Conducting successful online English lessons and engaging young students can be challenging.
Which factors make or break an online ESL lesson?
Many teaching strategies you’ve learned won’t work outside a physical classroom when you teach English online to kids. Online language lessons aren’t just about cracking open a textbook and lecturing for 25 minutes.
It’s your job as a teacher to make sure that each lesson finishes as a hit instead of a hit on your approval rating.
But worry not! Follow the 7 pro-tips below when you teach kids online — and your students and their parents will certainly book you again and again.
What’s So Challenging About Teaching English to Kids Online?
The first thing you have to do when considering an online teaching job is to understand the differences between having classes in a traditional educational environment and having them online.
They are two completely separate experiences.
Your TEFL course might have touched on online teaching a little, but it probably mostly focused on practical classroom skills. Those skills, however, don’t always translate from a physical classroom to an online one with the type of fluidity you might expect.
In an online setting, incorporating outside media, using physical objects, and involving kinesthetic learning methods will largely be unavailable to you as an educator.
You won’t be able to look over a student’s shoulder as they read or write. You also won’t be able to jump through the computer screen and have as many physical interactions with your students. And, of course, it will also be harder to discipline them.
It will be necessary to adapt and to improvise by coming up with new teaching methods, introducing different ways of checking for understanding, and developing innovative ways to keep your students entertained and engaged throughout class.
Furthermore, the way you plan your lessons will change depending on whether you only have one student or a group of eight students online.
Remember, the structure and audience of an online lesson will always influence the approach you should take.
For a successful online career, it’s so important to learn the most effective methods to teach kids English online.
The Key to Online Lessons is Student Engagement
In the online TEFL industry, you will most commonly teach students ranging from about 5 to 11 years old.
Most bookings tend to be 25- to 45-minute one-on-one English sessions.
That gives you just enough time to make an impression, teach a few key concepts, and make the kid’s parents want to book you again.
The most important thing to remember about teaching English online, especially to young learners in a one-to-one setting, is that it’s imperative to make them feel happy and welcome in your classroom.
That means you must give them your full attention, always be pleasant and smile, and deliver quality work. By being kind and friendly, you make students feel comfortable engaging with you.
Student engagement is the most important part of the lesson. When students are active participants in your lessons, they won’t just learn more – they’ll also be more likely to book your classes again.
Let’s explore some methods you can use to get your little students to be more engaged in the classroom.
1. Show Up a Professional
Showing up to class hungover wearing last night’s outfit will quickly get you fired from a professional online teaching position.
Remember, your clients are children and their parents!
That means you have to be a role model at all times. There is an expectation that you will show up promptly to each class, smile, be well-groomed, and maintain a professional decorum at all times.
Keep in mind that each class that you teach is recorded and monitored.
Not only does the student retain a video copy of every class on their student dashboard, usually there is also a company employee reviewing each lesson for quality control purposes.
If a lesson starts steering into inappropriate territory or a teacher dresses unprofessionally, they will soon hear about it.
So do yourself a favor and make sure that a video or image of you doesn’t end up in your company’s employee training manual as an example of the things you shouldn’t do while on the job. (Yes, this happens).
Choose your wardrobe selectively. I would recommend dressing business casual at all times – or check on your company’s specific dress code.
Even though you’re teaching online, it is important to remember that this job is no less “real” than any other. Certain standards must be upheld, and every company has an image to maintain.
A smart, preppy blouse, a button-up shirt, a collared shirt, or a nice, clean polo work best.
2. Prepare Your Classroom
Keeping your background tidy yet visually interesting is key to creating a fun, professional environment for your students.
You don’t want your dirty laundry making an appearance in the background of your video. However, you don’t want your background to look totally boring, either.
Place maps, alphabet posters, or other fun, simple visuals behind you to create a classroom feel that adds some interest without distracting your students or looking messy.
Proper lighting and good acoustics are also essential to creating the right atmosphere for your classroom. Dim, flickering lighting or an echoey room can ruin even the best-planned class by ruining the atmosphere and creating distractions.
If necessary, buy a small, portable lamp to make sure the student can see you clearly on the screen. Sometimes, only using room lighting isn’t enough to illuminate your face on the screen.
Make sure your camera is positioned properly and centered in the middle of your screen.
In my opinion, students should be able to see you from the elbows up. That way, they can see your facial expressions and mannerisms. It also gives students a more comfortable feeling because it is more personal, almost like talking face-to-face.
Before each class, you should always make sure you know who your student is, how old they are, what their language level is, and what you’ll be teaching.
While most online TEFL companies do provide curriculum and online books to help steer each class in the right direction, you can supplement the materials given with little effort to take your classes over the top.
Incorporating props, knowing a student’s level before class, having an idea of a student’s interests, and brainstorming additional games or topics of discussion can really help enhance a class.
If you really want to have a great online class experience, show a student you went the extra mile by including props regarding the subject they chose or doing research on the things that they like to discuss: things like these can mean the difference between getting booked again or being forgotten forever.
4. Use Activities and Props
For a young learner learning about fruits, being sure to have flashcards of different types of fruit would be a great idea. If you have some of those fruits in your fridge, take them out and show the student.
Ask the student to describe the fruit and ask them questions such as “What do you think this fruit will taste like?”, “Do you like this fruit?”, “Do you eat this type of fruit often?”
There are so many games that you can play by incorporating flashcards or physical props while teaching English online to kids.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a class with a young learner about pets.
She really wanted a dog, but her parents weren’t convinced of the idea. During the lesson, I brought my puppy on screen, and we described what it looked like together, what tricks dogs can do, and where dogs like to go.
She was so delighted to see the puppy in class and left a wonderful post-class evaluation. I will be seeing the same student next week for another online lesson.
Many young learners are just starting to learn their numbers, colors, and ABCs. There is so much you can do to make those lessons more entertaining than simply reading from a book.
One of my favorite games to play when students are learning colors is “Find the Color”. It is basically a scavenger hunt where I tell the student to find something around them in the color that I ask for. They love to laugh and run around looking for the perfect item.
When teaching numbers, I always use stuffed animals to teach students how to count. My favorite game is “How Many Bears Do I Have?” The students count each bear, learn to describe them, create stories about each one, and solve math equations using them.
In terms of ABCs, most online providers offer tracing exercises and repetition exercises in each book. To make those lessons more fun, use the power of sound. If a student is learning the letter “A”, try to teach them how to say A softly, then at a medium sound, and then loudly.
When you turn tasks that can often be mundane into a game, students have the best time.
When I was younger, I always watched a cartoon about a group of superheroines who would fight evil with magic wands. At the time, those types of cartoons were relatively new. Now, similar shows are everywhere.
I try to take advantage of that by bringing my light up, magical toy wand that plays music. When a student answers a question very well or solves a difficult question, I turn on the magic wand and reward the student with a song and some horribly hilarious flailing. They love it!
If you’re looking for printable props for your classroom, we’ve got you covered. Download our free beautifully illustrated flashcards and worksheets to teach vocabulary:
Remember the importance of your body language. Smiling and maintaining a pleasant demeanor throughout class will make your students feel comfortable and welcome in your class.
Keeping your voice at an appropriate volume and pitch and speaking and slowly and clearly will also improve the quality of your class.
You can also indicate that you’re engaged in class by nodding to indicate that you hear what your student is saying and refraining from eating, drinking, or scrolling online during class. Use body language and gestures with your hands to help establish your points. Total physical response will help you engage students better and will aid in their understanding of the ideas you’re illustrating.
6. Always Have a Backup
When teaching English online, sometimes accidents happen.
Whether there’s a family emergency, a power outage, an internet issue, or an online textbook not loading, it’s smart to always have a backup plan.
Document everything. If there is a glitch on a website that you need for your lesson, take a screenshot of it. If a student is late for class or a no-show, be sure to record that in case that information is needed later.
If concerned whether or not a textbook will load, download it in advance.
7. Leave Actionable Feedback
As soon as you begin teaching your class, start taking notes about things you observe throughout the class.
If a student keeps mispronouncing a word or has trouble with a certain grammar concept, make a note so that you can remind them to work on it when you leave them feedback after class.
You should also correct mistakes students make during class so that they don’t get into bad habits.
However, it’s important to do this in a kind, positive way. Rather than telling them they’re wrong, simply demonstrate the correct way to say a word or sentence once they’ve finished speaking.
