VIP Kid Teacher: Kaley
As my blog has started to grow, so has my idea of what a teacher is. There are soooo many variety of teachers out there from art and science to independent study and online. I decided to add an Other page because there are so many awesome and unique teaching roles that don’t exactly fit into the usual k-22, in person schooling, that we think of. Let’s face it, with the Pandemic, everything we thought was normal has changed. I am loving learning about all of these non-traditional teaching roles out there I didn’t even realize were a thing.
Today I have Kaley, who is a mom to three and works for VIP Kid. VIP Kid is a company that hires teachers to teach English to students in China from home. What a great idea! Lucky for her, she was already teaching virtually so not much looks different for her in terms of how she teaches. it was really fun to find out what she does to teach from home and how the Pandemic is changing her school differently than it has for traditional teachers.
Here is Kaley’s interview:
1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be a professional dancer and own a dance studio. I danced from the age of 3 until college so it was a huge part of my life.
2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up?
A moment in my schooling that sticks out the most to me was a professor that I had in college. Everyone was always excited for her class and she truly wanted everyone to succeed. Even after we graduated, she still aimed to help everyone find their perfect teaching jobs. Years later, I could still reach out to her if I need help with something when it comes to being an educator.
3. How long have you been teaching, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there?
I taught second grade in Florida for one year (2014-2015) and decided to stay home after having my first daughter in September 2015. In order to teach in the Title 1 public school, I had to have my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education w/ ESOL and took a few exams to become certified to teach in the state of Florida. After being a stay at home mom for a couple of years, I missed teaching and applied to teach English online with VIPKid. To teach with VIPKid, I had to have one year of teaching related experience, a four year degree, and be eligible to work in the US or Canada. I have been with VIPKid for just over two years now and absolutely love it! I taught with gogokid for a few months too but decided I only wanted to balance one company.
4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom and why?
My go-to tool in the classroom is a whiteboard. You can use it to draw props, words, numbers, sentences, blends, and even rewards! I enjoy having different props and rewards in my classroom but if I had to choose just one thing it would be a whiteboard.
5. Is there anything you do to accommodate your students and how often do you find yourself using that accommodation?
VIPKid has one-on-one classes and I accommodate each and every student during the classes because they all have different learning styles. I could teach the same lesson to three different students and they would look totally different. Some students need more visuals, some need to be more active, and others are only comfortable in class if I am close to whispering the whole time. That is why I love one-on-one classes! I am able to adjust the lesson to the student's needs while meeting the objectives. I can break stuff down if they need extra help and extend extend extend when they understand the lesson really well.
6. I love that you teach online for VIPKid, what made you want to do this?
I missed teaching and applied on a whim when my second daughter was only 4 months old. It is nice extra income and I teach for myself because I truly enjoy it. Even though I am with children and technically working, I consider it my me time.
7. Any advice for a new teacher to VIPKid?
Be patient and find a community of other VIPKid teachers. It is nice to have a community of people to bond with at strange hours of the morning and night. There are several different Facebook groups, Instagram communities, groups in the Hutong through VIPKid, and even meet-ups to get to know other online teachers in your area. I recently went to a virtual meet up on zoom. I cannot wait to meet those teachers that are in my surrounding area!
8. This question is when I ask how is it going teaching virtually, but you do that already, so has anything changed with your online teaching since the Pandemic started?
The biggest change that I have noticed since the Pandemic began, is how it is more difficult for some teachers to get bookings. Nothing is normal for our students and nothing is normal for us, so the schedules are ever-changing. Since many people are staying home, many more people have been applying to teach online and open more slots than they usually do. I have seen a dip in short notice bookings in my own schedule.
9. A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since this Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it or with VIPKid?
I think the amount of students that do virtual learning (once students are back in brick and mortar schools) will drastically increase. I also think that there will be many more teachers on the VIPKid platform!
10. Last but not least, what do you want to be when you grow up?
A mom that my children look up to & a teacher that my students remember forever. :)
Thanks so much Kaley!
Happy Teaching :)