The Complete Guide to Teaching Online with Class100

Teaching children from a different culture can be challenging at the best of times, so any extra assistance always goes a long way.to make the teacher’s life easier and their class more enjoyable. Class100 aims to improve this by providing dual-teacher classrooms where a Chinese teacher is always on-hand to assist.

There is a lot to like about this award-winning education provider, so we’ve put together this guide to examine everything you need to know about teaching English with Class100. We explain their requirements, the application process, salary, and what a typical work schedule may look like. 

Class100 Overview

Based in China, Class100 is an online education platform that brings English classes to Chinese public school students in largely remote and underprivileged areas, where there is a lack of available educational resources. Designed as a dual-teaching classroom, ESL teachers are hired to teach English lessons through the online teaching platform while a Chinese teacher assists in the real-time classroom. 

Class sizes are big (between 30 – 40 students) so it’s no surprise that Class100 requires candidates to have previous classroom teaching experience. They offer stability and flexibility with their teaching schedules and pretty decent pay, so if you meet the requirements, Class100 could be worth checking out.

What are the Requirements to Teach with Class100?

In order to teach English with Class100, you must meet the following requirements:

• Currently be a resident of the US or Canada with a neutral accent
• Have a minimum of one-year classroom teaching experience – this can be in any subject
• Hold a bachelor’s degree or above – they don’t stipulate this has to be in a specific subject
• TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate or equivalent preferred but not required
• Be proficient with computers
• Be available to check and respond to messages and emails from Class100

While the Class100 website states that applicants must be a resident of the US or Canada to be eligible to apply, other online sources suggest that Class100 accepts candidates from all native English speaking countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa). It may be that they’re currently looking for teachers from the US or Canada, but if you’re from one of the other English speaking countries, it could still be worth firing off your CV and seeing what they say. 

Checking the Class100 requirements section on their website, they also specify that their teaching platform works best with Internet providers in China, Southeast Asia, North Canada, and the UK, so they prefer their teachers to live in those regions and countries. 

If you don’t hold the correct qualifications or experience to teach English with Class100, do not fret. There are plenty of other online teaching programs, who are laxer on your credentials. 

Technical Requirements

On top of the teaching requirements, you need to meet a number of technical requirements to teach with Class100:

• Google Chrome as your browser (the latest version is highly recommended)
• Desktop or laptop – Mac OS X 10.10 or later version, Windows 7 or Windows 10
• Good internet connection with a minimum of 5Mbps download/5Mbps upload speed (use speedtest to help you check)
• High-quality webcam – either built-in or external
• Headset with sealed headphones and a swivel boom microphone

How much does Class100 pay?

Class100 pay their teachers between $16 – $23 an hour, however, payment is in fact calculated on a per-class basis and classes are only 30 minutes long. Class100 pay a basic rate of between $6 – $9 per class (plus incentives), and your class rate is determined based on your demo class performance. 

Below is a table of how much you could expect to earn weekly and monthly as a Class100 teacher. It’s taken from the Class100 website FAQs section.  

So say you wanted to work part-time hours and teach 20 classes a week, which equates to 10 hours of work a week, you will earn between $640 – $880 a month. If you worked more hours, say 35 classes a week, which is the equivalent of 17.5 hours a week, this works out between $1120 – $1540 a month. Not bad for an extra side earner!

Ordinary Teachers Vs Star Teachers

Ordinary Teachers receive a basic rate of $6 – $8 per class and need to get 80% positive feedback to be entitled to a monthly bonus. 

Star Teachers receive a basic rate of $7 – $9 per class and are required to get 90% positive feedback to receive a monthly bonus. Star Teachers are required to teach “School Demo” classes to bring more schools on board with Class100.  

Incentives 

On top of the Class100 basic salary, teachers are offered the following incentives per class they teach:

• Attendance bonus of $1 per class
• Preparation allowance of $1 per class

These equate to an extra $2 per class, and it all adds up!

Bonuses

Class100 also offers the following bonuses:

• Substitute teacher payment of $2 on top of basic salary
• Training allowance of 3 hours of basic salary
• Referral bonus of $60
• Positive feedback bonuses

• Ordinary Teachers receive $50 per month
• Star Teachers receive $1 per class

Promotions

Class100 teachers are re-evaluated when contract renewal time comes along. If you have taught enough classes and received 80% positive feedback, you may be offered a promotion to a new position within the Class100 team: 

• Star Teacher
• Trainer
• Lesson Guide Creator
• Recruiter
• Mentor
• Other positions – recording videos, writing articles

How and When do Class100 Pay their Teachers?

Class100 pays their teachers directly through bank deposits. This is great as it cuts out the middleman which can sometimes hit you with additional fees. Payments are generally made on the 18th of each month.

Taxes

As a Class100 teacher, you’re an independent contractor, so you are in charge of submitting your earnings and paying taxes in accordance with your individual tax jurisdictions, federal and/or state laws. This isn’t as complicated as it may appear, and there are plenty of resources out there to offer guidance, like the IRS website.

What is the Application Process for Class100?

