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Where possible to live on minimal hours

 
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patciamor



Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 11:40 am    Post subject: Where possible to live on minimal hours Reply with quote

Hi!

So I got my CELTA back in September in Seville, but when I subsequently got a job I couldn't handle the lesson planning. I was only teaching 16 hours, planning for 9.

However, I loved the teaching and was complemented on my lessons, so I reckon I just need to get into the swing of lesson planning while teaching minimal hours. Where is this most possible? i.e. Where is the ratio of hourly wage to living costs highest?

I'm looking for somewhere where I can fly to cheaply from the UK (so I guess Europe) so that I'm not risking too much if it doesn't work out again. It doesn't seem to be possible in the UK.

Hope you can help Wink
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PC Parrot



Joined: 11 Dec 2009
Posts: 459
Location: Moral Police Station

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 12:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Where possible to live on minimal hours Reply with quote

patciamor wrote:

Where is the ratio of hourly wage to living costs highest?


When comparing mole hills to Mount Everest, it is largely irrelvant which mole hill is tallest.
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't answer your substantive question but maybe encourage you a bit by saying that lesson planning gets easier (and faster) with time. It's worth using a template (preferably soft copy to make modifications easier) as this means that you adopt a structured approach. KEEP all your lesson plans/materials as you may be able to use them again or modify them for a future class, again saving time. For me the best way to do a lesson plan is to imagine that I'm going to be sick/hungover/lottery winner and that I'm actually writing it for somebody else who has to cover the class whilst I recover/drink more/celebrate! Keeps it focused.
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sparks



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 632

PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lesson planning gets easier and faster, you will eventually be able to plan it in your head. This is useful when teaching 40 hours a week to make ends meet in Europe Smile Really, this isn't the place to be looking for minimal teaching unless you have some other plan to make money.
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patciamor



Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the encouragement on lesson planning. I'm still only semi-convinced on the Europe thing though. When I was in Seville I calculated that if I shared a (probably fairly grotty) flat in the studenty area (La Macarena) and lived cheaply (lots of lentil soup!) then I could scrape by on about 12 hours teaching. However I'm now done with Spain, so are there any other places where things are similar? In particular, how about Istanbul?
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MuscatGary



Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think there may be a prolem with wanting only part-time hours in a country where employers usually cover the costs and admin of work visa etc. Could be wrong though...
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patciamor



Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I think there may be a prolem with wanting only part-time hours in a country where employers usually cover the costs and admin of work visa etc. Could be wrong though...


I was afraid of that... Guess that would be a problem even in Asia then?
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not find a job at a Callan/"method" school with no lesson preparation?
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patciamor



Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah I've been looking into that, thing is I'd like to get good at lesson planning eventually so I guess I need the practice.

Watched a few example Callan lessons on youtube - not sure how enjoyable it looks - what other schools have their own "methods"? Are they similar? Are there any that are used with young learners?
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Berlitz is the main one. Not sure if it's used for children, though. Not great on a CV either (ditto all the method schools) because the methods are usually considered outdated by most other schools.
Also note that pay scales for the method schools are usually at the lowest end of the local rates - because there's no prep.
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patciamor



Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Posts: 5
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers for the info! It's certainly something to consider to get some money coming in, even if not for the long term.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd advise the total opposite of what you are thinking. Do more teaching hours, not fewer. Get stuck in, and you'll learn that lesson planning does not have to be as intensive as it seems right now.

Usually, once you look at planning from the point of view of what the learners need to be able to do, or how they need to interact with the materials or each other, then everything else falls into place much faster and more easily.

So, come to Russia. Get an Easyjet to Moscow. Work for a McSchool. Learn your tradecraft from pure slog. After just 4 or 5 months of teaching 24 academic hours a week minimum, you'll look back on your 9 hours prep for 16 hours teaching in total amazement.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Hic!

Sasha
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GF



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 238
Location: Tallinn

PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sasha is spot on. It's the best way if you plan on doing this for long.
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