Working For VIPKID: An Interview with a Real VIPKID Teacher

Perhaps, you’ve heard about VIPKID and even contemplated signing up. Maybe you’re on the fence and you need the perspective of someone who currently teaches for VIPKID. If these statements are true, this blog post is for you.

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VIPKID is an online learning platform that helps ESL children learn English. VIPKID employs teachers who instruct students using pre-made presentations. These presentations are designed to be fun and interactive while also helping students become fluent in English. Many current classroom teachers, such as Misty Savario, love the extra income that VIPKID provides. For the past month or so, I have heard more and more about VIPKID. So, when I found out that Misty, a good teacher friend from back home, was employed by VIPKID, I decided to talk to her about her experiences with the company.

 

Q: How did you find out about VIPKID?
Misty: I saw an advertisement on Facebook

Q: Why did you decide to work for VIPKID?
Misty: I have two teenage kids and they can get expensive sometimes, so I knew that this was a great way to earn extra money at home while still working my B & M (brick and mortar) job

Q: I hear the interview process is a bit intense. Describe your experience interviewing for the job.
Misty: The interview process changes a lot, but when I applied in October, this was my process:

I applied online and I scheduled a face-to-face interview with one of the VIPKID staff.  They use a program similar to Skype.  They asked me about my degree, my years of experience, and if I have worked with ESL students.  All VIPKID teachers have to at least have a Bachelor’s Degree to be hired.  They also do a criminal background check.  A PowerPoint lesson is given to us to teach to the interviewer.  After I passed the interview, I moved on to Mock 1.  We are required to teach a lower level and a higher level lesson.  A mentor teacher who speaks English acts like she is the student while I teach both lessons.  He/She then critiques me and lets me know if I passed and if I would be better suited for a lower (younger) level or higher (most of them are 10 and up) level lesson.  Then, I moved to Mock 2.  A different mentor teacher critiques my 1 lesson and then I received an email at a later time to tell me if I have passed or not.  If you don’t pass, you can always reapply with a different email.  I have referred a friend and now they give you options of just doing mock 1 and not doing Mock 2 and just agree to teach 5 trials.  The only problem with that is that it’s more difficult to get trials, but you can also chance it and continue to mock 2 and be immediately able to teach regular paying students.

Q: Is it difficult to get new students to sign up with you?
Misty: Parents look at profiles, so you need to have a great profile pic and an intro video (15 seconds). They also look at your degree and experience.  I know some parents refer teachers to other students using WeChat (a social media platform.) Parents also look at your other parent ratings and comments.

Q: How much prep work goes into teaching a student?
Misty: The PowerPoints are already made for you so you can look at the slides beforehand and have some props such as puppets and manipulatives

Q: How do you manage waking up early in the morning to teach students with doing your normal teaching job?
Misty: The peak hours are from late at night for Americans into the early morning hours.  I usually teach around 5 AM to 6 AM on weekdays and 5:30 AM to 8 AM on the weekends, but I can set my own days that I can work.

Q: Describe a typical session with a student.
Misty: We introduce ourselves, we go over slides, I give “stars” or other interactive rewards.   Each slide has a different activity such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, sight words, and math.  Each class usually lasts a minimum of 25 minutes and a maximum of 28 minutes. Students can write on the slides or type in the text boxes as well.

Q: Can I really make money with VIPKID?
Misty: Definitely! I use VIPKid for a little extra money, but if I would work overnight and teach 10 back to back classes at a time, I could make thousands.  It just depends on how many times/days you want to have open.

Are you interested in teaching for VIPKID? Sign up using Misty’s referral link!

Do you currently teach for VIPKID? I’d like to know your experience. Share your views in the comments below.

 

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