The VIPkid Train Gains Momentum!

So as Christmas rolled around ... this gig called "VIPkid" was taking off.  Christmas was not bleak, but I gave more to the two small ones hoping the big ones would understand, they were both adults now and had had many big Christmases in their past.  I even managed to sneak in some Black Friday shopping.

I was SO exhausted.  Waking up at 4:30 every single morning for over 40 days and still trying to run a full schedule ...  ....  but the shocking thing was the "involuntary naps".   I found that I had no control over these naps that I would suddenly find myself waking up and a whole hour was gone out of my day.   Never in my life had I had this much problem staying awake ... and I chalked it up to one more thing in my brain that the stroke had affected.   In my attempts to stay awake for the 2 hours required (5am - 7am) that could be booked as a short notice, I started watching the "Highlander" series on Amazon Prime.  A show that had been on my "rewatch" status for a long time.  (Side Note:  my husband says I don't watch TV like you are supposed to - I fast forward and skip whole sections)  anyway, I managed to cover the entire series in a little over 2 months of these early morning times.

I homeschooled 2 extra kids 3 days a week, and those days, I just opened the door at 7am and kept going with my day.  Otherwise, I went back to bed or turned off the light and fell asleep in my chair.   Nights remained chaotic as the ref was .. reffing ... and he was seldom home nights between McDonald's and reffing.  At this time also, our car seemed to be IN the shop for repairs almost as often as it was OUT.   From late August on, with growing frequency, we had one electrical repair after another from needing to replace a "newish" battery to a starter and so on.  This meant that getting anywhere was difficult and we relied heavily on friends and family to get us places.

Finally my "big break" arrived!  December 23, wee house of the morning, I managed a booking that didn't disappear!   And I taught my first class to a kid named "Hamburger" I think, or was it "Minecraft".   We laughed and enjoyed ourselves and managed to only go over a few minutes.  Another class the next day, and 4 in a row Christmas morning.  And a few rebooked and left 5 apples.  I was so excited.

As we rolled through January, I was becoming more desperate for sleep.  I did not  want to sleep through the school day, and being a light sleeper, the refs very different schedule and only 3 beds in the house, meant I was falling asleep at odd times, forcing those 2 hours awake, and often taking advantage of any reprieve (kids in church or on an outing) just to be able to sleep in quiet bliss for a few hours.   Without it, my blood pressure shot up.  Also, I'm a sleepy snacker.  If I'm tired, I eat to stay awake.   And the negative side effect is ... pounds.  I began to notice my hard won weight loss beginning to reverse.

Being desperate, I began dragging blankets and pillows into the hallway or Sunshine's room, just to sleep for a few hours before teaching.


As January rolled to the end, I found myself very close to my goal of 50 classes per month, but just shy of the 45 class bonus.  I sent in a ticket, and to my delight, a few more classes booked, bringing me to 46 for the month.  I was OVER THE MOON.  For the first time, there was a deposit to my bank for VIPkid.   It wasn't much, but it would relieve the tight budget.  ... Or help pay for the car bills.

At any rate ....  I was making a bit of cash and for the first time in 20 years, we didn't wonder if the paycheck would stretch to cover the bills.

February did see us hitting a major glitch.  We had a 1TB data plan ... imagine our shock when we were notified 20 days into the month that we were over our plan!  HOW did we use up a whole TB of data?   We traced the source back to my computer ... and then to my teaching Chrome Account. ....  It took us about 2 weeks, but most of the data was being eaten by my using Google Slides group accounts.  Once I copied the files into my own account, changed to Firefox, and put a choker program to close the tabs that I was not using, the data usage dropped to normal.

Just if you are wondering ... Teaching 4-5 classes with Google Slides runs about a GB of data is all.   Which means that if I have to use our hot spot (and I have) then I do not have to worry about using the entire data plan for our cell phones.   I use Google Slides on 2 devices.  I have a borrowed iphone that I use for reward slides, and my personal phone is for the teaching slides.

Currently my hours are from 4:30 - 7:00 AM every morning, and Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 to 11PM ... whatever books.  I try to not book more than 5 either night and give myself a break every 2 or 3 classes. 

I have a bedtime goal of 10-11 pm, though I'm good if I get in bed by midnight.  I have taught as early as 3:30am, but found it too exhausting to power through to 7am.   I tried teaching just week mornings for 3 hours.  But that was harder than 7 days a week.  I didn't book classes past 9:30 until recently. 

China passed new laws and now I have lost my 7am - 8am teaching slots (everybody did).  So, I moved that class to 4am/4:30am ... and discovered 5 classes is my upper limit without a break.  I have to take off the headphones and walk around!  5 x 7 is 35, so I make up those last 5 classes on the weekend nights.  I may try to push to 50 a week if I can establish a routine for the family.

After my last class, I do feedback until my eyes start closing, then drop into a bed and sleep until my body lets me wake up again between 9 and 11 am.  THEN we get going on the day.  In total, I require 6 hours of sleep to function, and if I am woken after that 6 hours, I can't go back to sleep.



