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Hate is a strong word, but I really really really don't like ... these 5 things about VIPKID:
1. Waking up Early ... really early
The most asked question I get when I tell people I work for VIPKID is, "Don't you have to teach at like 3:00 in the morning? My answer: "Not really, but close."
With VIPKID you get to set your own schedule and work as little or as often as you like. With my time zone, the peak hours are 4:00am - 6:00am. I usually open up my schedule from 5:00-7:00. Sometimes that last slot doesn't get booked, but it usually does.
I wake up at 4:40 every weekday morning. Yes, it's early. Yes, I hate my alarm. Yes, I would love to sleep more. But, there is one reason I keep doing it. I love it!
2. IT Issues During Class
Even people in 9-5 jobs experience IT issues and they are always a pain. Teaching students from across the globe is pretty cool, but it does come with its share of IT issues.
It is pretty frustrating when you have prepared yourself for class, you get into the classroom, and the student can't see the slides or maybe they can't see you or hear you. These are things that we really can't prevent on our end, but good thing there are "firemen" in the classroom that can come in and help fix your problems. Usually IT issues in the classroom are a pretty quick fix. Just move forward and continue teaching the lesson. We've all been there.
3. Not Having a Boss
OK, I get it. I know what you're thinking, "Kirsten, but that's a perk!" Let me tell you, it's not that much of a perk when you get thrown into this and you really have no idea where to start.
"How do I fill my schedule?"
"How do I navigate this teacher's portal?"
That's why I'd say it's important finding someone who is also a VIPKID teacher who could help me your mentor. You can bounce things off each other when you have questions.
I do have to say that the VIPKID website has a lot more resources these days than when I first started, so that's helpful.
And with being my own boss, I have learned to push myself to better meet my goals.
4. Misbehaving Students
So maybe you have this student, let's call him "Sam". Sam likes to bring toys to class. He gets very distracted constantly and has a hard time putting things down and won't pay attention to you.
It happens. It's okay. If a student doesn't acknowledge you or respond to you (and there are no IT errors) then you can always call the "fireman" and they will call the parent's cell phone to let them know the student is misbehaving and needs extra help.
This is a very extreme example. A lot of times you may have a student distracted for 30 seconds, but you can bring their attention back to the lesson and continue with it.
The key is knowing how to deal with it. Every student is different. Some students might respond to being called out. Other students might need a break to talk about something that interests them. And then some students might just need a more engaging reward system.
PRO TIP: If you have to call a student out on coloring during the lesson, make sure they aren't just taking notes... OOPS!
5. Cancellation Rules
To break it down there are two different types of teacher cancellations:
>24 hours before class begins
24 hours or less before class begins
They both show up as cancellations but you don't get a payment deduction if you cancel a class before 24 hours before the start of that class.
It is annoying losing money when you wake up sick and it is out of your control. It would be more annoying if teachers were able to cancel whenever they would like without penalty.
Alright folks that is all I have for "The 5 Things I HATE About VIPKID". I hope you found these useful. Please comment on this post or email me with comments/questions. You can always contact me at teacherkirsten.vipkid@gmail.com and I'm happy to respond!
If you are interested in applying, click the link here. If you have already applied, add my referral code "KIRST0052" so I can help you along in your journey.
Happy Teaching!
Kirsten