Is teaching at VIPKid worth it?
Since the 18th century, the English language has been the universal language. Without a doubt, it's more practical to learn how to speak the language for every non-English speaker.
If you have an appetite for teaching kids to learn the English language, why not make money out of it?
VIPKid is an online teaching and education company that hires English speakers to teach young Chinese children to speak English.
The company allows you to teach anytime and anywhere you are in the world.
Therefore, whether you're a full-time mom, a traveler, or a freelancer seeking a flexible and dynamic opportunity, keep reading this VIPKid review to find is VIPKid worth it?
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What is VIPKid?
VIPKid is an online teaching company like one global classroom for Chinese kids who want to learn English.
It hires highly qualified native English speakers as tutors and enables them to teach anytime, anywhere.
Moreover, its online classroom portal enables students to receive 25-minute English language lessons from fluent English-speaking teachers.
Furthermore, students and teachers communicate through their video chat platforms.
VIPKID currently has 100,000 teachers, 800,000 students and offer over 5 million classes in a month
VIPKid
Join the largest online global teaching company.
How does it work?
Hiring Process
VIPKid is strict when it comes to their hiring qualifications since parents pay for their child's education, and it is something they care about; of course, to also gain mutual trust.
For starters, the company requires someone who has at least a Bachelor's Degree. Additionally, as long as you have a strong internet connection, you can work anywhere.
However, as of this writing this VIPKid review, they are not currently partnering with new teachers based in California.
Aside from that, if you're not a teacher by degree, you can still join as long as you have a passion for teaching and meet the specific criteria that VIPKid set.
Therefore, you don't have to worry about training and seminars as it is more likely provided, even a TEFL certification.
So, here's the entire process:
- Sign-up on the website to create an account and complete a simple form
- Review materials they give you and do a short demo class
- Do a mock class with a current teacher
- Finally, sign your contract and start teaching
Teaching
All lesson plans and resources are provided, so you simply have to read and review each topic and prepare beforehand. At the same time, as a teacher, you have 25 minutes of active teaching per class.
In addition, you will be teaching the kids one on one, like a tutorial lesson class to ensure you focus all your attention on one kid at a time.
Hence, the kids that you will teach are around 4-12 years old. Also, you have to prepare some raw teaching materials or props like a puppet, flashcards, kids-friendly background, etc., to engage your students.
Take note of the technical requirements as well. You may want to invest in high-functioning equipment such as a computer, microphone, camera, and internet connection.
For a full list of specific technical requirements, you can visit their website here.
Aside from that, keep in mind the Class Feedback. Wherein after each class, you may take a few minutes to leave comments and evaluate your student based on their performance.
Plus, you are also assessed by parents so, do an excellent job at teaching!
Pay
The payout varies, but you can earn as much as $22/hourly, depending on how many classes you teach.
The base pay is $7 – $9 per class, which is 25 minutes long. In the same vein, you can earn $14 to $22 per hour.
Your base pay is determined by Vipkid based on factors like qualifications, experience, and demo lesson
VIPKID offers incentives to earn more, such as making referrals and teaching more classes which can enable you to earn between $14-$22 per hour. Not bad.
Further, payment is through direct bank deposit on the 15th day of every month. You are bound to a six-month contract and can work as much or as little as you want.
Teaching Hours
Most significantly, this VIPKid review discovered that teaching with VIPKid is very flexible.
You set your own hours and time to teach.
Moreover, there's no minimum hour requirement you must meet. Neither is there a maximum number of hours you can teach.
This makes it a very good side hustle to take on because you're not told when you have to work or for how many hours. Therefore, you're your own boss.
Even as a full-time job, having such flexibility helps you use your time more productively throughout the day. In addition, there's a higher chance of establishing a great work-life balance.
However, it's important to note that there are peak times where people request teaching services on VIPKid.
During peak hours are when teachers get the most bookings and which often happens around 6 pm to 9 pm Beijing time.
