Job Discussion Forums

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

Hi everyone......I'm thinking about doing some private lessons and am curious to know:
a: What is out there.....what do most students want? Will I need any books, etc?
b: What or where is the best way to find these students?
c: How much should I charge per hour?
Thanks for any input!

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Please, anne. This has been covered a zillion times. Please use the search function.

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

Oh....the search function.....what's that? Glenski, do me a favor....please don't respond to any of my posts......ever again....thanks!

Jon Taylor · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 238 Location: Tokyo

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

I once suggested the same thing.......problem is, then some people would have NOTHING TO DO!

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

One thing you could try is joining your local yahoo JET group. I recently joined the Nagano JET group (I'm not even a JET but it seems open to practically anyone who's foreign seemingly) expecting to just get lots of mails from outgoing JETs with stuff ot sell, but quite a lot of private schools advertise part time job adverts on there. There was even one the other day from my first (and much hated) eikawa boss advertising part time classes. He once told me that becoming an ALT was 'turning to the dark side' and wasn't 'proper teaching' which made it rather ironic that he was a member of the Nagano JET Group. While this post seems to have become about subcontracting work in an area like Tokyo you'll probably get old JETs off-loading their private classes. Just do a search on Yahoo Groups.

Alternatively, I'd suggest hanging around in International centres / popular coffee shops, and putting your resume on Findateacher.net and similar websites.

Good luck with it.

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

Thanks for the advice......I don't want to work for an eikawa, ALT work is underpaid from what I've seen anyway, so now that I have my visa, I'll do a few privates for awhile, and then........I'm running to Korea! I'll miss the men and the food here, but........well......life goes on!

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

ALT work is only underpaid if you consider the total number of hours you spend at your school ( 8 - 4 roughly). If you actually work it on an eikawa scale, as in how much you are paid per teaching hour, then ALTs, who rarely do more than 2.5 hours actual teaching a day, are grossly overpaid.

Saying that, I'm not going to complain.

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

Nagoyaguy · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 425 Location: Aichi, Japan

Anne;

Short answer, good private classes are hard to come by. You need to build up a network of friends and contacts first. Otherwise, you will be slaving away for 2000 or 2500 yen an hour.

1/ private, one-to-one lessons are generally the lowest paying, and the most difficult to teach.

2/ for group classes, charge by the month and get payment at the beginning of each month. I have a group of 11 people, they pay 7000 yen each per month. Classes are once a week for 90 minutes.

3/ Dont teach from your home, or from a coffee shop. Rent a room at a local community centre- it is cheap, and looks more professional.

4/ use a text as much as possible."Free conversation" style grouips usually peter out as the students get to know each other (and YOU) better. A text helps keep focus and gives a sense of progress.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

stuhiggers · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 12

stuhiggers · Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 12

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

sh itugger,

glass houses. stones. don't throw.