It’s officially September, and VIPKid students are heading back to school! Just like previous years, we’re expecting an increase in bookings from both current and new students throughout the month. Now is a great time to open Peak Peak Time slots (7, 7:30, 8, and 8:30 p.m. Beijing Time)!
Read on for the rest of this week’s updates, including information on how to apply to be part of the Teacher Advisory Council!
At VIPKid, we are committed to ensuring all teachers' voices are heard in every decision we make. We're looking for the next cohort of community leaders who will support a variety of teams in brainstorming new features, discussing upcoming launches, providing feedback for past projects, and generally representing the teacher perspective.
While our Teacher Advisory Council members will be giving feedback on all areas of the teacher experience, each member will also belong to one of four “concentrations” to which they are especially passionate about. Each month, our members will meet with their “concentration” and the relevant VIPKid Teams to have real, face-to-face (well, Zoom) discussions!
Our “concentrations” include the following:
Product and Policy
Community Experience
Curriculum, Learning, and Development
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
For more details about the new Teacher Advisory Council and to apply for this position, head to the Certification Center and click on the Builders Program tab. We welcome everyone who is eligible to apply, even if you were involved in the Advisory Councils in the past!
Applications open on Wednesday, September 9 at 5:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) and close on Sunday, September 13 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). Late applications will not be accepted.
We are bringing free Chinese classes back for teachers! Registration for the first class starts on September 4 at 7 a.m. (Beijing Time). There are limited seats available, so don’t forget to secure your spot early!
Just like last time, each class will also include a culture session. We’ll be covering China’s Teachers’ Day and Mid-Autumn Festival in upcoming lessons!
For more details, head to the Six Apple page, and look for the “Free Chinese Classes” perk under “Technology & Learning”.
We hope you enjoyed learning what "fried chicken" and "canola flowers" really mean in last week's update! Here are a few more phrases that you might be used to seeing:
- 我想约你(Wǒ xiǎng yuē nǐ) means "I want to date you", but parents really mean "I want to book your classes"! The confusion comes from the fact that "book" and "date" can both be translated to the same word in Chinese.
- 牛(niú) literally means "cow", but it's also slang for "awesome" or "capable"!
- Although 棒棒(bàng bàng) usually translates to "bang bang", it really means "awesome". You'll know the parent was impressed if they write "bàng" twice!
On slide 10 of MC-L5-U11-LC1-6, you stated that students are often confused about what to do. We changed the title of the slide to make the instructions more clear.
Last week, we announced a new writing function for New Major Course Levels 4 and 5. This writing function will also be used for all courses that require students to submit a writing assignment.
To review how to use this new function, and for more information regarding how to complete the UA form if a student does not submit their writing task, click here.
How do you use games in your classroom to increase student engagement? Check out this Hutong discussion thread to hear from other teachers! Plus, sign up for the workshop "Gamifying Your Lessons" where Teacher David introduces gamification principles and demonstrates how to use digital and conventional games using real class slides.
In case you missed it, here are our suggested themes for September:
- Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month. Support Hispanic or Latinx businesses in your area and have a virtual lunch or dinner party with your fellow teachers. Alternatively, host a discussion about a book written by a Hispanic or Latinx author!
- National Yoga Month. Host a yoga Meetup, or attend a yoga class led by Tara from the Community Team (details coming next week)!
Plus, this month we're piloting a new program with a small group of teachers called Superhosts. Superhosts are available to support teachers as they are thinking about planning or in the midst of planning a Virtual Meetup. If you are interested in connecting with a Superhost, please email meetup@vipkid-intl.com for more information.
In this Weekly Update section, we’re digging deeper into issues affecting teachers within the last week and providing clarity whenever possible. Click here to see our responses to the following trending topics in the Hutong:
1. Hurricane Laura, VIPKid’s Hurricane Protocol, and Resources from the American Red Cross
2. Reports of System Issues on August 30 (Beijing Time)
Join the discussion
1. Find the Weekly Teacher Update Challenge in the Hutong
2. Comment on the update
