Teaching Online: Outschool vs VipKid Part I

Outschool vs VipKid

There are has been a large influx of VipKid teachers venturing to teach on the Outschool platform.

Both platforms utilize online technology to educate children, but there are some major differences.

VipKid teaches children English with ready-made class material and Outschool has a variety of classes from academic to extracurricular. While there are some similarities, the differences are important to note when venturing into the world of online education as a teacher.

Scheduling and Class Material

The target audience of VipKid is children ages 5-12 with an objective to teach them English through the platform’s virtual classroom. The teaching material is made for the teachers, they have to follow a basic script to teach the grammar rules, and leave feedback after each 25-minute class. With this company, you log in, review the slides, and prepare to teach. The teachers can still select their availability and then wait for their class slots to fill. Take note of the time zone difference as the majority of the learners are based in China, although they have expanded to other countries. Working hours will vary but are primarily early am (3 am – 8 am) and late evenings. If there are technical issues during class or behavior issues, the teacher can reach out to the “Firemen” to have the problem rectified.

Vipkid has different levels teachers can teach based on their qualifications and experience. If one prefers teaching younger children or more advanced learners, there are options to teach those levels.

The Outschool platform differs in that the lessons are not made for the teachers. It is the responsibility of the teacher to create their material, choose their hours (how long the class will be, which days/times to teach), and to provide material and feedback through the classroom page which is a very basic learning management system that allows the teacher and learners to upload documents, type in a chatbox, and create videos. If there is a technical issue or behavior problem, teachers have to find the solutions and manage the learners. Teachers are able to email support as well.

Outschool also has four different class types for teachers to choose from. Classes can range from one-time to multi-day, and even pre-recorded flex classes.

As with any online teaching platform, there are pros/cons. One should not expect to move from VipKid to Outschool and think they will have the same teaching experience. VipKid classes are 1:1 and Outschool class sizes vary; however, they do prefer smaller class sizes (1:6; 1:9; depending on age range).

Payment and Reviews

VipKid tells potential teachers they can make up to $24/hr whereas Outschool states teachers can make $40+/hr. VipKid allows parents to look through profiles to select the teacher they want their child to take classes with and teachers are rated using a five-point system. The points are given out as apples. A teacher with five apples is more likely to be selected but one bad apple can drop a teacher’s overall rating fast. Parents and children are able to leave feedback about the teacher. Outschool teachers have a starred review where parents can rate classes from 1-5 and leave feedback. The reviews appear on the teacher’s profile. Both don’t distinguish the teaching from the technical issues that may arise.

An Outschool teacher determines how much they make based on how often they teach and if they have enrollment, which may take some time to build up as parents look at profile reviews and a new teacher may not have any reviews or classes taught. VipKid payment has two options for payment – once a month or a bi-monthly payment option. Outschool teachers get paid 7-10 days after they teach a class through PayPal.

Application Process

The application process is different too. While VipKid used to be more lax about qualifications, as the company began to grow, so did the requirements to teach English online. The process includes completing mock classes, either live or pre-recorded, to determine if the applicant will be a good fit. They do offer easy training modules and quizzes to help teachers learn about the platform and to teach advanced levels. The Outschool application process requires a video for approval. Approved applicants get to have live calls with teacher mentors about how to develop classes, navigating the platform, and using Zoom (where the classes are hosted). Outschool teachers do not have to have a degree or certification to teach on the platform. VipKid requires a Bachelor’s degree, must have eligibility to work in the US or Canada, and have one year of teaching experience. A criminal background check must be completed for both.

As with any place of employment, it is important to learn about the company prior to applying. Both companies offer FAQs, there are numerous Facebook groups, bloggers, and YouTubers that have dedicated their time to explain how to get hired, what the work environment is like, and what to expect. Everyone’s experience will be different. Being prepared will help when navigating these two companies.

Below is a short, personal video about my experience working for both companies.

Interested in teaching online? Click here

Want to get a $20 credit towards your first class on Outschool?  Click here