During my pregnancy, I diligently checked off all of the boxes towards getting our home, life and relationship prepared for life with a newborn. I coordinated all that I needed to plan for my return to work after my 3-month maternity leave. I was set.
But then, my baby was born. I knew within days that I needed to find a way to stay at home with her for much longer than three months. This aching desire had me obsessed with finding a work from home option.
And I did! I became an online English teacher, and you can too.
Magic Ears is the perfect opportunity to earn a side income. Getting started with the hiring process before baby arrives will save you so much stress and anxiety. You’ll be a pro Magic Ears teacher once baby arrives. You don’t need to be a teacher to do it, and you don’t even need a degree! You’ve got this.
Is baby already here? Read on. You’re in the same boat that I was, and getting started and succeeding at online teaching with Magic Ears is still possible.
Disclaimer: this post contains Affiliate Links. Read about what affiliate links are and how we use them here.
What is Magic Ears?
Magic Ears is an online English language learning platform for Chinese students aged 5-12. They were founded in 2016 and use innovative technology to create an interactive, engaging, and pleasant environment for Chinese students to learn English.
Their philosophy for online children’s English education is, “that advanced technology should be paired with top-level teachers so that children can attain a super English level.”
As an English teacher for Magic Ears you will be provided all training, support and curriculum. You will teach classes in 25 minute increments to a maximum of four students at once.
At a glance:
- Make $18 – $26 per hour. This is a higher base pay than any other online English teaching company
- Work from home, or anywhere with a stable internet connection
- Choose your own hours, you can only be booked for classes during time slots you open
- Paid training/trial class
- Support groups on Facebook and via Skype
- All lessons provided by MagicEars
- Class Coordination Team will handle scheduling and student assignment
- Teach a maximum of 4 students at once
- Have the chance to be interviewer/recruiter/trainer/mentor/social media specialist and work in the office. In other words, there is room for growth and advancement in this company
- 6 month contract
I’m going to go through the hiring process in more details below, but you can always get started or learn more information on their site by creating your account.
5 Reasons to get started as a Magic Ears teacher before baby arrives
1. Set yourself up with an opportunity to earn money from home once baby arrives
The main benefit to applying and starting teaching for Magic Ears before baby arrives is that it will be done. What do I mean by that? Right now, you have extra time on your hands, well more than you will with a newborn anyway. It’s the perfect time to mentally commit to the hiring process, training, and starting to teach English online with Magic Ears.
By going through the hiring and training now, you’ll be more mentally and emotionally present in the process. You will already have the job when baby comes. By having a way to make money from home already in place, you may be able to extend your maternity leave.
2. Earn extra money now in preparation for baby
Another benefit to applying to Magic Ears before baby comes, is the ability to make some money on the side. Any extra money you can save up before baby comes will be helpful during your maternity leave and the change in monthly expenses that comes with having a baby to care for.
3. Improve your online teaching skills while you have extra time
Learning to teach English online is something that is attainable to anyone with a positive attitude who wants to make it work. However, like most things in life, the more you do it and practice, the better you get at it. When I first started teaching English online, I did feel somewhat confident because I was given training and a great curriculum, just like you will. But, as the weeks and months went by, I definitely gained confidence and a personal style in my teaching.
Starting with Magic Ears now means you’ll be over the learning curve and be a more confident teacher when baby is here. It will be much easier to acquire this new skill before you are also learning to care for a newborn. When baby arrives, simply let Magic Ears know any amount of time you will need to take off for a maternity leave. They will happily pause your contract.
4. Realize your dream of being a SAHM
Above all, getting started with Magic Ears will put you that much closer to the goal of staying home with your baby. Having a reliable way to earn money from home is the first step. Applying and teaching for Magic Ears ahead of time will show you how possible it really is to earn money teaching English online. You’ll quickly see how little prep is involved, and how you can tweak your schedule to make this work as a mama.
5. Adjust to the schedule of teaching English online
Choosing to earn money from home will require some adjustments, but with a few tips and organization in your routine, it’s totally achievable. Adjusting to the schedule of teaching English online early in the morning does take some getting used to. Doing this while you can catch up on sleep more easily might be the way to go.
What if baby is already here? Should I still apply to Magic Ears?
Definitely! I didn’t start researching and applying to work from home opportunities until after my baby was here. At 8 weeks postpartum was when I officially started teaching English online. Your dedication and drive towards wanting to stay home will surely fuel you through the hiring process.
Who can teach with Magic Ears?
Magic Ears states the job requirements are:
- Big smile and love for kids
- Speaks English at an idiomatic level
- Experience and Certificate preferred but not necessary
Let’s unpack this a bit.
