VIPKID: My Year in a Nutshell

Last month, I celebrated one year of working with VIPKID!  13 months in, I still feel like I landed my dream job!  Below, you will find a quick explanation of what our company is, a series of highlights from my job, and why you, too, should join VIPKID.

VIPKID is a Chinese company that hires teachers to teach ESL to students.  Though it originally started in China, we employ teachers all over the world (more than 40,000 presently!).  We also have young participants from other countries.  Most of us work part-time, earning anywhere between $14-$22 an hour with added incentives (for showing up on time and ending class on time, etc).

Though I was originally hired to teach one-on-one, the other opportunities I was given were nothing short of life-changing!  Through our company, I applied for the Jack Ma Project, a sister organization that helps bring educational resources to the rural areas of China.  With VIPKID, most of our students live in large cities and have access to technological resources.  Some of the pupils in our rural projects live in mountainous areas and walk a couple of hours to get to school (see video of my precious Jack Ma students below).

Our community and leaders are constantly working to improve the experience on both ends, for the educators and the educated.  Occasionally we are sent updates that include new ways to work for the company.  I seized one months into being employed, and my husband and I went on to make a series of educational videos for VIPKID.  I enjoy teaching, my husband likes filming, and we were paid to boot!

The bonds I have formed with my students and their parents is a pleasant surprise.  I was not sure how that was going to work with the distance.   As it turns out, certain themes, like love, are universal.  Bonuses have included:  international friendships for my children, my multitalented students making great connections, and the use of fun props (see photos).
If you are interested in applying for VIPKID, please click here (requirements are a 4-year degree in any field and teaching experience).  I have successfully referred 7 other teachers and would love to add you to the list!  Come help us, “change lives without uprooting your own.”

Playgrounds, Friendships and Wonder Woman

30 May 2017

I was using the restroom in the London Heathrow Airport when I was reminded of just how loud my two older children can get when playing together.  About 20 yards away sat two soft playgrounds, adjacent to one another.

The one on the left was for littles aged 0-2 years old, the one on the right for ages 3-10.  Both were filled with bright, primary colored toys, slides and ladders.  It was a welcome respite after walking through London that day and finding no play areas, and having three more hours of our layover left before heading to Germany.

We had already experienced British customs twice with our three offspring, ages 5 and under, in tow.  It was eerily quiet in the 30-minute (at the very least) line upon entering and exiting the country.  It was blatantly obvious, to me, that we are not British.  (Our children actually did a spectacular job of “keeping it down” during this part of the journey).

“Ahhhhhh, here comes the bad guy!!!” I heard my son and daughter alternatively yelling, their voices echoing down to where I was washing my hands.  My heart raced inside my chest.  My two oldest children were surrounded by a handful of tykes from around the world.  “Oh no, who are they calling ‘bad guy’?!”  my mind raced, feeling mom-guilt over not teaching them enough about diversity.  Our city of residence, Brownsville, is about 96% Latino, and we are in the majority.

I walked by and saw that the roles had been reversed.  I saw the most precious, little African girl running from my tots.  “Oh no, the bad guys!” she screamed, while my two ran towards her, also chasing a couple of Arabic boys, all squealing in delight.  I smiled and laughed (while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief).  It was a vision I won’t soon forget.  “What happens to us when we become adults?” I was left pondering.


I have been blessed with deep friendships and relationships over the course of my lifetime.  There was a season when the thought of intimacy with other people freaked me out.  They were just so… messy.  Now, it’s how I choose to live my life, with others.

I enjoy going there with folks.  Not in ways that are inappropriate, but in ways in which our souls connect and we share things that are important.  In fact, though I hesitate to write this, friendships where the realness is not reciprocated do not last in my book.  While one can have many acquaintances, they can only have so many friends.

So here’s to those that have walked with me thus far and will continue to, and new allies I will meet in the future.  Here’s to not jumping ship when they demand much of me, inconvenience me and drive me batty.  Here’s to unconditional love, unwavering support, occasional discomfort and plenty of fun!

