VIPKid Job – How I Make Extra Money
Getting a VIPKid job is a great way to make extra money OR earn a full-time income. I became a VIPKid teacher to fund my blogging habit and I have loved every minute of it. Not only do I use the money to pay for my hosting and other blogging needs but it’s also just nice to have some extra cash of my own for fun things!
With a VIPKid job, you can work as much or as little as you want. It’s flexible, fun, and rewarding.
My husband and I have been debt-free and mortgage-free since we were 25. We are on a path to retire when we are 45.
We save like millionaires and invest so we can achieve this goal. So, when it came time to fund my blogging adventure, I decided to do it myself.
I am a homemaker and homeschooling mom so my income is…well…nothing.
That’s why I became a VIPKid Teacher. I didn’t want to take one cent away from our early retirement goal and my VIPKid job has made that possible.
Maybe a VIPKid job is just what you need too!
First things first…
VIPKid is a great opportunity!
I’ll admit. I was reluctant at first. It just didn’t seem possible that I would be able to teach from home (in my pajama pants), earn as much money as I wanted, completely customize my schedule, AND have fun.
It just seemed too good to be true.
Then, I found out a friend that I graduated from college with had been teaching for VIPKid for several years after she left her public school job.
She was making a great income from home while homeschooling her children.
That gave the company credibility to me.
I decided to apply and see for myself.
I am here to tell you that a VIPKid job is an excellent opportunity and very fulfilling.
Becoming a VIPKid teacher is very easy. You will need to hold a Bachelor’s degree from a University but it does not have to be in teaching.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education so getting a VIPKid job just seemed natural.
However, people with all backgrounds teach for VIPKid. Through the initial online training, you will meet fellow teachers with business backgrounds, art backgrounds, etc.
All you have to do is click here and apply!
The VIPKid application process involves several steps.
Step one: Apply
Step two: Demo lesson
In this step, you will record a short 5-minute lesson to an imaginary 5-year-old. VIPKid provides you with the materials. Make sure you have a great background and a few visual aids.
I was extremely nervous about this part!
However, it turned out to be very easy. If you do well, VIPKid will approve you to move to the next step.
If you don’t pass this step, you can try again. Many teachers have to do this step at least twice before they get it right.
Personally, I didn’t want to go through the trouble of recording again so I gave my first try everything I had and I passed.
Step three: Training & Mock Classes
In this step, you will have online training with certified VIPKid teachers, and you will also teach a mock class to a live VIPKid teacher. This teacher will be pretending to be a child.
Step four: Sign Your Contract!
In this step, you will sign your teaching contract. Currently, contracts are for 6 months with the option to renew.
You will also upload your degree certificate, ID, profile pictures, bio, and a short intro video.
If you have a teaching certification, you can upload it to avoid taking the TESOL foundation course. I have a certification but I have not kept it current, so I still had to take the TESOL foundation course.
It was easy to do!
With VIPKid, you can make $15-$22/hr. This all depends on the certification courses you take. Currently, I am making $15/hr simply because I haven’t had the time to take the additional (free) certifications but I really need to get on it!
The additional certifications are quite easy to get (which is why it’s ridiculous that I haven’t done it!) and they look great in your portfolio.
They will increase your pay and attract new students.
Having a VIPKid job is amazing because it’s incredibly flexible!
I can work as much or as little as I want.
If I’m having a super busy week at home, I will just open a few time slots a week. When things slow down, I’ll throw my schedule wide open.
You don’t have to “ask off” for important holidays or worry about saving up enough vacation time. Just don’t open your time slots for the days you want off.
Currently, I’m only teaching 2 classes a day. I teach at 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. This allows me to make the extra money I want and still be done before my kids wake up.
Occasionally, one of my students will request an evening class and I’m happy to accommodate! My husband gets extra one-on-one time with our kids while I go upstairs to my nest (I mean, office corner) to teach for 25 minutes.
It’s very simple and quite fun!
Note: VIPKid frowns heavily on teachers who cancel classes with short notice or do not show up.
If you need to cancel a class, you will need to provide proof of your circumstance.
So, teaching with VIPKid requires a minimal amount of equipment.
You will need a reliable computer with good internet, a webcam, a headset with a microphone, and a good background.
I teach on my laptop and use the webcam that it came with.
