Technology Requirements for VIPKid

Technology

So...you're interested in applying to VIPKid. For many reasons: extra cash, love kids and teaching, the amazing experience of teaching online. Whatever your reason, it's in your best interest to think about your technology as well. After all, if hired, you'll be basically Skyping to China.

I jumped right in when I heard about VIPKid with no thought to whether my technology would work. I was extremely fortunate because it turned my sh@# sucked. Here's the scoop.

I live in a rural area and did not, at the time I applied to VIPKid, have internet other than what I got on my phone. So basically, hotspot. I somehow survived the interview, but decided after the fact to upgrade my gear. Whether or not this helped me succeed in getting hired after my first Mock is debatable, but I like to think it played a big part. Here's what you'll need if you're serious about VIPKid!

Internet

You'll need at least 20 mbps (megabites per second) in order to operate as a VIPKid Teacher. This is straight from the horse's mouth. I asked during my demo/interview what the requirement was. Because I live in a rural area, I wasn't able to get high speed cable. I WAS able to get satellite internet, which gave me 34 mbps. I pay about $60 per month, but no longer worry about the quality of my video/audio, or of dropping offline.

Headphones

During my interview I did not have these. After I passed the VIPKid interview stage, I went out and bought headphones for the hefty pricetag of $20 bucks or so. A small price to pay for what I believe goes a long ways toward looking professional and ready to be a VIPKid teacher. Necessary? Probably not. But why not do what you can to improve your chances?

Wireless Mouse

This purchase became clear when I realized that on the VIPKid platform, it is very interactive. Not just for the student, but for the teacher as well. You must use your mouse to circle things, draw lines and letters, and underline words. You can do this with your laptop trackpad, but it's a serious pain in the keester. A mouse, wireless or not, is a good, cheap investment: $25.

Webcam

This was a bit pricier than the last two. But, again, worth it. The video quality/pixelation on my internal Macbook webcam was really not up to par. Grainy, slow, blurry. I bought a Logitech webcam and the quality is vastly improved. It even improves the lighting, which is another huge factor. You must have good lighting when teaching on the VIPKid platform. The only issue is that my Mac sometimes plays hard to get when trying to find the bloody camera. If I had it to over again, I might research a bit more on the best webcam to use with a Mac. Cost: $65.

Final Thoughts

So there you go. The only thing truly required from the getgo is that you actually have internet. Duh. You must also have, at the minimum, an internal webcam and microphone. You can skate by with these, but why not give yourself a boost in the VIPKid application process? If you build it, they will come right? That was my theory.

Oh, and I passed my MOCK 1. No MOCK 2. Because of the tech? eh.... Perhaps it helped. But so did a week's work of studying up on TPR and practicing using the PPT till I was sick of seeing myself on camera.

I'd love to answer any questions you have about VIPKid, the application process, Mock Interviews, and getting hired. Feel free to email me at jennyseib1@gmail.com. If you're looking to get started click here and use my referral code so I can truly guide you along this new path!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Referral Code: 07XKEM

If you're a visual learner, here's a video on technology for VIPKid

VIPKid: Mock Interviews

The Mock Interview

VIPKid Mock Interviews can and kind of are intimidating. You are putting yourself out there and allowing people to judge you based on your performance. I'm a classroom teacher as well as an ESL teacher for VIPKid, and I can tell you that my VIP Mock Interview was just as stressful and scary as my classroom formal observations are.

How to Prepare 

Props, props, props. TPR, TPR, TPR. After you are scheduled for your Mock Class (it's basically like the interview but 25 minutes instead of 10 and it's divided into two sections: 15 for a Level 3 class, five minutes to review how you did, and 10 minutes for a Level 5 class) you should download the PPT provided and study them. Read the teacher directions at the bottom. The interviewer will likely not be in China for this one. It will be a Mentor Teacher, or a VIPKid teacher who also interviews new teachers in Mock Interviews.

