Teacher Yufie

Opo‚ Master Jusin Eslteacherknows. Unti-unti ko nang nararamdaman.😂

Teacher Sheila Dewar of 51Talk‚ now signing off.😌
And with that‚ my “PAGTITIIS ERA” comes to an end. Charrrr!😂

Today marks exactly my 6 years and 7 months working with 51Talk‚ the first ever company who trusted me‚ giving me the chance to earn my own money. I’m a business program graduate‚ but wasn’t able to get a corporate job and work in the field related to the program I studied due to health issues. Kalungkurtttt!

Yes‚ it was really frustrating and quite NAKAKA-INGGIT to see my peers especially my college classmates and friends getting the jobs they want‚ working in corporate and big companies‚ going out for their company’s team building activities‚ getting holiday bonuses‚ celebrating year-end parties‚ and such.

While me? Literal na HUMIHINGA LANG‚ staying at my big bro’s place with his little family as a PROWPEYSYOWNAL TAMBAY or a TAMBAY WITH DEGREE. I stayed with them since 2017 after I graduated.

I tried looking for a job‚ submitted my resumé and CVs to different companies and workplaces via email and even walked in. Yes‚ I did it all with my big bro’s help financially ‘cause I don’t have any penny of my own. But still‚ I always fail‚ I always get the “Maganda sana ‘yong credentials mo kaso sayang‚ hindi talaga pwede sa company ang health status mo.” after every medical exam. And I would just go home and cry my heart out.

Every day‚ I would browse on facebook looking for an online job I could do as a freelancer‚ join online writing competitions and staying up late thinking‚ writing‚ and revising my pieces to use for my entry‚ and writing updates for my stories posted on writing platforms where I can earn a little amount of money. I did commissioned book covers‚ MS editing‚ and proofreading for my fellow writers too. I tried working with a small self-publishing business as their graphic artist and proofreader‚ but since I didn’t have my own laptop back then‚ it was so hard that I decided to quit.

Until one day, that was September 2019‚ I came across Mam Dianne’s post on one of the Job-Hunting facebook groups I joined‚ I forgot her surname tho. She posted she’s looking for someome who is willing to work online. A desperate me tried to message her asking about further details, but she asked me to visit her office the next day intead para daw makapag-apply ako kasi nga raw sa online mag-aapply at ibang lahi ang mag-interview. So I prepared my resumé again and without any hesitations‚ I went to her office the next day to apply.

Honestly‚ na-shokt ako at first kasi it was an apartment so I was like‚ “Hala! Baka kagaya ‘to sa mga napapanood ko sa online at nababasa sa stories na ‘yong mga nagpapakita ng katawan sa camera to earn money from afams.” Hahahahahaha! Kaka-wattpad ko dati ‘yon‚ eh. Anyway‚ ayon nga medyo nagdalawang-isip na ako kasi wala talaga akong idea or kaunting kaalaman man lang about online ESL teaching as in hindi ko pa siya naririnig‚ kaya zero-knowledge talaga ako about it.

To continue and to make the long story short kasi ang haba na ng story ko‚ hahahahahaha. I applied‚ get interviewed by Filipino HRs‚ waited for days for my results‚ get trained‚ asked to do Mock-Demos with a couple of Filipino trainers‚ did a few trial-and-errors with Mam Dianne especially with my grammar and pronunciation kasi aminado talaga akong hindi ako magaling sa English. I can still remember the words I couldn’t pronounce well that time‚ “LISTEN”‚ “READY” and “PRACTICE”. So Mam Dianne had to correct me so many times when I practiced with her.

After I think 2 days of preparation‚ with Mam Dianne’s help‚ I was endorsed to do my final demo with a CE. Damit pa ni Mam Dianne ‘yong suot ko no’n kasi wala akong yellow polo-shirt kaya medyo malaki sa akin kasi payat talaga ako dati, as in PAYAT hahahahahaha. And I was so lucky my CE was really kind to me during my demo. Literal na hindi niya ako pinahirapan like other CEs do na magkukunwaring distracted na kid student during demo. ‘Yong ginawa niya lang ay mag-mispronounce ng words kunwari‚ ang cute hahahaha. At hindi rin niya pinatapos ang lesson slides for my demo‚ she stopped me after like 15 minutes siguro to give feedback and that’s it.

I was really worried that time kasi alam kong hindi ako papasa kasi may mga mali akong nagawa during my demo dahil sa kaba, hahahahaha. But after like 5 mins‚ nag-send siya ng congratulatory message sa Skype telling me I passed the demo class. She sent me links needed for my On-boarding Training and some important reminders for the said training.

