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!
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