Prior to the Mock Class Interview, you will gain access to the Teacher's Portal. Only a small section, however. Within the Portal, you will find a series of online workshops and videos. This is your study material. At the end of each workshop, you will have to pass a multiple choice test. However, if you don't pass the tests, you can review the information in the workshop and take the tests again.

During the Mock Class, the most important things you need to remember are: 

What are the LESSON OBJECTIVES?
Using TPR and Props
Correcting mistakes made by the "child"

Yes, it is important to use props. But they can be simple. A whiteboard, letter cards, a puppet. And yes you should use as much TPR as possible. But it is critical you know the objectives of the lesson. What is it the slide is really trying to convey to the child? If the lesson objective is to have the child say "I see a ______," don't spend five minutes trying to get them to circle it.

Do use a lot of hand and facial gestures. There's plenty of youtube videos showing how to teach a Mock class. But it's okay to make it your own! Make up your own reward system, for instance.

Finally, correct every mistake your Mock interviewer makes. If they don't conjugate verbs, correct them! But do it kindly, gently, patiently.

What to Expect

Once I was finished, the Mock interviewer asked me how I thought I did. I was honest. Then she provided her own feedback. She said I should hear yea or nea within a few days. First, it was a huge relief to be done with the interview. Now I just had to wait and see if I'd passed or if I had to endure another Mock Interview. I did the Mock 1 on a Saturday morning. On Sunday morning, I got two emails. One from my mentor Angela Silva saying I'd passed my MOCK 1! And then another from VIPKid saying I still needed to do Mock 2. booooo. So, of course I'm confused. This is the value of having a mentor. I emailed her and she immediately looked into the issue. I had in fact passed!!!!

Technology

After my initial interview/demo with VIPKid, I made the command decision to upgrade my technology. Not in a huge way, but still.... I felt that I looked kind of amateurish. So why? Why spend any money before you even have the job?

The way I look at it, if you look like you already have the job, you're more likely to get it. When I did my first interview, I used my phone's personal hotspot for my internet connection. I used my Mac's internal camera and speakers for video and audio. Somehow I made it through to the Mock stage even with these sad sad equipment props. The interview ( I chose a live one), was choppy, the sound and video were crappy, and my internet connection was spotty at best. At one time, the interviewer asked me to shut my computer down (during my interview!) and reboot. He'd wait for me. God bless him, he did indeed.

After, he mentioned all my sorry computer components and suggested I make some changes. Heartened, I did just that. First, I ran a ping test to check my internet speed. One mbps. Are you kidding me? ONE. My kids move faster than that when I tell them to clean their room. And that's saying something. So what's required to stream to China? 20 mbps. Yep. Really not a lot, but in my area it was. I live on a farm. In the mountains of North Idaho. No cable internet here, baby.

I was able to contract a satellite internet provider locally who was able to miraculously get me about 34 mbps. Yes! In business.

I then bought a headset, wireless mouse, and an external webcam. All of which allowed my far better video and audio quality.

In short, you need:

Good internet connection (at least 20 mbps): $60 for me, but prices vary
Headset: $20
Wireless mouse: $20
Logitech webcam: $60

Once past the Mock Stage, whether in Mock 1 or Mock 2, it's time for docs and pics. Then just waiting for the kiddies to book you. More on this in another post!

Interested in joining? Feel free to email me at jennyseib1@gmail.com or click here to sign up using my referral code. I'd be glad to help guide you along the way to becoming an online ESL teacher! My referral code is: 07XKEM

Happy Teaching!

VIPKid: Application and Demo/Interview

A few weeks ago I bumped into a friend whose daughter was working with a company called VIPKid. It's an online ESL program that caters to children all over the world, but primarily in China. I was immediately interested and Googled to get more info. As a second grade teacher for 14 years, I was looking for other ways to supplement my income. I mean really. I'm a TEACHER. We don't stay at the Ritz when we travel. It's Econo-lodge and the free breakfast buffet.

