tutor

english teacher

english as a second language teacher

language arts teacher

Magic Ears, Inc

Ive worked with Magic Ears since about December 2019. A typical day teaching on the Magic Ears platform involves logging in on time, making sure my equiptment is working and my background and props are prepared. I make sure I have any beverages or snacks I may need before I start my classes because it is difficult to time your breaks between classes some days. I have never been one of the online teachers that has hundreds of props. I usually just use one or two fun happy face props and am very expressive with my face and gestures (TPR!!). I have always enjoyed the fast pace of the classes and generally never have too much extra time when the slides end. In the beginning (2019,2020) I had more leadership from managers/coaches. But honestly, they never really checked in on me too much. I don't appreciate that its really hard to get a raise. I have never gotten a raise with this company. I believe they also dont hire very experienced teachers so they dont have to start them on a higher pay scale. Overall, I really enjoy this job because I can schedule when I want to work and when I dont want to. Theres no timeline for classes like 2 - 4 weeks; every class is a new face / new group. I love that flexibility. Its been a saving grace during many insecure financial times. Unfortunately with China changing the online teaching rules, the company is no longer hiring. I feel grateful to have been hired years ago. 

I like the online community among teachers. It's a very supportive environment. The class cancellation policy is lenient. The kids are so cute and the platform is fun and interactive. You truly have fun during the lessons. I also liked the flexibility in the schedule and the variety of levels you can teach.

The micromanagement is at a higher level than other similar companies, though. Some of the expectations include maintaining a smile (or animated facial expression) the entire class and complying with specific timing in class. Once you get over the learning curve, it can be a breeze.

The biggest con and deal-breaker for me is job security. Booking rates have shown great unpredictability. There is a ranking system in place, which supposedly determines teachers' booking rates, but it seems quite negligible and unreliable. Teachers that should expect many bookings (due to their high rank) sometimes end up with little to none while teachers that should expect a low booking rate (due to a lower rank) end up with many bookings. This definitely lowered trust for me.

Their implicit punishment system is also really harsh. If you have a certain number of no-shows, your bookings can instantly drop to 5% (of your availability). 

Overall, I personally don't recommend the company, BUT there are teachers who have great experiences. It's a mixture.

Overall, the job is pretty easy, it pays well, and is super flexible. I first started working here right before I was set to graduate. I needed to find a job to get me by while I figured things out after college.

It was fairly easy to move up the ranks, I made it to the highest rank of "Magic Master" in about less than a year. The pay is pretty good as well, and I loved being able to pick up and drop time slots as I needed. When my wife was sick, or if I had some last minute errand, it is super easy to just clear your schedule. 

My biggest problem with Magic Ears is how repetitive it is. You are going to be teaching the same dozen or so lessons, every day. After a while, it is hard to feel like you are actually accomplishing anything, and you end up just being an entertainer on some kid's show. After a while, I couldn't even fake enthusiasm and I had to start backing away from the company and look for something more.

The Beijing staff are all pretty nice and encouraging, but you see a lot of people get in trouble for small petty things that end up preventing them from ranking up, or just getting fired.

In the end, they can drop you whenever they want, and they will. You have no benefits, you need to consider the taxes you have to pay on the seemingly good income.

Its not the best option for a main source of income.

Magic Ears is similar to other online English platforms for Chinese children. You are given modest pay and lots of flexibility to work the hours you want. This job is for you if working for home is a must and you need the flexibility. It's hard to work enough hours to make a living from this alone but it's possible. The perks stop there. Management is inconsistent and each person gives conflicting information about what official policy is. There are strict performance guidelines for teachers. You must be animated and excited at all times, you have to complete each lesson within a minute or two exact-timing. Yawning on camera is not allowed. If you are late, lesson is too short or too long, or if parents complain they withhold your pay. They can also tack on additional penalties after reviewing your performance so you aren't really guaranteed to be paid until you've done several days worth of teaching adequately. The worst part is they allow parents to verbally and physically abuse their children in front of you without consequence. 

The current classes available are 7 25min slots a day, Mon-Friday. These are in the peak times in China after school. However, with the company closing down due to the changes the Chinese government are making, these slots are getting less and less filled, until they will eventually stop. It has been fun working for ME, the students are eager to learn for the most part and the platform is wonderful and easy to follow for both teacher and student alike. The time difference can be very good if you live in the UK, but dire if you live in the Americas - getting up at 3:30AM to teach. Management used to be super strict but also very responsive before the changes were made and the company was made smaller. Now, they seem to care less, though they still respond in due time. All in all, ME was an amazing company to work for, allowing me freedom in location and almost guaranteed working hours in its prime. It's sad that it has to go!

While teachers are given a lot of classes and you are able to cancel and reschedule at your convenience, the management and culture at the company is toxic.  Since parents don't choose the classes and you will never have a student more then once, they feel no obligation to treat you with respect and will complain to the company about things entirely out of your control.  ME takes parent feedback very seriously so a parent may complain about something as insignificant as not giving a student a trophy and they will either suspend your contract or terminate it.  I highly suggest joining VIPKID or another ESL Company if you value job security and teacher appreciation.

I have worked for Magic Ears for over three years. I have found the staff to be very helpful and supportive. At first, they are very particular about your teaching and are monitored closely. However, as you progress in the job it gets easier. The platform is very interactive and user friendly. The coworkers on the Facebook book page are very positive a d supportive. I have enjoyed teaching for Magic Ears very much. Typically, you teach two to four students at a time. The students are generally very receptive. 

I loved working for Magic Ears
 I did not experience any of the "horror stories" you hear on youtube. I had a great experience. I think people need to understand that you are working for a foreign company that does not have the same standards as America. They are okay will canceling contracts. They are a business after all. If you want to do this full time, work for two or three companies. Always keep a back up company. I didn't have one, but I didn't need one. I just wanted a little job to take up some time and make some extra cash. If you are considering this or VIPKID. Go ME every day of the week. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The ease of teaching. The classes were pre-designed even with the amout of time to be spent on each slide. The only requirement that was somewhat difficult was engagement. It was somewhat of a challenge to keep the little tots attention at times.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
New workers would need to spend much time trying to secure classesto fill their schedule and could spend hours trying and not suceed.

This is a great place to work if you want to work from home.  The job can be stressful at times.  You are expected to be extremely and over the top energetic.  The hours are terrible.  This is due to the time difference in working for a company that is located in China.  Overall it is a great place to work.  This is true for someone who wants a remote job, and if you can get used to the crazy hours you have to work.

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