Pay attention to any notes left prior to the class about the student’s preferred correction style and help cater to their needs.
Once you have finished teaching your first class, you might think you’ve done all there is to do. Not so fast, though!
Your job is not over when the lesson ends. After each lesson, you usually have the opportunity to leave feedback for the student or their parents.
This feedback might seem like an unimportant, throwaway step, but you should put as much care into it as you put into your lesson.
Not only can the feedback help your students keep working on their English outside of class, it’s also a way to sell yourself and further set yourself apart from other teachers.
To be an effective online English teacher, it is important to list the positive aspects of the lesson and the student’s abilities. It is equally essential to reference all of the things that a student might have missed in the lesson, or the things that they must work on to improve their overall English abilities.
Be sure to use the sandwiching technique when giving feedback to the students. You want to be honest about your feedback but also delicate in your approach.
Always incorporate ways to improve in between positive sentences, offering the student praise. Always end each lesson memo with a positive sentence, thanking the student for coming to your lesson and stating that you hope to see them again.
Remember, when you teach English online to kids, you only have one shot to make a lasting, positive impression. What you do in your online lessons count.
It doesn’t take too much time to do, and the young learners and their parents always notice it – and often reward teachers for it by booking them again in the future.
One of the best parts of being an online English teacher is having the satisfaction of seeing your students improve throughout their time with you.
You may also realize you have grown as a teacher, too. So, teach, teach, teach – and remember, there is no perfect teacher.
What matters is getting the online English teaching experience you need and putting your best effort forward to grow in your skills.
So you’ve decided to teach English online to Chinese students – by the way, it’s a great idea: the demand is sky-high!
But you don’t want to start on your own, and you are not sure which company is right for you.
With tons of English teaching companies, it can be hard to figure out which one is best.
This post will discuss which companies are the best and the worst, breaking down the salary, teaching requirements, and teacher satisfaction at each.
It will also talk about what it takes to teach English online to Chinese students, as well as telling you what equipment you’ll need for the job.
The Benefits of Teaching English Online
Teaching English online to Chinese students is a great job for a few reasons:
Work is Abundant: Demand for online English teachers in China is huge, meaning that you’ll never be short of students.
No matter what your qualifications are, you’ll be able to find a job teaching that you can start now.
The job is flexible: You can work from home or on the go. As long as you have a quiet, well-lit space and a strong internet connection, you’re all set to teach.
You can set your own schedule: Choose the teaching time that works for you, and design a job that revolves around your life instead of vice versa.
This means that …
You’re in control of your salary: Feeling good about your finances? Want to take a vacation? Schedule fewer classes, or take a week or two off.
Crunched for cash? Just teach more! Open more teaching slots and watch yourself get scheduled.
You’re off the grid – your schedule, and your finances, are up to you.
It’s low-risk: Most of the tools you need to teach online you already have: a good internet connection, a white wall you can use for your teaching background, a friendly smile.
Because you don’t have to invest much to start your teaching career, you can try it out to see if it’s right for you before you quit your day job or spend a bunch of time or money.
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Finding the Perfect Teaching Company
The teaching market is flooded with companies you can teach for, which can make deciding where you want to teach overwhelming.
There are a few factors you should consider when deciding which company to work with.
Teacher Requirements
First, make sure the company you want to work with will hire you.
Some companies prefer teachers with certain accents (i.e. U.K. or North American).
Some places also only hire teachers who reside in or are citizens of certain places, due to payment and server requirements.
(Source: VIPKID)
Most companies require teachers to have a bachelor’s degree in any field and to be native English speakers. A TEFL certificate is also preferred, but not always required.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree or aren’t a native speaker, don’t worry. You may have to look a little harder for work, but there are companies that will hire you.
You’re probably thinking, “Great, I can get hired, but how can I choose the company that’s best for me?”
When comparing companies, you’ll want to consider a few factors:
Payment Model
Look at the salary range for the companies you’re considering, as well as how often you’re paid.
Are you paid per minute, per 25-minute class, or per hour?
Will you receive payment monthly or do you have to earn a certain amount before the company will deposit payment to your account?
Does the company use PayPal or another online payments system?
Make sure you won’t have trouble accepting payments to your bank account in your home currency – this shouldn’t be an issue with major companies.
Required Schedule
Companies vary widely in terms of how they schedule teachers. You want to make sure you choose a company that accommodates your needs.
Some companies require you to set a schedule and stick to it, and give plenty of notice if you want to modify it.
This model gives you less flexibility but usually ensures that you get paid for slots you have opened even if you end up not teaching during them.
Some companies give you control over your scheduling, letting you open and close slots until they’ve been booked, at which point you’ll be penalized for canceling because a student is counting on you to show up.
This model gives you ultimate control, but it can make it harder for you to get booked up at first.
It also can make it harder to commit to a teaching schedule if you’re not self-motivated because it’s easy to cancel classes and give yourself less opportunity to meet new students
Keep in mind that some companies have minimums on how many hours their teachers work.
You may have to sign up for at least 6 classes a week, for example.
Having minimum teaching hours helps you stick to a good teaching schedule, but it can also mean you have to plan in advance or give notice if you want to take a vacation where you won’t be teaching.
Working Conditions and Teaching Support
Read this, because this requirement is more important than it may initially seem.
You’ll probably want to work with a company that has good teaching support and a strong teacher’s community.
When you inevitably run into technical problems or have issues with students you’re teaching, you’ll want to have a community of fellow teachers that you can talk about your job with as well as professionals working for your company that can help you resolve issues.
Having good support will make your class run more smoothly, and it will help you make your classes better.
The Kind of Lessons You’ll Teach
Before signing with a company, consider what kind of work you want to be doing. Different platforms design different types of curriculums and cater to different kinds of students.
Most companies teach children and adolescents, but some work with all ages or only cater to certain populations, such as business people or high school students studying for standardized tests.
Consider also what kind of teaching you want to do. Do you want to converse, teach in a flipped classroom, or have complete control over your curriculum development?
Doing some research about different companies’ teaching styles and audiences will help you get a sense of which place is best for you.
The Best Companies to Teach English Online to Chinese Students
There are tons of online English teaching companies popping up all the time.
With all the choices out there, it can be hard to tell which companies are legitimate and which ones don’t have a clue.
Below, we’ll break down some of the most popular online teaching companies.
Applicant Requirements: Have a bachelor’s degree, the eligibility to work in the U.S. or Canada and one school year of teaching, tutoring, mentoring, or other educational experience
Note: Due to independent contractor laws, potential teachers who have California, New York, or Washington state residence can no longer sign with VIPKID
VIPKID caters to Chinese students between the ages of 4 and 12.
Teachers don’t have a minimum teaching requirement, although VIPKID recommends that teachers work at least 7.5 hours a week in order to maximize booking opportunities.
VIPKID provides teachers with lesson plans and a teaching platform complete with a points system, a feedback system, Powerpoints, and a conversation box.
Teachers don’t plan their lessons. Instead, they use VIPKID’s curriculum, which centers on the flipped classroom method of teaching.
VIPKID is a particularly great company to teach for because they have great teacher’s resources, including “firemen” that are always available to help out if you have problems in class.
For example, if you or your student run into technical issues, the fireman can help you. They can also help if either of you have trouble understanding technical things or if you have confusion about scheduling or lesson time.
Additionally, there’s a great teacher community for VIPKID. Teachers on online forums trade information about improving their classes, attracting more students, and creating classroom props. They also sometimes meet up for in-person gatherings of VIPKID teachers!
VIPKID also offers great personal development resources. They recently offered all of their teachers free TESOL certification. This certification can serve you well in getting other ESL jobs – online or in person.
They also offer lots of workshops and courses for improving teaching skills.
Teacher requirements: be a native English speaker from the U.S. or Canada, have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of getting your bachelor’s degree; have a 120-hour ESL certificate
Teaching requirements: live in the U.S. or Canada, have a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license or English teaching certificate (like TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, ESL)
QKids has a 6-hour weekly teaching minimum, and requires teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and previous teaching experience.
If you teach for QKids you’ll have to work at least 6 hours a week, and your schedule will be set weekly. You’ll teach 1-4 students in each lesson.
QKids pays teachers $16-$20 an hour, including base pay and bonuses. You’ll receive half pay for lessons where the student doesn’t show up with QKids, and you’ll receive payment for classes you teach during the interview process.