I also started my own YouTube Channel!  ENJOY!

If you want to learn more?... Use my referral link.  I do help answer questions and point you in the direction of more help if you need it.

Sorry, this opportunity is no longer available in California.

https://www.vipkid.com/mkt/landing/personal?referralToken=feaab199743bc457bb432c2e2fd45689&refereeId=22183117


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTQyvjRMBIg&t=227s

VIPkid's "Sister" site = LingoBus Free Class

LingoBus teaches Chinese to kids - most speak English.

We have a Chinese teacher who speaks Chinese who works with our Little Sunshine once or twice a week.

It uses a lot of the same format and VIPkid teachers get a discount as one of our job perks.

LingoBus is offering a great deal to the kids using the program ...

Use this link to take a FREE demo class, and when you buy a 10 class package you will get 2 classes more FREE.

https://www.lingobus.com/?referralCode=4RZXHS

During November, they are also running a second Bonus .... finish a Demo and GET A FREE CLASS!!!

My daughter has taken 34 classes and is halfway through Level 1, she's found an awesome teacher and takes classes 1 or 2 times a week. There is a lot of support material available as well.

Honestly, Free classes? What have you got to lose? It's FUN!!! It's a lot like the curriculum that I teach to the Chinese children ... and you can watch that class over and over again.

Disclaimer ... Sunshine will also get a free class if you use my link.

VIPkid Starting Out ...

VIPkid.  https://t.vipkid.com.cn/mkt/landing/personal?referralToken=feaab199743bc457bb432c2e2fd45689&refereeId=22183117


September ... I once again pulled out the VIPkid link, dusted it off, and this time I filled out the application form online, following the advise of others from Youtube and blogs.  I scraped out any and every child teaching experience that I could think of and listed it.  AND they were interested!   Looking back, there was one I should have written down.  The year I taught kindergarten, I had a little girl that was learning English as a second language in my classroom ... but I forgot.

The VERY NEXT DAY I had a returning email... Let's set up an interview!

So, now I panic.  I needed to set up a space, we were still moving and unpacking.  I needed a headset too.  And it took a few weeks to get all of the required essentials together.  I contacted the company... what is the next step?

We set up an interview ... and wouldn't you know, our city had a frightful thunderstorm roll in right as the time for the interview rolled in.  It was loud enough that Oscar heard it and laughed a few times.   Twice during the "mock class" our internet and lights were knocked out for a brief second, and God blessed and brought them right back.  I certainly would pass on the tech side!   And ... I passed!  Without a teaching certification, I was not offered the top dollar ... but it was a lot more than I've ever made!   You get offered a "per hour" rate ... but you are actually paid per class with bonuses at certain milestones.  Such as, if you are on time, you get a bonus for every single class that you are on time for. 

So, now I was on to step 3.   I needed to set up a mock interview to pass a certification for actual teaching.   Up until that month, the set up had been ... two mocks and you are out of here.  Now, you take the mocks until they feel you are ready.   It took 3 for me to get the background and lighting and pacing down to what they liked.   In the process, I rearranged my living room 3 or 4 times.

But finally, I passed the Level 2/3 Certification.  This would give me 2 levels to teach .. except, they were switching kids over to learn in the "Interactive" Level 2.  So, I decided to go for that one as well.

Knowing what I do NOW, I would not have signed my contract until I passed the second certification, but ... I did.   And while it was not related ... I promptly got very sick.   I ran a fever for 4 days, and slept much of that time.   Obviously, I did not open slots to teach while I was sick.  In fact, I didn't do anything.

By the time I got myself pulled together and started to open slots, nearly 2 weeks had passed.  I got booked, cancelled, booked cancelled.   Sigh.

Eventually I slugged through the mail and found the "take these special workshops for new teachers" email.   I started in on the list, but missed out on several bonuses because I didn't get them all in within the first 2 weeks. 

Eventually, I did pass the Level 2 Interactive as well, but it took 3 tries in the "fake classroom".

Maybe this wasn't for me?

Thanksgiving was approaching and the company began to offer "PPT Short Notice" bonuses ... most kids in China take their classes between 7pm and 9pm Beijing Time.  Most teachers dropped the number of slots that they were willing to open during the Holidays.

So each morning, I got up at 4am, set up the classroom, and waited to see if anyone would book me on short notice.  Crickets.

On the other side of the coin ... I managed to watch the entire 5 Seasons of an old favorite TV program in order on Amazon Prime.   That had been on my bucket list for ages. 

I kept taking Workshops.  I kept doing Hutong Challenges.  I joined various FB groups.  I changed my pictures.  I changed my video.  I changed my tags.  I had plenty of time between 4am and 7am to do all kinds of things in the absolute quiet.

