How To Make $20 an Hour Teaching English from Home – How one mom makes a full-time income from home doing something that she loves while the kids sleep!
Working from home really is the dream. Make your own hours, work in your PJs, the whole thing is just great!
And while there are SO many places out there that want to do nothing more than take your hard-earned money from you, I’ve made it my goal in life to find great and completely legitimate ways to make an income from home.
Which is why I’m so excited to share this with you today! I got a chance to talk to Ashleigh who is going to share with you how to make $20 an hour teaching English from home.
I love Ashleigh’s story! She shares how it’s possible to make a full-time income from home by teaching English with VIPkid. It sounds like a dream, right? But it’s totally true!
Read Ashleigh’s story and see for yourself how a mom of 3 makes her income while her kids are still sleeping!
How To Make $20 an Hour Teaching English from Home
5:00 a.m… my alarm goes off. I throw on my orange shirt, grab some coffee, turn on the computer, and step into my online classroom. I’m teaching English to Chinese students in the comfort of my yoga pants at home . . . while my kids are still sleeping!
As a stay at home mom, flexibility is one of the most important factors for me being able to work from home. I have 3 little boys who keep me busy and need my attention all day long, with exception of that blessed nap time!
Teaching for VIP Kid has been a game changer for me and my family. I’m now able to help support my family financially as we strive to pay off our debt without having to lose money on daycare, buying work clothes, or gas to get to the job.
As a teacher for VIP Kid, I set my own schedule, work from home, and earn about $20 per hour teaching online! This is seriously the perfect side hustle for anyone who is looking to earn money while working from home.
What is VIP KID?
VIP Kid is an ESL company based in Beijing, China. They provide Chinese students with one-on-one interactive English lessons with Native English speakers (North American). VIP Kid sets the bar high by requiring that American instructors have a bachelor’s degree (in any field) and experience working with children whether as a teacher, summer camps, daycare, or volunteering.
The company is very supportive of their teachers and the teaching community. VIP Kid is in the top jobs listed on FlexJobs as well as recently listed in the top 5 on Forbes Top 100 Companies Offering Remote Jobs.
This is not a scam or any kind of MLM. This is a real, serious work from home job.
Working for VIP Kid
VIP Kid is a really unique experience. Now that I’ve been teaching for a couple months there is almost no prep time. I sign into my classes about 30 minutes early. Download the lessons, review student info, and look over the lesson. Most of the time I have already taught the lesson. I over planned for the lessons in the interview process, but that time investment really helped me be prepared for teaching real students.
I think it is SO much easier teaching actual students. You get to know the kids and their personalities. They are wonderful students and love learning English. Even on days that I’m tired, when I see my students I always perk up and am excited to teach them.
But before you can go and make any money teaching English with VIP Kid, you will need to pass the interview process.
Here are some of my tips for passing the Interview Process:
1) Prepare for each interview and Mock Class
It’s really important that you take time to prepare for the interview demo class and the mock classes. Make sure you read ALL the materials and take notes. There are some excellent videos on Youtube with helpful tips for passing the Mock Classes. Take time to watch the videos to learn more about how a lesson should flow.
TIP: I lined my computer with Post-It notes of reminders about what to say for each slide. For some reason, I’m a complete basket case of nerves when it comes to teaching adults. Kids are no problem. The extra notes helped me stay focused on the lesson. If I ever got nervous or forgot what was next I could easily see what I was supposed to be saying.
2) Use TPR
What is TPR? Total Physical Response. Imagine someone trying to talk to you in Chinese. Would you want them to talk fast or slow? I’m guessing slow and use lots of gestures!
Your students are in a total immersion English classroom. So it’s important that you use lots of hand motions to help them understand what you want them to do. If you say “Look!” Make sure you use your hands like glasses over your eyes when you say “Look!” or “What do you see?”
3) Bring the Energy
It’s early in the morning and you may not feel like being peppy, but you’ve got to drink your caffeine and bring the energy. Your evaluator is looking for high energy, lots of smiling, encouragement, and positivity.
4) Use Props
Props are really important to a VIP Kid class. Props and TPR and very helpful in teaching new vocabulary and communicating with the student. It’s a good idea to have a hand puppet (I use a baby monkey washcloth puppet), toy vegetables and fruit, and something fun to celebrate the student doing a good job (like a hand clapper, pom pom, etc)
TIP: Act silly in the VIP Kid Mock classes. It will be kind of embarrassing because you are actually teaching an adult, but they want to see you bring high energy, acting silly, and cheering on your student.
5) Speak Slowly, Give Wait Time, and Listen
Don’t talk too fast or too slow. Make sure you are speaking clearly and at a good pace using grammatically correct English. When you ask a question wait for a second or two. The delay on-screen can be about 3 seconds. Listen for how the student is speaking. If the student mispronounces a word make sure you correct what they said. Your job is to help them learn to speak correctly.
6) Pace Yourself
Your lesson is 25 minutes long. That gives you about a minute per slide for each lesson. Try to keep the pace moving. Your pace will come along with practice and once you better understand the flow of the lesson. I went over both of my Mock Trial classes, but now I finish right on time with my regular classes.
7) Practice, Practice, Practice!
Teaching English to foreign speakers is totally different from teaching in a classroom. You need to practice the lessons that VIP Kid gives you ahead of time. Practice in the mirror, practice with your kids, just make sure you practice until you’re comfortable with the lesson.
How to Apply for VIP Kid
VIP Kid application requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field
- Experience working with children
- Native English accent
- Eligible to work in the US or Canada
Process:
Fill out the simple application here!
Initial Interview 10 – 15 minutes and Demo Lesson 10 minutes
VIP Kid Information and Quiz
Mock Class 1: 25-minute lesson taught to a VIP Kid teacher acting like a 5-year-old Chinese Student
Mock Class 2: One 10 minute beginning level lesson and One 15 minute higher level lesson to a VIP Kid teacher acting like a 5-year-old Chinese Student
The whole interview process takes about 10 – 14 days to complete. VIP Kid gives you time to prepare for each Mock Class before you are scheduled to teach.
VIP Kid is a great way to start working from home and making a positive impact on kids around the world!
Get started working from home with VIP Kid here!
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About the Author
Ashleigh Allman blogs at Smart Cents Mom. She is a work at home mom to 3 boys I affectionately call my “wild things.” She is passionate about helping other moms find the perfect work from home job whether it’s a side hustle, starting a new business, or finding an online career!
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