Hello everyone!
My name is Elena, and I am a tutor on Cambly Kids.
You may be thinking about applying for Cambly Kids, or perhaps you already tutor on regular Cambly, and you are looking to expand into the kids’ section of Cambly.
Either way, in this video and blog, I will give you the information you need to know if you are a good fit for Cambly Kids and the steps to follow to get started.
The 5 Traits You Must Have to Teach Cambly Kids:
Don’t worry, practice makes perfect!
1) Patience
There are times when kids aren’t in the mood for class; they could be tired, sleepy, or want to play with toys instead of having a class with you.
Or, better yet, the parent’s are forcing them to take class, so they are in a mood!
Having the ability to manage not-so-perfect behaviour makes the experience much more enjoyable for yourself and the student!
If the student is not listening, remain calm, take a deep breath, and slowly bring the attention back to English.
2) Total Physical Response (TPR)
Sometimes some students will not know English at all, or very little.
In these times, we need to use our arms, face, and whole body to explain concepts so our students can learn the language easily.
This often ends up looking like a funny dance, but hey, at least it’s great fun!
Pro tip: Get students to mimic your actions as well as your words. For example, motioning the word “look” while pointing from your eyes to your student.
3) Slow and clear speech
When someone is learning a second language, if you talk at your average pace, they may not be able to separate each word and understand what you’re saying.
Picture this: You’re speaking too fast to a little boy or little girl, and they are not able to tell when a word starts and ends. They will quickly get frustrated, bored, and maybe even doubt themselves.
But, when we talk slowly, the student can separate the words and understand you better.
4) Be energetic
Bringing your energy to class will, in turn, energize the student and make them more eager to start learning!
If you’re bored, then the student will also be bored.
Adding energy will make the class fun for the student and you. I promise that time will go so quickly!
I love to play tricks with my students, such as making objects disappear in my hands or playing a little game to get their attention.
Add your personality and flair to class! If students feel more comfortable with you,
they will feel more open to ask questions, make mistakes, and therefore, learn faster!
5) Know how to lead the lesson
There are many students with strong personalities. They will want to show you their toys, talk about school or friends, and not want to listen to what you have to say.
If you do not have control of the lesson, you will feel frustrated, and it will not be the enjoyable experience that it should be!
But if you do, you can use that to your advantage.
For example, if the student starts showing you their toys, you could take that as a chance to lead the lesson. You could ask them, “What shape is that toy?” and use their interests to redirect their attention back to the lesson.
They’ll learn and not even know it!
Remember, the goal is not to make the kids quiet; it’s to get them to speak! But, you want them to be talking about suitable topics, so they learn.
“Awesome, Elena! I can do all of these things. What’s next?”
If you seem like you have all of the pre-requisites to teach on Cambly Kids, then the next step is your application. Head on over to the Cambly website to start your application process!
If this is your first time applying to teach on the Cambly platform, apply here to become a Cambly tutor.
P.S. You will need to sign up for both Cambly and Cambly Kids to teach Cambly Kids, but you can choose only to teach kids if that’s what you wish, once your profile is approved!
By now, you may be saying, “Sounds easy enough – what can I expect after I fill out my application?”
The demo lesson!
The demo lesson is when you teach a mock (or pretend) class to an imaginary student to be reviewed by the Cambly Kids team.
The demo lesson exists to ensure that you are the right fit for teaching Cambly Kids and that you have all 5 of the basic requirements listed above.
Check out this YouTube video at 5:10 to see what Cambly is looking for in a demo lesson.
During the demo lesson, be sure to have:
- Good lighting.
- A microphone and camera (if you have a headset, that’s best)
- Having some props is useful. They can be anything from an apple to flashcards.
- Bring your energy and use TPR.
- A great attitude!
How do I know which lesson to teach?
You will receive an email from the Cambly Kids team after your application has been received to tell you which lesson you will teach in your demo class.
Be sure to teach this lesson as if there is a real student in front of you.
Also, focus on a target sentence, such as “this is a blue triangle.” Focus on the target sentence, as if your only goal for that lesson is for that student to speak that sentence effortlessly at the end of class time.
Now you have everything you need to start applying to Cambly Kids!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and we will be happy to address any of your concerns!
are these 30 minutes lessons? or is there a 5 minute break between students??
Yes, Cambly Kids sessions are 30 minutes long! You can schedule breaks between your reservations. 🙂
Is there any way to have my CamblyKids account approved more quickly (I applied over a month ago)?
Hi Renae! The team has been working hard to process all of the CK applications, we have gotten a lot recently! If you write into Tutor Support, they will be able to give you more detailed information regarding the progression of your application. 🙂 Thank you, and good luck!