Job Discussion Forums

[Telegram Sam]

Hola,

In your experience, do you think people prefer having private lessons in their own home, at the teacher's place, or at some different location?

Also, I know that in a normal classroom setting, it may not be appropriate or good to do things with students one-on-one outside of class (I don't just mean romantically). Though I'm sure groups every now and then would be okay. But with private lessons, I wonder if the same issue would come up and if it would be different. Anyone had any experience with this? I'm also just out of college, so I'm guessing I would be pretty close in age to a lot of students. Gracias amigos.

Y una mas cosa, is Madrid also the place with the most opportunities for private lessons or does it vary? Muchos gracias.

-Telegram Sam

[Pauleddy]

Normally, all around the world, PRIVATE students want you to come to their homes in most instances. The hassle of travelling etc is then yours. There is also the psych thing of own territory, secure etc. If they are kids, the mums may wanna watch you and check u out too, to be careful.

When I was in Spain, I only had one who wanted to come to me.

When i worked in corporate, we would sometimes have 'lessons' in the company's shops.

Interesting that you mention 'romance'. Many of yr students could be older housewives or else spotty kids. And, never mix business and pleasure. Saying that, I met someone who got involved with a student, but that's rare.

P

[Telegram Sam]

Thanks for the response. However, I didn't mean romantic relationships when asking about out-of-class stuff (it's pretty clear that there are many problems with that sort of thing), I'm talking about platonic stuff. For instance, does anyone have any private students who invite them to hang out outside of class. If so, how do you handle such a thing?

[spiral78]

Unless you are teaching in a situation where you have some power over the students, such as in an international school or university, where things can be pass/fail, it's ok to hang out with students.

Most European newbie-level jobs are teaching businesspeople at their work, or kids. In neither case do teachers have any actual power over their students (no testing responsibilties, typically). No problem with socializing, if you're mutually into it.

[Bradfrd12]

I married one of my students and now have 2 wonderful daughters.

I have no problem hanging out with students. I took one of my teenage private students to Madrid with me to see Tool last year, often go bowling with a few on Wednesdays, and since I love beer and football like another one of my students we often go to matches together and have a few pints afterwards.

I think you'll figure it out once you are in the situation whether or not it's cool to hang out outside of class.

[Kootvela]

[spiral78]

Customs are regional - this applies to private teaching and welcoming (or not) strangers into one's home.

[jonniboy]

[spiral78]

Pauleddy wrote:
Normally, all around the world, PRIVATE students want you to come to their homes in most instances. The hassle of travelling etc is then yours. There is also the psych thing of own territory, secure etc.

I think Pauleddy's dead wrong here. I've given private lessons to students in five countries, and NEVER in anyone's home, theirs OR mine.

Kootvela's got a good situation, with an office for the purpose. I've met students in their workplaces, in pubs and cafes, and (my personal ideal) public libraries.

I'd feel very uncomfortable working in a home.

[MO39]

When I was in Madrid last year, most of my classes were in private homes, because I was teaching children. Things went very well, and while some families were more welcoming than others, I never felt uncomfortable. I'm in Mexico now, and, since I have some retirement income, I can be choosy and take on only those students who are willing to come to my apartment for classes. If I needed many more hours than I do now, it might be more difficult to make ends meet doing it this way.

[Kootvela]

I'm still pro renting an office.

A question for those teaching in public places: how can you concentrate when teaching in a cafe? Noice, music, people around. Are you rich enough to order food time and again or the staff allows you to sit for a couple of hours just drinking one glass of mineral water and earning your pay? No disrespect intended, just curious. I tried it and was very uncomfortable with questioning looks of passers-by.

[spiral78]

Well, the library's still the best public venue, but, yes, I've worked in cafes and pubs and restaurants.

Maybe I've just lived in places where waiters aren't concerned about rushing anyone off - the glass of mineral water's good for an hour, at least.

As for people staring curiously, well, maybe it's a big-international-city thing, but I've never noticed that my student and I were attracting any attention at all.

[Moore]

Here in Madrid you're fine for at least an hour nursing a coffee each. As long as you're not there during peak times nobody seems to mind, and since a lot of classes are mid-morning or mid-afternoon while filling up gaps between business classes it's ideal.

There are a lot of distractions going on, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing: quite often the circumstances where a student will need their English most will be in less than ideal circumstances (bad quality conference call lines, people talking over each other, lunches with clients) so there is an upside to it.

Another advantage are that it is "safe", as in a neutral spot for opposite sex teacher students to be comfortable with. Also you can choose a mutually convenient central point (students almost always live in the suburbs and the teacher in the centre).

The big downside about teaching in a cafe is that you can't really use materials and of course listening and video is totally out: basically you're doing conversation, which is fine for a certain type of student, but obviously limits you to relatively high levels of adults.



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[Kootvela]

I remember having my Japanese classes with a Japanese girl in a cafe. Then there were about ten of us and she taught us for about an hour or so every week. It was fun and we did drink lots of tea. However, that was for fun and she didn't charge us. I as a teacher am pro stability-I have my handouts, my computer, my kettle, my office shoes, I can dash for an extra copy two floors upstairs, etc. I'm just very comfortable there.

[MO39]

Here in noisy Mexico City, even in my fairly tranquil neighborhood, I haven't been able to find a caf� or little restaurant quiet enough even for an advanced-level conversation kind of class. If you're inside, then loud music is playing (or the TV) and people are talking in loud voices, and there's often the really loud whoosh of the expresso machine in the background, creating an uncongenial atmosphere for teaching. At the outdoor caf�s in my neighborhood, you have to contend with traffic noises, and the occasional helicopter flying much too low overhead. So I will stick to having classes in my apartment, where there's free water (or tea) on hand, all my textbooks and dictionaries, and,most important of all, my laptop connected to the internet, which I find myself using more and more.