QKids is an attractive company because it offers a competitive salary and, unlike many companies, compensates teachers for their classes during the interview process.
However, their scheduling is less flexible than some other places.
SayABC serves Chinese students aged 5-12. Teachers teach 40-minute classes to 1-6 students at a time.
SayABC has laxer teaching requirements than some other companies. Unlike many companies, they don’t have citizenship requirements for teachers.
However, while teachers used to be able to apply even if they didn’t have a bachelor’s degree, due to changing Chinese government requirements they now require all teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree.
The biggest complaint SayABC teachers have is of having inconsistent bookings and sometimes not getting as many classes as they’d like.
italki is a great company to work for if you want lots of control over your teaching practice.
Anyone over the age of 18 can work for the platform as a Community Tutor, although Type 1 Teachers need a bachelor’s degree and references and Type 2 Teachers need a teaching license or ESL certificate.
Tutors on the site set their own pay, curriculum, and schedule, and italki collects a commission on your pay.
The site is basically just a platform that connects tutors with students. italki doesn’t have its own teaching platform. Teachers are allowed to use whatever platform they want, although most of the site’s lessons are conducted through Skype.
If you’re self-motivated and want to put the work in to really build a teaching practice, italki may be for you.
However, if you want to jump into a structured program that requires less work, you may want to consider a more traditional teaching platform.
Teacher requirements: Be a native English speaker with a neutral accent, have a bachelor’s degree, have experience teaching or tutoring and experience in the U.S. or Canadian educational system
Teaching requirements: be a native English speaker from the USA, Canada, or UK; have a bachelor’s degree; have a TEFL/TESOL certificate; have one or more years of prior online teacher experience
Consider a job with BOXFiSH if you’re a native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree!
The company pays $22-$24 an hour. If a student doesn’t show up for class, you’ll make 60% of your normal salary, which is higher than what most companies offer.
BOXFiSH teachers work with Chinese students from kindergarten to grade 12. The company offers 25-minute one-on-one classes and group classes with up to four students.
They also offer 5-minute review classes, during which teachers assist students in reviewing lessons that the students have learned independently.
BOXFiSH gives teachers lots of flexibility in creating their teaching schedule, like VIPKID does.
BOXFiSH also lets teachers conduct class via app, unlike many companies. This offers teachers more flexibility in when and where they can give lessons.
Many teachers like the company because it offers a good salary, a flexible teaching schedule, and a generous cancellation policy.
Teaching requirements: No requirements apparently (from what it looks like on their website); it seems like you do need to be a native English speaker, according to OET
Salary: $0.17 per minute or $10.20per hour; $0.20 per minute or $12.00 per hour on Cambly Kids
Cambly tutors make $0.17 a minute, which works out to around $10.20 an hour. If you opt for the Cambly Kids option, you can make 3 cents more a minute, which works out to $12.00 an hour.
The company seems to require its employees to be native English speakers, but doesn’t require tutors to have prior experience or even a bachelor’s degree.
As a Cambly tutor, you’ll chat with students rather than teaching formal lessons. You can choose to teach either children or adults.
Cambly gives you lots of flexibility and has a low barrier to entry, but it also pays less than many other companies.
UUabc has a four-hour minimum weekly teaching requirement.
The company doesn’t require applicants to be native speakers, so long as their English is clear and fluent.
If you work for UUabc you’ll use their provided materials to teach Chinese kids individually or in groups of four.
The company seems to offer pretty competitive pay, but it’s less established than other companies, which means you may not have great teacher support or steady working hours if you decide to teach for them.
As a teacher with EF, you’ll get to work with either children or adults, although most of the company’s students are adults. You may teach students 1 on 1 or in groups of 6-8.
EF teachers are given all the teaching material they need for class.
Teaching requirements: English speaker at an idiomatic level; teaching license, TEFOL/TESL certificate, or equivalent, bachelor’s degree, teaching experience
Salary: Not listed on the company website (Glassdoor reports pay ranging from $8-$17 per hour)
As a teacher with iTutorGroup, you’ll need to commit to teaching during 6 peak hours per week. Other than that, though, you’re free to set your own schedule.
So, while you’ll have less flexibility than you would with some other companies, you can still make your schedule work for you.
As an iTutorGroup teacher, you’ll be able to work with children aged 5-18 or adults aged 18_. The company provides all the materials you’ll need to teach!
iTutorGroup, doesn’t offer information about teacher salaries on its website.
DaDa (formerly DadaABC) is a platform for teaching children aged 4-16 English one-on-one.
Classes are 30 minutes long and teachers must teach for at least 10 hours a month.
Some teachers really love working for DaDa. However, others complain about not getting paid on time, and its lack of flexibility and transparency makes it less attractive than other companies.
LIKESHUO (out of business)
LIKESHUO Teaching Portal
Teacher requirements:
Native English speaker
Bachelor’s degree
Salary: Not listed on the company website (OET Jobs reports $16-$25 per hour for teaching children and $10-$18 per hour for teaching adults)
Glassdoor rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
LIKESHUO splits their online English teachers into three levels based on experience and credentials. Requirements vary based on level.
The company requires most of its teachers to work at least 30 hours per month.
This company has scant information available and online and has a poor rating on Glassdoor. Some have reported having a good experience working with them, but overall, it seems that this might not be your best bet.
What Are the General Requirements to Teach English Online?
Being an online English teacher is easier than you think! All you need are native-level English, a bachelor’s degree, and a friendly attitude!
What English Abilities Do You Need?
Most online English teaching companies require their teachers to be native speakers. Some also require teachers to be from specific countries. For example, VIPKID requires its teachers to be from the U.S. or Canada.
Keep in mind that there are companies that only require that their teachers have a native level of English.
Does “Teaching Experience” Mean You Have to Be a Classroom Teacher?
Many companies don’t require their teachers to have prior teaching experience. However, if you have teaching experience or a TEFL certificate, you’ll be a more attractive candidate and may even be offered a higher starting salary.
Some companies do require teaching experience, but don’t worry. Often you can count tutoring, camp counseling, childcare, or leadership roles as prior experience.
Employers just want to know that you’re good with children and are able to be an educator.
What Personality Traits Will Help You Teach English Online to Chinese Students?
Perhaps the most important part of becoming an online ESL teacher is your personality.
To really shine through the screen and teach effectively, you should be a lively, fun person whom students can relate to and feel comfortable around.
In your interview and mock class, your employer will want to see you use TPR (total physical response). That means talking with your body as well as your voice, using gestures and signals to indicate that you’ve heard the student and to illustrate concepts.
Don’t be afraid to be expressive and let your personality shine through. Your employer will love it, and so will your students!
Can You Teach English Online Without a Degree?
Most companies require all of their teachers to have a bachelor’s degree or above. However, some do accept students in their last year of university or applicants who have an associate’s degree.
Additionally, some teaching marketplaces allow anyone to teach on their platform.
Do You Need TEFL Certification?
Most teaching companies don’t require teachers to have a TEFL certificate. However, some teachers do require teachers to have a TEFL/TESOL certificate, and others offer teachers who are certified higher base salaries.
A TEFL online course is a good option even if you don’t work for a company that requires its teachers to be certified, because the course will give you teaching skills and will look good on your resume generally.
Some online teaching companies, like VIPKID, offer free teaching certification to their teachers.
What Equipment Do You Need?
Besides CV requirements, you need a few technical requirements to be an online ESL teacher.
You probably have most of what you need, and everything else is pretty easily attained. Here are the physical requirements for teaching ESL online:
Internet Connection
Since your classes will be delivered online, you’ll obviously need a good internet connection to teach online.
Some companies ask teachers to have a wired internet connection to ensure stability, but overall you should be fine if you can Skype and do similar tasks easily with your internet connection.
You can also check different platforms’ websites to see their specific requirements for internet speed and system requirements.
System Requirements
Many companies require you to have at least 4 GB of RAM, as well as a newer OS.
If you have a reasonably new Mac or PC you should have no issues, but check specific websites tech reqs to make sure your current computer is up to snuff.
Your classroom should have good lighting and be somewhere quiet.
Choose a room where you can close the door, and if there isn’t good overhead lighting make sure you have plenty of lamps. You can even buy studio lamps to better light your classroom.