Perhaps one day I will have the privilege of loving people the whole world over. Until then, I’m going to practice loving my part of the world well.


I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, but when I watch epic movies (read:  Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter) I find myself, as a strong female, relating more to the male characters.  Swept up in the battles between good and evil, I envision myself as Aragorn (also know as Strider), a fierce and fearless, yet humble, leader.  I once took a Which Harry Potter Character Are You? quiz and got Mrs. Weasley as my result.  I was severely disappointed.  Nevermind that, though.

I went into Wonder Woman with an open mind.  I had heard and read fantastic peer reviews over it.  Truthfully, I was blown away.  It is an excellent movie.  At the end of the film, I left triumphant, thinking, “Finally, a heroine I want to be.”  I was particularly surprised by the spiritual parallels (which I love) that stood out to me.

<<<SPOILER ALERT>>>

Wonder Woman’s main quest is to find Ares (the God of War) and kill him.  In her mind, once she does this, it will end all wars between mankind.  While she succeeds in her goal, she finds the result is not what she expected.  Towards the end of the movie, her love, Steve Trevor, sacrifices himself for the greater good.  Shortly after, in the final showdown between her and Ares, their conversation is as follows:

Ares (also known as Sir Patrick) to Wonder Woman:  Destroy her, Diana (referring to Dr. Poison, the inventor of a poisonous gas that has killed many).  You know that she deserves it.  They all do.

Diana (also known as Wonder Woman) to Ares:  They’re everything you say, but so much more… You’re wrong about them.  Ultimately, she does not kill Dr. Poison.

And this final gem, at the conclusion:  It’s not about what you deserve.  It’s about what you believe, and I believe in love.  I used to want to save the world…to bring peace.  I learned within them [humans] there was both [light and dark], a choice.  And now I know that only love can truly change the world.  So, I stay, I fight and I give.

To all that I say, Amen!

 

The Secret Annex

It was the 2006-2007 school year that I taught one of my greatest literary lessons.  As a 5th grade teacher, I had the task of picking out class sets of books for the children to read.  When I taught in Iowa, there was much freedom in planning and helping my students make text-to-self and text-to-world connections.  Some of my favorite memories include reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Bridge to Terabithia and taking my pupils on field trips to watch the movies in the theaters.

In our library that year, I stumbled across a modified version of Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.  It contained photos and plenty of excerpts and passages from her book.  In my years of being in the classroom, I often saw that my scholars struggled with reading nonfiction.  They were certainly capable; they were simply not interested.  Thus, I set out to inspire them with this real story I knew most had heard about.


2 June 2017

My husband and I stood in line for an hour.  We made friends with the people standing beside us; two young Latinos on a European adventure in front of us, and a Chinese-American family behind us.  From the outside, the Anne Frank House and Museum stands five stories high and looks like a typical flat.  I chatter away and glance at it on occasion, unsure of how I will react once inside.

We pay the fee at the entrance and immediately see the sign: No photography or video recordings of any kind.  I quickly stuff my Nikon in my backpack and proceed.


I refer to the two years I taught at McKinley Elementary in Des Moines as the “honeymoon period” in my educational career.  This next story is the icing on that cake.  The 5th graders thoroughly enjoyed reading The Diary of a Young Girl, and participated in great class discussions and activities.  Thanks to visiting a local Holocaust Remembrance event held at one of the synagogues, we dug even deeper into the issues of social injustice.

As I was researching on the internet one evening, I came across a newspaper article that mentioned a former World War II soldier that served in the Liberation Army would be in town.  He was going to pick one school within the Des Moines Public School System to share his story.  Interested parties need only apply.  I quickly got to work and presented our case.  This would be the capstone on our most recent literary lesson; history would come to life before our very eyes!


