What is VIPKid?
VIPKid is an internet-based platform that links North American teachers with Chinese children who desire to enhance their English skills.
Although many teachers have reported encountering children younger than four years old, the primary attention is given to K-12 education, encompassing children aged between four and twelve years old, on the site.
You can work from any location in the world, be it your home with your children or a beach in Thailand, as the complete teaching process takes place via screens.
VIPKid is an appealing option for individuals looking to kickstart a side gig or earn some extra cash for their dream of embarking on a global adventure.
Who Can Be a VIPKid Teacher?
Despite being one of the more accessible online jobs available, there are still certain limitations to teaching English online.
VIPKid takes pride in its selection of top-notch teachers, who are required to undergo a demanding application process. It is rumored that only 10% of applicants are granted acceptance onto the platform.
VIPKid Teacher Requirements
- Must live in the US (except California) or Canada
- Some Teaching Experience
- Must have a Bachelor’s Degree
- Have access to a computer (with 4gb of ram) with a microphone and camera
- Have access to a stable internet connection (at least 20 Mbps)
VIPKid is designed for teachers in North America, specifically those in the US and Canada. If you reside outside of these countries, you are not eligible to teach on VIPKid. This criterion ensures consistency in terms of curriculum and accent. Additionally, residing in California also disqualifies individuals from teaching on VIPKid. This decision is a result of the state’s recent legislation relating to gig economy workers, which has made it too complex for VIPKid to accept new applications from individuals located there.
Although VIPKid does not specify the exact amount, having teaching experience is not the sole requirement for the site, as geographic location also plays a role.
If you initially believe that you lack teaching experience, pause and reflect on whether you have ever interacted with children in any way. Have you ever served as a mentor or offered your assistance to a children’s charity? Do not hesitate to think creatively to demonstrate your qualifications as a strong candidate – in fact, VIPKid actively encourages individuals to explore unconventional teaching methods, such as homeschooling. Essentially, their main requirement is your ability to effectively communicate with students.
In order to successfully complete the job, you must meet several technical requirements. These include having a computer, internet connection, microphone, and camera. Your computer or laptop must have a minimum RAM of 4GB, a stable internet connection of at least 20 Mbps, and an operating system that is up-to-date.
Do You Need A Degree To Work for VIPKid?
Certainly, a minimum requirement for working at VIPKid is a Bachelor’s degree. It may appear inequitable since it is widely acknowledged that some individuals without degrees possess more knowledge than those with two degrees.
Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind that Chinese parents who utilize the service are relying on VIPKid to select competent teachers without any physical assessment. Imposing seemingly random criteria is an unavoidable drawback.
What Is Teaching On VIPKid Like?
What is the experience of being a teacher on VIPKid actually like?
Trial Lesson
When a student wishes to have their initial lesson with you, they will schedule a trial. These can pose a challenge as you will have to assess their English proficiency and adapt the lesson accordingly, but practice leads to perfection. In case of emergencies, it is allowed to cancel lessons; however, there is a limit of six cancellations per contract, so it is advisable to refrain from doing so unless absolutely necessary.
Class Length
Each class has a duration of 30 minutes, with 25 minutes dedicated to actual teaching. Since all the content is pre-prepared, the amount of work required outside of lessons is minimal. Nevertheless, there could be instances where the instructions lack clarity, necessitating the use of personal initiative to overcome the challenge. Additionally, there may be occasions when you need to add supplementary content at the end of the presentation for advanced students or incorporate props and enjoyable activities into the classes.
Class Materials
You can access the class material on the teacher’s portal 6-12 hours prior to each lesson in order to review it, and the lessons are conducted on VIPKid’s exclusive platform.
Student Age Range
Despite primarily admitting children aged five and above, VIPKid has now begun to extend its acceptance to even younger children, occasionally as young as two years old. Predictably, such young children can be hard to manage and may experience feelings of fear, anxiety, or distress. Conversely, older children present fewer challenges.
A major advantage is the students’ typically good behavior, particularly during earlier lessons when they frequently have their parents accompanying them, so it is important to be ready for this situation.
To access additional information, you may refer to VIPKid Facebook groups.
VIPKid Approach to Teaching and Learning
By becoming a teacher on the site, you will provide individual lessons to students. The program aims to fully immerse the students, which is accomplished through a flipped-classroom methodology.
Instead of classwork and homework being the main focus of lessons, students take an active role in their learning by consuming content prior to class and engaging primarily in discussions during the lessons.
As a teacher, this is a positive development for you as you can anticipate dedicated students who genuinely have a desire to learn.
If you are accepted into the program, it is evident that VIPKid considers you to possess the qualities of a capable teacher. Additionally, you will undergo training before being assigned your first student. However, numerous new teachers feel anxious about making mistakes.
VIPKid Tips for Being a Good Teacher:
- Have a rewards system in place and discipline students who don’t meet expectations
- Include interactive activities to aid learning
- Time the class properly and according to the ability of the pupils
- Maintain a good rapport with the pupils
- Have a good energy level suited to the activities
- Layout lesson objectives and complete them
How Much Does VIPKid Pay?
Have you met the requirements? The next piece of information you’re likely interested in is the potential earning. VIPKid’s slogan is ‘earn up to $22 an hour.’ Let’s delve into the specifics.
The duration of all classes is 25 minutes, and the hourly wage ranges from $7 to $9. Your payment rate will depend on your performance during the interview, the details provided in your application, and your effectiveness on the job. If you possess additional experience and consistently demonstrate your teaching skills, anticipate earning the highest rates.
