How to Teach English with VIPKID While Traveling the World

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During the 6 months I have been teaching English online with VIPKID, I have traveled non-stop. I’ve visited and taught in places like Bali, Thailand and Cambodia, and currently, I am backpacking through Europe. Thankfully, during this time I have managed to keep a consistent schedule, keep my regulars and non-regulars entertained, avoid IT and WiFi issues and make my minimum of at least $1500 each month all while traveling the world with a 40L backpack. Along the way I have learned some tips and tricks to avoid getting “Teacher No Shows”, “Teacher Cancellations” and “Teacher ITs”. Since I know quite a few of you are interested in teaching with VIPKID while traveling or vacationing, I figured I would share my insight.

So, whether you are just going on vacation for a few days or are a long-term traveler like myself, you will find these tips useful for teaching with VIPKID while traveling.

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What You’ll Find in This Article

Tips for WiFi

When traveling and teaching, one of the biggest concerns is WiFi. Will the WiFi be strong enough; will the place even have WiFi, what’s the speed, etc.? Well, here are a few tips to help you figure out the WiFi situation when heading to a new destination.

1. Get a Backup WiFi Source

Buy an International SIM Card

If you have an unlocked phone, you can purchase international SIM cards in any location and tether WiFi from your phone to your laptop to teach classes. Although this can be a cheaper option at first, the pennies will add up. Constantly having to buy a new SIM card for each destination will get expensive and annoying, especially if you don’t speak the native language.

WiFi Hotspot Device

A WiFi hotspot device is the best option for backup WiFi in my opinion. If you are a frequent traveler, like myself, and staying in one location just isn’t your thing, a WiFi hotspot is cheaper and a more permanent backup.

I personally use Teppy from Tep Wireless as my personal pocket WiFi. And because I bought their global pocket hotspot, I have access to unlimited WiFi in over 150 countries for one flat rate and I can pay-as-I-go, rather than pay per day. For $9, I get unlimited 3G/4G WiFi access for 24 hours. I personally find it super reliable and ideal for times when my WiFi unsuspectingly goes out or there’s a power outage. It’s  worth every penny, and it has saved my butt on a couple of occasions. Also, if you don’t want to purchase a WiFi hotspot you can just rent it by the day during your vacation! If you are interested in learning more about Tep Wireless, you can read this article here or ask me!

2. Call Ahead of Time

If you’re staying somewhere where you can contact the owner, do so and ask about the WiFi speed and stability. When I am renting an apartment via Airbnb, I usually ask the host something along the lines of, “Hey, I work online and it’s very important for me to have reliable and stable internet for my job. Can you please send me a screenshot of a speed test for your WiFi? Thanks.”

However, be aware that the speed test is only accurate for the time it is being used, that same speed will not be guaranteed while you’re teaching! It’s really just to give you an idea of how fast the internet can be. Also, checking reviews on properties is a good way to find out about the WiFi’s speed and stability.

3. Ask Other VIPKID Teachers

There are a good number of VIPKID teachers who are travelers and have taught in many different locations around the world. Most of these teachers are more than happy to share their WiFi experience in specific locations and even for specific hotels/hostels or rentals, so utilize this resource! You can find those teachers on the VIPKID Teachers Who Travel FB group.

4. Know These Useful Things

  • VIPKID classes use about 60-100 MB worth of data per class.
  • You can improve your internet connection by using an Ethernet cord and plugging it directly into the modem or the Ethernet plug in a hotel.
  • If your laptop doesn’t have an Ethernet port like my Macbook Pro then consider getting a USB to Ethernet Network Adapter or a WiFi Range Extender to boost the WiFi signal.
  • A good WiFi speed tester is speedtest.net. Download speed is what matters in the test as you really won’t be uploading anything(except the ppt), and the ping needs to be in relation to VIPKID servers, not your local server.
  • You can monitor your internet connection (ping) and data usage while in the VIPKID classroom. You can learn more about it here.
  • Avoid having any other sites or apps/programs open that will use the internet while you are teaching
  • Though VIPKID requires a connection speed of 20Mbps, it is possible to teach a class successfully with lower speeds, however know that the video quality won’t be spectacular.

