TEACHING ENGLISH ONLINE - RESOURCES
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
RECOMMENDED TEFL CERTIFICATION
This is the Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certification that I have studied up on and suggest. It is affordable, accredited and online based.
ROSETTA STONE
THIS IS NOT REQUIRED to teach English online (usually). For instance, with VIPKID, you do not need to know an ounce of Chinese because the curriculum is designed so well. However, I just think it is cool to learn at least the basics and learning Chinese is a personal goal of mine. Again, this is not a "must have"!
VIPKID
This is the company that I work for. If you have a bachelor's degree, are eligible to work in the United States or Canada, speak fluent English and have "experience" teaching (this is a very loose requirement) - then you can apply via the button below. If you do, I'll give you access to my member's only section that'll help you get through the hiring process!
MY PREFERRED ONLINE TEACHING TECH
HotSpot
Even though my Internet at home is reliable most of the time, I have had a couple instances that it just stopped randomly for hours. This device saved me from cancelling classes. I would use my cellphone's HotSpot feature, but my cell signal isn't the greatest at home, so I have a HotSpot device, from a different service provider, JUST IN CASE.
Ethernet Cable
I highly recommend that you use an Ethernet cable to connect your laptop or computer directly to your modem/router. Doing this will help make your Internet speed not only faster, but more consistent when compared to WiFi. In fact, VIPKID highly recommends this and they actually asked me if I had an Ethernet cable during my interview. Which I did. Because my classroom is a long way away from my modem, I have a 100 foot Ethernet cable that I got off of Amazon. (No you don't have to get one that long)
'Beginner' Headset
Even though my Internet at home is reliable most of the time, I have had a couple instances that it just stopped randomly for hours. This device saved me from cancelling classes. I would use my cellphone's HotSpot feature, but my cell signal isn't the greatest at home, so I have a HotSpot device JUST IN CASE.
'Upgraded' Headset
Even though my Internet at home is reliable most of the time, I have had a couple instances that it just stopped randomly for hours. This device saved me from cancelling classes. I would use my cellphone's HotSpot feature, but my cell signal isn't the greatest at home, so I have a HotSpot device JUST IN CASE.
Elbow Pad
For real, this is kind of a big deal! I NEVER would have thought that this would be an issue, but after thousands of hours spent teaching online... it is, in fact, a big issue! This elbow pad is worth getting in my opinion.
External HD Webcam
I personally have a great HD internal webcam on my MacBook Pro, however, this is a great external HD webcam that I see people in the community using and the reviews on it seem to verify the quality as well. I think that this would be the webcam I would get if my laptop didn't have such a good internal one.
Easy Switch Webcam Cover
This is another little thing that I didn't know how awesome it was until I had it. When I enter a classroom early, I don't want to have the webcam on me until it is actually time to start the class (even if I'm early by only 30 seconds). With this little cover, I can switch it over in like one second. It's by no means a "necessity", but it will come in handy as you start teaching more and more classes... especially when you're early to class (which I always recommend).
Classroom Background
You can absolutely make your own background with as little as a map, some cut-out apples and a few other printable things, but I personally wanted to just get a portable background made that I could easily hangup, move, or change altogether. It was an easy thing to design over at VistaPrint and they often times have discounts going on (especially for first-time shoppers).
Classroom Lighting
Proper lighting can make a big difference for your classroom setup and for your student's overall experience when they're in your virtual classroom. When I first started, I just used bright white bulbs in two lamps with the shades taken off, but now I use two of these soft boxes because it's less stressful on my eyes and illuminates me and my classroom extremely well (without getting hot either). Again, this isn't a must and isn't top priority, but is something to think about down the road.
VIPKID SPECIFIC RESOURCES
SHOPTEACHERCHELSEY Apparel
Yes this is a plug for my shop, but I've created VIPKID themed shirts that are fun and unique. No, you do not need any specific shirt to teach for VIPKID. I just wanted to create some designs that matched my personality and would be fun to wear both in class and in the real world.
SHOPTEACHERCHELSEY Randomness
Aside from apparel, I also have mugs and tote bags that I personally find cute and freaking awesome. Feel free to check them out as well.