You may have observed that this amount does not exactly reach $22 per hour. This is due to the existence of additional incentives that you can accumulate during the process.
VIPKid Incentives
- There’s a $2 bonus for lessons booked within 24 hours of their starting time, to compensate for the last-minute preparation needed.
- You can also get a $1 bonus for teaching more than 45 classes per month and a $0.50 bonus for teaching 30-44 classes – considering this bonus is added to every class you teach, the increase in pay is significant.
- Finally, there’s a $1 bonus for starting and finishing classes on time.
Doesn’t that sound good? However, keep in mind that this only includes the time you spent teaching, not the time you spend preparing for lessons. Even though you don’t have to plan your classes (VIPKid provides lesson materials), you still have to review everything on the teaching portal and ensure you’re prepared. This can decrease your hourly rate.
The cost of equipment or props for lessons, such as puppets or a whiteboard, might also be incurred. Although some teachers claim to have been reimbursed by VIPKid for these expenses, the company’s official stance remains uncertain.
You will be paid the full rate even if your pupil doesn’t attend, but you will only receive half the rate if a trial student fails to show up.
Your payment will be directly deposited into your bank account once a month, specifically between the 10th and 15th.
What about VIPKID incentives and contests?
Your base rate can be increased by tier incentives.
I completed the Incentive and Participation class. Essentially, the amount of this incentive is based on the number of classes you teach within a month. It has the potential to offer an additional $3 per half hour. To qualify for any tier incentives, it is necessary to teach 40 or more classes per month. Although it may appear straightforward, securing bookings with VIPKID can be unpredictable.
From time to time, VIPKID offers bonuses, raffles, and contests which have the potential to boost your overall earnings. However, it is important to note that these incentives are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon as a stable source of income.
Earning additional income through teacher referrals is possible by successfully recommending and having them hired. Each referred teacher rewards you with $100, making it a potentially lucrative source of supplementary earnings, especially if you establish a dedicated following of aspiring educators on platforms like blogs, social media, or YouTube channels.
What is the schedule like for VIPKID?
The less enjoyable aspect of teaching with VIPKID is evident here, and it has significantly altered my viewpoint on utilizing VIPKID as a supplementary source of income.
To begin, it is necessary to grasp the concept of how VIPKID’s “hours” function.
Teachers are able to teach during designated time periods known as “peak hours” and “peak-peak hours”. While teachers have the flexibility to open their schedules at any point during peak hours, it is during peak-peak hours that they are most in-demand among students.
Teaching will occur during the kids’ free time, typically after regular school hours or on weekends. It may become a bit perplexing, though.
Hours of highest demand or busiest hours.
- 6am – 9am EST (Daylight Savings), Monday – Friday
- 9pm – 10am EST (Daylight Savings), Friday evening – Sunday morning
Living in the United States entails working early mornings and late nights. In my experience living in Mexico, being on CST meant waking up at 4:30 in the morning and teaching during late weekend evenings.
If you reside in the western hemisphere and desire a standard nine-to-five schedule, VIPKID simply cannot provide it.
Having said that, eventually I grew to appreciate working in the early mornings since it provided me with the whole day to engage in activities.
How many hours can I get with VIPKID?
This is the area of VIPKID in which I have faced the greatest challenge, just as I promised you all that I would always be honest.
Upon being hired, VIPKID presents you as a new teacher and motivates you to maximize your availability in order to receive bookings. During my initial month of teaching in December, I dedicated 30 hours per week to this role, and my schedule filled up completely with students.
Afterward, there was a decrease in bookings.
I decided to reduce my weekly working hours to 15 (because, to be honest, I was getting tired of constantly smiling and singing!). However, despite offering 15 hours in my schedule, students only booked 10 hours.
I decided to test the waters by allowing 20-25 vacant hours in my schedule, and they were quickly occupied.
I couldn’t comprehend the reason behind my inconsistent bookings. Could it be my mistake? I received no negative feedback from parents. What is the cause of this inconsistency?
It appears that VIPKID operates inconsistently, which is the reality.
Uncertain about committing to an additional six months, I pondered the value of renewing my contract after its completion. Ultimately, I opted to give it another try.
There is no guarantee of consistent hours every week, so be aware that it can be uncertain.
FAQs
Is VIPKid a good job?
Determining what constitutes a ‘good job’ will always be a matter of personal opinion. Are you primarily interested in the amount of money you can earn or do you prioritize career growth and personal satisfaction? Nevertheless, if you seek a remote job that offers reliable hours and a decent income, and if you have a fondness for working with children, VIPKid is likely to be an excellent match for you.
Despite the fact that every company has its own set of issues, VIPKid is no exception. Several teachers have expressed concerns about inconsistent rules and conflicting information, which highlight a lack of standardization. Additionally, the challenge of scheduling appointments that accommodate both Northern American and Chinese time zones poses a significant problem.
Is VIPKid a legitimate company?
It is important to be cautious when exploring opportunities to earn money online, as there are numerous scams and deceptive ventures. However, VIPKid stands out as a genuinely reliable and trustworthy option.
Since its establishment in 2013 as a language school in China, the company has remarkably expanded into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, establishing itself as a pioneering leader in online ESL education. The sheer magnitude of individuals utilizing its services is astounding, with approximately 100,000 teachers and 700,000 children. Is it conceivable that such an extensive number of individuals could be incorrect in their choice?
While Glassdoor ranked VIPKid as the ninth best place to work in 2020, Flexjobs placed the company in third position on its annual list of ‘100 Top Companies with Remote Jobs in 2019’, providing some comfort and reassurance.