Tips on Background/Lighting

1. Invest in Noise-Cancelling Headsets

The first months of teaching, I was completely against having huge headphones (I am a minimalist traveler) especially since I had earbuds that worked perfectly fine. But I quickly learned that they are essential when traveling and teaching, as unwanted background noise is inevitable. Teaching a class while construction is going on, or while your neighbors are having a mini rave party next door isn’t fun with earbuds. Trust me! Noise-cancelling headphones are the way to go if you don’t mind the extra space they take up in your bag.

Here are two highly recommend headphones:

Logitech Clearchat Comfort H390: Cuts out background noise, rotating microphone, in-line audio controls, USB connection and compatible for Windows PC and Macbooks

SADES 902 PC Gaming Headset 7.1 Surround Sound: Adjustable microphone, cuts out external sound, soft, comfortable and ventilate ear cushion which doesn’t hurt the ears when using it for long hours (i.e 12 classes back to back). Bonus: It comes in a VIPKID orange and black color!

2. Use a Piece of Felt/World Map

Some teachers are concerned about their background being boring or want some consistency so their students don’t know they are traveling, so my suggestion is investing in a piece of felt or in a world map. Most places you’ll travel to will sell these items for a few dollars. If not, I am sure Amazon has something. Also, if you bought too much felt, you can use the leftovers for props and rewards. What I love about these two items is that they make great portable backdrops as they fold up nicely and they take up little to no room in your travel bag.

When it comes to hanging up your backdrop, Command Strips or push pins are best, but please don’t use tape so you don’t mess up the owner’s walls.

3. Utilize a Lamp/USB Desk Lamp

If your classroom is too dark, use a desk lamp to brighten up your classroom or sit directly under a light source. Another option is increasing the brightness of your computer (the brightness will reflect off of you when it’s dark). If you don’t want to worry about having a dark classroom, invest in a USB desk lamp. This device connects to your computer via the USB port and lights up the area around your computer, making you brighter.

4. Use Natural Light

If you are teaching during the day, natural light coming from the windows is your best friend (sometimes!) You will have to position yourself perfectly so no matter how the sun is positioned, it doesn’t mess up the lighting of your classroom. This skill really comes with practice by doing test runs before teaching your class.

VIPKID Reward

Tips on Props/Rewards

As mentioned earlier, I like to travel light, which means if it doesn’t fit in my 40L backpack, it’s not coming with me! I don’t carry a million and one props or rewards for my students. To be honest, I don’t think you need that much stuff. I have found that my basic classroom, silliness, and child-like behavior is more than enough to fill up all my time slots! My regulars love me!

Remember, quality is better than quantity. If you have limited props don’t feel like you can’t teach a class or win your kiddos’ heart. All you have to do is start with the basics and be creative. “Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you tried.” (yep, I just quoted Dr. Seuss)

First, here’s what I use for my classes:

1. Use Your Whiteboard

Your whiteboard is your best friend! If you asked any VIPKID teacher if they could bring only one prop with them, what would it be? 99% would say a white board! Why? Well, it’s pretty versatile! It can serve as your visual aid and as a blank canvas for any reward system you may come up with (build a house with shapes, hangman, make a face, add pedals to a flower, etc.).

P.S. Assorted color dry erase markers compliment this tip well :)

2. Use Things Around You

There is nothing quite as awesome as a resourceful and minimalist traveling teacher. I have used an apricot as a ball for my “catch a ball in a cup” lesson. I have used welcome candy from my host as a reward system for my students! I have even turned empty toilet paper rolls into “binoculars” and mics for singing the “Hello” and “Goodbye” songs. The possibilities are endless! In the words of Dr. Seuss, “It’s not about what it is. It’s about what it can become.”

