Do You Have A Time Slot
When you first start teaching with VIPKid, it’s important to understand how bookings work. Here’s a quick guide to opening time slots and checking for bookings, to help you get started.
Starting teaching
- Similarly, if you’re a night owl, and not even a treble expresso can get the synapses firing until the early afternoon, try to pick a time when you know you’ll be at your best. Avoid the slot immediately after lunch, unless you happen to be particularly dynamic, because the body takes a while to digest the food, and most interviewers dread.
- Click in a time slot, or click and drag to select multiple hours. The new event box will open. Click the Appointment slots link. Click More options. Enter the details of the appointment slots. Use the image below to guide you. Click Save when you’re done. The appointment slots will be displayed in your calendar.
- It listens for a permission to transmit and then begins a call to all other talk group members who will also receive on that same time slot, e.g., Time Slot 1. Meanwhile, a different group of users on another talk group could be using Time Slot 2 simultaneously. Well almost simultaneously, offset by 30 ms., but you would never know the.
You can start getting bookings and teaching as soon as:
1. You have signed your contract and uploaded your pics, bio and video.
2. VIPKID have seen your signed contract and certified you for at least one level. (Check this on the Teacher App.)
If you can’t get a time slot for grocery delivery, try these alternatives Posted Mar 27, 2020 Murray’s Cheese has closed shops to help fight the spread of coronavirus, but is still delivering. The next step you have to take before you start spinning the reels is to set an amount you want to invest in playing your preferred slot game. The best way to determine the right amount is to multiply the number of credits by the number of spins.
Opening time slots
1. Go to theteacher portal.
2. Click on the ‘unlock’ button at the top right. The purpose of the lock button is to stop you accidentally opening slots while on your booking page.
3. Click on the time slot you want to open and select ‘available’.
Remember to check if your classes have been booked every day! Normally, they can be booked anytime from two weeks in advance, until 24 hours before the class (assuming you don’t tick the short notice box).
The short notice option
You will see a short notice option on time slots when you click on them: this is the 24hr notice box.
Checking the short notice box means that classes CAN be booked (and/or cancelled and re-booked) within 24 hours of the start time: anytime up to 1 hour before the class.
Fortunately, if the slot has not yet been booked, you can uncheck this option at any time.
I recommend checking the short notice option to help get high demand last-minute trial bookings. But untick again before you go to bed / several hours before the class! That way, you avoid missing the class or having to plan at the last minute.
Time slot colors
Time slots available for bookings appear white / pale gray.
Peak times (evenings and weekends Beijing time) say ‘hot’.
Peak peak times (7-9pm Beijing time) say ‘very hot’.
Time slots you have opened appear blue and say ‘available.
After a student has booked, the slot will turn green, usually with the student’s name. You can then go to the ‘classroom’ tab to find out more about the class.
After the class has finished, the slot will turn grey. This may not happen until around midnight-2am Beijing time.
Sometimes the slot turns gray before the class. This means the student has cancelled within 24 hrs.
If it is a gray trial class, VIPKID can re-book the slot for another trial student at any time (regardless of the short notice option), so you must be prepared to teach. If it is a gray MC class, they cannot re-book unless you had selected the short notice option.
How many slots to open
The really great thing about VIPKID (compared to most other companies), is that there is no minimum number of hours you have to teach per week.
You can open as few or as many as you like, at whatever times suit you. You can take time off simply by not opening your schedule, (but let VIPKID know if you’re away for more than a week).
The disadvantage of this system is that you aren’t guaranteed hours. Sometimes it is hard to get bookings as a new teacher, especially when VIPKID has been recruiting a lot at once.
Do You Have A Time Slot
As a new teacher, it’s good to open as many slots as you can. But only open those you can definitely teach if they do get booked! I.e. don’t open ten in a row, if you aren’t willing to teach ten in a row.
Opening peak peak times (7-9pm Beijing time) and weekend slots (weekend daytime Beijing time) will help a lot. Ticking the short notice option can also help, but see my warning above.
See here for more techniques to increase your bookings.
How slots are booked
Trial classes are booked by VIPKID HQ on behalf of the parents. This means they are equally likely to be booked anytime of the week, but usually 9am-5pm Chinese time (overnight in the Americas). VIPKID HQ do try to give some of these bookings to new teachers.
Most bookings are for PPT times and weekends. About 50% end up being student no shows, but you will still get paid 50% of your pay (+ incentives) for showing up to teach.
Major course classes are booked directly by parents 1-2 weeks in advance. Bookings open at 12 noon (Chinese time) on Mondays: Sunday evenings American time.
Calendar With Time Slots
Make sure to have your time slots open by Sunday evening, to have a chance of getting booked by parents. Teachers call this the ‘booking frenzy’.
Parents may also book at other times, but it is less likely. As a new teacher, it will take parents some time to ‘find you’, so try to get some trials and ask for apple feedback from those in the meantime.
Priority booking happens after you teach a class. If it’s an MC class, the parents can book (if you have the time open), or request to book (you will see a request on your portal or app) the same time in two weeks.
This gives them the opportunity to book in advance, ahead of the frenzy. You can decline these requests and give a reason, but it’s best to accept them if you can. The easiest way is to make sure you already have the priority time slot open before you teach.
Read more about
Preparing for your first class
Free Old Time Slot Games
What to do after you sign your contract
Time Slot Sign Up Free
The booking frenzy