Meet Tameka who is currently working with VIPKID on her second contract. She loves working at VIPKID and has branched out on social media to help spread the word through Facebook and Instagram. She is the administrator of the VIPKID Teachers of Color Facebook Community along with a few other Facebook groups.
My Background
Hello, my name is Tameka Bazile (Teacher Tameka to my fabulous students) and I am a teacher with VIPKID! I am on my second contract with VIPKID and am the administrator for the VIPKID Teachers of Color Facebook community and moderate for many other VIPKID Facebook communities as well. I adore teaching children and exposing them to positive and new knowledge! It is rewarding to connect with children from around the world, become a mentor and friend to them and their parents and allow them to teach you new and wondrous things about yourself as well!
I became a VIPKID teacher for a few reasons, one of which is wanting something of my own. Being a small business owner allows you to work for yourself, make your own hours and outline many of your own expectations. VIPKID allows me to do just that. It gives me a well-deserved break from my full-time career, allows me to meet financial goals I would never achieve otherwise, and leads me to use my creativity in new ways to market myself, support my referrals and be a leader in unprecedented ways! As a VIPKID teacher, you can find community, while still building your own individual brand. THAT is fulfilling in more ways than one!
Please watch the video above to get to know a bit about myself, VIPKID and my journey with my students! If you think you may qualify as a teacher, have any questions or wish to connect me with someone you know, please contact me via the form below. Once you have applied, I will be alerted through the VIPKID system. I will then connect with you via email and provide tailored resources, aid, and advice to guide you through the application process.
The form below also allows you to send me your resume, degree information and a brief summary of your experience with children. If you have any concerns about applying or want general advice, that is another way to reach me as well! NOTE: VIPKID does not require a resume but rather has you input the information into an electronic and automatic, online form. The resume is for my information when processing whether you meet the criteria to apply.
I look forward to hearing from you and happy teaching!
What can I REALLY make teaching with VIPKID?
Can I grow within this company?
Of course! VIPKID has a myriad of ways that you can become more and do more to gain experience, diversify your teaching CV, reach more children and make more money!
You can:
- Become an interviewer with the company
- Teach one-to-many classes (with up to 30 students) in rural or urban areas of China
- Travel to China to teach in physical class settings
- And…. SO… MUCH… MORE!
Requirements and Information for VIPKID
Qualifications to apply:
- Eligibility to work in the United States or Canada (although you don’t have to physically be located there!)
- Bachelor’s Degree in any field
- At least one year (1) of experience with children, including educational, tutoring, babysitting, etc.
- Technical requirements as outlined below.
Your equipment is everything when you decide to work from home! Be sure to have:
- A reliable internet source! Hardwiring is much more clear and fast but WiFi that you can trust works well as well.
- A headset (with the ability to mute)! Not using a headset can make it difficult for a student to hear your perfect pronunciation. It can also cause an echo and invite students to hear surrounding, environmental noises, which can be distracting. Also, being able to mute yourself gives you much-needed privacy in between classes.
- An external or internal camera with HD picture
- An up-to-date computer with all necessary software updates
- LIGHTING! LIGHTING! LIGHTING! I can’t advocate for natural light lightbulbs enough!
What is the Interview Process?
Teaching Tips
Many educators are equipped with the necessary skills needed to keep students engaged and attentive in a one-to-one or one-to-many physical classroom setting. Well, how do you do that with a student that is across the world? It’s possible! Classroom engagement on an online platform requires a few basic necessities: Total Physical Response (TPR), Prop Usage and Vocal Ingenuity!
Total Physical Response (TPR) is your ability to mimic your words using physical movements! It’s like charades but backwards! Since VIPKID is an immersion program, we do not use Chinese or Mandarin at all in class. Instead, we use TPR to show what we mean. So cup your ear when you are listening, point to your mouth when you are speaking, dance, vibe and show the student’s your creative side!
Props make learning fun for visual and auditory learners! Using pictures, flashcards and a whiteboard are great ways to illustrate new vocabulary words! Think of it this way, everyone knows what an apple looks like! 🙂
Auditory learners do well hearing different vocal pitches and sounds. Use your voice and mouth to make pronunciation, grammar and letter sounds fun! Sing the letter A!
Tips for new teachers
- Be Yourself!
- Have Patience.
- Expand your brand! This is your business! Make it great, advertise and put yourself out there!
- Get familiar with a customer service mentality. If you were paying for your child to be taught a class, what would you want to see?
Jobs to avoid and why
Anything that charges you a “start-up” fee, haha!