I’m often asked about me and my partner are able to sustain our lives on the road. There are so many ways to do this, but the way we’ve gone with is teaching English online.
I work for two companies focused on Chinese youth (Gogokid and VIPkid). Both pay very well (about $25/hr). The only requirements they have are some experience with kids, a four year degree, and being from either from the USA or Canada.
I have a classroom set up in our van (a background dangles behind the passenger seat!) and I hotspot from my phone. We usually buy sim cards in whichever country we are visiting and set the computer on top of the dashboard for good, natural light.
I think this type of work has really opened up the doors for many travelers, so I hope this community can benefit from it, too!
Hey!
I’m super curious about teaching online! Have you had good experience with those companies? What’s a “typical” work schedule look like for you? Does the company offer other benefits?
Thanks in advance for answering the loads of questions I have! I’ve looked into a few different teaching companies but always get nervous because I don’t know if it’s all legitimate or if it’s all too good to be true!
-Madeline
I totally understand what you mean! I have had a great experience so far, mostly because I feel very independent! You sign a 6 month contract with both, but in those 6 months you can make your own schedule, so you could work 3 times in 6 months and still be okay.
I have been working a lot in the winter so I don’t need to as much in the summer months on the road. I’ve been working (on average) about 4.5 hours a day. Keep in mind, working with kids in China means that you are flexible with their time zone. I work about 10am-2pm because for Beijing, that’s after school hours; 5pm-9pm. The biggest thing to consider is your data/internet connection. As far as benefits go, not really. I purchase separate health insurance, etc. They understand the taxing systems in Canada and the USA so they send you a W2 form for Americans. I don’t know the process for Canadians.
There are so many interesting videos on youtube about both companies. I have been getting booked more on GogoKid, and they also have an enrollment bonus! Let me know if I can help with anything else!
Hello! I am currently teaching online in a college where I worked as a teacher/administrator. I am planning to get my future van in the Spring of 2019 and begin travelling in January of 2020. I know the college will ask me to teach my course again (it runs from Jan-June) but my worry is the internet connection. It must cost you a fortune in data if you are using your hotspot. Canadians pay much more for internet, phone and data than Americans and Europeans so this is a concern for me. I can imagine being in the Arizona desert stressing about wifi because I have to correct assignments, make videos and connect to my learners. What do you think? Any ideas?
You can look to see if there are any tourist SIM cards and buy some of those online! I understand those concerns. In Croatia I paid about 10euros for 1 week (20G) so it was very easy. I’m looking into some other options now for other countries too. I hope you find something in the states! It’s a huge market so you’ll have plenty of choices.
