The VIPKid Application Process has 4 steps and usually takes 1-2 weeks to complete.
HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?
BASIC INFO:
This consists of the basics; Name, location, experience with kids (they prefer 1+ yrs). You must have a Bachelor’s degree (but it does NOT need to be in education, YAY!) When you submit this, you may be asked if you want to book a demo / interview time slot — I suggest clicking “I prefer to read the preparation materials before booking.”
DEMO/INTERVIEW:
This is the interview. Once you pass this point, you CANNOT fail! You have 3 options to choose how to “interview”. This is where you will teach already-prepared slides to the interviewer (who is pretending to be the student).
- Option 1: The Live Interview: This option is 5 minutes. You will teach ‘He is sad’ demo slides to the interviewer (who is pretending to be a 5-year-old student).
- Option 2: The Recorded Demo: Log into the online portal, give some background about yourself (where you live, hobbies you like, etc.) then teach the ‘He is sad’ slides (5 minutes) to an imaginary kid.
- Option 3: The NEW Smart Demo Lesson: This version is fast and easy. Add the VIPKid app to your phone, answer 5 questions and record yourself teaching one slide (2 minutes). This is the option I chose, it was so simple!
All 3 options are extremely simple – don’t feel pressure to look your best or feel under-prepared… (I did mine after the gym, haha). They are looking to see if you are peppy and fluent in English.
Once you submit your demo, you’ll hear back within 24hrs if you’ve passed or not.
TIPS to successfully pass any option:
– Speak slowly: Remember these kids are learning a new language. You may feel like you’re talking too slow but the slower the better.
– TPR: Total Physical Response – Aka – Use your hands! For example: if you’re teaching the word ‘shout’, put your hands up to your mouth and say ‘shout’. Then when you want to have the student repeat, cup your ear with your hand and wait for their response. Often times, the interviewer will not speak until you cup your ear 🙂
– Repetition: Repetition is key. Point to your mouth and say ‘shout’, then cup your ear so your student knows to repeat the word. Do this at least twice, three times is even better!
MOCK CLASS:
You’re in! Once you pass your demo lesson you’ll move on to your Mock Class. Think of this as practice lessons before you teach students; the VIPKid teacher (pretending to be the student) will give you tips at the end of your mock class to help you get comfortable with the materials and teaching online.
What is the Mock Class? It is a 10 minute class you teach to an already-hired VIPKid teacher. (You get the slides beforehand so you know exactly what you’re teaching!) VIPKid suggests you submit your mock within 3 days but you can take as much time as you need to practice. I took 6 days to practice and sent several videos to my mom for tips! You can do your mock class right away because if you fail, you just try again!
Just a reminder: You will be teaching a current VIPKid teacher who is pretending to be a student. No pressure, most people re-take the first mock several times – think of it as teacher training.
In the mock class you will:
-> Introduce yourself and chat with the interviewer for a few minutes. They want to get to know you; what you do, where you’re from, etc. Then they will let you know when to begin.
-> Teach the slides to your interviewer (pretend they’re a young student, they will act like one). They will let you know which lesson you will be teaching to them, A or B.
-> Review how you did and get tips from the interviewer. You will find out if you pass or fail within 48 hours. Remember, you cannot fail out of the process once you’ve made it to the mock class. If you fail the mock class, you get to try as many times as you need!
What slides do you teach?
In the certification center you will choose which level you would like to certify in to teach lower levels, higher levels or both.
Lower level: Lesson A = ball; Lesson B = Kite and doll
Higher level: My Country, Our Earth
You will get the slides prior to your certification interview so you will know exactly what to prepare for. I suggest preparing for both sets of lessons so you’re ready for whichever the interviewer chooses.
How to prepare for your MOCK CLASS:
- Get comfortable with the slides VIPKid has sent you, especially the teaching tips that go along with each slide.
- Watch YouTube videos on how to teach the slides properly. Click this link to see how I successfully passed the mock class.
- Plan what you will say on each slide. Don’t be too scripted, it is easier than you think because it’s a conversation with the student (interviewer). If you’re teaching ‘doll’, you can ask things such as ‘do you like dolls?’ I had a few questions on flashcards that I taped to my laptop just in case I blanked (which I did!).
- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! I cannot stress this enough…Set up your phone and practice talking to the screen, asking questions, using TPR and smiling. Then watch your recording and critique yourself.
- Smile, relax, and show your personality!
TIPS to pass your Mock Class:
– TPR: Use your hands and exaggerate everything you can! For example: act like an animal, point to your mouth and smile when you say happy, make a book with your hands when talking about a book, you get the idea 🙂
– Wait for a response: When you’re teaching your slides, make sure you ask questions (show an apple, point to your mouth and say ‘apple’), then cup your hand to your ear which shows your student it’s their turn to speak (every single time!) and make sure to pause while they answer you. Also, make sure your student ALWAYS replies with full sentences.
*Note: They will make mistakes on purpose such as saying ‘appy’ instead of ‘happy’ – make sure to correct them
– Teacher talk time: You want your student to speak at least 50% of the time, more if they’re advanced. Try not to fall into the trap of just having them repeat. You can ask questions such as “What color is your shirt” [Student replies: My shirt is blue], “Is blue your favorite color?”
– SMILE: Yes, sounds obvious but when you’re thinking about everything you have to do, smiling falls to the waste-side. I suggest setting up your phone and record yourself teaching the slides, this is the best way to see where you can improve.
VIPKID wants to see you teach the target phrases using these 3 steps:
1. I do: The teacher says the word/phrase and shows the meaning with TPR or a prop. The student repeats (x2).
2. We do: The student does the activity/answers the question with the teacher’s help, including saying the full phrase after the teacher. Sometimes you may need to help them by starting the sentence for the student.
3. You do: The student does the activity/answers the question independently (at least 2 times). The majority of the lesson time should be ‘you do’, we want the student to speak as much as possible!
**DO NOT miss the ‘you do’ stage! It’s very important the student uses the language without help after learning it by saying it in a complete sentence.
TESOL:
The TESOL is if you do not have a teaching degree, you must complete the course before you are able to sign the contract; if you have a teaching degree you can still take this course to boost your qualifications on your profile 🙂
VIPKid suggests the course takes about 11 hours of study (it took me about 6 hours but I made use of my resources such as google and YouTube). It covers the main theories of language acquisition and how these can be applied in teaching, it’s surprisingly interesting!
There are only two short multiple choice quizzes to pass.
TIPS to pass the TESOL quizzes:
– Look at the quizzes before doing the readings so you know the key information you’re looking for
– Click the quizzes several times to see the different questions they offer
– Take notes because you can look at the during the quizzes
– Have the definitions of each theory nearby for the quizzes
– You can take the quizzes as many times as you need to pass – don’t worry if you get any wrong
CREATE YOUR PROFILE:
Congrats! You’ve made it to the final stage of the application process! Next, you’ll sign your contract (this shows how much you will be paid) and upload your documents (degree certificate, ID, etc.), photos, etc.
Here is what you’ll need to do:
- Upload proof of your Bachelor’s Degree
- Upload a photo ID
- Upload any teaching certifications (TESOL will be uploaded automatically)
- Complete the background check
- Fill out and upload your W-9 tax form (US only)
**You will not be able to sign your contract until this background check comes back – try to submit the form as soon as possible.
Parents view profiles to choose who they would like to book with – there’s no need to get this perfect right away, you can edit and change it anytime!
What does your profile contain?
-> One main profile photo: professional but smiling. Plus two additional photos e.g. teaching, with your family / pet, out hiking / traveling.
-> A 15-30 second video, e.g. Hi! I’m teacher ___ I can’t wait to meet you! See you!
-> A written bio: you professional background, teaching experience, teaching style, where you’re from, family, hobbies. I also add a few clips of me teaching so the parent/s can get a feel of my classroom.
SIGN YOUR CONTRACT:
As soon as all your uploads and background checks have gone through, you can sign your contract!
FYI: this is the last time you are able to add a referral teacher, it’s free and super helpful! You can click this link or add my referral code in your VIPKid Portal under My Account [LAURA1090].
Welcome to VIPKid!
So happy to share this with you! If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to me:
Instagram: lolo_fraser
YouTube: lolofraser