Then, on Christmas Eve's Eve (43 days from signing that contract) ... I was booked.  It was 1:30 AM ... BUT I was booked!!!  And I taught my very first class.  The next morning, I taught a Short Notice class at 5:30 AM.   Christmas Morning - I had all 4 of the PPT slots booked!   and of those 6 classes 3 of them rebooked for 2 weeks out  (one of those is still with me)!   By the end of December, I had taught 10 classes.  The first week of January was similar to Christmas week.  I finished January will 46 classes.   And some of those kids were coming back!    My first payment in January was not much (November and December combined), less than $200 ... but it was money!   And I more than doubled that for the month of January! 

So, now the challenge was to keep the kids coming back and giving them a great class.

AND THEN ... it was Chinese New Year .... turns out the Chinese are fiercely Family Oriented and Holidays were frequent and important....

And a friend found a garden decoration that was a sheep on a stick.  Now, I collect sheep.  My house has so many of them... so it was an excellent prop.  I named her Sparkle and let her give the stars.  The kids LOVED this!   And suddenly - I had my gimmick for the parents and kids to remember me.


So ... what next?   Will I fly or flop?

And So a NEW Chapter Begins in My Life

I suspect many out there will take ONE look at that picture and know EXACTLY what I've gotten myself into.

VIPkid.  https://t.vipkid.com.cn/mkt/landing/personal?referralToken=feaab199743bc457bb432c2e2fd45689&refereeId=22183117


Money has been tight for YEARS.  And I've struggled again and again to find a way to make extra cash.  I have an affiliate link for so many different places ... but not enough traffic to make much more than $50 a year.  IF I'm lucky.

Swagbucks was great for a while.  http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/MountainLamb  .... and I have made about $400 ... over the past 10 years.  Sigh.  It's not as easy to rack up the swagbucks any more ... and they changed search engines and format, so I find myself going elsewhere to search at least 25% of the time.  Still, if I wanted to cash it in, I have $10 that I can move to Amazon cards!

I also wrote short stories - which Kendra published on Amazon.   And curriculum which is available at School House Teachers .... link on the sidebar.

Back in February or March last year.  I asked on Facebook ... where can I work from home online.   And I got a lot of good ideas.   Some required training, some making phone calls in the middle of the day, some lots of time.  But none of it appealed, and I bogged out.  Then 3 or 4 people who knew me well said, "Try VIPkid."   One sent a link.  And I checked it out.

Bummer.  I needed MUCH faster internet.  And ethernet.  ... BUT the rest looked great.   THIS was something that appealed to me!

Our trailer continued to fall apart.  We had a hole in the roof in the bathroom, right next to the wall.  The furnace quit.  The hot water tank quit.  New hole in the floor and a new leak in the ceiling.  Our washer quit, and the list went on and on and on.  Every week or two, we added a new thing.  The entire AC duct system needed to be replaced, roof, walls, windows, floors, hot water tank, new AC and Furnace, most of the plumbing and electrical also needed to be redone.   AND on top of that... our neighbours were convinced that our daughter was vandalizing their property.   Shocking to us.  And it kept escalating to the point that she had to go live somewhere else and not risk coming home ever.   (They still watch the trailer frequently).

So .... you know, maybe it's just time to pull on the boots and MOVE.  We'd moved there temporarily over 15 years before.  My babies were adults now.  My 2 new babies were half grown.

So we began house hunting.

If we liked it.  We probably could not afford it.  If we could afford it, then it was in the bad part of town, small, or needed a LOT of fixing.  And the Ref is NOT a handyman, he's not even a good mow the yard and take out the trash type of guy.  So a fixer-upper is really OUT of the question.  We also needed a fenced yard for our dog.

Our dog died.  She just disappeared ... and we found her a week later about an acre back.  So sad.... but now we could afford an apartment maybe.

We started to look at rentals toward the end of spring.  Found a great one ... and it was rented the next day.  Sigh.

At one point, we thought we had a deal to buy a really wonderful trailer about 40 minutes away - it would need storage and maybe a fence.  But we fell in love with it.  And they told us it was ours and we signed and put our money down.  A month passes with no word.  Then they called to say they sold it to somebody else!!??!!

Then Song got a job being a nanny for a 3 year old.  They travel a LOT and Song goes with them.  They helped her get into college and she should be getting a driver licence soon.   We had been looking at sizes that would allow Song to live us.  Story wanted to stay with our Aunt.  So now, we only needed room for 2 kids.

It was now July.  We were getting desperate - as the Ref was to be starting volleyball season soon.

As it worked out, we were offered an apartment at $100 off because the renters had backed out at the last minute.   It was close, we barely qualified.  BUT they let us have it.  It's on a small lake, a huge tree outside the window, 2 balconies, 3 bedrooms.   It was still a stretch.  But the middle of town and we loved the location!

So August 1 found us moving in.  Getting internet.  Getting school organized.

Early September, I pulled up this thing called VIPkid and began looking at the details again.  I was determined to make it work!


To Be Continued ........