The whole day my husband and I spent in Amsterdam, the line for the Anne Frank museum extended outside, wrapped around the building and continued for a few more blocks.  Once inside, it was completely quiet, save for the audio tour we listened to on headphones.  We walked through slowly, taking every part in.  Black and white familiar photos and quotes lined the walls.  In each room, there was a video recording of those who knew Annelies best.  Close friends, neighbors and a video recording of her father, Otto Frank, the only familial survivor of the Holocaust, at the very end.

About 3/4 of the way through the tour, the audio recording turned off completely, because we would walk behind the bookshelf to what was the Frank family’s (along with two other families) hiding place for two years.  Up until that point, I had a mix of emotions:  wonder, awe, heaviness, acute awareness.  As soon as I took the steps up to the hiding place, everything in me went silent.  The dark rooms with the wooden floors and scantily decorated walls proved too much to bear.  My vision blurred as I began brushing tears off my cheeks.  They would not stop falling…


The children were fully attentive while the WWII soldier that helped liberate a couple of the concentration camps told his story.  “I’ll never forget that smell.  It was the smell of burned flesh because so many people had been killed,” he shared through tearstained eyes.  “It was pure evil, and I will never forget what I saw,” he said.

My pupils listened, eyes wide with understanding.  They knew the evils he spoke of.  They had read about them and seen photos.  One by one, we shook hands with the hero, and thanked him for his service, and for coming to share his story with us.  As he, his wife and son left our room, his wife leaned over and whispered, “We picked your class because we knew it would mean the most to you all.”  It was a literary lesson none of us would ever forget.


As we made our way through the secret annex, I envisioned my three children living there, being forced to be quiet, and not allowed to go outside or use running water during the day, for fear of being caught.  I thought of my husband, and what would have become of him, had he tried everything in his power to protect us and not been able to.  My heart literally ached at the end of the story I already knew.

To conclude our journey, we sat in a room where Anne’s surviving friends, and current authors, diplomats and celebrities, thanked her in recorded messages.  Hers was not ultimately a story of despair, but of triumph and hope.  You left feeling, much like after you’ve read her book, like you knew her, like she was your friend, or daughter, or sister.


While my family and I vacationed overseas, there was another act of terror committed in London, the city we had just frequented one week prior.  Loved ones messaged us (we were in Germany at the time) to make sure we were safe.  We did not envision taking our children on an overseas trip at such young ages, but when the opportunity presented itself, we could not turn it down.

We had good, hard discussions with them about how the world contains much beauty and is meant to be explored.  We were also honest about how there are people who do evil, and might want to hurt us because of the country we live in, our faith, or any other reason they might find.  We want them, like us, to be cautious and aware at all times, but unafraid.


I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity we had to visit Anne Frank’s house.  I am still processing and wrapping my mind around all that it means for me personally.  Presently, I am greatly inspired and will continue to write, teach and travel when I can.  And I think of Anne.  She gave me the best text-to-self and text-to-world connections I could ever hope to have.

The day the soldier came to visit us…

 

Traveling with Littles

Planning family vacations is one of my favorite pastimes.  Once we decide on a destination, I am quick to research must-sees and get in contact with locals to maximize fun time!  Below, you will find my favorite tips when traveling as a family on a budget.

Road Trip When You Can

Fall 2016: Driving through Louisiana in our family van.

We have been traveling with children for the past 5 years, and will choose to take a road trip over flying whenever possible.  Not only is it the most economical option, it allows for stopping at your leisure (believe me when I say this will be more frequent with kids).  When adventuring with preschoolers and those that are potty training and in diapers, we suggest adding a minimum of 2 hours to your ETA.  If you know this ahead of time, you can plan accordingly and not feel rushed or upset by the change.

Rest stops are your friend; the ones with play areas will be your best friend (read:  FREE fun).  Stow necessary items in easy to reach places.  A spare change of clothes is a must for anyone under the age of 5.  In special circumstances, older.  You know your group best.