3. Let Your Inner Child Out

Don’t be afraid to be silly or childlike, even when your student is as serious as a stone! They’ll love that you are silly and will act silly with you! I have won over so many of my kiddos’ hearts this way.

4. Create Rewards Based on Their Interests

My best rewards are the ones I create based on my kids’ interests and likes. For example, I have one kid who is in love with superheroes, so as a reward we act like one of the many superheroes. There is another student (who I am sure owns a toy store, because the amount of toys he owns is ridiculous) who loves to show off his toys, so for his reward he gets to show me his toy and play with it for like 10 seconds. One of my kiddos loves to dance, so every time she gets a star she gets to play a song and we have a mini dance party. There’s another student of mine who loves to type (but he types ridiculously slow), so every time I give him a star he gets to type two words of his choice (this way it doesn’t take 20 years for me to finish one slide and he gets to type). This way your regulars won’t get bored if you are constantly making new rewards based on their interests.

5. Download ManyCam

Though I personally don’t use this option, I have looked into it (still considering it) and many VIPKID teachers highly recommend it. ManyCam allows you to have virtual and interactive props and rewards right in your VIPKID classroom. This can be a good option if you want to eliminate buying new props or overloading your backpack with props and rewards.

Tips on Where To Stay

Airbnb is my go-to rental. I don’t bother with hostels, co-working spaces or hotels (if I can avoid them). Why? Well, the idea of sharing my WiFi connection with 100s of people, or trying to teach in a common area sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. With Airbnb, I have my own private space, private WiFi, and a modem close by that I can reset if I need to. I find the extra money I dish out to rent out an entire apartment via Airbnb is totally worth it, plus you can make the rental fee back in 3-4 classes depending on your VIPKID salary.

Here are some tips for booking an Airbnb rental:

  • Contact the host before booking and ask a million and one questions (ask about WiFi reliability, modem whereabouts, will the WiFi be shared, etc.).
  • Book an entire apartment instead of a private room, as you don’t want to be a pain in the ass with your teaching to the people you are sharing the place with.
  • Check reviews for mentions about WiFi speed
  • Utilize the pictures to determine if the rental space has ideal locations to teach. I usually look for lamps, a desk, a table, or even a separate room before I book a place. A rental with a lot of windows is also nice for natural light when teaching during the day.
  • Use an Airbnb coupon code. With our Airbnb coupon code you will get $40 off your next booking.
  • Some rentals have monthly and weekly discounts, so if you plan to stay at a location for longer, look out for rentals with these discounts as you can save a lot on accommodation.

If Airbnb isn’t your thing, you can also check out other rental listing sites such as Booking.com.

Tips on How to Schedule Classes

1. Don’t Teach on Travel Days/Do Trial Runs

For me, the first day in a new location is spent scoping out my accommodation and testing the WiFi. This allows me to figure out the ideal spot to teach (good lighting, good background, etc.), what things I need to move around to create the ideal teaching spot (desk, chairs, trash cans), potential props I can use for class, determining the WiFi strength, etc. If the WiFi is not up to par (this is when the backup WiFi comes into play), I also have enough time to find a new place and curse out the rental owner, just kidding (not really)!

Once you have scoped out your new location and everything is up to par, open your time slots and potentially make some extra cash with short notice bookings. Those extra two bucks go a long way.

2. Update Time Zone

When I know I am crossing timezones I don’t open any slots up for a few days. This helps avoid any accidental “Teacher No Shows” and gives you time to figure out the time difference and the best times to teach. Along with taking time to recover from any possible jet lag, you also have time to alter your schedule and update the timezone on VIPKID’s Portal. P.S. This is something you need to do manually, it’s not automatic.

On that note, always remember to check the time zone difference when traveling to a new country/destination.

