Honest Novakidschool2022 (SOP) – The Truth about Teaching There 




Novakid Review Summary

Novakid hires Native and Non-Native Speakers to teach children one-on-one, and its Moscow timezone complements Asian jobs. The pay is average for many, and you must have a degree, TEFL/TESOL and experience. It can take months to start teaching there, however, so it’s not a quick option.


Novakid Pros and Cons

  • Both Native and fluent Non-Native Speakers are accepted
  • Can withdraw earnings any time
  • European students and complementary timezone to Asian companies if used as a supplementary job
  • Pay is excellent for South Africans (average for others)

Cons:

  • Need a degree, TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate and teaching experience to apply
  • High minimum hours requirement (20 hours a week)
  • Trial classes only pay 50% (20% for student no show)
  • Must commit to a fixed schedule in advance
  • Can take months from being accepted to start teaching
  • Glitchy website
  • Conflicting information from the company regarding Non-Native Speakers and teaching hours

Is Novakid Legit?

Novakid or Novakid Global (not to be confused with NovaStar Prep), is an online ESL school founded in 2017 by Russian entrepreneur Maxim Azarov. They have offices in Moscow, San Francisco and Krakow and teach 4-12 year-old children from 36 countries including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Germany and Spain. Underlining their legitimacy is the fact that their student numbers and revenue have grown 500% year-on-year, allowing the company to raise $5.75 million in seed funding in 2020.

Novakid online teaching is conducted via their own web platform, accessible through the Chrome browser. Novakid English classes are 25 minutes long, with teaching materials prepared and provided by the company.


How Much Does Novakid Pay?

The Novakid teacher salary isn’t advertised on their website, which always raises questions as to why. One reason could be the fact that different Novakid pay rates are offered depending upon your nationality. The Novakid teacher pay for Native Speakers is US$8 per class, whereas for Non-Native Speakers it is $2.50-3.00. As lessons are 25-minutes long, this makes the Novakid hourly rate $16 for Native Speakers and $5-6 for Non-Native Speakers.

Bear in mind that many Novakid lessons, especially in the early days, will be trial classes, for which you will only be paid 50% of your normal rate. If there is a no show, which often happens with trial students, the pay will be just 20%.

One advantage to Novakid is that, unlike many ESL companies who have weekly or monthly pay cycles, they will allow you to withdraw your earnings at any time. You will need a PayPal account to receive your Novakid salary.


Novakid Working Hours

The Novakid schedule runs 7am-1am, Monday to Sunday. It operates on Moscow time, which is helpful for teachers looking to supplement their Asian teaching hours elsewhere in the day. The Novakid peak hours are 17.30-20.30 (MSK), Monday to Saturday.

The Novakid minimum hours requirement is 20 per week, which is higher than most other online ESL companies (and contradicts their other statement that they require at least 12 lessons a week). These do not have to include peak hours, however, you must commit to the fixed hours you select in advance for several months. This, again, seems contradictory to the company’s claims that it offers ‘Flexible working hours‘.

Novakid bookings are quieter during the European summer months, when many students take holidays. If you apply during this period, you won’t be onboarded until the Autumn/Fall.