Protostar <—- Click here to Apply is a new Chinese company who are looking for native English speaking teachers with a bachelors degree. Previous teaching experience and a TEFL certificate are preferred. Teachers will be working with a group of up to 4 Chinese children aged 5-9. Classes take place during the evenings (between 7pm and 9:20pm Beijing time). They are 40 minutes long and teachers are paid a base rate of $16 USD per 40 minute class with a chance at receiving bonuses of up to $6 per class, so it is possible to make $22 per 40 minute class. There are not a lot of hours but they do offer fixed scheduling so you can combine it with your other job.
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I worked at Protostar for a very long time. I tried and tried to make it work because it was the best place around. I absolutely do NOT recommend it to anyone else.
PROS
I was treated very well in the interview and very well during my time as a teacher. I had autonomy to use my own teaching style. They paid better than most other schools for sure. $16 per 40 minute class, plus $1 attendence per class, plus a $0 - $5 bonus based per class based on their evaluation of your teaching (not only the parents, it's mostly their evaluation, so no cranky kid is going to ruin your bonus with a 1 star rating). I got every sense that they care, listen to and respect their teaching staff. They are probably the nicest people to work for in the online young learner teaching world.
So, what was the problem then?
CONS
1) You will NEVER get fully booked.
2) You will NEVER get real feedback about why.
3) You will NEVER get the full bonus, even though they say you can and will.
In short, they're dishonest.
If you want to work for a place that is going to use nice rhetoric but gaslight you into thinking that maybe it's your fault you're not getting the income they've promised then this is the place for you. If you like caring people who can't see that not providing the income and opportunities they promise is part of what attract you in the first place then this is the place for you. If you want to attend meetings with genuinely nice fellow teachers who, like a cult, insist you agree that Protostar is the best place ever (and will stop the meeting until they hear those words) then this is the place for you.
It was not the place for me.
I need money.
Don't waste your time. While the interviewer was polite and kept insisting that the school does NOT tell you how to teach (in other words, they claim they want originality), I did not pass the childish interview because I did not word the responses in the mock interview EXACTLY like they said. Yet another joke in the long line of online schools, they told me I could reapply in 2 months.....yea right!
Avoid this company. I was rejected last year. Reapplied and got a different interviewer who was nice, engaging and wonderful. Then when I was asked to do my next step (I made the initial screening and mock interview) the same lady that failed me last year took over and she works for the same company I left. She passed me on to the third level.
Now at this level, everyone I personally know said I was hired, that no one gets to that level except to tweek the presentation and onboard.
When she finished the third interview, I was excited and had already prepared for a great new job. Then out of the blue she said, "We will contact you for the final test or hopefully you will not get that dreaded letter." ?????
Two days later I got the rejection letter that they hired someone else. What they did not know is I know who they hired, she is female, nice looking, little experience, and personal friend of the interviewer that took over. Ii have seen her teach in a video and I was not wowed.
Avoid this company, they have no respect for experience, or qualifications. If your not connected as a friend then your out of luck unless you happen to get an honest interviewer that knows what a good teacher really is. I have 40 plus years of teaching kindergarten to grade 5, 5 years online experience, a degree in education and licensed in two countries to teach. Go figure!!!!!!!
The per hour pay is good but you will only get a maximum of 15 hours per week. You will also have at least 2 months off per year (unpaid). Teaching hours are in the evening (EST) and are at the discretion of each school in China. Overall, it's not bad but published pay can be deceiving.
Pay rates are much higher than other companies. You start off at $26/hr and by three months with raises it’s up to $32/hr. Holidays off both Chinese and US. Two weeks vacation per year. Allowed to be sick without penalty. SmLl company but they care about teachers.
Invited for an interview/mock class. Watched their video to explain the process which was ridiculous and confusing. Opted not to continue...Pay is too low for this level of interiew