Teaching English on SkimaTalk

After returning to the States, I looked for teaching positions abroad. Either there wasn't any that I wanted, or there was one that I wanted but it was either too late to go (think visa requirements) or I didn't have an EU passport. I still hope to teach abroad again, but for now, it's ok. I already have an English-teaching job where I choose exactly how much/little I want to teach and I never leave my home--possibly my room, but not my home!

I started teaching English online through SkimaTalk. It's a platform / "marketplace" where English teachers and students of English can meet and arrange to take classes via Skype. Here are a few things about SkimaTalk:

1. All English teachers are native speakers and citizens from one of there 7 countries: South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, UK, Australia, & USA.

2. The students are generally from Japan, Korea, and China. So far, all the students I've taught were Japanese--and they are all adults. I think you can offer to teach children if you want, but that's completely up to you. I prefer adults over children any day, personally.

3. Native English speakers DO NOT have to have teaching experience to sign up--but of course, it helps.

4. YOU pick as many/few sessions as you want to teach (1 session = 25 min). This is the most flexible scheduling I have ever seen--and yes, it's by half-hour.

You set your time zone when you make your profile, and no worries: the system does the conversion for you and your booked sessions are shown according to the time zone you chose, on your profile.

5. To be accepted, you have to set up your profile--include a professional-ish looking picture of you (must see your entire face and you must be alone in the picture--think passport picture or professional portrait) AND a short video (30 - 90 sec.) where you introduce yourself to your potential students and the SkimaTalk powers-that-be. You also need to take a test which is ridiculously easy. You submit everything to the SkimaTalk team and they will decide if you make the cut or not.

It doesn't say on their website, but when you're going through the process, you'll be directed to another site, where it states that they accept about 10% of the applicant requests they receive. Don't let that stop you! Just show them how interesting you are (be enthusiastic, speak Japanese, etc.) in your profile and especially in your video intro. and you'll most likely be accepted.

6. One thing you might not like, is that you will not get paid for your first 3 classes. This is like an orientation to the system by testing the waters with actual students (all students will know whether you're a new teacher in the system or not. Your profile keeps a public record of how many sessions you've taught in the system). But once you've taught your first 3 classes, you'll automatically start getting paid the average $8 USD per session (yeap, session = half hr., so you can potentially make $16 USD /hr!).

7. As far as pay, there are different types of classes and the pay ranges from $8 - $14 USD per session. In order to get paid, you need to set up a PayPal account. Around the 10th of the following month is when they pay you (i.e. I got paid Sept. 9 for the classes I taught in Aug.). SkimaTalk will take a cut (you'll get $6.40 from $8) and PayPal will take another short cut.

For example, I got about $40.80 from SkimaTalk, and by the time it arrived to my PayPal account, it was $39.28 (or something--after SkimaTalk & PayPal deductions). I don't think it's that bad, but of course, that's just me.

8. Don't get into it thinking you can work there full-time and earn full-time-worth money (unless you have some magical secret weapon up your sleeve) because I'm basically free all day, and I had 9 (3 were unpaid, because they were my very first 3) sessions in 1 month. Hey, I'm not complaining (better than nothing), just keep in mind that this is better as an "on-the-side" kind of gig to get some pocket money.

9. Now the schedule is an interesting element. SkimaTalk has a feature in which the sessions you schedule will disappear after a certain amount of time, if students haven't booked any of said sessions.

I'll try to explain it and provide examples. Bear with me. Here we go. . .

* If you open your teaching session between 30 min. -3 hours before your first planned session, they will disappear 30 min. before the schedule start time IF no one books it. You will need to be by your computer at this time, since you never know when someone might book a session.

Example: It's noon. I opened a session from 14:00 - 15:00 (1 hour = 2 sessions).

No one signs up for my 14:00 class by 13:30, so the 14:00 slot disappears, but the 14:30 is still open.

14:00 comes, no one signed up, the 14:30 slot disappears, my schedule is free.

** If you open your session between 3 - 12 hours before, your sessions will disappear 3 hours before they are scheduled to begin. Again, this is only if no one signs up for a class with you during your open sessions.

Example: It's 9:00. I opened my sessions from 15:00 - 17:00 (2 hrs, 4 sessions), and 19:00 - 20:00 (1 hr, 2 sessions).

It's noon. No one signed up for 15:00, but someone has booked the 15:30 & 16:30 sessions. The 15:00 slot disappears, but the booked sessions stay there until after you teach and submit your evaluation (a MUST; Skip the evaluation, skip the pay. It's that simple.). 16:00 slot remains open (it's noon, 4 hours before, not 3. It'll disappear if no one books by 13:00).

*** If you open your sessions at least 12 hours before, but less than 8 days before, they will disappear if no on signs up by 12 hours before your class begins.

Example: It's 20:00 on Sunday. I booked 3 sessions starting at 20:00 on Monday (24 hours before class starts). If no one books your slot for 20:00 on Monday by noon of the same day, the 20:00 slot will disappear.

Did that make sense?

10. There is a wide variety of classes you can teach. Best part? They are all set up and prepared for you! All you have to do is look at the material to familiarize yourself for a few minutes. Only in "Free Conversation" lessons, are you free to do whatever you want. You can experiment and try something new with the student (oh yeah, all these classes are 1-on-1). You can just have a conversation, but make sure that the student is doing most of the talking and that you are correcting them as much (and as gentle) as possible.

SkimaTalk is perfect for me right now. It gives one of the most flexible scheduling options (you can teach all-day everyday, or 1 session once a week. Completely up to you) I've ever seen. So far, all of my students have been Japanese (I believe it's an American company with 80%+ Japanese clientele--but don't quote me on that, 'cause I honestly don't know).

Of course, there is so much more, but it's best if you check it out for yourself by clicking: SkimaTalk.
I hope this has been helpful to anyone interested. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment! If you have a question, chances are that a hundred others have the same question: let's save & help each other, ok? That sounds fair?