3. Create A Schedule For Yourself

Since I have been traveling and teaching, I have created a schedule for myself that allows me time to explore places while still making enough money to support myself. I have found that teaching only three days a week (on the same days every week) and exploring a destination the other four days to be a healthy balance no matter where I am in the world. Because of this, I am able to open my time slots ahead of time so my regulars can continue to book me as I have a “consistent schedule.”

A consistent schedule forces me to plan ahead. As a spontaneous, go-with-the-flow traveler, I hate planning things, especially since nothing ever goes according to plan. But I quickly learned if I wanted to sustain my travels and my job with VIPKID, I needed to plan at least 2 weeks in advance (A month or more would be too much for me. Baby steps.). So now I know, no matter where I am in the world or what I am doing, I need to make sure I am somewhere I can teach with good WiFi on those three days.

For example, if I am doing a road trip around the USA and I know I teach every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I will make sure by Monday night I am heading to a quiet place where I have good WiFi, the background is ideal, and I can teach with no issues, i.e. not the woods or at a camping site

Well there you have it, my tips for teaching English with VPKID while traveling the world! If you have any questions or tips to add, feel free to comment below!

Not a VIPKID teacher yet, but you are interested? Read my guide to becoming a VIPKID teacher here.

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Comments

  • Colin Maretsky

    Hi Jazzy! You mentioned you’re earning at least 1500 per month, and yet you only work three days per week? Are these weekend days, which have the most available time slots?

    • Yes they were weekends and Mondays (or Fridays). Weekends have the most potential to be booked as almost all the slots are considered peak times and the kids are usually out of school.

  • Jessica

    Thanks for the good advice! I’m currently teaching for a different company and will be going back to Japan for a few months and was freaking out a bit about trying to find a reliable wifi source.

  • Hello! I am so glad to have found this! I am a VIPkid teacher in Thailand. I have been traveling around here teaching and plan to leave in a couple weeks, after a year here, to head to Australia and then Europe. Both are so much more expensive than Thailand and I am wondering how to set my schedule. You mentioned Tue, Wed, Thur and about 20 hours. That is actually what I have been doing. But I wasn’t sure that was enough once I left the developing world! Would you mind sharing your schedule? I can budget $14 a night for Airbnb while working 20 hours. Is this comparable to your experience? I think I will be paying twice that when I leave Thailand…do you? How much should I expect to pay in Europe? Also, how long do you tend to stay in one place? Just the three days you teach or do you fly city to city for longer time? I am glad to hear about the Teppy, I am going to purchase one ASAP! Thank you so much, I am extremely excited to see your reply!!

  • Really great article Jazzy – this is a huge help with clearing up some of my how/what/when/why questions!

  • Hello! So I love the picture you have of the Build a Cake VIPKID reward, I have been looking for something just like that but I haven’t been able to find one that big or that pretty! If you have it, could you send me the pdf of the cake reward – I would love it and super appreciated it! :)

    Thanks!

  • Hi guys – just wanted to thank Jazzy for the great VIPkid post on teaching while mobile. I am heading to Bali in two weeks after working in Vietnam for a few years. I’ve only just started working with VIPkid (March) and am a little freaked out about going mobile :) I’m sure it’ll be fine. Is J still with VIPkid? Any leads on other types of online/mobile work? I don’t want to keep all my eggs in one basket in case something does happen. Thanks again for your information.

  • Catherine

    Hi Jazzy,

    I was wondering how many hours a day you taught if you only taught for 3 days a week? I’m considering doing a massive trip around Eastern Europe this coming summer.

  • Thank you for this useful blog post. I have been considering vipkid for a while and I’m really looking into it now. However, I’m only on data for the next several months, and although it’s unlimited I was uncertain about the speed of hotspot. This put my worries to rest and also gave me so many tips for teaching! Thank you!

  • Hi Jazzy!

    This post is so helpful! I currently live in Chile but am looking ahead a few months to backpacking Europe and would like to teach for VIPkid along the way…. I’m trying to do my mock classes right now, but my internet (even with an ethernet cord) is incredibly slow like 7mbps (?). I’ve already had to reschedule my mock class once and I don’t know what to do to find faster internet.

