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Private tutoring not through a company!
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Seuss930



Joined: 18 Jan 2010
Posts: 37

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:08 am    Post subject: classes Reply with quote

Now remember, this is my OPINION and my experience after being in China about 5 years - but china is big and things vary.

Qualifications will not get you more money in PRIVATE lessons unless you sell yourself very well and deliver, but even then, you can't get much more (ive never seen anyone get more -from parents - because of qualifications - ive seen people get more by presenting themselves better)

- remember PARENTS ARE ALREADY UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT FOREIGN TEACHERS ARE REAL OR QUALIFIED TEACHERS. Thats how most schools promote their teachers. Look at the flyers, the website, advertisements, etc. Qualified teachers!! Trained, experienced teachers!!! Professional foreign staff!!! You say this like its something special and parents will look at you crazy.

anyway, after a certain point, it doesnt matter how good you are, people won't pay that price even if the kids were speaking like you after a week

for one thing, no matter how good you are, the parents dont know this and they probably wont want to fork over a huge amount to some teacher they don't know and if they do, and you can't deliver, after a month or two, you'll have problems with them - maybe sooner

as for low key, heh, nobody gives a s%*t what you do here
nobody will notice, nobody will ask questions, nobody will give you trouble
the police will not be bothered - they'll probably want to sign their kids up
(it's a good idea to always give police kids a discount - and government officials - just in case)

but lightening does strike people and people do win the lottery so who knows?

i found giving one parent a discount for introducing other students very helpful in the past -
a parent approaches, askes about 1 on 1, tell them you don't do 1on1's
but you do open small classes (4-6, 5-8, etc) and if they can find enough
students you will open a class and give her a discount. (this is if you want to teach small groups)

They will find more soon enough. Also, you'd better be able to convince them that small classes are better than 1on1 (I feel this way for young learners - but it may just suit my teaching style)

at the kindergarten, i give all the teachers kids a discount and i give money to the teachers for each kid that signs - spend a little make a lot
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Ramblin' Man



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey all, OP here


Quote:
as for low key, heh, nobody gives a s%*t what you do here
nobody will notice, nobody will ask questions, nobody will give you trouble



Hey, you won't find me disagreeing with you, my experiences in China or totally in line with this statement, but there's plenty of stories on these very boards of the opposite happening, so it always pays to be at least a bit prudent.

As we all know, there are no real strict rules or laws for us foreigners in China, so that can be both a good and bad thing for us. If the right people decide they don't want us around, then we probably won't be in China much longer. But as has been said, the same can be true, and I've seen it happen myself, of those foreigners that have dotted all their I's and crossed all their T's. so who knows really.

That's why I say I want to keep a lowish profile, if I do I know I have about a 98% chance of being just fine, even if I was living their totally illegally.



Anyway I'd like to get back to what I was initially asking...

I'd be arriving in China on a Tourist visa. I can go to any city in the country, I have no obligations, so I can go anywhere.

Once I'm in that city I would like to have a few private clients.

I hear what your saying Seuss but I've got no problems doing 1 on 1 teaching, that's just fine by me. If I do have more then one I'd probably just prefer it's a university student and a friend or two of theirs OR a kid and their sibling or a friend or two of theirs.

Point being 1 on 1 private tutoring is fine with me.

I'm looking to get at least 100rmb an hour, but if you guys think I should be asking for a bit more then I'll go for that.

I was asking how often people have been approached on the street or University campus or in a store or wherever about teaching privately?


So what do people suggest I do? Any particular city you think is better then others? What kinds of places should I specifically go to look for students?

I'm looking for a VERY few students, just 2 or 3, or maybe a very small group or two.

I won't be teaching at a school first, so I don't know how easily I could approach a kindergarten or school, but that certainly wasn't my initial idea.

So What do people suggest I do for me to have the best chance of setting up what I'm looking to set up?
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Teatime of Soul



Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 905

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After your 30 day tourist visa expires, what are your plans regarding legal status?
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thefuzz



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 271

PostPosted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teatime of Soul wrote:
After your 30 day tourist visa expires, what are your plans regarding legal status?