The chart below shows the peak time for different time zones in the U.S and the U.K
Working on VIPKid full-time, i.e. 40hrs/week can help you earn between $2240 and $3520 in a month.
Nevertheless, there's no limit to how many hours you work, so you can definitely earn more than that if you work more hours.
VIPKid Review: Alternatives to VIPKid
With the rise of online classes, even pre-pandemic, there are other online companies you could check out to teach students in China.
VIPKid Review: Pros and Cons
Teaching kids online sounds exciting, but it is also hard work. Let's find out the VIPKid's strengths and drawbacks.
| Nice | Not Nice |
|---|---|
| Fulfillment feeling when you teach, especially if you love teaching. | Different timezone. Since you'll teach kids in China, you have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning because of the time difference, depending on where state you live in. |
| High and fair pay. | Has a strict cancellation policy. Strategize your bookings and class schedule and show up because you're only allowed up to six missed appointments (cancellation or no-show.) |
| Easy job to earn extra cash on the side. | You pay your own taxes yourself because they don't withhold taxes |
| Offers various training opportunities, so you're not left hanging. | No benefits, like health care or retirement benefits. |
| Flexibility. You set your own time and work anywhere you are in the world | Reliant on internet connection. |
| No required hours to teach; 6-month commitment only. | Some students can be frustrating and rude. |
| Bonus and some incentive opportunities | |
| Purely work at home. | |
| It has a lovely and positive Facebook community, which is very helpful for co-teachers. | |
| Advancement opportunities – offers a raise after six months. You can be a teacher evaluator or a teacher recruiter. |
As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons, so overall, to the question “is VIPKid worth it?” The answer is YES!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VIPKid a legitimate company?
Yes, it is. VIPKid is a real company that pays money for teaching kids in China. It was established in 2013 and has over 100,00 teachers registered.
It's a privately-held company and was founded in Beijing, China. Indeed, it is a real job. So I hope this VIPKid review has now ease your mind about VIPKid's legitimacy.
How much can you make with VIPKid?
As mentioned, it depends on how many classes you teach. But, you can make as much as $22/hourly. Further, you can always check their website regarding bookings and scheduling classes.
Is VIPKid a pyramid scheme?
No, it's not! VIPKid is not a pyramid scheme. You don't have to recruit someone or sell anything. Based on this VIPKid review, you got a $0 investment, and all you have to do is teach.
Therefore, no, it is not a pyramid scheme or multi-level marketing of some sort.
What percentage of applicants get VIPKid?
VIPKid is pretty selective in hiring their applicants. But, recently, they accept about 10% of total applicants depending on the requirements met.
Given how quickly they're expanding and how quickly they reply to applications and provide mock feedback, they've really been pushing to get many applications and new teachers started.
Is VIPKid worth it?
Yes! Absolutely! Although you have to sacrifice a few minutes of sleep since you may teach early night or early morning, earning $22 per hour is a great deal.
Furthermore, the flexibility it offers to its teachers is worth it compared to a 9-5 job. You can choose to work for 2 hours weekly or 50 hours; It's all up to you! We can say that VIPKid is one great way to hustle!
Is VIPKid worth it? Final Thoughts
Most importantly, people have been teaching online for a while now, but it is just the beginning of a trend. Ultimately, education may not only get limited to the four corners of the classroom.
Online education and the possible use of virtual reality are just an aspect of utilizing technological innovation in the education system.
Without a doubt, teaching and impacting lives is a good way to boost your income. Plus, teaching at VIPKid is worth it.
Although you are an independent contractor and you'll handle your taxes on your own, at least you're making hard-earned money and learning to manage your finances.
To all hard-working teachers out there, whether onsite or online, we are proud of you!
Cheers to hustling hard!
What do you think of this VIPKid review? Are you ready to teach online?
Make it your full-time or part-time job! Share your thoughts below and if you have experience working as an online English teacher, let us know in the comments.
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