    Would you recommend an Internet Café/Cyber Cafe type thing for a mock class? Or any other ideas? Thank you!

  • Stephanie

    Hi Jazzy! Wonderful blog post! It was such a relief to come across it! I’ve got a big trip coming up in August and wasn’t sure how I would be able to balance teaching online and traveling. Pretty much everything I was worried about, you covered all of the things I had been unsure about. Thank you! Great blog and happy traveling!!

  • Jocelyn

    Hi Jazzy,

    I am planning on travelling around Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam etc.) for an unpredictable amount of time. I asked customer support at Teppy and they said that the download speeds in Indonesia and Thailand is 3-5Mbps, which worries me that it would not be suitable enough to teach in the event my internet at an airBnB isn’t fast enough. Anyways, i guess what im asking is did you you use Teppy to teach in any of those countries? and how did you find it? Last question how many classes did you teach before the data cap was reached? Thank you!

  • Adrienne Wheat

    Hi Jazzy,

    I’m a US citizen living in Lima, Peru, and I’m really interested in teaching for VIPKid. I’ve done the speedtest and my internet is fast enough for the requirements, but I read on one of your articles that you’re willing to help people get through the hiring process. I was just wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping me out?
    Thanks so much for all the information in your articles!! They are very helpful!

  • denisse

    How do you manually change the time zone?

    • You go into the portal and go to account settings, and hit the edit profile button. From there you can edit the time zone. I believe you have to edit the address for it to accept the time zone change.

  • Hey Jazzy!

    Wonderful blog! I am looking into becoming a VIP teacher myself. I did have a quick question for you… I see you and other bloggers talking about being VIP teacher while using WiFi, but on the VIPKid requirements page they say I must have DSL wired connection. I am a little confused on what is the actual requirement? I am a full time traveler in my RV stateside, so I have no trouble getting high speed WiFi with my hotspot, but DSL wired connection would be near impossible. Thanks!

    • Hey Haidee,

      Wifi is perfectly fine. They have no way of testing whether you are using a wired connection or wifi. They suggest the wired connection because it would be a more stable connection. As long as you have reliable wifi that is high speed you should be fine, no need to worry. I have been teaching for a year and a half only on wifi, no wire connections.

  • Hi Jazzy!

    Thank you for writing this blog! I am a VIPKID teacher and I will be traveling to Europe with my wife this summer to work and travel. I have been asking a lot of questions about WIFI when looking to book airbnb’s based off your suggestions. My main question is about the teppy. I am so glad to hear you’ve had good experiences with it while traveling. Have you used it in Europe? We’ll be there for 90 days this summer and I’ve asked Teppy 1000 questions myself. If the host is able to provide a cable have you then experienced issues? Sorry, I have a lot of questions, but you know how it is trying to avoid those teacher IT issues! Thanks in advance and happy travels!

  • Jocelyn Rios

    Hello Jazzy,

    This was super helpful! I am teaching with VIP kid now for about a month and I want to start traveling. I was worried about visa requirements in certain countries. What is your experience with this? Aside from a working holiday visa (which I believe is only available in like 5 countries for US citizens), what kind of visas do you get? Do you mention you online job when applying for visas? I’m assuming you don’t need a working permit in the country you travel to because your not actually working in the country technically right?

    Not sure where to even start looking for visa requirements for places I want to stay for a year. Any suggestions on where to find info on this?

    Thanks,
    Jocelyn

    • Hey Joceyln,

      Great question. I ‘ve been traveling for over 3 years now and I have always enter a country on a tourist visa. I never mention my online job especially since I am not working an actually job in said country so I am not required to let them know. Any other type of Visa is too complicated and require too much work especially since I never truly know how long I want to stay in a place. Most countries allow tourists to stay between 30-90, with a few countries allowing more days. If I want to stay longer in a country and my tourist visa will expire, I just do a visa run (it’s basically a trip you take to a neighboring country for a few hours or a day or two, so you can re-enter the country I want to stay in and get another tourist visa (simply exit & re-enter)). It has worked great so far.