Basically, Magic Ears prioritizes personality and passion above everything else. This means if you are willing to learn, have a positive attitude and love working with kids, you will probably get hired. They provide all of the training necessary.
What’s an idiomatic level of English? This just means you speak fluent, conversational English.
The first step toward applying is creating your free account. Next, you’ll need to fill out your basic info. I’m going to go into more detail about this below, but if you’re feeling ready to just apply, hear this!
Don’t skip making an introduction video with your application
If you are applying without a degree or teaching experience (totally fine) take the time to create a video introduce yourself! If you don’t do this, you will be automatically denied by their screening process and Magic Ears will miss out on an amazing candidate.
You can easily do this on any laptop with a built in camera or external webcam using your computer’s camera app or software. Be sure to showcase a bright and smiley personality. They want to see your personality and hear why you are excited to be a Magic Ears teacher.
How is Magic Ears different than other online teaching opportunities?
A degree is not required
I have done more than my fair share of research in the realm of online teaching opportunities, and this is one of the only reputable, well-paying companies out there that puts more emphasis on personality and willingness to learn than hard and fast credentials.
1 on 4 classroom model
This is another unique aspect of teaching with Magic Ears vs. other companies. This is a benefit because students learn from each other and there is more dynamic in the classroom. With up to 4 students present, you know that one will always be willing to answer or engage with the material.
The platform that Magic Ears has is very conducive to teaching 4 students with ease. You will have a full training session in the platform with other prospective teachers to bring you up to speed.
More interactive and engaging than other online language learning platforms
Their curriculum is more interactive than other companies. They utilize a lot of movement, songs and conversation. The emphasis of their English teaching philosophy is on natural language. This means exposing students to English the way it is actually spoken instead of through rigid grammar rules. In my opinion, this makes the curriculum even more accessible and natural to teach as a fluent English speaker.
How do you get hired as a Magic Ears teacher?
- Create Account
- Basic Info
- Live or Recorded Interview with 8-minute Demo
- Schedule and Attend 1:4 Classroom Platform Workshop
- 1 on 1 mentor training session
- Schedule and teach trial class
- Start Teaching and Get Booked Right Away
The details:
1. Create Account
The first step is simple, create your free account on the Magic Ears website right now! This will gain you access to the portal where you’ll input your basic info, upload your introduction video, set up your interview, etc.
2. Basic Info
This involves filling out a form on their website that asks for your name and info, your education and past teaching experience (if applicable), and your availability to work within Magic Ears’ teaching times (see more on this below).
This is the stage where it is crucial to upload a self-introduction video if you do not have a degree or teaching experience. Remember that your video can easily be made with your computer or laptop’s camera app or program. You should showcase a bright and smiley personality and talk about why you’d love to teaching for Magic Ears.
Make sure you have a bright light shining on your face, and a blank background when you record your video. Better yet, put up a sign that says “Teacher ______” and an ABCs poster to show them how ready you are to be a teacher.
3. Live or Recorded Interview with 8 minute Demo Lesson
My advice, do the live interview and demo!
From what I’ve heard from other teachers, the live interview is the way to go, so I highly encourage you take this route. During your interview you will do a short question and answer session with your interviewer, but the bulk of the ‘interview’ is teaching an 8 minute demo lesson to the interviewer. Your interviewer will pretend to be a 5 year old student.
You will receive access to the platform and the lesson ahead of time. Do not wing this! Practice and prepare ahead of time. Create a space in your home where you have a blank background, or a background decorated like a classroom. Have bright lights shining on your face. An illuminated teaching environment will make all the difference in how professional you appear to the interviewer.
See more tips on rocking this step below under How to have a successful Magic Ears Interview
What if I choose to do the recorded demo?
You will be asked to record a demo in which you talk about your credentials and what you hope to achieve at Magic Ears. You will then pretend to teach the 8 minute lesson to a 5 year old student. You will need to make sure to act out corrections, pronunciation help, and redirection. You should showcase enthusiasm in your teaching and a lively teaching voice.
All of this is challenging enough to achieve when an adult is pretending to be your student, like in the live option. Doing it to a blank screen and really showing off how amazing you are won’t be easy. That’s why I highly recommend the live interview if at all possible.
4. Schedule and Attend 1:4 Classroom Platform Workshop
Two business days after your interview and demo you will hear back about whether you have passed to the next stage, or whether you should reapply in 90 days.
When you make it to this stage, you will be the student in the 4 person classroom along with three other prospective teachers. If you weren’t before, now it is required for you to be in a ‘classroom’ set-up with adequate lighting. This doesn’t have to cost you anything to achieve well.
- Simply get some posters, or print in color a sign with your name and decorate the wall with something bright and fun. Try the dollar store for some ABC or 123 posters.
