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DRFOXY
Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:00 am Post subject: Teaching for different schools |
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Hello there! I've just moved to Torino and have had lots of interest from language schools regarding work. I want to know if it is possible or even legal to work as an English consultant for various schools? Is anyone able to tell me about the job market in Torino right now? |
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SueH
Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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I was in Torino yesterday and today (nice place), but only for pleasure so I've no specific knowledge. However there is no over-arching law that says you can't work for more than one employer, but if you sign a contract that stipulates that fact I presume you can't.
The basic fact is that the schools don't want you stealing their customers and the market they've built up. They have high overheads and a need to make a profit which is reflected in the difference between the hourly rate to the client and what they pay you. That's why most of us here for more than a year or two try to go freelance: private lessons or directly with the local state schools etc.
The problem is in building up the friendships/contacts, and that takes time which is why most people take the language school route for the guaranteed income.
It might come down to negotiating: "I can work for you on Mon Tues only.." and make sure you don't sign any exclusivity contract, although it would be reasonable to sign a clause saying you won'tteach any of their clients within a certain period of them not continueing with a particular school. Whether you can swing that I really don't know. |
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Betti
Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 44
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 1:03 am Post subject: |
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I think it's highly unlikely that a private school would give you the 'get out' to work for other establishments. However large the town or city, private schools are in direct competition with each other. Also, there are the day-to-day dynamics of working for any of these types of places - lesson planning being the heaviest burden to bear. Sue's correct in saying that a lot of teachers get the first year under their belts and then move on to the freelance market and she's absolutely correct that this takes time to be viable. If you are inundated with offers, take the best one and see how it goes. This is not the most reliable of industries and, particularly in Europe, the market is flooded with enthusiastic newbies who want to work in desirable places. Not to put you off by any means, I've had a blast working here and although I disliked the original school I worked for, it gave me the confidence to step outside. Personally I'm quite lazy but 3 years in to freelance teaching I think I've done pretty well. Someone more motivated and aggressive would probably be earning three times my income. However I favour quality over quantity but it's taken a while and a few knock backs to get where I am. |
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SueH
Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 8:21 am Post subject: |
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Betti wrote: |
Personally I'm quite lazy but 3 years in to freelance teaching I think I've done pretty well. |
This OP, is the teacher whose stories of teaching kids exhausted me just reading about them! Glad I'm not the only one who is lazy! If you are in Torino you'll definitely want to escape to the local skiing occasionally - I factor it in to my timetable, for example. But the first year at least you'll have to go for it a bit more. |
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Teacher in Rome
Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 1286
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am Post subject: |
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I think it all depends on the contract. If you have a fixed-term, part-time (i.e. 10 hours a week) project type contract, then the school won't stop you working for other clients. We did that in Rome, knowing our teachers would be working for one or two other schools, and there was no problem. But this was business teaching, and there was little worry that the teacher would steal the client... |
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