For starters, what is your technology wherewithal?
Basics, they want to know what sort of internet you are running, in most cases you wholeheartedly know if your internet is good or not. Its pretty basic though, so I'll explain like this, if you can have say three or more devices connected to your WIFI and all watching Youtube videos without lag, you should generally be good. In all cases (especially interviews and demo classes), one should have an ethernet cable plugged into their device, however...sometimes its just NOT possible. We understand here at Qkids.
What one needs to realize is the limitations to "working from home" vs. "Working Anywhere"...so first-INTERNET
Examples of people doing it wrong...
1) https://www.roadaffair.com/travel-teach-english-online-vipkid/
As much as one does travel and teach or wants to, one needs to be aware of certain realities.
a) Wifi in hostels suck...and if you are travelling while staying places that aren't hostels...you likely don't need or won't want this job...unless you really love teaching.
b) Please understand that free WIFI is not always "good" wifi, it may seem good enough to search your YELP or Tripadvisor queries but trust me, it isn't going to be stable enough to run an online classroom for your students.
c) To use Qkids I need the computer software-yes that means Laptop or Computer Tablet
d) Productive learning environments seem arbitrary but they do matter. I won't lie this online teaching thing originally turned me off when I saw what some of these "referees" were posting...for example, one girl posted her completing her VIPKid lesson with some five year old while she was holed up in a tent on what presume is a dark day or possibly even night...
-->to pull that off camping, she likely had a mobile USB or hotspot SIM card
Second, HEADSET/AUDIO Equipment-its arbitrary really when you do get signed on, but EXTREMELY IMPORTANT when you are interviewing.
a) In the interview, have a professional looking headset (that includes a mic)
b) Bluetooth is good but not 100% error free, you want to trial run it a few times before using it
c) Some computers don't have a "aux jack", there are USB headsets available as well
Don't want to spend the extra cash (I didn't)...solve:
Go to walmart, amazon, best buy or some other electronics retailer with a return by 30-Days date...BOOM! Then go back to your apple earbuds/airbuds/whatever. I won't let you on and say that the apple headsets are better or worse-they are literally the same thing. In fact, some silly buggers use Bluetooth connections and say their headsets are the best...or vice versa they buy Bluetooth ready headsets for the extra cash...and never use it...it doesn't make a difference as long as you and your students can hear each other.
On a final note, you will see students with proper mics and headsets, sometimes, it is an expectation parents have-sometimes its the difference of an extra dollar on the class...but obviously that's impossible to foresee. I know parents who very much liked the fact that I had a nice Hair-do than headset...
My headset ;)...yes, it was originally intended for cleaning up and chirping in Call of Duty!
All the best!
Also please feel free to use my referral link to get your own application started with Qkids, reach out in the comment section below if you are interested in building a mentor-ship with me as well!
http://teacher.qkids.net/ref?code=DJHJLV
Basics, they want to know what sort of internet you are running, in most cases you wholeheartedly know if your internet is good or not. Its pretty basic though, so I'll explain like this, if you can have say three or more devices connected to your WIFI and all watching Youtube videos without lag, you should generally be good. In all cases (especially interviews and demo classes), one should have an ethernet cable plugged into their device, however...sometimes its just NOT possible. We understand here at Qkids.
What one needs to realize is the limitations to "working from home" vs. "Working Anywhere"...so first-INTERNET
Examples of people doing it wrong...
1) https://www.roadaffair.com/travel-teach-english-online-vipkid/
As much as one does travel and teach or wants to, one needs to be aware of certain realities.
a) Wifi in hostels suck...and if you are travelling while staying places that aren't hostels...you likely don't need or won't want this job...unless you really love teaching.
b) Please understand that free WIFI is not always "good" wifi, it may seem good enough to search your YELP or Tripadvisor queries but trust me, it isn't going to be stable enough to run an online classroom for your students.
c) To use Qkids I need the computer software-yes that means Laptop or Computer Tablet
d) Productive learning environments seem arbitrary but they do matter. I won't lie this online teaching thing originally turned me off when I saw what some of these "referees" were posting...for example, one girl posted her completing her VIPKid lesson with some five year old while she was holed up in a tent on what presume is a dark day or possibly even night...
-->to pull that off camping, she likely had a mobile USB or hotspot SIM card
Second, HEADSET/AUDIO Equipment-its arbitrary really when you do get signed on, but EXTREMELY IMPORTANT when you are interviewing.
a) In the interview, have a professional looking headset (that includes a mic)
b) Bluetooth is good but not 100% error free, you want to trial run it a few times before using it
c) Some computers don't have a "aux jack", there are USB headsets available as well
Don't want to spend the extra cash (I didn't)...solve:
Go to walmart, amazon, best buy or some other electronics retailer with a return by 30-Days date...BOOM! Then go back to your apple earbuds/airbuds/whatever. I won't let you on and say that the apple headsets are better or worse-they are literally the same thing. In fact, some silly buggers use Bluetooth connections and say their headsets are the best...or vice versa they buy Bluetooth ready headsets for the extra cash...and never use it...it doesn't make a difference as long as you and your students can hear each other.
On a final note, you will see students with proper mics and headsets, sometimes, it is an expectation parents have-sometimes its the difference of an extra dollar on the class...but obviously that's impossible to foresee. I know parents who very much liked the fact that I had a nice Hair-do than headset...
My headset ;)...yes, it was originally intended for cleaning up and chirping in Call of Duty!
All the best!
Also please feel free to use my referral link to get your own application started with Qkids, reach out in the comment section below if you are interested in building a mentor-ship with me as well!
http://teacher.qkids.net/ref?code=DJHJLV
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