Job Discussion Forums

[boofiya]

I've been teaching in the Middle East for a few years now and know that almost every teacher suppliments their salary with some evening (under the table) tutoring. But what about the proposition of tutoring your own students? I know of one teacher that was conned by the parents of a "difficult" student right before exams and was then promptly bribed. Some feel that this is acceptible; there are students in the ME are beyond help (no work ethic, rich parents, etc) and the school will fix their grades in the end... why not reap the financial rewards?

[scot47]

This is morally wrong. If that does not persuade you then think through what might happen. What would be the outcome if you were found out ? What if your student decided to try a bit of blackmail ? Don't do it. There are plenty of opportunities to moonlight without doing this.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

In some places this isn't a new concept. In the Mexican city where I teach, there are some unionized public high school and university teachers who show up for their classes only about half the time and make very little effort to teach while there. Students pass/fail their classes based entirely on results of final comprehensive exams. These teachers also have their store-front tutoring schools, where their students can pay to attend sessions to prepare them to pass these exams given in the public schools where these same teachers are getting paid to teach classes but don't. Vocabulary word for the day: corruption.

Somewhat related, there's a well known franchised language school in this city, where teachers are given the "option" of tutoring their slower students outside of class time for free (no extra charge to students, no tutoring pay for teachers, school provides the place.) Re-hiring of individual teachers depends partly on percentage of students who pass their classes and number of students who re-enroll for the next term.

"To thine own self be true."

[scot47]

Ethics ? From an EFL teacher ? Well sometimes. I have NEVER and do not intend ever teaching my own students outside the institution where I work. In the Middle East it is common. I do not recommend it ANYWHERE.