      Some Example of # of days given to US citizens on a tourist visa:

      Europe (Schengen Visa) – granted 90 days upon entry every 180 days (6 months)
      UK- 180 days
      Mexico- 180 days
      Central America (CA-4 visa, i.e. Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador) – 90 days for all four countries
      Colombia- 90 days upon entry
      Thailand- 30 days upon entry by air (60 if you do it ahead of time at a Thai Embassy)
      Costa Rica- 90 days
      Georgia- 1 year (amazing)

      Of course to make sure you get the maximum number of stay you must tell the Immigration stay the exact number so they don’t give you less. The best places to travel to and stay are the ones with 90 days or more as you get to stay for a while before having to figure what you need to do next. Anywho, I hope this helps.

      p.s. What are the countries you are looking into so far?

  • I’ve been road-tripping around the US with my partner-in-crime (also coincidentally named Ben). I decided it was something I want to do long-term, so I looked up ways to work and travel simultaneously. Found your blog post about VIPKids and decided to take a crack at it. Anyway, with your tips on your post I passed the initial interview and the quiz! My Mock Class 1 is scheduled for this Saturday. I am definitely interested in your suggestions if you have any. Thanks for the lovely blog post and keep rocking on!

  • This is exactly the motivation and “by any means necessary” attitute and information I needed to start up in a remote beach town in Panama. Thank you so very much. You made this all seem much more doable than I had made it out in my heads. Blessings!

  • Kim Ann

    I zoomed in on the internet speed part I am concerned about traveling and having an internet connection. I know that in some developing countries the connection is unstable and/or slow. How many mbps does it actually require to use? And- does the TEP machine, with only 7mbps, really do the trick when there is no reliable connection available in a developing country, for example? On the VIPKID site it states that it requires 20mbps. What has been your experience with this?

    • Hey Kim,

      Though VIPKID requires 20mbps, you can definitely teach with less. To be honest, I don’t think I ever taught at 20mbps (usually lower- I am traveling through developing countries)! As to how many mbps it requires, I have no idea. Some teachers teach with less some with more, it’s also relative.

      Right now I am in Thailand and where I am staying the internet is not strong enough to stream class (but can load ppt) smoothly without any issues, so I have been using my Tep wireless and it works perfectly. No issues. So yeah the 7mbps works. If you are nervous about it, get the 4G service with teppy, it’s ~18mbps. Also Ethernet cord does help with the speed if connected directly to the modem/router.

  • Hi I ordered the orange and black headphones and I think they might work too well (i.e. the noise cancelling aspect of it). I’m unsure but I think some of my students cannot hear me when I say the sounds for “f” and “s” words (if I said it as “faa” or “saa” it picks up, but if I say it purely “f” and “s” sound nothing) I noticed that on my computer’s photo booth when I record a video it comes across fine (the f and s sounds) but when I do a test on the vipkid platform it hardly moves the needle or not at all. Does anyone know of good noise cancelling headphones that will still pick up even the soft sounds in your voice? These are my second set :-(

    • Hey Zan,

      LOL, it works too well :). I think you should try to consciously speak louder into the mic when saying the sounds for “f” and “s”. I say this because those two letters are one of the softer spoken letter sounds of the alphabet, so increasing your voice might help. I would give it another try before kicking it aside. Also have you tried the logitech one ??

  • Hi there! First off, your articles are a great help. I just got hired as a VIPKID teacher, and I’ve read that they platform only works in certain countries. Does that mean they can only hire from certain countries or that you can’t even travel to those places and work?

    • Hey Joanna,

      this was the case but not anymore! There platform is now able to work just about anywhere. To use their own words, VIPKID states “You can work with VIPKID from anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection.” This was the answer provided for the frequently asked question, “Where do I have to live to be eligible to work for VIPKID?”.