Our littles have done an excellent job traversing via plane, car, bus and train.  Pinterest has a plethora of resources that you can print for free.  We have done road trip scavenger hunts, fun academic worksheets and coloring activities.  I know of families that will show movies on the road or allow their youngsters to play with their tablets.  We allow for educational games on a Leap Pad, but they have not interested our preschooler or tot when caravanning.

Playing music and singing along is a favorite pastime, along with simply looking out the window.

Budget, Budget, Budget

I strongly discourage going on a journey as a family if there is not a budget for it.  Whether you set aside money each month for a vacation fund or utilize a portion of your income-tax return, make sure that you have the means ahead of time.  You don’t want to return from your voyage stressed because you can’t buy groceries or afford basic toiletries, for example.

An example of our budget to get you started. Account for where you will stay, gas, food and attractions. Make sure you have a budget set aside before taking that trip!

Purchasing snacks for the voyage in advance will ensure you stay within your means.  We highly recommend buying easy to go food items that you can make breakfast and lunch with (ex:  yogurt, granola, fruit, turkey slices, mayonnaise, wheat bread, etc.).  Our tribe typically eats out about once a day when vacationing.  Allowing the littles to help pick treats is a huge motivator (we even permit junk food for these special occasions!).

Texas has some of the best rest stops! This is our oldest daughter a couple of years ago enjoying one in North Texas.

Stay with Relatives and Friends

All of our journeys thus far have been to areas where relatives and companions live.  I affectionately refer to this as the three-fold design:  we board with people we love, get local expertise on where to tour and save money.

It is best to bring a gift upon arrival (perhaps something unique to your area of the world) and/or serve them while there.  Our favorite present to make is Hesterberg Spaghetti for our loved ones.  There are many ways to be a gracious guest and connect intentionally with your hosts.

I once heard a pastor refer to family vacations as, “planned disasters.”  I completely agree.  In certain cases, events don’t go as intended.  Rather than being shocked by the occasional surprise, it is useful to anticipate a detour or two (a miscellaneous fund is helpful!).  Knowing there is potential for tension (something about being in the same place for prolonged amounts of time) can help in being a generous grace-giver and receiver.

Take Flight

Our firstborn enjoyed his first flight a couple of years ago!

God willing, in a few weeks, the five of us will be boarding a flight and heading across the Atlantic to visit Germany!  On the way, we will have a 12-hour layover in London and are hoping to explore that city as well.  In our single days, my husband and I both explored different parts of Europe.  We are thrilled to head that way again to visit his cousins and travel internationally with our children for the first time (prayers appreciated!).

One of the most important lessons I learned when taking flight with our oldest two (who were 3 and 1 at the time) was that modeling is imperative.  If you are a ball of nerves, your children will pick up on that energy and be nervous, too.  While some of that cannot be helped, we dialogued with them extensively and checked out books at our local library on flying and airplanes.  We were ecstatic to share in this adventure, and thus they literally could not wait!

While there are more uncertainties in taking flight, you arrive at your destination faster and possibly well-rested.

My two studs working the airport.

Make sure to carry necessities on your person (ID, passport if needed, spare clothing and toiletries).  Read through the rules your particular airline has to make sure nothing will be confiscated at the gate (I once had to leave behind mousse– not a huge deal, but it would have been better for me to know about it ahead of time).  I cannot emphasize packing light enough (rolling your clothes instead of folding them saves space in your suitcase).  Remember that you will potentially be rushing to catch your next flight with littles in tow.

My final tip is one that was confirmed last week.  Purchasing your plane tickets on a Tuesday morning can save you hundreds of dollars as a family.  In fact, it saved us about $800 on the pricey international flight.

We live frugally, by choice, for a variety of reasons.  Towards the top of our list is it frees us up to afford exposing our family to great vacations.  Please share your favorite traveling tips with me!  Until then, happy planning!

Here’s to making more memories that will last a lifetime!