Job Discussion Forums

[nortenagirl]

Hello,

I have recently returned to Mexico and I plan on teaching English part-time.

I would like to know how much I could charge each student if I teach a group of students, say 8 or 10.

Also, I would like to know if anybody has lived/taught English in Puebla
and what schools are good to work at? I lived there years ago but I know
it has changed a lot.

Thanks a lot. !Muchisimas gracias!
Nortenagirl

[El Gallo]

If you�re teaching a private group that big, I would charge at least 20 pesos per hour per person - any less and they just don�t value the class at all.

The real problem comes when some miss classes and don�t pay. I teach two muchachos for a low 100 pesos per hour for both but when one is sick, he wants credit for classes pre-paid and I end up getting only 50 pesos per hour for just the other one alone. Trying to explain the logic of an 80 peso per hour minimum is like trying to understand what ahorita means.

A group of private students paying individually is usually a nightmare unless you get two weeks in advance from everyone with no refunds or credits for missed classes.

[nortenagirl]

Thanks a lot Gallo. I'm still not sure if I'm going to teach groups or not, but your input/info is very helpful if I do. Muchas gracias!

[sarliz]

Hiya-

I teach groups of 10-15 students and charge them 60 pesos a week for 4 one hour classes. It breaks down to 15 pesos a class, but I also explain that they need to pay 10 pesos if they don't come, as I'm still planning classes and working on their behalf even if they're not technically there. I also started the option of paying for 4 weeks in advance for 200 pesos, which takes the pain-in-the-booty factor out of collecting money, and gives the students a little discount. It's been a pretty popular option. Hope this helps!

[nortenagirl]

Thanks a lot Sarliz. I appreciate that information.

[Guy Courchesne]

I've always found it difficult to charge on a per-student basis, given attendance issues. Why not try an hourly rate regardless of how many students come? That leaves them the headache of figuring who pays what for how many hours they have attended. That guarantees your income for the class.

200 an hour is a good middle to start with.

[nortenagirl]

Thanks a lot for the suggestion Guy. I never thought of doing it that way.

Nortenagirl

[El Gallo]

The hourly rate regardless of how many students come is great only until one or two show up and can't or won't pay the group rate. If you use this method, get two weeks in advance with no refunds or credits or you will find yourself in the same mess as students paying individually.

[Guy Courchesne]

It can get problematic over the long haul, with students petering away sometimes. I've never asked for payment in advance...never had to. But yes, interest does wane over the months, or people find they just can't muster the time and effort they initially thought they could.

In the business EFL circuit in DF, the standard is to charge an hourly rate for the teacher and not by student. A per student rate is a language school norm, and they'll charge anywhere between 800 and 2500 pesos per month upfront, regardless of whether the student shows up or not. Doing it privately needs some kind of blend of the two, so as not to be too hardcore business-like nor too lenient with students that miss classes.

Most business EFL schools here apply a 24 hour rule I find. That is to say, if a group or individual student needs to cancel a class, they must do so within 24 hours. If they don't, they pay for the class. If they do, either the class is rescheduled or it's lost. I find that when teaching privately, you plan out your monthly income based on a 75% rule. If you have X amount of hours booked, count on only 75% of them being actually billed. Certain times of the year are different, such as December. Many will tell you they plan to take classes right through to Dec. 23rd or so, but sure enough, there are next to no classes after the 15th. There are a number of posters here on the forum I'm postive are experiencing this right now...

[nortenagirl]

Thank you Guy. !Muchisimas gracias! Very helpful info (especially since I haven't lived in Mexico for 25 years).

I would actually rather teach for a school and not have the responsibility of handling the money myself, but a lot of people have asked me about private classes here where I live.

Feliz Navidad everybody y !muchas gracias por todo!

Nortenagirl

[racheljana]

I was funded for a year through a church to do social justice work and when that ran out I decided to teach English. Much to my surprise I was good at it and enjoyed it. In fact, some of my closest friends in Puebla were my students.

I only worked for a semester and it was at the Universidad del Valle de Puebla. The English coordinator there is Mario, a meek and quiet man, but very friendly and sincere. The UVP at the time hired me without papers, and wrote a letter on my behalf to immigration saying they "intended to hire me in the future" and wanted to sponsor me for a work visa. I imagine they still do that.

I would go by (very soon if you can) in order to give Mario your resume personally. Then you'll probably have to do a mock lesson, which is really only a way for them to try and intimidate you. But I would prepare for it.

I was paid 75 pesos a year ago which at 23 hours a week was more than enough for me to live decently, but not super-poshly. The hassle with the migra makes the US's immigration system look like a walk in the park. I had a friend deported b/c she wouldn't pay the clerk attending her a bribe, they are moderately professional, but painfully slow, and it is expensive and the UVP doesn't foot the bill.

Also, the UVP. Have you had English teaching exp before in Mexico? If so, you might be use to this stuff. But essentially, universities in Mexico operate like business (even the Ibero and the UDLA, which are supposedly more rigorous and prestigious) and the students rule the school. I found the atmosphere to be really petty and quite childlike. I liked 80% of my students, but not b/c they were eager to learn, but b/c I had fun teaching and learning from them. Good students they were not. After the first exam when everybody did miserably I did a quick survey to learn how much students studied and they reported for all of their classes in total between 0 and 7 hours a week. I've heard it is different at places like Tec de Monterrey. Also, this never happened to me, but students would go and complain to administration if a teacher gave too much homework or was too difficult, and administration would often take the side of the student. That appalled me. Finally, you're expected to go to meetings and do extra hours that they don't pay you for, which is also BS.

However, they are really one of the only places that hire you without papers. I actually never got my visa. I just pretended I was in the process since I knew I was leaving 6 months later and I didn't want to pay the $200-300 USD for a visa I wouldn't really need.

Oh, and I know that the UVP is now requiring folks to pay taxes and they don't have an accountant to do it for you so you have to hire one yourself and then pay part of your wage (75/hour) to taxes. HOWEVER, the plus of this is you can do this while gaining experience and networking for other opportunities (the Tec de Monterrey and VW for one).

[nortenagirl]

Hi Racheljana,

Happy New Year! Thanks so much for sharing about your teaching experiences in Puebla. I'm still unsure what I'm going to do in the future and whether I should go down there to actually live. I left Puebla in 1986! I don't even remember the name of the instituto where I taught English. It was in Colonia La Paz I believe, on the main street, what was it called? Don't remember...Anyway, it was great to read about your experiences and very helpful for if/when I do teach English so I know better what to expect.

Thanks again y !Feliz a�o nuevo!

Nortenagirl