Don’t Worry You Guys, I’m Still At It: From Guatemala
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Teach
VIPKID: Requirements and FAQs
If you enjoy working with kids 12 and under and are looking for a fun online gig with flexible scheduling, VIPKID might be the English teaching platform for you.
Will VIPKID require me to speak Chinese?
Not at all. You’ll use TPR (body language and gestures) and props to help your students understand what you’re saying.
Is this a full-time job?
This is a contract job, renewable every 6 months. Whether it’s full-time or not depends on your availability. You set your own hours. So, if you want to work part-time, you can. If you want to make it a full-time gig, go for it! It’s all up to you.
Where will I work?
That’s up to you, too. The company headquarters is in China, but you can work from anywhere in the world. Teach from your kitchen or from a corner in your living room.
Will I be required to create lessons?
Nope! VIPKID’s lessons are already made for you, so there’s no lesson planning. All you have to do is review the lessons so you’ll know what you’ll be teaching, how you’ll teach it, and which props you’ll need.
What are the prerequisites?
- Fluent or native English-speaker
- Able to legally work in the U.S. or Canada (If you’re not sure, send an email to teach@vipkid.com to find out if you’re eligible.) **California residents are no longer eligible for hire due to Assembly Bill (AB) 5. Read about it here.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher (any major)
- TESOL/TEFL Certificate (preferred, but not required)*
- One year or more of teaching/tutoring experience (Any experience working with kids, helping with your younger siblings, or having kids of your own count!)
- A big smile and lots of personality!
*If you don’t have TEFL certification, you can enroll in a course offering a universally accepted certificate, or you can obtain one through VIPKID once you’ve been hired. If you take the latter route, the certificate can only be used with VIPKID and can’t be transferred to another ESL company.
What technical equipment do I need?
- Desktop, Laptop, MacBook, iPad, or Microsoft Surface with a built-in camera or external camera
- ?Windows 7, 8 and 10; Mac OS 10.X or higher operating system (Linux and Chrome OS are NOT supported by VIPKid)
- ?Intel i5 processor or better
- At least 8GB of RAM
- ?Wired high-speed internet connection of 25 Mbps or better
- A headset with a noise canceling microphone
How much will I be paid?
VIPKID‘s pay ranges from $15 to $22 plus bonuses. Your pay will be determined by what you bring to the table in terms of qualifications and your interview performance. Having TEFL certification can help you score a higher pay rate. As an online teacher, you’ll be an independent contractor, so taxes will not be deducted from your pay. Get familiar with independent contractor tax obligations.
Be sure to read through the teacher FAQ’s on the company website to get more information. Once established as a VIPKID teacher, you’ll enjoy the freedom of working remotely, having fun, and making a stable income. Don’t delay, apply today!
Making The Goal in Half The Time
I set my mind on a financial goal before arriving in Korea, and I’ve been true to reaching it. I’m thankful for the financial discipline I have. I came here on a one year contract not aware of the bear trap I was stepping into. But you know what? It doesn’t matter! In 83 days, I will have reached my goal, in half the time anticipated, and will be headed to wherever I want to go that’s not Korea! Just imagine if I could stomach staying til I completed the year…Oh, well… I can get the same result putting simple principles to use. So no worries.
I started on a new book a few days ago. Here’s one of my favorite passages thus far from The Richest Man in Babylon:
“….Thereupon they agreed that it was so.
“Then,” continued Arkad, “if each of you desireth to build for himself a
fortune, is it not wise to start by utilizing that source of wealth which he already has established?”
To this they agreed.
Then Arkad turned to a humble man who had declared himself an egg merchant. “If thou select one of thy baskets and put into it each morning ten eggs and take out from it each evening nine eggs, what will eventually happen?”
“It will become in time overflowing.”
“Why?”
“Because each day I put in one more egg than I take out.” Arkad turned to the class with a smile. “Does any man here
have a lean purse?” First they looked amused. Then they laughed. Lastly they waved their purses in jest.
“All right,” he continued, “Now I shall tell thee the first remedy I learned to cure a lean purse. Do exactly as I have
suggested to the egg merchant. For every ten coins thou placest within thy purse take out for use but nine. Thy purse will start to fatten at once and its increasing weight will feel good in thy hand and bring satisfaction to thy soul.
“Deride not what I say because of its simplicity. Truth is always simple.”
Indeed. Truth is always simple. I’m asked how I’ve managed to save so much in such a short period. Same principle I held as a child- Don’t buy what you don’t need. Really simple.
I buy only what I need. Here and there a little trip or two to keep from losing my mind being in this town, but even then I try not to spend much. I don’t care much for a lot of hanging out with others, too expensive. I have a goal and I’m not about let anyone get me off track. So don’t get offended when I turn down invites. I’m on a mission to get my money and get out of here.
I can’t do as much as I’d like to being out in the distance, but when I get back to the States I’ll be ready to start the next task: “This, then, is the third cure for a lean purse: to put each coin to laboring that it may reproduce its kind even as the flocks of the field and help bring to thee income, a stream of wealth that shall flow constantly into thy purse.”- Arkad, The Richest Man in Babylon
Family, ATL- See you soon!
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A Tuesday Afternoon: Day In The Life Of A TEFL Teacher Abroad
Reflecting
It is Tuesday afternoon. I am sitting at a bus stop in the little town of Yukdan-ri. I have completed my day of teaching at Geunnam Elementary School.
Now, I’m just sitting here relaxing, reflecting. I’ve been on my feet, in flats, most of the day. It feels great to sit down and rest these puppies. As you can see from my photo, I don’t have very much to occupy my mind while I wait, naturally I start mulling over today’s events.