You can quite easily get a 90 day (3 month) double-entry L Chinese visa in Hong Kong through travel agents...there are also a few companies that are offering 6 and 12 month multiple-entry F visas (of course at high prices...not as cheap as it was before) from within China. If the guy wants to do private work from home, that's all he needs in terms of legal status. Plus if he's located close to HK or Macau visa runs are a breeze every few months. No big deal.
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Ramblin' Man



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 105

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
You can quite easily get a 90 day (3 month) double-entry L Chinese visa in Hong Kong through travel agents...


This is 3 months per entry , right? If so, this sounds like the visa I had in mind, not just a 30 day one.

How easy is it to get these back to back? As in after 6 months I apply for a second double entry visa, would this be easy to do?



Quote:
If the guy wants to do private work from home, that's all he needs in terms of legal status.


So if I was teaching privately at my apartment or that of my student, I should expect no legal issues even if just on a double entry tourist visa?
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The Ever-changing Cleric



Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ramblin' Man wrote:
Quote:
You can quite easily get a 90 day (3 month) double-entry L Chinese visa in Hong Kong through travel agents...


This is 3 months per entry , right? If so, this sounds like the visa I had in mind, not just a 30 day one.

How easy is it to get these back to back? As in after 6 months I apply for a second double entry visa, would this be easy to do?

90 day stay in total with two entries allowed during that 90 day period. if you want three months per entry then you'd need a six month visa, but these might not be issued as often as they were in the past (just guessing based on the changes that were enacted before the olympics).

i've had L and F visas back to back before. i've never heard of any restrictions on the number of them allowed per calendar year or anything. so back to back to back is quite possible.

check with a visa agent to be sure - forever bright trading in HK is knowledgeable on the topic of chinese visas.
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thefuzz



Joined: 10 Aug 2009
Posts: 271

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ramblin' Man wrote:
Quote:
You can quite easily get a 90 day (3 month) double-entry L Chinese visa in Hong Kong through travel agents...


This is 3 months per entry , right? If so, this sounds like the visa I had in mind, not just a 30 day one.

How easy is it to get these back to back? As in after 6 months I apply for a second double entry visa, would this be easy to do?



Quote:
If the guy wants to do private work from home, that's all he needs in terms of legal status.


So if I was teaching privately at my apartment or that of my student, I should expect no legal issues even if just on a double entry tourist visa?


I get these 90 day L visas every...well...90 days. I get 2 entires and if I so choose I can stay for the full 90 without the need to go back to Hong Kong. Once the 90 days are up I travel to Hong Kong for a day, apply again and in a few hours I have a new 90 day visa (so you can do it back to back). Recently I had to go to HK quite often and got two new visas in one month...both were stamped for 120 days (4 months) with 2 entries.

PM me and I'll send you contact details to the visa people I use in Hong Kong. Also a company in China that does 6 and 12 month F visas (but for much more money).

And, yeah, no one will care if you teach at home or not.
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Molson



Joined: 01 May 2009
Posts: 137
Location: China

PostPosted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ramblin' Man wrote:
Quote:
I charge 200-300 an hour for 1 on 1.


What city are you in Molson?

Also are these students that you taught in school for a while first, or were they willing to give you that much right off the bat?

What kinds of credentials do you have, if you don't mind my asking, and how many years of experience?


I am in Tianjin and I am a certified English teacher. 10 Years of experience. I teach at an international school, and no these are not my own students. Parents have asked, but that is a serious conflict of interest.

I can tell you the money is out there for 1 on 1, it is just making the person feel like they are getting their money's worth. For what I teach, any newbie could do it. It is just the experience of making a connection with your student that counts.

About qualifications not meaning anything: I disagree. My qualifications are exactly why I get asked to teach 1 on 1. Obviously we are talking about the rich here and I live and work in an area with tons of rich people.
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