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WhisperTrail
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: #Article Teaching English Abroad: Private Classes |
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This is chapter three of a series being written by a teacher who is a friend of mine. I posted his earlier articles here a few weeks ago. Chapter three is concerning teaching private lessons. It is a little too long for me to post here So I will link to it.
Chapter Three: Teaching Is A Business |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Thatnks. Great article |
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SueH
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 1022
Location: Northern Italy
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks. I think he's right about the 1 in 10 conversion rate between those who express an interest in classes and those who actually start (and continue!) them. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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With statements like this, I wonder if this is common in Santo Domingo and Uruguay (where he says he has taught). It is not that way everywhere:
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In the large institutes which offer classroom instruction, where the administrators are just employees like you, it will be no problem for you to offer private classes to your students, you can hand out your card, put up a notice on the bulletin board.
You will start to collect private students, one at a time, sometimes a group of 2 or 3, you can meet at your place or theirs. If you meet at their house you may find that you arrive, and they�re not there, or they�re on their way. If you meet at your place, you clean up a little, prepare a place to teach, look at the clock, and about half the time they don�t show up. |
And, I found this to be a strange (perhaps personal difference) business concept:
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| When it�s at their home it�s easier to justify charging them for your time. |
Why is location any justification for charging people? You teach, they pay! |
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MO39
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Posts: 1970
Location: El ombligo de la Rep�blica Mexicana
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Glenski"]With statements like this, I wonder if this is common in Santo Domingo and Uruguay (where he says he has taught). It is not that way everywhere:
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In the large institutes which offer classroom instruction, where the administrators are just employees like you, it will be no problem for you to offer private classes to your students, you can hand out your card, put up a notice on the bulletin board.
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In Mexico, if you openly advertised for private students at a school you were teaching at, you would soon not be working at that school any more! Not too long ago on the Mexico board, there was an interesting (and lengthy) thread about the ethics of taking on a private student who had been a student of yours at a school, had decided to stop taking classes there, and then wanted to start studying with you on a private basis. |
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Mike_2007
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 349
Location: Bucharest, Romania
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:40 am Post subject: |
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Nice article, but I think very few of us have enough global experience to make some of the statistical statements.
For example, in my own experience I would say about 8 out of 10 inquiries have resulted in lessons starting.
Also there is no way that students don't turn up "about half the time" to lessons at your home. It's happened a couple of times in about ten years, but in a vast majority of cases when lessons were cancelled they were cancelled with prior notice.
Finally, I can't imagine it takes all of us three years to build up a client base that supplies half of our income. The two times I've started afresh in a new country it has taken me about six months to make the switch from working for a school to living off a full-time self-employed income. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:13 am Post subject: |
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Finally, I can't imagine it takes all of us three years to build up a client base that supplies half of our income. The two times I've started afresh in a new country it has taken me about six months to make the switch from working for a school to living off a full-time self-employed income. |
Too many variables from country to make any definite statements. For example in a country like Korea if may take a while since you cannot advertise for fear of getting deported.
Also if you live in a small town where people don't have much extra money to pay for one one one classes it may not be so easy.
In Asia, tutoring children is really better since their parents consider the class as a long term commitment. They are not likely to just stop the classes because they do not feel like it or are two busy like an adult may do. |
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Mike_2007
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 349
Location: Bucharest, Romania
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| Exactly. It's impossible to teach in a couple of locations and extrapolate some standards regarding private teaching. |
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