98% hardworking

This is one of my students from Japan that soon became my friend.

So, here I am again. Sharing a bit of my experiences towards my online jobs. Let me start once more. Before, we had an office as what I've mentioned from my past posts. But now, all the teachers in our company is at the comfort of their house. We call ourselves HOME-BASED online teachers. Well, this is very convenient for us because we don't have to go out anymore and experience traffic jams, pollution and etc. The owner of the company is the one who provides computer to us. (but for other teachers who have their own computer. She opted not to give them one.) So each one of us brought her computer at our own home. She is also the one who pays the internet every month, which is very great isn't it? So after the work had been situated in our home I told myself that this is my chance to have another job. I'll be honest that I really didn't settle for only one job as an online teacher. I usually starts my work in the afternoon and finish at night. So I have time in the morning and some hours at night too.

I got my first online part time job as a home-based online editor in one online company. I applied through email because I saw their job post at sulit.com. That company was Filipino-owned but the customers were Koreans. We have too edit essays, diaries, short stories, comments and many more. Editing their writing wasn't so hard but I find it very challenging. In editing their works, you must not change their idea, you must stick to what they wanted to say and you must try to use words that they must already knew. We had proofread student's writing as well.

After few months working in that company, I decided to resign because the pay wasn't that big. So I try to find another part time home-based job again. Luckily, I found one again. I found the job post at sulit.com again. (Well sulit.com is great place to search for home-based online jobs, according to my experience.) The company is looking for a home-based online teacher for Koreans. I didn't hesitate to apply because that's the current job that I have that time and I met most of their job qualifications. Few weeks after I passed my resume, I was invited for an online interview through Skype. I undergone three interview with three different people. The last person who interviewed me was the owner of the company. I also went through practice teaching too which lasted for 30 minutes. Two days after that, I got hired. The pay was 60php for 30 minutes which wasn't bad for a part time job. I lasted for 3 months working in that company. My boss there was one of the nicest people I've met, but unfortunately, I have conflicts with my schedule at my two jobs s I have to prioritized my non-part time job. (Anyway, I just had one student at his company, so it wasn't really regretful. The thing that I regretted most was my boss. He was a great lost. He was so kind and became my adviser too.)

Six months after I resigned at my last part time job, I decided to look for another job again. Fortunately, I passed from all the screenings, practice teaching and interviews that were given. The company who hired me was owned by Japanese. I have a wide experience towards teaching Koreans but I never handled a class with Japanese before. So that situation was new to me. My Japanese student's were very different from my Korean students. Most of my Japanese students were already professionals but my Korean students are mostly kids. But, I didn't find it hard to teach them because the class just lasts for 25 minutes every student. The starting pay in this company is 35php per 25 minutes for the first three months but they make mine 40php because according to them I met all of their qualifications and they knew that I was a hardworking person. Not bad. I have to wake up early in the morning, like 5:00am PT because most of my students are professionals and the best time for them to study is early in the morning. I lasted 5 months working in that company. I resigned because I got sick  most of the time and had a terrible stomachache. I miss my Japanese students.

Being a hardworking person is quite easy because I got used to it. I have to support my family and myself that's why my eagerness to earn is very strong. I work most of the day. I told myself already that in every hour that I will be spending  in-front of the computer must be paid. Lucky me, it's happening. ( But please don't think that I'm so rich. I just work 13 hours a day.)

That's it for now. Again sorry if you'll find my post messy and nonsense. I'm a newbie here. Thanks for appreciating for those who read it already. Soon, I'll be sharing on how did I get some direct students from Japan. Having direct students are much better because they have to pay you directly, no deductions. Be back to you soon. Thanks :)

How did I become an online teacher?

Hello there again. How have you been? So, one of my past posts already mentioned on how I got this job right? Well let me give you more details about it and I hope it'll  help you in the future. Let me start.

I got a message from a friend asking me if I wanted to be an online teacher, my first impression was, "OH, sounds cool." And then I sent her a reply asking how can I get an interview, what to bring and what to wear. So I got the information needed. The next day, I didn't hesitate to go there because I got too excited from what my friend told me, that the pay for this kind of job is PER HOUR.

