Frequently Asked Questions

UNDERSTANDING THE APP and/or WEBSITE

LETTERS AFTER MY NAME

What are these letters that are after name my name, and can I get them changed?

These letters are unique to you and are used to identify you from amongst all of the others teaching who many share the same first name.  They cannot be changed.  I am Cecelia UK, nice to meet you!

THERE IS A FLOWER UNDER MY NAME

There is a flower under my name with some numbers next to it.  What is that?

If you have numbers, that means you have Followers!  Basically you have been bookmarked as a favorite teacher.

WHAT'S THE SYMBOL AND NUMBER NEXT TO THE FLOWER?

That's the number of tokens you have earned.

TELL ME ABOUT THE 24-HR BUTTON

Exhibit A:  From the website

Exhibit B:  From the App

On your left, 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30 are open.  The 5:30 slots, however, is marked as Short Notice.  That means that a student or VIPKid sales can book a slot there within a 24 hr time frame up to only 1 hour before class (some with even less that, though that is technically not supposed to happen).  If you have these checked, you need to be prepared to teach!  If you don't want to be caught with a class you didn't know about, uncheck every box!

On your right, all of these slots are OPEN....BUT the first two have the 24 hour box is checked (they're blue).  Someone could book those classes with less than 24 hours notice. 
Make sure you're prepared to teach them! 
If you might not be able to, uncheck the box!

Something new has begun to happen with slots when they are opened that has freaked out more than just a few people.  It says:  

Many people interpret this as meaning that their unbooked slots will automatically default to short notice if the slot hasn't been booked.  The freak out is understandable!  It's very poorly worded, and I have sent a ticket to VIPKid saying as much.  What the notification actually means is that if you open a slot within 24 hours of the time, it will default to short notice!  Well, it would have to, wouldn't it!!  You're opening it on short notice, so they're saving you a click. 

UNDERSTANDING THE LINGO

Who are The Firemen?

The Firemen are what VIPKid calls their tech support team.

What is "The Frenzy"?
Every Sunday night (at noon in China), the schedule opens up to families to choose their classes for the following week.  It can definitely be a frenzy when parents are trying to choose their favorite teachers, and those slots will fill up quickly.  We "newbie" teachers will just be hoping for whatever we can get!

How do I understand the lesson codes?

UNDERSTANDING THE TEACHING PROTOCOL

How long do I stay in the classroom for a SNS (Student No-Show)?

It depends.  If you are scheduled to teach a Trial Class, then you need to stay 15 minutes OR until the class is marked FINISHED on your Bookings Page either on the app or on the website.  If the class is going to be marked FINISHED prior to the 15 min. mark, it usually happens between 5 and 6 minutes into the class.

If it is an MC Class (Major Course), then you are expected to stay for the entire 25 minutes.

Do I need to contact the Firemen for a SNS (Student No Show)

Generally speaking, no.  You will, however, hear differing opinions on this.  For myself, I do not contact them.  I figure they have bigger fish to fry.  If it was a regular student, though, I would consider contacting the firemen.  They could see if perhaps the student is just running late.  You will not go wrong if you do not contact them as long as you stay in the classroom yourself for those times mentioned above.

If my class is marked Student No Show or Finished before the class starts, does that mean I don't have to enter the classroom?

Generally speaking, you get a paid break.  BUT....be careful!  If it was a 24-hour booking trial, another student could be slipped into that spot, so watch the slot!  If it's replaced with another student, you need to be there.

If I had a class marked Student No Show but then it was replaced with another student does that mean I get paid for both?

No, you only get paid for one.

If I'm in the classroom early and the student is there, too, can we just go ahead and start?

No!  Watch the classroom clock on the corner of the screen.  Your goal is to not present yourself until 0:00.  For myself, my camera takes an agonizing long minute (seems like) to turn on, so I open my camera at 2 or 3 minutes prior to start time and have it covered with a sticky note.  Then I take it off at 0:00 and smile big for my student!

And if I've got more to cover and don't have a class afterwards, can I just extend the class?

No.  Try very, very hard to clear out of there by the 28 minute mark at the latest.  There cannot be any expectation on the part of our students' families that they will be taught beyond 28 minutes, and when teachers do that, it sets a precedent that the next teacher will not fulfill.

So what are the time boundaries exactly when teaching the class?

Teach to the 25 minute mark NO MATTER WHAT, and then if you need to, you can teach to the 28 min. mark but not longer.

I finished a class and immediately got a notification for a priority booking request from that student.  What's up with that?

That's actually an automated system feature and not a request from the student.  It's giving you an opportunity to open that slot for that student now so they could get "first dibs" on it prior to The Frenzy.  It also means you don't currently have that slot open already.

I finished a class but it still says "Booked" on my portal.  Shouldn't it say "Finished"?  Did I do something wrong?
You didn't do anything wrong.  The classes update just after midnight BJT, so at that time it'll reflect appropriately in your portal and on your payment list.