Job Discussion Forums

[scottie1113]

My private lessons are all referrals. I don't advertise. The first meeting is free to find out what they want and to see if we want to work together. So far we always have. I don't require students to pay in advance and I understand if life intrudes on our schedule and they have to cancel. When it does, they always reschedule.

My only non breakable rule is that if they ever don't show up for a lesson without telling me in advance (and since I won't go to them unless they're really special to me, our lessons are either in my flat or in a nearby coffee shop or restaurant), they're no longer my students and I won't talk to them again. No excuses. Period. In 2 1/2 years, that's never happened.

But this is only my experience.

[gibon]

I'm a bit more flexible - accidents can and do happen. But I make sure that if somebody fails to show, they have to pay because I could have given the time to somebody else.

I don't know why, but I seem to be flooded with requests for privates at the moment. There must be a reason - there hasn't been such demand in the past ten years.

[TwinCentre]

Hi Gibon

I agree with you. I too am full to the brim with private students. Private English Lessons is def. the new trend here in Warsaw and it has partly been driven by the site nativespeaker.com.pl, but partly by the distrust of the schools and learning in groups (you know how Poles often mistrust strangers). Another factor is that people increasingly lead busier lives and the schools offer too rigid conditions, they simply are not keeping up with changing lifestyles.

You can earn more going the private route than you would in a school, that's for sure.