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A few weeks ago, I posted about how I make $2000 a month working from home. This is through a company called VIPKID that provides children in China with native English speakers to teach them.  

I absolutely love teaching for VIPKID, but today, I will give a completely honest look at the pros and cons of working for VIPKID so you can see for yourself if this is a good option for you. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. 

 

Pros

Flexible

I think the main pull for any job where you can work from home is the flexibility. With VIPKID, I create my own hours. If I have to take a few days or even a week off for a vacation, I can. I can choose to work in the mornings or evenings, weekends or weekdays, or every chance I get. The point is, I choose.  

As well, because it is based online, I can work from anywhere. This was what pulled me in initially. I was getting married, and my husband’s job could potentially move us at the drop of a hat. VIPKID works perfectly for me because all I need is good wifi and a few props. 

Briefly, I considered this for traveling the world, and many teachers do. If I needed to, I could fit all my necessary props in a small bag and travel anywhere while still maintaining an income. 

Good pay

Okay, obviously this is an opinion, but I consider $20 an hour pretty good pay for having fun, especially if you want to travel or use this as supplemental income. A lot of teachers on VIPKID are actual K-12 teachers that use this as supplemental income. Typically, they only work a little during the school year and open every slot during the summer time. 

Once you hit 1000 lessons, you can become a mentor, coach, brand ambassador, or a number of other positions. You can work these jobs at more normal hours instead of early mornings and make money that way rather than with only teaching. 

Annah's selfie in front of her VIPKID teaching background

Work in pjs

Who doesn’t love staying in their pjs all morning? I’m a sucker for comfortable clothes, so knowing I can throw on a plain t-shirt in the morning and keep my pj bottoms on makes me incredibly happy. After all, the kids are only seeing your headshot in the camera. 

Training

Because I work online, I thought I would have to do a lot of research if I wanted to improve my teaching. However, VIPKID really wants you to be the best teacher you can be. They provide workshops, a library of past workshops, and certifications. I love that I can constantly learn with them.  

Also, if you’re nervous you don’t know how to teach the “correct” way, training can ease your mind with the tools to become better. In the beginning, I didn’t have many students, so I took a lot of workshops and became certified in other levels and courses. This made me more attractive to the students’ parents because they can trust I know what I’m doing. 

Community

To be honest, I wasn’t a big part of the community when I first started. I really just needed this job for the money. However, I finally went to a meetup for the first time in December, and it was amazing! I met teachers in my area, talked about the challenges and fun times of teaching, and even got a free dino plush. After the meetup, my husband kept saying how much he loves VIPKID and that I should stick with it forever. 

Annah's work station with props

No lesson plans

VIPKID has the curriculum for every level completed. They tweak things all the time to keep them up-to-date and effective. Because I don’t have to plan any lessons, I wake up 20-30 minutes before class each day and just teach. I don’t have to prep because after teaching the same curriculum, I know the material (though I did prep when I was first learning the material).  

The classes never feel monotonous, thankfully, because each kid has unique stories they love to share. Even though I’ve taught the same lesson a million times, I continue learning how to teach better because where one student understood me, another may be completely lost. There’s always something new – and I don’t have to plan anything. 

The kids

Honestly, the best part about teaching is the kids. I teach a lot of regulars that take my class every week. As they improve in their speaking skills, they find new ways to talk to me about their lives. I love the relationships I form while making an income. Some kids are definitely a struggle, but seeing the difference I’m making as they become better and better at communicating is the best feeling ever. 

It may sound cheesy, but I finally feel like I’m making a difference. Even if they really struggle to learn English, I can give them a smile and encouragement that may help them cope with the pressures in their lives. If anything, join VIPKID to make a difference. 

 

Cons

Yes, there are cons. I may have just gushed about the job forever, but there are definitely some things different people may struggle with. For example, early mornings. 

Early mornings

This is the roughest one in my opinion. I’m a morning person, but waking up at 3:30 am is exhausting. I have had to change my sleep schedule so I go to sleep at 8:00 pm (hello, grandma Annah) and get enough sleep to teach. If I’m being completely honest, when my husband goes to work, I take an hour nap most days. I may still get almost eight hours of sleep, but my brain tells me every morning that I’m insane. 

Keep in mind, Beijing is 13-14 hours different from the Central Time Zone (depending on daylight savings). You can always teach in the evening instead, though those times are not as busy. You can also choose to work long shifts on the weekends and sleep in during the weekdays. As well, when you hit 1000 lessons, you can become a coach, brand ambassador, or a few other positions that work saner hours.

Need a bachelor’s degree

This may not be an issue for you, but I have wanted to recommend VIPKID to tons of my friends. However, because they are still in college, they can’t apply. Contrary to some beliefs, you don’t have to major in education. I majored in communications. They do highly recommend you have a year of teaching, though.  

This year of teaching doesn’t have to be at an elementary school. I taught at a piano studio. It had nothing to do with language, but I had a nice boost because I taught children ages 6 to 14. I also taught in my church, though I taught adults. Either of these is a great experience and shows that you enjoy teaching. 

Intimidation

Starting anything for the first time is intimidating, but the interview experience about did me in. It is a complex interview process with many ways to get the same result. I started applying, but when they wanted a video of me teaching, I felt too intimidated to try. I care way too much about what people think of me (something I’m still working on), so sending in a video when I knew I wasn’t perfect was a bit terrifying. 

Thankfully, mentors help a lot. I didn’t have a mentor when I applied. However, seeing how they coach you through the process and give feedback on your teaching, I really wish I had a mentor when I first started. 

As well, applicants can go to workshops to skip a few steps in the application process. This honestly saved me. I thrive on in-person interaction, so this made all the difference. In the workshop you learn exactly what VIPKID is about, you practice teaching, and coaches that are teaching the class give you feedback to work on. I definitely recommend using this when you apply. 

Building regulars

After being hired, I had heard that it could take a while to build up a group of regular students. Because of the awkward timing of my start date (the middle of summer after the students had already found teachers they liked), I only had one class my first month. And the student didn’t show up.  

Because I had time to build this up, it worked out, but I wish I would have anticipated it more when first starting. If you choose to teach with VIPKID, don’t quit your other job if you have one. Work both until you build up VIPKID to where you want it. Open as many slots as possible, and use this time to gain certifications.  

Here are the first few months of paychecks before I began making $2000.  

May: $5 

June: $553 

July: $578 

August: $968 

September: $1344 

October: $2041 

Since then, I have consistently made $2000 a month before taxes. As this will likely be similar to how long your schedule takes to build, be patient. I spent a lot of time in October and November getting certified in more courses. That is definitely the way to go. 

 

I hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect with VIPKID. Let me know in the comments below if you have questions I didn’t answer. 

I love teaching with VIPKID. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you like teaching and kids, this can be an extremely fulfilling job. I highly recommend it (obviously haha). 

 

How do I apply? Any last tips?

You can apply here. If you use my referral link, I will help you through the process of becoming hired. You can use me for teaching advice, interview tips, and encouragement. 

If you don’t use me, get another mentor. Mentors make a huge difference in your confidence and come at absolutely no cost. I wish I would have known about them before applying. It could have saved me some frustration in the beginning. 

Another tip, once you are hired, work on becoming certified for at least 2 major course levels in addition to trial classes. Because you won’t be getting your bookings filled, use the first few months to make yourself the best teacher possible. 

Until then, make each day better than before.

Signature the art of pure living

 

 

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