- Place lamps without shades on either side of your laptop or computer
Voila, you’ve got the perfect online teaching classroom!
The purpose of this step is for you to learn the Magic Ears teaching platform, ask questions, and gain confidence with the technology.
5. 1 on 1 mentor training session
In this step of the process, you will be teaching a mentor a full 25 minute class. You will be expected to show knowledge of the teaching platform (which you learned in the previous step). You will have access to the lesson ahead of time and should prepare adequately.
If you pass this, you are SO close to being a full-fledged teacher, the light is at the end of the tunnel.
6. Schedule and teach trial class
This is your first time teaching actual students. You will teach 4 students and will be scored on your teaching proficiency based on all of your training. As along as everything goes well, you’re in! In some borderline cases, you may need to do two trial classes before a decision is made.
7. Start Teaching and Get Booked Right Away
There you have it! You are now a Magic Ears teacher.
How to have a successful Magic Ears interview
More than anything else, when you make it to this stage, watch the interview prep videos provided on Magic Ears website in their “How to Pass” section
- Do not wing it! Practice ahead of time and watch model videos specific to Magic Ears on YouTube
- They are looking for teaching personality more than anything else at this stage
- Not necessary to use interactive features in the classroom, don’t worry about this
- Remember that energetic and passionate teaching is part of the brand at Magic Ears
- Your interviewer will be pretending to be 5-year-old. Be excited, greet them and introduce yourself as Teacher ______.
- Encourage the student and transition them between slides. Magic Ears doesn’t want pauses in conversation or too much silence. Don’t let your smile fall.
- Use TPR- total physical response. This is basically just adding enthusiasm and hand gestures to all of your speaking and teaching.
Why should I become a Magic Ears teacher?
Magic Ears is really unique compared to other online English teaching companies. They have the most interactive and engaging curriculum around and the 1 on 4 classroom model is like no other. Teachers remark at how much fun it is to teach and how quickly the time goes in the lessons compared to other companies’ curriculums.
Because the company is newer, but growing at an insane rate, getting in now means that you can gain seniority quickly before it explodes. It also means there is room for growth. You can advance in the company and really have your own sense of fulfillment and challenges. Some of the possibilities include:
- Become an interviewer or mentor
- Become a social media expert or promoter for Magic Ears
- Become a recruiter, formally or through their referral program
- Be involved in curriculum design and proofreading
Why you will love being a Magic Ears teacher
Hours
The peak teaching hours for Magic Ears are during 6:30-9pm Beijing Time 7 days a week. Additionally, Saturdays and Sundays 10-11am Beijing Time.
Generally, this means early mornings in the US, or evening hours after your baby goes to bed. Getting used to these hours, or earning some extra money while you are working another job is perfect. Once baby arrives, it’s easy to fit in some teaching while baby is sleeping or your partner is home to care for them should they wake.
Teaching time based on your time zone
A sense of fulfillment outside of being a new mom
Being a new mom is the most incredible feeling in the world. You will be absolutely head over heels for your little one. However, caring for a newborn is consuming and often, a bit lonely. They rely on you 100%. While you aren’t working, or if Magic Ears allows you to continue to stay home longer, having something of your own to challenge and fulfill you will feel amazing.
Once I found an online teaching opportunity, I felt like I had something of my own again and my own identity. It was the perfect balance to those blissful days at home with baby.
Get started today!
Are you ready to start teaching for Magic Ears?! Going through the hiring process and earning some extra money before baby even arrives is an investment in your future. Give yourself this gift.
Having a way to earn money from home already set-up before baby arrives will make your whole transition into baby life easier, and may even be your ticket to SAHM life.
Take the plunge and set up your account right now, simply a username and password, who knows what you might be missing out on if you don’t. It only takes a few minutes and can be done right from your phone.
This was a lot of information to take in. But the first step really is just setting up your account. I wanted this to be your complete guide to getting hired and rocking it with Magic Ears. So Pin the article and come back to it as a resource on every step of the way.
I’m so thrilled to share this amazing opportunity. I just know you’re going to love it. Please comment below with any questions or concerns. I’m more than happy to support you through the process.
To save all this info for later, please share this post on Pinterest or Facebook
Alli Wittbold is a wife, mama, blogger, and online teacher. She feels passionate about connecting expectant mothers with childbirth class educators, and supporting them to achieve the birth they desire. After having her first baby delivered by a Certified Nurse Midwife, Alli is an advocate for midwifery prenatal care. She has learned so much about labor and delivery by attending and reviewing dozens of birth classes to help mothers learn and explore options. Alli co-authored the Week-by-Week Bump Smart Course, the Nesting Planner and the Breastfeeding Handbook, resources she is proud to share with as many expectant and new mothers as possible. Read more about Alli.
Leave a Reply