Make sure you’re lighting yourself from the front and that the whole room is well-lit to avoid weird shadows or too much darkness.
Do You Need to Bring Your Own Lesson Plans and Worksheets?
Most companies provide you with all of your teaching materials, meaning you don’t have to do any curriculum planning or prep!
Some companies, however, do require teachers to create their own lesson plans. EF and italki, for example, give teachers the freedom to create their own lessons.
No matter what, there are a few items that you’ll want to prepare in order to make your classroom livelier and your lessons more engaging:
Teaching Background and Props
One of the most fun parts about teaching online is creating your classroom. You’ll want a fun, educational teaching background to keep your students engaged.
Lots of teachers like to decorate their classrooms with alphabet charts, points boards, and other fun wall hangings that attract students attention and help create an educational setting.
Teaching Props
Props help your students understand what you’re teaching, and they also keep them entertained during lessons.
You can use flashcards, realia, and other objects during class. Funny hats, puppets, pictures, and toys will also help you illustrate your lessons. Your students will also love seeing what wacky props you have in store!
Most companies allow you to set your own schedule. Some require you to keep a schedule that you set every week or month, while others let you open and close teaching slots at any time until they get booked.
Some companies having minimum weekly or monthly teaching requirements, while others let you teach as much or as little as you like.
A minimum teaching requirement can help you make sure you’re teaching enough classes to make good money, but it can also make planning trips or taking vacations harder.
Also, even though you can set your own schedule, you’ll still be tied to students’ schedules. As a teacher in China, you’ll have to work when students are around to take classes. Peak class times are in the Chinese afternoons, which means that you’ll be teaching late at night or early in the morning depending on what time zone you’re in.
How Much Is The Pay?
How much you’ll make depends based on what company you work for, but most teaching platforms pay somewhere between $10 and $25 an hour.
Your pay will probably include your base salary as well as incentives for things like starting class on time and hitting a certain number of teaching hours per month.
If you work for a teaching marketplace, you may be able to set your own salary.
What’s the Application and Interview Process Like?
The process of applying to teach English online varies based on what company you’re applying to, but most companies have roughly similar application processes.
You’ll most likely start the process by filling out an application form where you give some basic information about yourself, like what country you’re from, what your education level is, and whether you have any teaching experience.
Next, you’ll do a video interview with someone from the company – either an employee or another teacher. You’ll probably just talk a little with them and go over a few of the things from your resume.
After the interview, you’ll have one or two demo classes. The company will give you some materials to review, and then you’ll use them to teach a mock class to a teacher for the company. The teacher will grade your performance and give you feedback for how you can improve.
During the interview and the mock classes, make sure you look your best, speak clear, fluent English, and are enthusiastic, collected, and prepared. This is your chance to show the company how great of a teacher you are!
After the mock classes are over, you’ll most likely receive notice that you’ve been hired! You’ll be offered a starting salary, and if you accept it you’ll sign a contract for somewhere between 3 months and a year.
After that, you’ll create a profile on the website and start teaching!
Can You Teach English Online While You’re Traveling?
YES!
However, make sure that you’ll have a quiet classroom and a stable internet connection before you start adventuring.
You can set up a classroom anywhere that’s bright and quiet: a hallway, a broom closet, a bathroom, whatever. If there’s no strong wifi, though, you’re out of luck.
You also need to be extra disciplined if you’re planning on traveling while teaching. Keep track of time change differences and scheduling to make sure you don’t accidentally miss class and get penalized.
You Don’t Speak Mandarin – Can You Still Teach English Online?
YES!
Most companies center on an immersion-based language curriculum, encouraging students to hear, speak, and think in English during class time. You won’t be required to speak Chinese at all.
Using props and body language will help you convey ideas to young learners without speaking the same language as them. And you’ll be surprised by how well many students speak English!
What’s it Like to Teach Chinese Students Online?
There are some bad misconceptions floating around about what it’s like to teach Chinese students. Don’t listen to stereotypes: your students in China are probably pretty much just like the people you know in your home country.
Teaching will be a little different depending on what age group you teach. Think about what kind of students you want to teach, and then apply to a company that caters to that group.
Children
Teaching kids is super fun, but it can be draining, too. When you teach children you’ll want to speak slowly, use lots of fun props, and make class interesting and exciting. If you’re bubbly and high energy, you’ll love teaching children!
However, if you’re more serious or staid, you may want to consider working with older students.
High School Students
High school in China can be pretty intense, meaning that your students may be totally slammed with work. They’ll probably pay attention well in class and have good English skills, but they may not give your ESL classes as much attention as you’d like because they have so much other work to do.
Pre-College Students
Students who want to go to university in the U.S. need to pass a language test in order to get admitted to school.
You need to be familiar with CELTA, TOEFL, or other tests to teach these students, but if you’re good at teaching to these tests you can make a pretty high salary.
Keep in mind, though, that teaching to a test is more stressful than other types of teaching because your students are relying on you to get into university.
Adults
Adults take English lessons for a number of reasons. Some simply want to practice their English, while others are specifically looking to learn English for business purposes.
If you’re teaching business English you can make a lot of money because it’s a niche field.
Teaching regular adults is also rewarding because you can develop a good relationship with an adult language learner. They’ll probably also be vocal about what they want in their lessons, making for a more collaborative teaching process.
Is Teaching English Online to Chinese Students Right for YOU?
Teaching English online is a lucrative and flexible job, but it’s not for everyone.
Thankfully, applying to teach online is pretty low-stakes, but you might want to consider whether the job is right for you before you apply.
Here are some traits you should have if you want to be an online English teacher:
Be Self-Motivated
There’s high competition in the online teaching market. Therefore, you should be able to market yourself and persevere to ensure that you get a good student base and regular lessons.
You also need to be able to set and stick to your own schedule, and to wake up early or stay up late to teach.
You’ll be on your own when you teach online. Although this gives you a lot of freedom it also means that you need to be your own boss in lots of ways. No one is in charge of you but you.
Have Thick Skin
Teaching online is a lot of fun, but it’s also a wild job. You might get bad reviews from parents, or have to deal with unruly or even mean students.
Being able to roll with the punches and bounce back from criticism will help you keep going even when the job gets tough.
Be Personable
Your personality is your biggest asset when you’re teaching online. Being able to captivate students, even students who are distracted or don’t want to be in class, is what separates great online teachers from poor ones.
If you are happy and have a sparkling personality, your students will love you and their parents will too. And you’ll probably have a great time teaching if you’re smiling, too!
Online Teaching Might Just Be for You!
If you think you meet these requirements and you love teaching, children, or interacting with people from different cultures, then online teaching is perfect for you!
The job is mobile, person-to-person, and flexible. If that sounds like a great setup, then don’t hesitate… apply to teach English online now!
You can make up to $24.40 an hour, create your own schedule, and work from your home — or a hostel.
Sounds great, right? But how do you get started?
We’re about to break down exactly what it takes to teach for VIPKID: we’ll explain what basic qualifications teachers need, what materials and personality traits you need to teach, and more.
And the best part is, we’re even answering some frequently asked questions about the job!
What is VIPKID?
If you’re not familiar with it, VIPKID is an online teaching platform that lets you conduct classes with students in China for $15.60-$24.40 an hour.
Depending on how often you work, that works out to anywhere between $150 and $6,000 a month.
The requirements for VIPKID teachers are pretty straightforward: you need a bachelor’s degree and license to work in the U.S. or Canada. Oh, and you need to be fluent in English.
You also need 2 years of teaching experience — note that this number was recently updated from one year of teaching experience.
If you haven’t been a classroom teacher, don’t worry. Tutoring, mentoring, and “alternative education” also count.
What does that mean? It means that if you’ve been a camp counselor, you can include that. Been a nanny? Fantastic. Coached soccer? Great! Do you have kids? Perfect.
If, in your estimation, you have had a leadership or teaching role with children, you really should be good to go for VIPKID.
The Requirements to Work for VIPKID
be eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada
have a bachelor’s degree
have two years of experience (teaching, babysitting, coaching, etc)
be fluent in English
Pass the Background Check
Every teacher who works for VIPKID must pass an FBI Criminal Background Check. It’s not entirely clear what findings will disqualify you from teaching, but if you have a misdemeanor or DUI on your record you should be fine.
Some people say that VIPKID is mainly worried about applicants who’ve been convicted of violent crimes or crimes involving children.
