How to Pass your VIPKid Mock Class

VIPKid is a great gig! It's what gave me the flexibility and the income I needed to start traveling. Before VIPKid, I was a brick and mortar teacher. Don't get me wrong, I loved those kids! They were what got me up in the morning. But, the schedule was rigorous (as I'm sure you know), and left me zero time for recreation, let alone a trip abroad. It wasn't until someone recommended VIPKid that I looked into teaching online. I started the application process in October while I was still working as a High School Spanish teacher. I know that sounds bad. I was dedicated still. I promise! As my wonderful husband always says, "It's much easier to get a job wile you still have one." And he's absolutely right.When there's no pressure and you already have a stable income, it's much easier to get a job. Which is lucky for me because it wasn't until November that I started teaching with VIPKid. Why did it take me so long? Well, I made a few common beginner mistakes. In this post, I'll tell you about the five of the most important ingredients that will ensure you get hired as a VIPKid teacher.  

1. Lighting

    You'll hear this from every VIPKid Teacher and Mentor: the lighting in your classroom is key. If your classroom is dark and dreary, your student (or VIPKid Mentor) will not want to be there. You don't want shadows or dark places. Obviously natural lighting is best, but seeing as we VIPKid teachers teach at night or early in the morning (due to the time difference between the USA and Beijing), we often are not afforded that luxury. One easy way of fixing this issue is by establishing several light sources in your classroom. 

    By all means, use the overhead lighting you have, but if even that is not enough, add some lamp light. If you have the budget and are really feeling brave, you can even buy professional photography lighting. Make sure that your lighting is symmetrical. "What you do on one side, you have to do to the other" as they say. That way you eliminate shadows. 

    I find that the overhead lighting in my office space and a single lamp facing me is enough, but you do you! Play around with it. Remember, this is a learning experience! And get creative, you don't have to spend a fortune to make it look good. 

2. Props

    The minimum number of props your VIPKid Mentor is looking for is three. Because Mock Class Lessons A and B include the words "doll", "ball", and "kite", if you have these items (and use all of them in the mock class) you will meet this criteria. These do not have to be huge items. I am not a mother (yet) but I have heard of parents taking their children's toys and using them in their classrooms. I think this is a great idea to save money. Another way of saving a bit of cash is by going to the dollar store. I opted for this method because, like I said, I am not a parent and I needed props cheap and fast. I honestly did not anticipate keeping the props that I bought for my mock class for as long as I have but I would say 85% of the props I currently use, I bought at the Dollar Store for my mock class. (More on props in another post) 

    Another thing to note about props is that in order to meet the criteria, you must use three DIFFERENT props in the mock class. Simply using two, but having one appear more than once, does not count. Feel free, however, to use the ball to demonstrate the verb "throw" if you like.Just know that just because you used your ball in a different way does not mean it counts as another prop.

3. Technology

    Technology was the main reason it took me so long to pass the mock class. I did not have everything I needed my first two mocks. What can I say? Third time's a charm! The primary technological device that is required to teach on VIPKid's platform is a pair of headphones. They can be Bluetooth or wired so long as they are over-the-ear and provide good sound quality. I bought mine on Amazon for $40, but yours don't even have to be that expensive. I've seen some as cheap as $20. It just depends on what you're looking for and the quality you're able/willing to invest in. 

    Other than that, you are required to have a good and strong WiFi connection. VIPKid recommends connected to your modem or router using an Ethernet cable for a stronger connection. I personally, do not do this (shhhh... don't tell). It becomes exponentially harder to do when I am traveling and staying in different places where sometimes I don't even know where the Modem is! If your video and/or audio quality in your mock class is not great, your mentor may mark that down and this may prevent you from being hired. Otherwise, you should be good to go!   

4. TPR (Total Physical Response)

    You do not have to have to know Standard America Sign Language in order to do TPR. All you have to do is act out the word you are teaching. It could be as simple as putting your fingers together to make a circle to show "ball" or act like you are rocking a baby to show "doll". Other forms of TPR can express emotion. You can smile real big and point to your mouth to demonstrate "happy" or wipe away tears to demonstrate "sad". 

    Remember that in the mock class, your mentor is going to want to see that you ask the student to perform the action. You can do this by laying your hand flat towards the student. This means that you want them to do the TPR as well. This really is the most important part, especially for those kinesthetic learners, because it gets their bodies engaged and helps them associate meaning to the word they are learning. 

    One last form of TPR the mentor is looking for is the action of cupping your ear. After you introduce a new vocabulary word, cup your ear. This means that you want the student to repeat. In the world of VIPKid, this is generally understood to mean"repeat what I just said". As a result, in future lessons, this should not be used to elicit an answer to a question. Instead the student is expected to say what you just said back to you. If in the mock class, the mentor throws a curve ball and either does not perform the TPR like you requested or repeat what you just said, kindly repeat the word along with the TPR, put your hand out flat and then cup your ear to correct the "student". 

5. Smile!

Probably more important to your students than anything else is whether or not you provide a warm and friendly smile (not the creepy kind). Smiling says, "I am happy and glad to be here!" Let me tell you, if you don't want to be there, neither will your student. And that's not fun for anyone. Most students on VIPKid, especially the ones you will get starting out as teacher certified to teach levels 1-3, are young. Sometimes as young as 6 years old! They may not even be in school yet. I know this is the case with one of my learners. This is her first time taking part in any kind of formal education. I don't want you to assume that means these kids know nothing. On the contrary, I have been super impressed by the majority of my students! Many of them have some background in English. My point is, they may be nervous! And a smile can go a long way. 

    Speaking of nerves: One other tip. If you are nervous about your first few classes as well, smiling will help you feel better too! And on that note, just know, you are not alone. All of us get nervous (some of us even still). But you get used to the pattern and before you know it you'l have nerves of steel! 

Conclusion

    So, to wrap things up, I want to encourage you to take your time. If you happen to have already interviewed in your mock class and not gotten hired, don't worry about it! Like I said, it took me three tries! There is no limit to the number of mock classes you can take before you are hired and it doe not show on any record whatsoever. So don't worry about the number of times you tried following you around for the rest of your VIPKid career. 

    Lastly, if you want step-by-step guidance into the program or have any other questions about how it works or some ideas for props and/or lighting, feel free to contact me! Click here for information on how to do so. And if you are thinking about joining the VIPKid community click here to sign up and begin the process! 

God bless and happy teaching!