Teaching Across the Globe

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I stumbled on the most incredible side gig ever in November of 2017. I was looking to make some extra cash for Christmas, but really had no desire to work in retail during the busiest shopping time of the year. I had my fill of that as a teen!

Browsing Facebook, a sponsored ad appeared over and over again. I find those quite annoying, but I wondered about this particular one. After a few days of seeing it, I read a post from an old co-worker that stated she worked as a VIPKID teacher. After checking with her to see how legit it was, I decided the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Here’s how it works… Using VIPKID’s platform and curriculum, you come face to face with a child in China and teach English words and phrases. Sounds easy, right? It is! Most importantly, its fun!

Not all the students are from China, but all of mine have been. VIPKID has expanded some and there are students from other countries. The only real downfall I’ve encounter from this job is that we have to teach when they are awake and out of school. Those hours are not always pleasant. I choose to teach in the mornings before I go to work. I typically teach from 5am-7am during the school year and from 5:30am-9am during the summer break. Many teachers choose to work Friday and Saturday evenings instead.

I have several regular students that book classes with me once or twice a week. I have some that I see every few weeks. I love building relationships with them and learning about their culture. Several of my male students make jokes and tease me. All of my female students are sweethearts. Overall, they work extremely hard to gain conversational skills.

Teaching online is much like teaching in the public school where I work. I still have to have classroom management to keep them engaged and paying attention. I have to encourage the students to participate and praise them along the way.

When friends and family hear about this amazing second job of mine, I am often asked, “Can you speak Chinese?” I cannot speak Chinese and I don’t have to know a single word for this job. It is an English immersion set up. We only speak English. I use total physical response (TPR) which is using myself as a prop to get word meaning across. I use a whiteboard to write words, letters, or pictures. I use picture cards, computer images, songs, and games to enhance their learning.

I have been with VIPKID for over a year and half now and still love every moment of it. As I write this post, I have taught 323 students in 1,538 different classes. That is 38,450 minutes of teaching!

If you find yourself looking for extra cash and want to give VIPKID a look, please use my referral code (PAIGE0030). I’d love to be your mentor and help you have fun!