When I entered the office, I saw some teachers teaching through Skype. At first, I felt scared because nobody approached me but as soon as their class finished they greeted me and said hello. I got an interview from one of the teachers. The interview wasn't that difficult at all because the questions were more about my personal information but I have to do it in English of course. Few minutes after I got interviewed, I had a chat with the owner of the company and had another interview through Skype (because she was in Korea that time). The interview was quite interesting because it was my first time to talk to Korean. I'll be honest that her English wasn't that good but I had a good conversation towards her and I'm proud of myself that I was able to understand what she was saying.

After that day, the teachers and the owner told me to go back to that office to observe. Observation is what I did most in the first few weeks of my training in that office. I have to observe how the teacher teaches the students, how they should handle stubborn kids, how to make myself comfortable with this work. That wasn't so hard after all. The other part of my training is my pronunciation and reading. If you are going to deal with children specially Korean kids, you have to speak depending on their level and you have to use the simplest word as possible (but for others it might not apply). The other part of the training was to handle classes with the daughter of my boss. I didn't really find it hard again to talk to her because she is very jolly. She is easy to cope up with so we had great lessons that time. Upon teaching her, she is the one who is evaluating me if I can handle other Korean kiddos. Well, fortunately I passed. That was the first job that I had after I graduate. It was very convenient for me because the office isn't that far though it was very creepy inside it. Anyway, that's what I can share again for now. Hopefully soon I will share on what I did from being an online teacher. I'll give you hint, I didn't settle for only one work. Be back soon. God bless. (Sorry if you find my post messy.)

I'm just sharing this picture of ours. This was taken when we had swimming in Tabacco.

Life of an online teacher.

One of my first student. Kate

While studying. (sorry for the photo)

Sopy and I. While she was annoying me before studying.

Well, here I am again sharing of what an online teacher is about. When I got hired as an O.T (online teacher) I can say that I already have the passion to speak in English. I was already fluent in speaking and writing. But like what I've said before I don't close myself for improvements, I need it, well infact, everybody needs it.

I got too excited that time because I will be meeting Koreans, meaning I'll be able to talk to someone using English. And then the work had started. It wasn't so nervous at all because most of my students are children. And all I have to do is to teach them in the simplest way as possible. I find it very interesting to deal with them specially if you saw their cute faces and cute reactions which makes my heart filled with joy. I have some simple tips for you if you wanted to be an online English teacher. You must have:

1. Good English Skills. - well as a Filipino most of us have this already but let's admit that some of us need more improvements. Don't be satisfied from what you've learned. Always enhance your English skills (specially if you are not an English major when you were in College or University).

2. Be jolly and know your interest. - being jolly is a must for you to deal with other nationalities specially for Koreans and Japanese. Know your interest by asking yourself if you can stand teaching them despite of their mistakes and misunderstandings and what you can share with them everyday. You have to show your interest in whatever they say and probably learn from it. It's much better if you are going to let yourself like those things and not force yourself to hear those things from them.

3. Make yourself friendly. - you're not just going to deal with one student or two but more. So be ready to know them and to share a bit of you soon as you teach them English.

4. Read lessons in advance. - reading the lesson in advance is much better than reading and knowing it on the spot. This is a way to earn money so let's be fair enough to teach them well by being professional.

5. Most of all -- BE PATIENT. - sooner or later you'll be encountering students who aren't listening to what you are saying, making faces, saying bad things against you and dropping the call while you are talking. Well all I can say is be patient. If your patience is long enough to handle stubborn kids, well, I'll tell you to make it longer. Patience is a must, it's one of the biggest requirement you must have if you wanted to have this kind of job.

Be ready, not all the time your lesson with your kiddos will be as interesting as it can be. We became student once so let's admit that there are times that we felt bored specially if the topic wasn't that interesting. Soon I'll be sharing more about being an online teacher. I hope this post helps. Be with you soon.

What I have learned and what to improve.

Sopy and I

One of my students, Gini.

As I have said, I am an online teacher for the past 2 years of my life till now. Teaching English wasn't that difficult but I always see to it that I also learn from my students. I am good in English but still want to enhance more of it. I don't close my doors for improvements, that's why I watch some English movies, dramas and some reality shows that interest me. I also even listen to some audios over the internet to enhance my pronunciation. Though i'm really not into reading novels, I find myself interested in reading some news (old or new), magazines and some short articles that could make my english improved.

Like what I've mentioned earlier, I see to it that teaching Koreans and Japanese makes me learn more about their culture, customs and attitudes. I always find it interesting talking with them and knowing who they are, what they have and what makes them being themselves. I can even tell some differences between their cultures. I love chatting with them.