I’ve always been fascinated with language acquisition, so it’s only natural that my interest was piqued when I first heard that you can get paid to teach English online!
I’d seen a few of my friends on Facebook talking about how they were making great money (up to $22/hr!) with their new work-from-home job teaching English online and I thought it sounded like the perfect way to make money from home doing something you love!
That’s why for people who have a Bachelors degree and love children, becoming a VIPKID online teacher might be the perfect way to earn money from the comfort of your own home – and teaching is a recession proof job!
because you can do a lot of the teaching outside normal business option, it’s a also great side hustle that will allow you to save some extra money to pay off debt, buy a house, and save for financial freedom.
And this is an absolutely perfect way to make money on the road. If you want to make money while you travel the world, teaching English online is a wonderful way to do it!
Especially since you will likely be teaching early in the mornings or later in the evening, so your day will be free to explore new places, try new experiences, and spend time relaxing with loved ones.
**Note – people who reside in California are no longer able to work for VIPKID per the California Labor Laws.
What is VIPKID?
VIPKid is an online ESL teaching program with headquarters in Beijing, China. Typically, teachers accepted into the program teach English to Chinese kids between the ages of 4-12.
Classes are all held one-on-one through a specific VIPKid portal.
VIPKID is currently hiring thousands of people to teach English online to Chinese kids. But don’t worry – if you’re wondering whether you need to know how to speak Chinese, the answer is no.
There are some VIPKID requirements though.
VIPKID Teaching Requirements
- You must have eligibility to work in the United States or Canada
- You must have a Bachelor’s degree in any field
- You must have 2 years of informal or formal teaching experience. This could include things like classroom teaching, tutoring, mentoring, education assistant, etc.
- You must have a TESOL/TEFL/CELTA or official teaching certificate from your country. VIPKID does offer a TESOL certification for teachers in it’s program, but it is not recognized by other companies so you can only use it with VIPKID.
- You also need to have access to a high speed internet connection as well as a webcam and microphone.
- There are time differences, so you must be flexible with the hours you expect to work. Many teachers work early in the mornings and later in the evenings.
If you meet the above requirements then it’s definitely worth submitting your application to work with VIPKID.
Other VIPKID Questions
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a ton of questions about VIPKID, so I’ll do my best to answer the most frequently asked questions below:
How Much Does VIPKID Pay Teachers?
- VIPKID pays you based on how many lessons you teach
- Base pay is $7-$9 per class (averaging $14-$20/hour)
- There are bonuses offered for each of your classes taught. The bonuses are based on the amount of classes you’ve taught in total as well as the number of classes you’ve taught that month.
- You’ll be paid via bank deposit between the 10th and 15th of the month
- You’ll be evaluated for a raise at the point of your contract renewal
Do I Need To Create My Own Curriculum?
Nope! Everything is already created and provided to you. You will, however, need to briefly review the course materials prior to the lesson (which I’d want to do anyway, to be best prepared.)
VIPKID does expect teachers to follow the curriculum very closely, so it is important to be familiar with it.
How Many Kids Will I Be Teaching At A Time?
Just one! VIPKID provides a one-on-one learning experience for their students. The classes are about 25 minutes long and there is no talking to parents, no lesson planning and no grading papers (which is awesome!).
Is there a Contract Required?
VIPKID does require that you sign a 6 month contract committing to teaching for at least that time period.
Is There a Limit on How Much I Can Teach?
There’s no set limit on how many hours you can teach with VIPKID. You can work as much as you want – Dan Didio is a VIPKID teacher who made 75k last year working for VIPKID!
Or if you’d prefer to just work say, 15 hours a week and earn a supplemental income, that’s cool too. It’s flexible!
If you’re interested in Chinese language and culture, VIPKID offers training in both. And twice a year, VIPKID teachers get the chance to win a trip to the company headquarters in Beijing. <<<How sweet is that?
How to Apply to Become a VIPKID Teacher
The initial application process only takes about 5 minutes. If that goes well, you’ll hear back from VIPKID to schedule an interview with you.
The interview will go more in depth and offer you the opportunity to show off your teaching skills. After the interview is over, you will have to do a mock full length class teaching the actual curriculum.
VIPKID has thousands of teacher slots to fill, but they have stringent hiring requirements because they only want the best people to teach their students.
Click here to submit your VIPKID teacher application!
More Tips for Success
If you’re planning on becoming a VIPKID teacher while you’re on the road (or from home), there are a few tips you’ll want to take advantage of:
- Definitely join the VIPKID Teachers Who Travel Facebook group – this will help with a ton of your questions;
- Make sure you have a good internet connection wherever you are. I recommend getting a WIFI hotspot device to ensure you have an internet connection wherever you go.
- If you are traveling internationally, you may want to try buying a new SIM card for each location and using your phone for WIFI;
- Using an ethernet cord will help getting a better internet connection if the place you’re staying has one. If your computer doesn’t have an ethernet cable port, buy this Ethernet USB adapter.
- Using a dry erase board with dry erase markers can be beneficial in a teaching setting whether you’re traveling or doing it from home.
- Make sure you are aware of the time zones and different teaching times if you are traveling.
- Having good noise-cancelling headphones are going to be very helpful to eliminate distractions. No one wants a distracted teacher.
In Conclusion
Learning how to teach English online can be a great way to make an income at home. If you love kids and enjoy teaching, teaching online with VIPKID may just be the perfect career for you!
Have you ever taught English online before? Comment below and let us know what your experience has been!