      And that is why VIPKID is one of the best online English teaching company for travelers or anyone really lol.

  • Thank you so much for this information! This is gold! I am just starting the work online/travel lifestyles, and this tips are excellent.
    Cheers :)

  • Lots of amazing information! Well done! I too am a traveling VIPKid teacher (2.5 years- from 15 countries). One thing I’d like to clarify–you said the download speed is the main thing to worry about. I’ve found that this is not exactly true–both your ping and your upload speed also definitely matter. Upload is how your student sees you. Your video is uploaded to their end. If your upload speed is slow your student won’t see you clearly and there will be a delay between your speech & your video. I’ve taught with fast download speeds and crap upload speeds and had issues; watched the replay and noticed that I had a big delay. I also recommend traveling with an ethernet chord and connecting directly to the modem whenever possible (ask your airbnb host if they have a modem in house). It can make a HUGE difference. You can’t beat a direct connection over wifi. Also, one tool I’ve found super useful is a portable laptop stand–it has helped me turn bedside tables into a workable desk and it saves my neck/back during long bouts of teaching, while still fitting in my carry on bag :)

    • Hey Lindsay,

      You’re the perfect example of how VIPKID is perfect for travelers :)

      You make a great point with the upload/ download speed! I’ll have to make edits. Thanks for your suggestions and advice. I didn’t think about the portable laptop stand, it’s brilliant!

      Thanks again :)

  • Hi! Loved your post about teaching at VIPkid while living/traveling abroad and it got me really excited! I’m leaving in January to go teach English in Madrid for 10 months and am really excited about the potential to earn more money while there. Had a few questions- how do taxes work? Does it matter that you’re not in the US? Does the income go towards US income/taxes? Also, are you able to teach in public places like libraries/cafes if you have headphones/wifi?? I’ve seen posts online now that I’ve looked into applying saying you can make 600$ a month. Are you still able to make more than that? I think your post said you were making 2000$ or so a month. Thanks so much for answering!
    Carrie

    • Hey Carrie,

      I personally can’t give advice on taxes as I have yet to go through tax season while teaching with VIPKID. I can only speculate. So I highly recommend asking a tax lawyer or do research via the IRS site as every persons situation is different. It depends on too many factors to say this is how you do it or this will happen since you are abroad (I guess that’s why everyone hates Tax Season).

      As for teaching in cafes, I would avoid it if I can as wifi isn’t always reliable (unless you bring a wifi hotspot device with you), and you can’t really control the environment or the noise volume (unless you have a noise cancelling headset). I personally wouldn’t do it unless I absolutely had too (like the time I taught in a hotel lobby (never again) Plus I look super silly, screaming and acting crazy with my kids lol.

      You can definitely make more than $600 a month! However, it depends on how many hours you have available to teach and your pay base. In the beginning when I first started, I was only able to teach less than 20 hours and made ~$1,700 so yeah it’s possible.

      Hope this covers some of your questions Carrie.

  • Bradley Jefferson

    Great article thank you so much! I have been a VIPKID teacher for two years. Any tips on Bali? How was your experience there with wifi? Really appreciate the help!

  • Claudine

    I have a question about TEP. My internet at home has been unstable lately, and I am looking into buying the hotspot and paying per day, because it could take a day or two for tech support to fix it each time it goes out. How many classes you teach in a day with TEP at high speed, with video for VIPKID? I am a VIPKID teacher, and I need a back-up plan for this shady internet! Can I teach 10 classes with video for myself and the student on TEP’s one gig of fast wi-fi? Is the service too slow after the one gig is up? Thanks so much!

    • Hey Claudine,

      I think TEP would be a good alternative for yout “shady internet”(lol). Yes, you can, I have taught 14 classes a day without issues (this also includes my partner using the internet as well -not to teach but for other things). Hope this help!

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