The application process is relatively straightforward. How long the whole process takes, from the submission of your CV to starting teaching, will depend on individual teacher availability and starting dates are negotiated during the interview stage. 

Step One – Submission of CV

Apply to work with Class100 through their online application portal. You need to fill out their application form, which includes basic personal information and details about your credentials/experience. Then submit your resume/CV.

Step Two – Interview and Demo Class

If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to a 30-minute online interview which is conducted on the Class100 portal. This is for Class100 to find out more about you and to confirm the working hours. 

The Class100 interview is followed straight away by a 10-minute demo class, where you will teach a mock lesson of around 3 slides to ‘students’ (members of Class100 staff). During this demo lesson, you’ll be evaluated on these Teaching Performance Indicators:

• Energy level
• Appropriate output
• TPR (Total Physical Response – like body language, hand gestures, and movement)
• Adapting
• Repetition
• Variety

On Class100’s Youtube Channel you can find a number of example demo class videos to watch in preparation for your lesson. The video below is worth a watch as well, as it breaks down who Class100 is and what they’re looking for in the demo lesson. You are spoken to as though you’re a student, so bear with it!

Pre-interview for Class100

Step Three – Training

Participate in a 3-hour training session about their unique teaching platform, the use of TPR in the classroom, and other skills. 

Step Four – Contract

Sign the teacher contract, upload the mandatory documents and complete a background check. 

Step Five – Start Teaching!

Once everything is completed and submitted, you’ll be ready to start teaching with Class100!

What is the Work Schedule for Class100?

Teaching English with Class100 provides you with both a stable and flexible working schedule over a 6-month contract. Your schedule will change monthly, and it’s you who dictates how many Class100 hours you want to work each month. Class100 makes it easy for you to fit your teaching around your lifestyle, whether that be another job or personal commitments. 

How Does Class100’s Scheduling Work?

As Class100 works with public schools, it employs a fixed class schedule that teachers must stick to. This schedule is created monthly, with teachers submitting their availability for working hours every month. Class100 then coordinates classes and you‘ll be given a fixed number of classes for that month. 

The fixed class schedule means that you know in advance when you’ll be teaching for that month, which can be pretty helpful when trying to balance teaching with other aspects of your life. It also means no hustling for students!

Hours

Class100 offers classes from Monday to Friday, 7:30 am – 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm. These times are Beijing time, so you’ll need to adjust them to your own local time zone. 

Class100 teachers should commit to a minimum of 9 hours a week. Those 9 hours should be over 3 days, with the same 3-hour block of time for each day. For instance, 8:30 – 11:30 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Class100 claims to guarantee the number of classes you will be given each month based on the number of hours you’re available. It seems as though you’ll get paid for the full classes you have been guaranteed, even if you end up with fewer classes…

Understanding the Class100 Teaching Platform

Classes

Classes are 30 minutes long and have between 30 and 40 public school students, aged between 6 and 18 years old, of varying abilities. This may sound like a lot of students, but you will have the Chinese public school teacher in the actual classroom assisting you. They are there to make sure the students participate in the class and everything goes to plan!

Teaching Materials

Class100 designs the lesson materials for every class. Teachers have access to these materials through the teacher portal 6 – 12 hours in advance of the class, so there is plenty of time to review the materials before teaching. Class100 teachers are responsible for making and incorporating props, supports, teaching aids, and background decorations to accompany the lessons. 

Class100 Teaching Platform

Class100 have their own unique teaching platform to facilitate the online ESL classes. The interactive lessons and tools have been designed to help students learn in an imaginative, fun and intuitive manner. 

If you scroll down the Class100 homepage, there are a number of videos at the bottom which showcase their teaching platform and what the teaching environment will be like. 

Class100 Reviews

Class100 stands out from other online teaching companies as its audience is public school students, rather than the more affluent students who can afford private lessons. With large class sizes and a dual-teaching classroom, it is a completely different online teaching experience. 

If one-to-one classes are what you want, teaching with Class100 may not be right for you, and it could be worth checking out other online teaching programs. However, if you fancy dipping your toes into a different online ESL environment and banking some classroom teaching experience, Class100 may be just what you’re after.

In general, Class100 seems to get a positive write up when it comes to reviews. The timings of the classes get positive feedback, particularly from those working from the US – classes fall in the evenings in the States so they don’t clash so much with personal schedules, giving employees more flexibility. Other aspects of the job that gets praised are the students, the prepared lessons, the tech team, and the salary. 

While it seems that most employees have had good experiences surrounding the guaranteed classes and fixed class schedule, there are some who have failed to get classes. It appears as though the ‘guaranteed classes’ may not always work out. This isn’t unusual when it comes to online teaching companies – you will always find reviews where teachers complain about not getting enough hours. 

All in all, for those of you who have busy lives and are looking for a way to balance teaching with other commitments, teaching with Class100 could be a good flexible option for you. You may not earn your millions, but the competitive salary is still pretty decent. It’s also a great way to gain some invaluable ESL classroom teaching experience. 

If you do fancy joining the Class100 team, why not start the application process today and head over to their online application portal.