Taxi Fares
The taxi ride from Wasu to Geunnam Chodong Hakyo (Guennam Elementary School) wasn’t bad. It never is. It costs about 6,000 won (~$5.40) every time. The taxi drivers are pretty nice and usually don’t ask for the extra when the fare goes over 6,000. I sometimes get up to a 700 won break. It’s not much, but over time it adds up quite nicely. I’m all about saving money, so give me all the breaks you want taxi dudes!
MERS Health Check
Just as I entered the double doors, the school nurse and security guard stopped me. The nurse motioned for me to follow her back outside where she pointed to a sign on the front of one of the doors. My Korean skills are not up to par, so I stared blankly at the sign and nodded my head. Having no idea what was actually written on it. Calling on the mind reading skills I’ve developed since being in Korea, I knew it had to be about taking precautionary measures to avoid MERS. She pointed to her ear and motioned for me to follow her. The ear… temperature I figure. Okay, she’s going to check my temperature to make sure I’m fever-free. No problem with that. Gotta keep the babies safe. Off to the nurse’s office we went. She asked me to wash my hands…Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. Rub-a-dub-dub. All clean. I used the medical technique. She laughed. I stood facing her, waiting to see a thermometer. She looks at me and asks, “Have fever?” I give her a quizzical look. “Noooo,” I respond half declaratively, half questioning. She says, “Okay! Sign!” I scribbled my signature into an empty space on a name list….and that was the end of my medical evaluation for a deadly virus. Ohhh, Korea. Korea…
A typical school day
After that, since I had about fifteen minutes until my first class, I went to sit in the front office with the other teachers. I pulled out my trusty HP Stream and made sure all my lessons were still in working order. Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in front of about 20 wide-eyed third graders. All eager to learn some English- not really. After the dreaded How Many Dogs? textbook lesson, however, they were amped. We played a telepathy game. Kids here go crazy over telepathy games. Then, it was on to each of my other forty-minute classes: fourth through sixth grades. Not much exciting to talk about concerning them. We had our lessons; I scribbled all over the chalkboard. (I love drawing diagrams and pictures, and jotting down notes- I guess that comes from the scientist and artist in me.) We, of course, played games as is expected of the waygooks here.
A Nice Tuesday
After going over the class time by five minutes, I had to dash off to the cubby area in the next building to change out of my school shoes, and speed walk to the bus stop. Another pleasant Tuesday at Geunnam coming to a close.
Now, here I am. Waiting. I don’t mind this waiting here. It’s much better than desk warming.
Ah, here comes the bus….
A Tuesday Afternoon
Reflecting
It is Tuesday afternoon. I am sitting at a bus stop in the little town of Yukdan-ri. I have completed my day of teaching at Geunnam Elementary School.
Now, I’m just sitting here relaxing, reflecting. I’ve been on my feet, in flats, most of the day. It feels great to sit down and rest these puppies. As you can see from my photo, I don’t have very much to occupy my mind while I wait, naturally I start mulling over today’s events.
Taxi Fares
The taxi ride from Wasu to Geunnam Chodong Hakyo (Guennam Elementary School) wasn’t bad. It never is. It costs about 6,000 won (~$5.40) every time. The taxi drivers are pretty nice and usually don’t ask for the extra when the fare goes over 6,000. I sometimes get up to a 700 won break. It’s not much, but over time it adds up quite nicely. I’m all about saving money, so give me all the breaks you want taxi dudes!
MERS Health Check
Just as I entered the double doors, the school nurse and security guard stopped me. The nurse motioned for me to follow her back outside where she pointed to a sign on the front of one of the doors. My Korean skills are not up to par, so I stared blankly at the sign and nodded my head. Having no idea what was actually written on it. Calling on the mind reading skills I’ve developed since being in Korea, I knew it had to be about taking precautionary measures to avoid MERS. She pointed to her ear and motioned for me to follow her. The ear… temperature I figure. Okay, she’s going to check my temperature to make sure I’m fever-free. No problem with that. Gotta keep the babies safe. Off to the nurse’s office we went. She asked me to wash my hands…Scrub. Scrub. Scrub. Rub-a-dub-dub. All clean. I used the medical technique. She laughed. I stood facing her, waiting to see a thermometer. She looks at me and asks, “Have fever?” I give her a quizzical look. “Noooo,” I respond half declaratively, half questioning. She says, “Okay! Sign!” I scribbled my signature into an empty space on a name list….and that was the end of my medical evaluation for a deadly virus. Ohhh, Korea. Korea…
A typical school day
After that, since I had about fifteen minutes until my first class, I went to sit in the front office with the other teachers. I pulled out my trusty HP Stream and made sure all my lessons were still in working order. Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in front of about 20 wide-eyed third graders. All eager to learn some English- not really. After the dreaded How Many Dogs? textbook lesson, however, they were amped. We played a telepathy game. Kids here go crazy over telepathy games. Then, it was on to each of my other forty-minute classes: fourth through sixth grades. Not much exciting to talk about concerning them. We had our lessons; I scribbled all over the chalkboard. (I love drawing diagrams and pictures, and jotting down notes- I guess that comes from the scientist and artist in me.) We, of course, played games as is expected of the waygooks here.
A Nice Tuesday
After going over the class time by five minutes, I had to dash off to the cubby area in the next building to change out of my school shoes, and speed walk to the bus stop. Another pleasant Tuesday at Geunnam coming to a close.
Now, here I am. Waiting. I don’t mind this waiting here. It’s much better than desk warming.
Ah, here comes the bus….