Equipment
Because VIPKID is taught online, there are a few things you need to be equipped with to make sure you’re able to conduct classes smoothly.
Ready to get technical?
Just kidding. I’m writing this at my level of tech fluency, so your grandma should be able to understand everything covered in this section.
Hardware and Accessories
First off, you need a desktop or laptop computer to teach for VIPKID. A Microsoft Surface is fine, but an iPad or other tablet isn’t adequate for teaching through VIPKID.
Second, you need an HD camera and a headset with a microphone. Your computer probably already comes equipped with an HD camera, but if it doesn’t you can get one online.
And you can use your iPhone earphones or similar ones as your headset, or you can purchase a more heavy-duty one.
VIPKID Tech: Buying Guide
Stuck trying to figure out which camera and headset to buy? We’ve got you covered.
You can buy [amazon link=”B004FHO5Y6″ title=”an HD webcam like this Logitech one”] for as little as around $20.
And you can get a high-quality headset for around $25! [amazon link=”B004FHO5Y6″ title=”an HD webcam like this Logitech one”] This NUBWO gaming headset delivers high quality at a reasonable price.
Computing Requirements
Beyond all the gadgets, you’ll also need an adequate operating system, meaning Windows 7 or Mac 10.x or above, and at least 4G of RAM on your computer.
Not sure if your computer meets these requirements?
No problem! Just follow these instructions:
Mac
If you have a Mac, click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of your screen. Click “About this Mac”, and a box will come up.
Under the name of your computer, it will say what version it is, and then by “Memory” it will say how many gigabytes of RAM you have!
Easy!
Apple macOS System Info
Windows PC
If you have a PC, search “Control Panel” Windows search bar. Then click System and Security > System.
That should bring up a box that tells you what version of computer you have, along with how much RAM your laptop has.
This box will show you your computer’s specs if you have a Mac.
You’ll also need a stable internet connection that has upload and download speeds of at least 20 Mbps. You can use Speedtest to find out if you meet this requirement.
If your computer doesn’t meet the speed requirements, you can try situating yourself closer to your router or getting an Ethernet cable.
Last, you need at least Chrome version 51 and Firefox version 47 and updated Flash.
Props and Teaching Setup
Okay, you guys — this is the fun part!
Besides the technical requirements for your computer, you need a good classroom setup for VIPKID.
What does that entail?
Classroom Setup for VIPKID
Great lighting
A cool rewards system
Some fun teaching props
An engaging teaching background
A quiet space with no distractions
You can go all-in with your teaching space, making it totally fun and immersive, or you can be more simplistic.
I personally don’t like having my teaching background up during the day because my classroom doubles as a home office (and I don’t want to be in “teacher mode” 24/7), and I also travel a lot, which means I need to take my teaching things with me sometimes.
Because of that, my whole classroom setup is super mobile and transportable — and less flashy and impressive than some other people’s. At the end of the day, though, it gets the job done and the students love it. And that’s what matters most!
A little decoration goes a long way in your VIPKID classroom! (Photo: Graham Carroll)
Let’s bust a common VIPKID myth:
All VIPKID teachers used to have to wear orange t-shirts to teach, but that is no longer the case!
Rejoice and wear whatever solid-colored shirt makes you feel comfortable (and doesn’t make you look like you have freaking scurvy).
Just make sure you’re not wearing anything with logos or anything that’s stained or too revealing.
Personal Traits and Behaviors
Waking up super early to teach young students who might not speak any English takes a specific personality type.
For one thing, you need to be on first thing in the morning.
You might be teaching pretty young kids who can’t understand the bulk of what you’re saying, so you’ll have to rely on exaggerated facial expressions and movements to help them understand you and keep them engaged.
Be Friendly
You should be enthusiastic, friendly, and smiley to make your students feel comfortable and engaged in your classes.
A note on this: you might see Youtube videos from VIPKID teachers who are super duper chipper and preternaturally happy all the time.
That kind of personality is great, but if that’s not you, don’t worry. It’s not me, either, and I get along just fine.
You don’t need to act like you’re in the cast of Disney on Ice during your classes — just be friendly, awake, and welcoming, and don’t be afraid to be a little silly. Your kids will love you for it!
While we’re talking about personality traits, I’d like to note that all this smile-ness goes along with plain old not being rude.
It can be really frustrating when a student doesn’t understand a concept you’ve explained 46 times, especially when it’s 4:30 in the morning.
But remember that your student is probably frustrated, too, and your impatience will only make them feel worse.
A little patience and understanding go a long way when you’re teaching for VIPKID.
Not being rude also means listening. It can be hard to stay focused in class (especially if you’re teaching the same lesson for the 3rd time in a row), but it’s important to stay engaged, listen to the student, correct their mistakes, and provide encouragement.
Me during an online lesson. (Photo: Graham Carroll)
Be Awake
Yawning in class is a big no-no, and some parents will call you out on it.
I definitely have days where I can’t help but let a little yawn escape from my mouth, but I’ve found ways of disguising it: by covering my mouth with my hand, ducking out of the screen to “grab a prop”, or opening my mouth and acting really surprised!
You’ll find methods of disguising yawns that work for you, too — promise.
Being awake also means not looking like you just rolled out of bed. Again, you’ll see some people on YouTube who go to class at 5:00 in the morning with freshly curled hair and a full face of makeup. Again, I am 100% not that teacher and I do just fine.
I usually go to bed in a solid t-shirt with no logo so I can teach in it, and then I make sure my hair looks just this side of being a rat’s nest before I teach.
If I do wear makeup, it’s usually mascara to make me look more awake and maybe red lipstick to help students pay attention to what shapes my mouth makes when I pronounce words in English.
The great thing about the camera is that it really blurs your features, so you’ll look good even if you have a raging zit on your nose and an eye booger the size of Texas hanging out in your tear duct.
Be Self-Motivated
Working from home means that you don’t have a boss telling you what to do and when to do it. So you need to make sure that you’re prepared, organized, and ready for class.
Beyond that, you need to be your own hype man, making sure you’re motivated and confident before class!
You need to hold yourself accountable, making sure you’re aware of when your classes are scheduled and are prepared for them.
Availability
Exactly when you need to wake up to teach for VIPKID depends on what time zone you live in.
You don’t need to be available during every slot that you can possibly teach lessons, but it’s a good idea to make sure that you’ll be able to teach some classes before you go through the effort of applying and interviewing.
You can teach for VIPKID anytime between 7:30 PM and 9:00 AM CDT, or between 8:30 AM and 10:00 PM Beijing time.
The highest demand for classes is between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM CDT, and between 12:00 AM and 9:00 AM CDT on the weekends. And high demand means you have an increased likelihood of getting booked during those times.
Note that there’s no Daylight Savings Time in China, so the schedule shifts forward an hour when Daylight Savings Time starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section includes answers to a few common questions about VIPKID teacher requirements. If you have a question that’s not answered here, feel free to drop a comment below!
Am I Locked into a Certain Schedule Once I Sign Up?
No! You can open slots whenever and close them back up again until a student has booked them without penalty. VIPKID is super-duper flexible — it’s one of my favorite parts about it!
How Long Is the Contract Period for Vipkid?
Each VIPKID contract period lasts 6 months.
Do I Have to Teach a Certain Number of Classes Each Week to Stay Employed?
Nope! VIPKID recommends that teachers teach for at least 7.5 hours a week, but you won’t be penalized if you don’t maintain that every week or have to go on vacation or take time off.
Can I teach for VIPKID if I’m not living in the U.S. or Canada right now?
Yes! You just need to be eligible to work in either country.
Conclusion
Teaching for VIPKID is super fun, and almost anyone can do it! All you need is a bachelor’s degree, English fluency, eligibility to work in the U.S. or Canada, and 2 years of experience doing some type of teaching or childcare.
VIPKID has flexible hours, and you can teach online English classes from almost anywhere with a quiet corner and a stable internet connection!
If you’re interested in becoming a VIPKID teacher, drop a comment below — I’d love to answer any questions you might have and help you on your journey!
VIPKID provides lessons and curriculum, has excellent support staff for teachers and students, and schedules your classes for you once you’ve decided your availability.
All you really need to do is show up with a smile!
VIPKID classes are 25 minutes long, and the students are 3-12 years old.
