Tracie Gabelman, an Ooltewah mom, wakes up some days at 3 a.m., grabs her coffee mug, lets the dog out and pulls on an orange shirt, her company uniform.
Next, she fires up her laptop computer and connects with children in China, whose parents pay dearly for 25-minute, one-on-one English-language tutoring sessions.
“Hello!” Gabelman greets the children with a wide smile. “How are you? I’m happy to see you.”
Gabelman, 41, says she is one of about 20,000 private contractors in the United States who work for VIPKid, an online learning company specializing in the vast China market.
Mark KennedyView other columns by Mark Kennedy
For the kids in China, who take on American screen names such as “Randy” and “Dolly” and “Charlie,” it’s early evening. They seem hungry to learn.