking when starting fresh, some people wait weeks. Personally, it took four days. I'd been opening my schedule where I could, and ended up booking two short notice classes in the early morning hours. I quickly shut down all open bookings and focused on familiarizing myself with the lessons I would be teaching.

I found it very helpful to watch the available footage of another teacher teaching the lesson. I gathered any props I found relevant and my trusty donut reward and waited.

She was a level four. I was so anxious. I ended the class at the 20 minute mark. I was honestly surprised, her English skills were so much more advanced than I'd been expecting! In the preparation process, I had certified, practiced, and done my mock for levels two and three. I didn't know how to extend for a level four. We finished the lesson content and I panicked and ended the class five minutes early (oops).

Now, I don't ever recommend ending class early. This can be considered a Teacher Cancellation! I submitted an apology in the feedback, stating that it was my first class and that the student had done SO well. Luckily, I received a finished class type. I did learn from this, and I prepared myself to be ready to extend in the next class. And from there...they got better and better.

Now, level four and five students are my favourite students to teach! I love having conversations with them, and extending comes naturally to me. I've since certified in levels six and seven, as well as several supplementary classes. Certifying in as many courses as possible will increase your chances of being booked, though I only recommend doing so if you truly enjoy teaching the course! Otherwise you will find teaching the lessons very tedious, and nobody wants to feel like they're dragging their way through the lessons.  It won't benefit your students either!

To date, I am 182 days in. I've taught 93 students, and 254 classes.
This totals 6350 minutes of teaching! I've since picked up a full time position at the hospital and began working casually for the school board, but I look forward to teaching my VIPKid students (especially my regulars) every day! I love having the ability to work from home, especially in these uncertain times. I can teach from anywhere! I've taught while travelling, visiting friends and family, and even from my full-time job on my break. While I haven't made this a full-time job, I enjoy doing it for fun while making a little bit of extra cash on the side. (Bonus: If you're Canadian, you get paid in USD!)

If you've been thinking about looking for a side hustle and you meet the criteria, I cannot recommend VIPKid enough. There are also several other ESL platforms available to teachers that don't have a degree, such as PalFish. 

Overall, I am satisfied with my online ESL teaching journey and I've happily signed my second contract with VIPKid. Here's to looking forward to the next six months of teaching some very sweet kids!

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them in the comments or via email.
If you're an online ESL teacher, be sure to say 'hi' in the comments!

Until next time,
Courtney