How to Calculate Your VIPKID Salary
At most jobs, your wage is calculated using a simple equation, more or less: your hourly wage times how many hours you work.
Simple, right?
You can earn between $15.60 and $24.40 an hour teaching through VIPKID, and you can work … well, pretty much as many or as few hours as you want.
Which is great, except all the wiggle room doesn’t tell you much about how much you can actually expect to earn through VIPKID.
In the next two sections, we’re going to break down each component of your VIPKID salary to give you an idea of where on the spectrum you might fall and how to increase your paycheck.
Part 1: How Much Can You Earn Hourly?
As we’ve mentioned, you can earn $15.60 and $24.40 an hour through VIPKID.
How much you’ll get paid depends on how many classes a month you teach, how high your base pay is, and whether you finish the class on time.
The Equation for Hourly Pay =
(Base Pay ($7-$9) + Finished Class Incentive ($0.80-$3.20) *2 Classes Per Hour
Your finished class incentive is determined by how many classes you teach per month and how many lifetime classes you’ve taught through VIPKID.
And remember, there are two classes in an hour.
How is Base Pay Calculated?
Your base pay is calculated based on two factors: how much teaching experience you have and how well you perform in the interview and mock class.
In terms of teaching experience, you may be wondering what does and doesn’t count.
Obviously, classroom experience counts. It’s unlikely that you’ll make $9 base pay per class unless you’ve been a classroom teacher and have your teaching certificate or have some other type of significant experience.
However, if you have a TEFL certificate, have been a classroom assistant or tutor, have taught abroad, or have even been a camp counselor, you should list these on your application — they do count as past experience, and they very well may help you get higher base pay.
There are a bunch of factors that you have to consider in answering this question!
The first is what you’d like your schedule to look like, and the second is whether you’re hoping to work part-time or full-time for VIPKID.
The majority of classes are held in the early morning and late at night. I live in the Midwest, so I teach sometime between 6:00 AM-9:00 AM regularly and from 5:00 AM-8:00 AM during Daylight Savings Time (China doesn’t have Daylight Savings Time).
The available “peak time” slots for lesson bookings at VIPKID
I could wake up at 4:00 am but I’m not trying to burn out — after all, this is not my full-time job.
I rarely fill all my slots and I don’t teach on Fridays, so I end up teaching 2 hours a morning 4 days a week.
I make $20 an hour, so that totals out to somewhere around $20/hour x 2 hours a day x 4 days a week x 4 weeks a month = $640 a month.
Not bad as extra income, right?
There are people who teach with VIPKID full time. You can make upwards of $4,000 a month if you wake up super early to teach (some people wake up as early as 3 am!) and stay up all night on the weekends.
It definitely requires a certain kind of lifestyle to keep these hours, but for many people, it’s worth it to get to work from home, have their days off, and spend time with their children during the day.
Your Schedule is Completely Up to You
The really great thing about VIPKID is how flexible it is.
When I first got started, I opened every single slot, waking up super early and then taking a nap when I was done teaching at 9. I got a lot of students that way, and I learned what kind of schedule worked for me.
I know now that I like waking up at 5:00, but 4:00 is way too early for me. I also know that I am absolutely not willing to stay up all night teaching on the weekends — I tried that exactly once and swore to never do it again.
I also know that if I teach more than about 4 classes back-to-back I start losing focus and stop being a good teacher, so I try to schedule breaks or leave an empty spot in my schedule on days when I’m booked full.
I figure that it’s better to sacrifice $10 here and there than to burn out and be miserable during my classes.
I went all-in when I first started VIPKID and then let my foot off the gas a little bit, but some people go the opposite route: they dip their toe in the water, opening more and more slots each week until they’re booked full.
You don’t have to decide whether you’re going to be a part-time or full-time teacher now, and you don’t need to stick to any decision you don’t want to long-term.
And that flexibility, in my opinion, is one of the best things about VIPKID.
How Can You Increase Your VIPKID Salary?
Now that we’ve broken down the elements of your salary, here are a few tips for how to raise it.
These six tips will help you organize your schedule, book more classes, and maximize your teaching time for higher profits.
Book More Classes
This one is obvious, but the more classes you book per month, the higher your finished class bonus will be.
Having that goal in mind (and watching your earnings increase) will keep you motivated throughout the month.
Try to set weekly goals for yourself to hit that mark — for example, 11-12 classes a week.
Promote Yourself
Creating an appealing intro video and a concise, impressive bio will do wonders when you’re trying to book classes.
VIPKID is like Tinder for teachers — parents can pick from any number of candidates to conduct their classes, so you want to stick out from the crowd.
Tips for Your Intro Video
Speak Slowly and Clearly
If parents can’t understand your intro, they probably won’t feel overly confident about your ability to communicate with their children in English.
Make sure your lighting is good
Film outside at midday or in a well-lit room to make your video look bright and cheery.
Use Props
A silly hat, a stuffed animal, whatever! Props and goofy accents will make your video more memorable to parents, and they’ll also show them how fun and engaging you are as an English teacher!
This simple video is a great example of how to create your video.
Don’t be afraid to play around with it — parents will love seeing your personality shine. And that means more bookings!
Show up on Time
This one is a giant no-brainer. Not only do you need to show up on time and end on time to get a bonus, but doing so also makes you look professional and will lead to better comments from parents.
A teacher with a reputation for not being punctual probably won’t get too many bookings.
Show up to All Your Classes
This one, like the last one, is less about making more money and more about not losing money.
If you miss class without canceling it or cancel within 2 hours of your class, you’ll be charged a $10 no-show fee. And if you cancel between 2 and 24 hours before class, you’ll be deducted $2 per canceled class.
Note that there are exceptions for emergencies, so you don’t have to worry about being penalized should something awful happen to you or a loved one unexpectedly.
Besides the cancellation fee, parents will be unlikely to book you again if you’ve missed a class with them (unless you have a legitimate reason for doing so), because you’re wasting their children’s time when you don’t show up to commitments you’ve made with them.
Keep a Regular Schedule
Keeping a regular schedule will get you more bookings because you’ll get regular students who book you at the same time each day or week.
Instead of opening slots willy-nilly and sitting around between classes, you can get more reliable clients when you keep a more reliable schedule.
My available class openings during Daylight Savings Time in the Midwest. You can open and close slots at your leisure until they’re booked by students.
A regular schedule is also more sustainable and will keep you accountable, so you don’t start finding excuses to cancel classes right and left when you just don’t feel like waking up early.
Get More Certifications
The more certifications you have, the more levels you’re able to teach. And thus, the greater the pool of students you can teach!
If you want every slot you open to fill up, you should get as many certifications as you can, so you’re available to teach every student.
You can always see which certifications you have – and which you can earn – in the Certification Center.
Conclusion
VIPKID can look just about however you want it to:
You can turn it into a full-time job and work all hours of the night, earning $4,000 per month.
Or you can do what I do and teach a few hours each morning, earning between around $150 and $700 per month depending on your schedule.
Do you want a lucrative, fulfilling work-from-home job?
Do you want to set your own schedule and maintain flexibility and freedom while making money?
If so, teaching online might be for you.
Teaching online lets you improve the lives of children around the world and earn good income all from the comfort of your home.
This article breaks down how you can start teaching from home and earning money today with VIPKID!
You probably have a ton of questions about VIPKID, and we’re here to answer them in this step-by-step guide to applying to work with this ESL company.
What’s So Great About Teaching Online, Anyway?
You can work anywhere with a solid internet connection
You get to set your own schedule
You can work as much (or as little) as you’d like
You’ll be helping students learn an important skill – English!
You can make up to $22 an hour – plus bonuses (more on that later)
1. Get To Know VIPKID
Over 30,000 people teach with VIPKID, including digital nomads, stay-at-home parents, entrepreneurs, and classroom teachers. Collectively, VIPKID teachers serve more than 500,000 registered students.
Teachers choose to teach English online through VIPKID because the platform allows them to set their own schedules and decide how many hours to work each week.
Basic info about VIPKID classes:
Each class is 25 minutes long, and you’ll always teach a Chinese student aged 4-12. There’s a 5 minute break in between each class.
Peak teaching hours are in the morning and evening in Beijing (we’ll go more into the specifics of your teaching hours a little further down).
Teachers can make $15.60-$24.40 an hour teaching through VIPKID, depending on their experience, bonuses, and how well they perform during the interview process.