Juskoo! Iyak malala ako no’n kasi I did not expect it na makapasa ako. So ayon‚ the next day I signed my first contract with them at pinag-open agad ako ni Mam Dianne ng slots. And guess what? My first ever student in 51Talk is an adult. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko i-approach. I delivered the lesson like I was teaching a kid student. I even gave him stars and rewards and clapped my hands for him every time he answered correctly. Mabuti na lang at go with the flow lang din siya saka jolly rin siya sa klase. Hahahahahahahaha.

I worked in an office-based set up for 5 months with Mam Dianne as my manager but the operation didn’t go well for some reasons‚ so I decided to just continue on my own in a home-based set up. Wala pa akong kahit anong device and equipment na magagamit that time kasi nga provided ng office ang lahat except food and personal stuff at biglaan lang din ang pag-pull out ng operation kaya hindi talaga ako ready to start my home-based journey. I even conducted some of my classes in a computer shop just to avoid incurring penalties and getting my account locked.

I don’t have any other choices but to take risks. So ayon‚ nangutang ako sa kuya ko ng pambili ng laptop at ‘yong headset and we**am na gamit ko sa office‚ binili ko na lang din para may magamit na ako kasi may mga advance bookings akong dapat i-conduct. ‘Yong internet ko naman na pina-install sa bahay ng kuya ko right away‚ naka-plan lang kasi walang fiber connection doon sa amin.

I had so many bitter-sweet moments too while working with 51Talk. Naranasan ko ring ma-penalty ng 3k plus dahil nasira ‘yong laptop ko at wala akong backup‚ ma-penalty dahil sa malawakang rotational brownout‚ ma-complain ng student na gumagamit ako ng phone during class hahahahahaha‚ umiyak sa coach during coaching sessions‚ makipagtalo sa nanay ng student ko during our class‚ masigawan minsan ‘yong mga napakabait kong students‚ at magklase kahit hanggang hita na ‘yong tubig-baha sa loob ng bahay.

Naranasan ko ring magklase kahit broken-hearted—breakdown ng 5 minutes tapos klase ulit‚ ganon hahahahaha. I have also reached SA–Deliberation 2 times since I was hired. And so many iyak-tawang ganap in my 6 years and 7 months in the platform hanggang sa maabot ko ulit ‘yong SA–Deliberation in last week of January this year due to my cancellations of classes dahil sa biglaang pag-clearing ng Meralco which affected my ISP for a week and wala akong back up kasi ‘yong suppposed to be back up ko‚ sobrang hina kasi nasa looban ‘yong apartment ko at nasa first floor pa kaya mahina ‘yong internet connection at hindi kayang magklase.

I had countless rants towards the company’s rules and unfair treatments to its teachers too‚ but I can’t deny the fact that 51Talk has been my bread and butter for years as well. It helped me pay my bills‚ buy sacks of rice and gas at home‚ buy my own wants and needs‚ pay may laptop na inutang ko sa kuya ko‚ send a small amount of money to my parents sometimes‚ keep a little amount for savings‚ and even support my 2 younger siblings to send them to school since their Junior High School years at nasa college na sila ngayon. Though ‘yong isa na lang ngayon ang pinapaaral ko kasi ‘yong kapatid kong sumunod sa akin na ang nagpapa-aral sa bunso namin. I was able to buy gifts for my nephew and nieces every Christmas and their birthdays too because of the money I earn in working with 51Talk.

Yes‚ I am beyond grateful for the chance 51Talk has given me because I am able to earn money even when I’m at home in my pajamas without any makeup and blush on. Also‚ it opened doors to new opportunities for me to grow in greener pastures somewhere.

I really don’t want to cancel my Service Agreement with 51Talk kasi I love my students here kahit mga pasaway ‘yong iba‚ but I think this is for something better too. So‚ yeah. I’m now signing off. Please be patient with my students if ever mapunta sila sa inyo.🥺

To my fellow ESL Teachers here‚ especially the ones teaching in 51Talk until now and to Sir John Serrano‚ thank you for the WEEKLY ONLINE SABONG in “51Talk Teachers” facebook group‚ este for everything since day one. Your posts about the company’s update‚ small and big wins‚ encouragements and motivations‚ “not to brag but to inspire”‚ and even rants were my therapy and assistants as I was on my own since I decided to do this job as home-based.

Thank you so much and happy teaching!☺

Love lots‚
Teacher Sheila🌷

Happy Songkran Festival to our Thai students!💦🔫🥳🎊