I get it, the sheer volume of companies that will hire you to teach kids English online is overwhelming, and they are all starting to feel the same. Well, Magic Ears isn’t just another one of those companies. Magic Ears holds their teachers to a high standard and are willing to pay a bit extra than their competitors to get the best of the best. One major difference is that you’ll be teaching classes of up to four students. This is way easier than 1:1 teaching since you’ll have the opportunity to play some games, and let the students benefit from peer to peer learning.
If you’ve got the experience and a strong foundation of ESL teaching, this is the company you need to teach kids English online through.
What do you need?
Magic Ears will only hire people to teach kids English from the US & Canada, so move on if this doesn’t apply to you. Successful candidates will have a Bachelor’s Degree in anything, a minimum 100 hour TEFL certification ( not sure what that is, check THIS link out), and at least 1 year of relevant teaching experience.
What are the hours?
Magic Ears hours are standard in the online teaching world. You will need to be available between 7:30AM- 9:00AM (EST) Monday- Friday, and 11:00PM-1:30 AM & 7:30AM-9:00 AM(EST) weekends & holidays. Want to hit up Trader Joe’s midday to avoid crowds? With Magic Ears, your workday is over by 9 am, giving you the rest of the day to do whatever the heck you want.
A lot of online teaching companies are not very understanding when it comes to last-minute teacher cancellations. Not Magic Ears, though. Cancellations made before 24 hours of a class are not subject to any penalty. Cancellations after 24 hours but before 2 hours are subject to a $10 penalty and if you cancel under two hours before a class is set to begin the penalty is $20, which is totally fair. Each contract is a minimum of 6 months, but you can take time off from this so long as you give Magic Ears 14 days’ notice.
I’m in! How do I apply?
The application process for Magic Ears is painless, and within a few days, you could be funneling some extra cash into that vacay fund. Follow these easy breezy steps and you’ll be teaching in no time:
- Take five minutes and fill out the online application HERE.
- The next phase involves two options: You can either schedule a live interview and demo lesson or prerecord a demo lesson. If you’re looking for instant feedback and to get through the process quicker, I would suggest the first option.
How to nail your interview
- Check out the awesome interview material provided to Magic Ears teachers in your portal
- Be energetic and bubbly!
- Make sure you have bright lightening and a welcoming backdrop (put up a poster or two).
- Have a headset and make sure your internet is working well
- Have at least two props (puppets, books, noise maker etc.)
- Go HAM with TPR! Not sure what TPR is? Check out THIS article.
3. Once you’ve had a successful interview, you’ll move onto the training portion of the process. This will have you watch a few videos and read through some material. This stage will take approximately 30 minutes, no biggie.
4. You’ll then move onto your trial class, and, unlike other online teaching companies, this will be with real students.
5. This next step is the one that can take a few days since it is paperwork. Magic Ears will pay for a background check, which can take up to 5 days.
6. Once you’re given the green light, you can start taking bookings!
Great! How much can I make?
Magic Ears offers the most competitive pay out there, and they claim that they pay 30% higher than other online teaching companies. The pay works out to $20-$26 USD/hour and is broken down by looking at the following:
Base pay
- This will be based on your experience, interview, and trial class. You’ll be paid between $9-$11 per 30-minute class.
Bonuses
- Punctuality bonus: If you show up 8 minutes early to a class, you’ll receive an extra $1 per class.
- Peak time bonus: If you leave open 60 + peak time slots a month you’ll earn $1 extra per each class.
In Summary…
- Get paid 30% higher than other companies.
- Classes are 1:4, which promotes student interaction and opens the door up to games.
- The curriculum is provided to you, you just need to review ahead of time.
- Awesome and flexible cancellation & holiday policy.
If you are an experienced teacher from the US or Canada and are looking to get into the online teaching game, this is the company for you. There is a real focus on teacher retention with Magic Ears, which is why the pay and overall standards are higher. You won’t regret taking the first steps in your journey to becoming a Magic Ears teacher!