Teachers are given a base pay of $7-$9 for each 25-minute class – that number will vary depending on your teaching experience and your performance in your mock class. This works out to $14-$18 per hour, just for base pay.
On top of base pay, you’ll get a finished class incentive that ranges from $0.80-$3.20 per class, depending on how many classes you teach per month and how many classes you’ve taught through VIPKID in total. The bonuses bring your pay up to $15.60-$24.40 per hour!
Besides these requirements, you should have a good classroom setup. That means a kid-friendly background, a quiet spot to teach in, headphones with a mouthpiece, and teaching props including a white board and flashcards.
FAQ: I’m an introvert. Can I teach for VIPKID?
While it’s true that the prototypical VIPKID teacher is bubbly, outgoing, and extroverted, that doesn’t mean there’s not room for different kinds of teachers, too.
Shyer students might prefer calmer, less intense teachers, and older students might prefer a more serious teacher over a super enthusiastic one.
However, you should still be sure to be friendly and full of life during your VIPKID interview.
3. Apply Online!
If you meet the requirements to become a VIPKID teacher, you’re ready to apply right now!
The application process varies in length, but it should take less than two weeks from submitting your application to teaching your first real class if you complete each step of the process in a timely manner.
The application covers basic information about you and ensures that you meet the teaching requirements for VIPKID. It shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes to complete.
Step 2: Complete a Live or Pre-Recorded Demo Lesson
The recorded option takes 5 minutes, and you can rerecord your lesson as many times as you’d like. You can also do the recorded option whenever you’d like!
The live option is 30 minutes and is scheduled ahead of time, but it gives you the advantage of being able to get feedback about your lesson, ask any questions you have, and even potentially negotiate your salary.
For both the live and recorded options, you’ll be given slides to review and prepare before your class.
Step 3: Pass Your Mock Class
Mock classes are like demo lessons in a lot of ways. In a mock class, you teach for 10 minutes and introduce yourself to the interviewer, get feedback, and ask questions for 15 minutes. You’ll be sent a full lesson plan to prepare for this.
Some people get hired after their first mock class, but most people need to do 2 mock classes before they’re sent over a contract.
I taught English in China for 2 years before I started working for VIPKID and I did 2 mock classes!
Your mock class is your chance to show VIPKID that you understand their platform and have an effective teaching style! This is also the chance for you to show that you have a good internet connection and an appropriate teaching environment.
Step 4: Take or Submit a TESOL Course
If you don’t already have a TEFL certificate, you’ll need to take and pass a TESOL course that VIPKID offers for free before signing your contract. The course is only around 10 hours, and it contains lots of information that will help you be a better teacher!
Step 5: Sign Your Contract
This is the fun part. Once you’ve finished all the previous steps, it’s finally time to sign your contract and start teaching! VIPKID contracts last 6 months.
When you sign your contract, you’ll find out your base salary! Your base salary is determined by how much teaching experience you have plus how well you did in your mock class.
Your base pay will fall between $7 and $9 for each 25-minute class, and you’ll have the opportunity to earn bonuses on top of that as well.
I find online tutoring to be incredibly rewarding and convenient, but teaching for VIPKID has its challenges, too.
You have to either wake up early or stay up late to work
You need to be on-camera and “on” at early or late hours
You can work as much or as little as you want – but you aren’t guaranteed a certain number of hours (Either you get booked or you don’t, and you may find yourself booked solid for stretches and teaching just one class a day at other times.)
Teaching for VIPKID means going with the flow and learning to accept (and maybe even appreciate) some uncertainty
If these challenges sound like something you can deal with, then I’d recommend applying – because for many teachers, myself included, the tradeoff is well worth it.
4. Start Teaching
Once you’ve signed your contract, it’s time to start teaching. Teaching can be stressful at first, but believe me when I tell you that you’ll start feeling like a pro in no time.
Lessons with VIPKID aren’t exactly like normal classroom lessons – VIPKID uses the flipped-classroom method.
This means that students do activities that teach them about the class material before each lesson and then spend their classes solidifying what they’ve learned, practicing conversation, and doing other project- and activity-based things.
This strategy is really great for immersion teaching (like you’ll be doing with VIPKID!) because it means that you’re not teaching the students new material from start to finish — you’re just helping them deepen their understanding and get more comfortable with the English language.
All of this theory and terminology matters kind of minimally in the end, though because you don’t do any actual lesson planning with VIPKID. You’ll get fleshed out lesson plans with down-to-the minute content. Your only job is to show up and teach!
The key to feeling confident when you start teaching is to prepare, prepare, prepare.
Getting your props set up ahead of class will make every lesson a breeze. (Photo by Graham Carroll)
Top Tips for Making Every Lesson a 5-Apple Lesson
1. Open slots early
The earlier you open teaching slots, the more opportunities parents have to book you! Open slots as soon as you can and make sure to check back on your teaching schedule often so you’re not caught teaching a class by surprise.
2. Review the materials before class
Knowing what content is in each class will help you pace yourself properly, and it will also prevent you from trying to figure out how to teach each slide before class.
When you’re reviewing, you can set up props that will help you illustrate different vocabulary words and concepts.
You can also get your rewards set up and brainstorm ways to extend the material by asking questions or inserting extra activities in case your student blows through the content extra fast.
3. Get your classroom set up
Before each class make sure your classroom environment is well-lit, your props and rewards are set up, and your appearance is well-kempt and professional.
FAQ: What will my working hours look like?
The good news is that there’s no maximum (and no minimum) to how much you work for VIPKID! Work however much you want, whenever you want to.
Want to work for 2 hours each morning, 5 days a week? That’s fine. Want to teach 60 hours one week, opening all your slots and staying up all night, and take the entire following week off? That’s fine, too.
Peak teaching times for VIPKID are 5:00-8:00 EST – afternoon for kids in China (which doesn’t observe daylight savings time, by the way. Fun fact, right?)
However, you can open slots from 8:00 pm EST to 8:00 am EST – and you can fill pretty much all those slots reliably on weekends.
That’s It! Go Get Hired, Rockstar!
Becoming a VIPKID teacher is lucrative and fun – and it’s not as hard as it might seem.
We hope this guide gave you the tools you need to start your application process today. Check out our website for more tips about teaching English online and in-person, and don’t hesitate to comment with any questions you might have!
If you’re thinking of applying to VIPKID, you probably already know about the mock class.
It’s an essential part of the application process, and the good news is that it’s not as scary as it seems.
In this article, we’re going to break down what the mock class looks like. We’re also going to give you some essential tips about preparing for it to help you ace it and become a VIPKID teacher faster!
Note that VIPKID’s mock class procedure changed in September 2018. This post discusses the mock class process now.
What is the VIPKID Mock Class?
The mock class is perhaps the most essential part of training if you want to teach English online for VIPKID: it helps determine whether or not you’ll be hired by the company, and it also has a role in determining your base salary for VIPKID.
It’s an opportunity to practice your teaching skills using VIPKID’s platform with a certified VIPKID teacher, and to make sure that you’re fully ready to teach before you enter the classroom with a real student.
Look at it as an opportunity to improve your teaching skills and fully prepare to become a VIPKID teacher rather than an exam to be graded on!
You’ll take the mock class after you complete your application, interview, and demo.
If you don’t do a totally amazing job on your first mock class, don’t worry: you can take the mock class multiple times!
And here’s the best part: no matter how you do on your mock class, once you’ve gotten to this point in the hiring process you will get hired as a VIPKID teacher. You can take the mock class infinite times, and you’re guaranteed employment once you finish the phase no matter what!
So congratulations on making it this far!
What Does the Mock Class Look Like?
Your VIPKID mock class will take place with a current VIPKID teacher, who will act as a student while you teach and then grade you on your performance.
The teacher will also answer any questions you might have and give you feedback immediately after you finish teaching.
Their feedback (and their availability to answer any questions) is enormously helpful, so be sure to have a pen and paper handy so you can jot down notes when you’re talking to them before and after you teach!
Breakdown of the Mock Class
The mock class is 25 minutes long in total.
The First Few Minutes
You’ll spend a bit introducing yourself and chatting with your “student”. You can also ask them any questions you want during that time, including any questions you might have about how to teach the lesson.
The Lesson
The lesson will last 10 minutes long (15 minutes for Mock II). During that time, you’ll teach part of a VIPKID lesson that you’ve prepared ahead of time.