VIPKid wants you to have a nice, clean background that is child friendly.
When I first started, I was using a make-shift space in our upstairs sitting room so I just tacked a large piece of fabric to the wall behind me. It was colorful fabric with Dr. Seuss characters on it.
Now, I have upgraded my space to something less temporary.
I have a nice painting and a lamp behind me.
It’s not distracting for the student and it’s pleasant for me.
Some teachers go all out and create an entire classroom on the wall behind them. It’s super cute and so much fun! I don’t do this because I also use my office space for my YouTube videos and Facebook Lives.
I’m not sure that any of my YouTube subscribers would take me seriously with Dr. Seuss characters on the wall behind me.
By the way, you can follow my new series “How to Save Like a Millionaire” on YouTube. Also, follow me on Facebook to catch all of my Facebook LIVES!
YES!
VIPKid does all of the work for you! Just sign in to your portal, click “classroom” and start teaching!
You will want to review the class slides before you start teaching so you won’t be lost.
No one likes a teacher with a blank stare.
There are notes on the sides of all the slides to tell you exactly what to teach on each slide.
VIPKid has made the courseware very intuitive!
I’ve been teaching with them for a while now so if I don’t have time to review the slides before class, I typically still know what I’m doing. I have most likely taught that lesson before.
Ok, so here is how it works.
For example, if you have a class at 6:00 a.m., you will want to sign in to your VIPKid app on your computer 15 minutes early.
That way, you can make sure everything is in order.
I won’t tell you about the time I missed class and got charged $10 because I missed class and couldn’t get my internet to work. Actually, my internet was working fine. I just forget to connect my computer to it. I will blame it on the migraine I had that morning.
…but, I won’t tell you about that because it’s embarrassing.
Anyhow, remember to connect your computer to the internet and sign on.
Your teacher portal will come up and show you all the classes you have booked.
Click “classroom” next to your 6:00 a.m. class.
A new window will appear. That is your “classroom.”
At the top will be a window for your live feed and next to it is a window for your student’s live feed. Below that is the slides you are teaching. You also have a chat window in case you need to spell something out for the student.
YES!
YES!
YES!
As long as you have a good internet connection and a quiet place, you can teach from anywhere. I read a story once about a VIPKid teacher who backpacked across Asia while teaching. It was incredible.
Some teachers who travel and teach take a large piece of colorful fabric with them. They can then tape the fabric to the hotel wall, guest room wall, RV wall, etc. for when they teach.
Just make sure you don’t damage any walls!
No, you cannot teach on your phone. You must have a PC or an iPad to have a VIPKid job. VIPKid does have a mobile app for checking your schedule, opening teaching slots, reviewing class slides, checking payments, etc but it does not give you the option to teach through the app.
It is recommended that you have DSL internet. However, there are many teachers who teach with a hotspot. Just make sure you pass the internet speed test (which is easy). If your hotspot is strong and reliable, you are good to go!
The bottom line is that you want to provide a good experience to your students. A bad internet connection means that they cannot learn from you properly and you are doing them a disservice.
Make sure you have reliable internet before you begin.
Dino is a cute, yellow, cartoon dinosaur who is the mascot for VIPKid. All of the students love Dino!
Many people call the company “VIPKids” and this is incorrect. VIPKid stresses that their name is not plural because they focus on one kid at a time. When you are teaching, your focus is on that one student and making them the best English speaker possible. So, it’s not “VIPKids.”
Remember, each class focuses on ONE VIPKid.
YES!
Honestly, you will have those students who just don’t pay attention but, most of the time, you will have very sweet students who genuinely want to learn.
In fact, I was teaching a little girl this morning who is one of my regulars. She is adorable. I have a duck puppet and she has a rabbit puppet. So, this morning, we played puppets together for a little while. I creatively tied this into the lesson, so it was time well spent.
Another one of my regular students loves to draw. So, I try my best to incorporate art into the lessons by letting her draw on the screen and get creative.
Sometimes their whole families get involved!
With several of my students, I have met their parents, siblings and even the family dog!
I get to teach them while their baby brother sits next to them in his highchair or while they eat their supper of noodles.
I get to cheer them up after they have had a tough day at school, and I consider that a privilege.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them for you!
What are you waiting for? Apply now!
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