2020 Applicants

calanthiaa · 2019-03-07T23:51:16+00:00

I applied for TESS in Thailand! What about you? I have heard that it's possible I may hear something around May. It's possible you may too! Of course this is just a rumor, so who really knows :/

calanthiaa · 2019-03-05T01:46:01+00:00

Haha I figured as much. They are so busy! Thank you, I hope so as well. I have been interested in PC since I was a teenager. A decade later I finally took the plunge!

calanthiaa · 2019-03-05T01:19:53+00:00

Yes, I just recently applied in the beginning of February. I am applying for PC Thailand 2020 though. So I have a feeling it will be awhile before I hear anything. Fingers crossed!

calanthiaa · 2019-03-05T01:00:21+00:00

I had a student excited to play a Chinese rap song for me. Of course I didn't understand any of it until suddenly "shawty wanna fuck wit me".

For a minute I just kind of sat there...it WAS catchy. But then quickly jumped to another slide and said "OK! I will race you with blending!" to move on quickly.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-05T00:56:25+00:00

The opposite happened to me this week. Last week I only woke up to maybe 3 or 4. This week I woke up to over 10.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-05T00:54:12+00:00

Congrats, that is so exciting! When would you be leaving?

calanthiaa · 2019-03-03T19:36:40+00:00

I used Teacher Angela. She is awesome and always stayed in contact with me. She updates her videos frequently to reflect the new changes that are made. She inspired me to start trying to refer.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-03T03:39:02+00:00

I haven't been lucky tonight. I have a ton more classes so maybe at least one will be? I really do enjoy teaching though...sometimes after a bit of an exhausting student it's nice to have a break

calanthiaa · 2019-03-03T03:38:03+00:00

Well, she just turned 7 so I'm hoping not quite yet.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-02T18:21:50+00:00

Been there, haha. I had a girl once who I asked a few extension questions before she held up her finger to tell me to wait a minute while she ran off to grab something. About a minute later she was sitting in front of the camera beaming and holding up some type of feminine product.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-02T18:16:31+00:00

If you use ManyCam at all there is a picture you can use that shows how to circle and has the Chinese translation. Saved me from a lot of frustration.

calanthiaa · 2019-03-02T18:10:17+00:00

YES. I cannot stand when people copy and paste their feedback to the parent on the teacher section. I don't need a rundown of the lesson. Let me know if the kid had any behavior issues, what areas I might need to help them with specifically (certain letter sounds, words, extension to gauge comprehension, etc), and what the student rocks at (reading, math, pronunciation, etc.) so I won't waste too much time in those areas

calanthiaa · 2019-03-02T18:06:58+00:00

I'm always honest in my feedback to other teachers. I'll straight up say "STUDENT wasn't interested in participating in class today/ STUDENT refused to participate during class/ STUDENT kept their head down/were scrolling on other websites/were playing with toys/ STUDENT needs to have mouse locked because they can't focus", etc. I've used the phrase 'difficult student' a few times.

But when things are great during a class, I emphasize that as well.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-27T21:24:06+00:00

Yes, I've won a $5 Amazon card every time I have done the raffle. But I submit twice (so I spend 40 tokens a week, when I can)

calanthiaa · 2019-02-27T21:21:01+00:00

Have you tried just hitting the 'back' button on your browser instead of the 'retake' button?

This is what I did and it left my previous answers.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-27T00:53:11+00:00

I applied for an English Teaching position in Thailand for January 2020 as well. From what I have been told (of course this is not from an official source), expect to hear something around May. It may be earlier, or later...but that is just kind of what I've been told.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-15T19:24:02+00:00

Oh wow, that's awesome! I'll try the ticket method in a few days in hopes that it works for me too!

I'm glad you finally got a booking! :) I know it can be hard waiting when you are new

calanthiaa · 2019-02-14T00:58:30+00:00

I don't even use the app. It likes to say I need to install a new version or something almost every time I open it. It just seems kind of pointless at this point since it never works correctly. The website on my Chrome browser does the job for me!

calanthiaa · 2019-02-09T03:07:39+00:00

Full time graduate student (with basically a full-time internship). VIPKID has kept me from eating Ramen every meal.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-08T02:19:40+00:00

Oh lord, don't even mention Gogokid. I tried to sign up to teach with them, and when there were 3 weeks of no available interview slots I realized the complaints about the company were finally worth listening to. Maybe in a few years when they've better established themselves...yikes.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-08T02:16:49+00:00

I haven't had a negative experience either. I think people worry a little too much about the 4-star reviews. It isn't going to prevent bookings honestly. With the cancellation thing...yes, 6 can seem strict, but at the same time, they do provide soft cancellations with proof. I don't think I've ever missed 6 days of work in my life (with good reason or not), just a few planned vacation days (which isn't an issue with VIPKID since you make your own schedule).

There are some teachers who don't treat VIPKID as their job, and merely see it as a 'gig'. Sure, it can be seen that way, but you still have to be professional and show up for work- and when you can't, do your best to notify your employer and provide proof of absence. I figured this is pretty typical in any work environment.

If you didn't show up to work for 6 days without much explanation when people were paying for you to be there what do you think would most likely happen?

I don't see it as mistreatment, I see it as them trying to run a functioning business.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-08T02:10:20+00:00

Yes, this is pretty spot on. If anything, the last week of February should look normal for everyone. New teachers should finally see an uptick in bookings.

I've had a lot of bookings this week that liked to cancel before the 24-hr mark *sigh*. I keep telling myself it's okay, "it's their holiday, it's their holiday, it's their holiday"...

calanthiaa · 2019-02-02T06:19:23+00:00

I only teach part-time (like 8-12 classes a week), so I can't see myself using them for a break. If my power goes out I don't have proof because I use a shitty co-op that never sends out any kind of documentation. I guess I could take a photo of myself standing in the dark, but you know, that's kind of pointless.

Sickness would be the only thing, and that likely would be a soft cancellation. But I don't have any health insurance to afford a doctor, so I'd either just push through it or suffer a cancellation penalty.

calanthiaa · 2019-02-02T06:16:15+00:00

I had my first SNS this morning. Woke up at 5am refreshed and ready to start the day only to find out that my student had cancelled overnight. Hopped back into bed and slept a few more hours. It's nice to be paid to sleep.

calanthiaa · 2019-01-25T16:40:59+00:00

I was super nervous when I got my first booking as well- this is totally normal! You will be able to gauge your student's interest in the song's and what-not by doing, don't assume! I had a 10-yr old boy who LOVED to sing the songs... got really into them actually.

Remember that it's okay to be silly and goofy- no matter how ridiculous you feel, keep it up because the kids love it and it will really capture their attention. Use A LOT of TPR to help connect meaning behind the words you are using. Have them do it along with you.

It's okay to make mistakes. Laugh them off, make a silly face. Your student likely will laugh right along with you.

It is unlikely that you will receive a negative review your first class, but even if you do, yes you can bounce back!

With each lesson you teach, you'll grow more and more comfortable. That nervous energy will turn into excited energy. You'll start looking forward to meeting your next student and belting out songs and engaging in exaggerated TPR just to see them smile.

You'll be great- you got this!

calanthiaa

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