During this pandemic, there were lots of people lost their jobs and had the hardship of having a job. But, since we are human we had the strong personality in finding such things that maybe a substitute from the different effects that this outbreak brought to our lives. Just like what I've mention to my previous article, that for us to be productive and to be able to sustains our needs we always find ways for it. Like for example, as what we did with my partner we tried to do gardening while we are facing pandemic, and I myself also did a homebased job which is teaching online to Chinese students. Also, joining some platforms where we can earned money even just little by little like the noise cash and read.cash which were both legit paying platform. These were just some of the things that I may say a substitute for the lost jobs we had in this times.
In my case, since I already got my licensed as a professional teacher last September 2019 I'm already in the process of my application to the DepEd or Department of Education and while I am waiting for that application I needed to do some part-time job because that application in DepEd is not yet sure because we are in this pandemic time. I needed to seek for a home-based job since I also have a kid so it's difficult for me to be away from my kid that is why I chose to work online. Also for my son's needs too.
Last March, I applied to many companies that offers online job teaching and one of them hired me since most of the company that I applied for were very strict in the internet connection used. And since my internet connection is just powered by LTE and they mostly hired those having a wired dsl internet connection and sad thing, I don' t have that kind of connection for now. But still, I was lucky since there is this one company that isn't particular with the internet provider being used as long as the applicant meet the required downlink and uplink mbps. And yes, I passed their technical checked and I was able to start teaching online last March 27. I was teaching Chinese students both kids and adults.
In my first 15 days, I was so amazed of my service fee because I had almost 10k in my first cut off. I always had fully booked in my first 15 days. I plotted 5 hours on weekdays starting 6PM until 11PM and 12 hours on weekends. That time I was always fully booked and I was so happy because if you are fully booked means you will have bigger service fee at the end of the cut off. After that my second 15 days or cut-off were totally different. Yes, I still have lots of students who booked my class but I was somehow disappointed with the penalties since I got bigger penalties in my 2nd cut-off due to absences that I never wanted or never planned it was because of power outage which causes my absences. Since, I don't have back up battery for my computer in case there will be brownout, therefore I really can't avoid the penalties. The sad thing there is that, the ESL company that I am working now has the worst penalties because there penalties is much more bigger than the hourly rate which is very hurting. Because of my absences, my booking rate were affected from being fully booked I only had the maximum of 6-8 students per day on weekdays which also lowers my service fees. Even though I've read a lots pf negative feedbacks toward the company I'm working now, I still ignores it even if I already experienced the negative rants of my co-teacher in this said company. But since I don't have other work aside from this, that is why I still work for this company up until now. Since, I also hold onto the thought that, even I just earned little amount at least I had this amount to be able to provide the needs of my son daily. And on thing is that, I had many regular students that was always loyal in booking my class.
Well, I must say based on my experienced....
Teaching online is not easy. Some would say that it was just an easy job because were just sitting while delivering the lesson, they say just sitting while earning. Well, definitely there is no such easy job. Yes, were just sitting but the fact that were being exposed daily to radiation is not easy. It is tiring, your health is at risks in this kind of job. Yes, we can choose what time we can plot our schedules but the peaking hours were at night that is why I need to plot schedules at night. Probably, others would say that this kind of work is not tiring. Well, NO, this is really tiring but I always endure it because I wanted to earn at least a good earning were I can be able to raise a kid and be able to help my family. Also, talking with different kind of students with different personalities especially to Chinese students which doesn't really good in understanding English were very difficult because language barrier is there which may be the reason for ineffective learning.
When I started this job, I suffers already from anemic or the low blood pressure. It is because I always sleep late and it is already hard for me to sleep 7 hours to 8 hours per day. That is why, there were lots of times that I feel dizzy and sometimes vomits because of it. But still I endure it because I have a goal to achieved.
What I wanted to share is that, as an online teacher there were many things to be learned from it. One of that is how to managed time so that health won't be at risks, how to delivers the lessons wherein the students can definitely understands you, how to catch student's attention especially kids which are very hyperactive and has only a short attention span and to shift characters in the way of teaching kids to teaching adults. These were just some of its consideration. Therefore it's really not an easy job. Lastly, knowing the fact about the sad penalty where there is no considerations at all is also one of the unmotivated part.
But, despites all that.... I really tried not to feel tired and not to feel unmotivated because I need to do this not for myself but for my family and most importantly for my son.
Just keep on fighting.
-Janz
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Special thanks again to the generous people who always upvoted my article @Eunoia and @Eybyoung for upvoting again my latest article which is the "Being a Neophyte Parent". My endless thanks to both of you.
Also, to my friends here in read.cash @Zhyne06 , @fredyzza07 , @ThisisGrace21 well, "mga maams laban lang gyud ta". Never quit just fight and fight towards our goals. Someday, we will be able to tastes the fruit of our labor.