The Wrap-up
After your ten minutes of teaching are up, the interviewer will review the lesson with you and go over what you can improve on.
What Will You Teach in the Mock Class?
Once you’ve passed your interview, you’ll be able to enter the Certification Center and choose which level you want to do your mock class in. Completing your mock class will certify you to teach students at that level.
Don’t worry too much about which level you choose: you can always go back and get certified for other levels later.
The VIPKID certification center
After you’ve chosen which level you want to certify in, you’ll be given materials to prepare for two different mock classes at that level.
In addition to VIPKID’s materials, there are tons of videos online of teachers going through the mock lessons so you can see how they teach them and decide how you want to conduct your class.
You won’t find out which of the two lessons you’re teaching until your mock class begins, so it’s important to prepare for both of them just in case!
How Should You Prepare for the Mock Class?
The mock class tests you on whether or not you’re ready to be a VIPKID teacher.
So by the time your mock class rolls around, you should be fully prepared to teach. That means having your classroom set up and knowing how to interact with students and use the classroom.
Setting Up Your Classroom
Having your classroom ready means that you have a stable and fast Internet connection, headphones with a built-in microphone and a well-lit area to teach in.
It also means having a decorated teaching environment complete with a teaching backdrop, a reward system, and props you can use to illustrate concepts you’re teaching.
Have props and teaching tools on standby! (Photo: Graham Carroll)
Props
As you can see in the picture above, I have cutouts of Meg and Mike (two characters that appear in VIPKID lessons) near my computer. I also have props and illustrations for concepts that I take out to have on standby for certain lessons.
For example, if I’m teaching about animals, I’ll take out my toy cow and cutouts of horses and other animals in the lesson.
Classroom Background
Your background doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Lots of teachers include maps or ABCs in their classrooms, but really you should do whatever works for you. The main thing is to make sure to have your name and your reward system visible.
As you can see in the picture below, my classroom setup includes my name, some simple colorful decorations, and my reward system, which is currently a flower (the petals are all Velcro so I can put them on when the student earns a point).
My simple teaching backdrop, featuring my name and my reward system. (Photo: Graham Carroll)
My reward system itself is Velcroed to the poster so that I can change it out depending on what I’m teaching.
You can make your reward system anything you want, and there are tons of ideas online if you can’t think of one!
My article about VIPKID teacher requirements has more information about what exactly you need to ace the mock class and become a VIPKID teacher — and it has pointers for making sure your lighting and Internet connection are up to snuff!
How Should You Conduct Your Mock Class?
Let’s get into the dirty details: how should you teach in your mock class to ensure that you pass?
In this section, I’ll break down …
Be Enthusiastic
Above all, be sure to be happy, enthusiastic, and engaging in your mock class. That means big smiles, positive encouragement, and lots of big body movements.
You want to make your students feel welcomed and safe in class, not like they’ll be judged if they make a mistake.
A big part of positive encouragement only is not saying “no”. When the student makes mistakes, don’t say “no”. If they’ve said something that’s not correct English or answered a question wrong, simply model the right answer, cue them to try saying it the right way, and move on.
Make Yourself Easy to Understand
Remember that your students are not native English speakers, and some of them may have little to no English at all.
You have to make it easy for all students to understand you, no matter what their English levels may be.
…By Making Your Voice Heard
One way to make yourself understood more easily is with your voice.
You should slow down your speech and enunciate every word to help students pay attention and comprehend more easily. You can modulate how you speak depending on what level of students you’re teaching.
If you’re teaching students at a very low level, it’s important to speak extremely slowly and clearly.
It’s also important not to pepper your speech with anything extra. Rather than explaining things using language they might not understand, simply jump into activities and make sure to use simple language that won’t confuse them.
If you’re teaching more advanced students, you can speak more normally — just gauge their understanding and be sensitive to it rather than speaking according to how much you think they should comprehend.
…By Using Nonverbal Cues
Use teaching tools and body language to illustrate what you’re saying, especially when you’re teaching younger students.
The best way to do this is by using TPR, or total physical response. This means illustrating your words with body language and hand motions and using body motions to give instructions rather than saying them out loud.
Props and body language will help you illustrate concepts for your students! (Photo: Graham Carroll)
If you want the student to circle something on the screen, draw a circle with your finger. Cup your ear when you want them to speak, and put your finger on your chin pointing at your mouth when you’re speaking.
Your grader will be looking to make sure you use TPR, so be sure to incorporate it throughout your lesson.
The other nonverbal tool you can use is props.
Stuffed animals, paper cutouts, and other objects will help you explain what vocabulary means and illustrates concepts! And your grader will definitely be happy to see that you’ve prepared materials to accompany the slides.
Pace Yourself
VIPKID classes run on strict time parameters, and it’s important for teachers to finish all the material in each lesson during class time so that students don’t fall behind.
For that reason, it’s important for you to show that you can stick to time parameters during your mock lesson.
Try to teach about a slide a minute: it’s a good idea to set up a timer on your phone and put it next to your computer during your mock class to make sure that you’re sticking to the time frame.
Watching other teachers teach the mock lessons in YouTube videos will also help you get a good idea of how to pace your lesson.
Watch Out for Mistakes
Your teacher trainer will be checking to make sure that you’re an effective teacher, which involves being able to spot and correct any mistakes your student makes.
In the mock class, your trainer will make some obvious mistakes on purpose. Be on the lookout for grammar and pronunciation errors, and when your “student” makes them be sure to correct them (without saying “no”) immediately.
You should also always encourage your student to speak in full sentences.
Make corrections gently but promptly.
Let the Student Speak
VIPKID is all about helping students learn English, so it’s important to make sure that they have ample opportunity to speak during class instead of just lecturing the whole time.
With more advanced students, you should shoot for a 70:30 student-to-teacher talking ratio. With beginning students, aim for a 50:50 ratio.
Of course, it can be hard to gauge exactly how much time your student is spending talking, but you can make sure to hit your ratio by having your student read as much of what’s on the screen as possible instead of reading it to them (even when the teacher instructions on the side of the screen say you should read it to them).
Extend, Extend, Extend
Extending is another great way to get your student talking more, and it also shows that you have flexibility as a teacher. Extending simply means adding on to slides and fitting the lesson to your student more.
The first way you should extend is by having some free talk at the beginning of class. Ask your student a few questions about themselves, modulating the question to fit their level.
I always open lessons by asking students what their name is and how they’re doing. Then I do a few other questions to warm them up before starting class.
Good Intro Questions
How old are you?
What’s your favorite color?
What city are you from?
What’s your favorite animal?
What did you do today?
Throughout the lesson, you can also extend by asking the student additional questions. For example, if you’re learning the names of different aquatic animals, you can ask, “What’s your favorite aquatic animal?” or “Have you ever seen a manatee?”
Don’t stress out too much about extension — the way you extend doesn’t have to be anything special, just make sure to do a bit of it.
Be Prepared
This one is obvious, but worth mentioning just in case. You should have gone through the slides before class so you’re not reading what’s on the side of them or figuring out how to teach them during class.
You should also look professional, with your hair combed and wearing a plain shirt with nothing on it.
Last, you should have some props and teaching tools at the ready aside your computer, so you aren’t reaching for them throughout the class.
How are you Graded in the Mock Class?
Your mock class grade will be based on your performance in four areas:
A huge percentage of teachers need to do a second mock class after their first one, and some even need to do 3 or more mock classes.
Doing more than one mock class is not a big deal or a sign of failure: simply look at it as a chance to practice more.
I did two mock classes, and I taught ESL abroad for two years. And I have a friend who’s a classroom teacher who had to do two mock classes as well. So remember that doing more than one mock class doesn’t say anything about your teaching ability.
Mock 2 (and 3 and 4 and 5 …) look just the same as Mock 1, but in these ones you’ll be armed with the feedback you’ve gotten from your first mock class. Be sure to put the tips you get into practice in your next trial class!
Conclusion
Passing the mock class can definitely seem daunting, but it really doesn’t need to be.
Just keep calm, prepare, talk slow, and you’ll be great. And don’t forget to smile and use lots of body language!
If you’re still nervous about your mock class, remember that it’s only 10 minutes long. It’ll be over before you know it!
And if you have further questions about passing the mock class, please drop a comment below. I’m always happy to help another VIPKID teacher out!
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