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Getting more students

 
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ewlandon



Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:25 pm    Post subject: Getting more students Reply with quote

Hello,

I have worked at my hogwon for about 1.5 years now. About 6 months ago I had 100 students and nearly 80% of them where 6th graders and all went to the middle school (one floor above). My students dropped to about 20.

The school has been having trouble getting more than a couple here and there so 6th months later we have about 30 students. Is there anything I, as a teacher, can do to help get more students in.

I really like the job and they like me a lot (I am their main English teacher and only native teacher), but having so few classes each week is getting to me. I am getting bored sitting at the desk playing on my handphone for 4 hours a day.

Any advice to help get more students in would be appreciated because I have no idea where to start. (Also the boss said if we get back to 100 students he will get me a nicer apt).
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Go stand outside the gate of the local elementary school and hand out brochures along with some "gift" (eg: a notebook with the hagwon's name printed on the cover) as well as some "program" information and pricing.

.
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ewlandon



Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I meant more along the lines of things I can do while teaching to get the students to tell all their friends and parents how great I am so that the Ajuma network will want to send all their kids to my classes.
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crouchy



Joined: 05 Nov 2008

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As long as your students are entertained, you should have no trouble.

In true Hagwon style - put on a clown costume and dance like a circus monkey. Of course, an English speaking circus monkey.

Word will spread fast.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ewlandon wrote:
I meant more along the lines of things I can do while teaching to get the students to tell all their friends and parents how great I am so that the Ajuma network will want to send all their kids to my classes.


With only 30 kids there isn't much "Ajuma network" to work from/with.

It is all about communicating to the outside the school how great you are inside the school and with 30 kids there isn't much to "show" or means to show off with.

The biggest problem with "marketing" a mom 'n pop hagwon is that their isn't any tech or budget to work with and no inclination to do anything about it.

Get some really great video demonstrations and post them on youtube.
Start a school "facebook" page and promote the 7734 out of your videos.
Get some cards made promoting the hagwon and your videos and pass them around to EVERYONE in the neighborhood.

If you were really serious you would reach out to the elementary schools NOW to grab a bunch of kids over the last of the break and moving into the start of the new term.

Sit in your classroom and next year, possibly even after the summer, you won't have a job.

Price, Product, Place, Promotion... and SWOT.

.
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ewlandon



Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually its not a ma and pa, there are like 800 students in the building (they have all the fancy brochures and websites etc) but the elementary English is just very small and not their focus.
They wont get rid of me because they arent gonna close the elementary portion and they like me, but sitting is getting boring.

I guess youre right about not having enough network the students I have.

I just can't take it upon myself to pass out stuff cause they already have all the marketing etc so I can't really take that into my own hands. Should I offer to take the pencils and brochures to the streets??
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ewlandon wrote:
Should I offer to take the pencils and brochures to the streets??


You boss is the one to ask for that one and it sounds like this is certainly a current weakness.

S.W.O.T. / P.P.P.P.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats / price, product, place, promotion.

.
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Dodge7



Joined: 21 Oct 2011

PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 2:15 am    Post subject: Re: Getting more students Reply with quote

ewlandon wrote:
Hello,

I have worked at my hogwon for about 1.5 years now. About 6 months ago I had 100 students and nearly 80% of them where 6th graders and all went to the middle school (one floor above). My students dropped to about 20.

The school has been having trouble getting more than a couple here and there so 6th months later we have about 30 students. Is there anything I, as a teacher, can do to help get more students in.

I really like the job and they like me a lot (I am their main English teacher and only native teacher), but having so few classes each week is getting to me. I am getting bored sitting at the desk playing on my handphone for 4 hours a day.

Any advice to help get more students in would be appreciated because I have no idea where to start. (Also the boss said if we get back to 100 students he will get me a nicer apt).

I can't believe you said "handphone." You sell out.
Besides, it's not your job to recruit more kids. Let the boss take care of that. If you get laid off, find another job. Unless you want to put on a panda suit and dance outside like a monkey passing out fliers to advertise your hagwon.
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ewlandon



Joined: 30 Jan 2011
Location: teacher

PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I said I was more interested in tips about in class things that would make the kids go home and rave about how great I was.

My students all like me but I dont think the majority will look back and remember me as someone they were excited to go to academy for.

I'm not wearing any suits and I'll leave the advertising to the academy.

Thanks for the advice guys.
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