So...I was interested. Not only the potential side hustle earnings, but also because I really do genuinely love teaching. Currently, I teach 2nd grade, but have dabbled with 1st, 4th, and 7th as well.

Apply to VIPKid

I applied THAT night. What could it hurt? I did it over dinner with said friend. Immediately got in to the next level. So what were the requirements? 

•   a four year degree. It does not have to be in teaching. Any four-year degree in accepted. 
•  one year teaching experience. It does not have to be as a classroom teacher or even in the classroom. Other acceptable options would be tutoring, Sunday School teaching, babysitting, etc. Just proof that you have worked with children in teaching capacity for at least one year. 

Don't let this simple application process fool you into thinking the rest is a breeze. These simple steps somewhat mute the challenges for what comes next. Because make no mistake, VIPKid is serious about teaching and serious about getting qualified teachers into the program.

The Interview/Demo

After your application is approved (this usually happens instantly as long as you meet the above criteria) you will be asked to set up an interview in one of three ways: 

• A recorded interview,
• A live interview with a VIPKid employee in China, or 
• An express interview

Basically for each option, you will be given a certain amount of time to show your sh**. Prove that you're legit...able to teach to a targeted audience. One which speaks little or even no English. You are given access to a class (in PPT format) that mimics the real class a student in the forum might experience. And you must teach it. You must familiarize yourself with the content and TPR (Total Physical Response). 

• Recorded Interview

I'll admit, I was tempted to go this route. No real person to interact with. But then I thought how awkward it would be pretending there was a small person in front of me as I recorded. And pretending that they made mistakes, etc. Even though some of the tension and stress is gone from not having to teach in front of real person, I think this option is actually harder. 

• Live Demo/Interview

I chose this option. After my application was accepted, you login to the VIPKid Teacher Portal and are confronted with these three options. After considering them, I went with scheduling a live interview. I set mine up a week out, wanting to have plenty of time to prepare. I was able to access the PPT and studied and practiced for a week. 

I'd suggest doing your practice in front of your camera. Then watch in back to see where you need to improve. Use LOTS of TPR. There are plenty of videos on Youtube that can demonstrate this. 

Then the day arrives. And panic sets in. Oh my god. What am I doing? I can't do this. I scheduled mine early on a Saturday so I wouldn't stress about it all day and so I couldn't back out. FYI: this interview is actually with a rep who is IN China. Make sure your technology can handle this. For info on what is required see my post on technology. 

My time came and I met a very nice man. He asked me a few questions: how are you? what is your educational experience? teaching experience? etc. Then he said that he would pretend to be a five year old child in China taking my class. And he did a convincing job of it. He made intentional mistakes, such as not conjugating verbs (he break the rules). It's critical that you fix these mistakes in a kind yet consistent manner. 

TPR is also huge. Remember, these children have limited English. Put yourself in their shoes (and really believe your interviewer is a child) and teach the slides with your whole body, not just your words. 

You are scored based on a rubric used by the interviewer, and they will provide feedback for improvement.

• Express Interview

To be quite honest, I don't have a lot of personal experience with this one. It wasn't an option when I was interviewing. My understanding is that you would take a 7 question multiple choice quiz and record a five-minute video (youtube, Google drive, etc.) where you introduce yourself and demonstrate your teaching ability using the power point you were given to prepare with. Upload this to the company and await your results. 

All in All

The entire process from application to the first interview was about one week. After this, the real fun begins when you start to prepare for the Mock Class Interviews. The entire process, for me at least, from application to hired was three weeks. 

Worth it? Absolutely. I love it! The hours take some getting used to, but all in all, I'd recommend this program to anyone willing to put in the time and effort, loves kids, and wants a little side hustle income rolling in. 

Interested in joining? Feel free to email me at jennyseib1@gmail.com or click here to sign up using my referral code. My referral code is: 07XKEM

Happy Teaching!