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Next week Monday thru Thursday is my last teaching week this term.
Then I intend to have my holidays and do stuff I didn’t have time
for: language courses, copies of missing pages, gym, cinema,
meeting friends, etc. I need to prepare for my lessons (read: make copies)
but I am terribly lazy. I will probbaly do the handouts that are left from
extra resources because I don’t want to start a new grammar item.
Today I got an email from a person who wants to learn
English. He gave his level of language, preferred time
and other info. The hillarious thing was that he had
sent the same email to five freelancer teachers
and their emails were visible in the To field. I told
him I was fully booked and gave a tip that we
-freelancers- don’t like ‘who’s the quickest to get to
the carrot?’ situations. I mean, you do email your CV
seperately to several companies when you are looking for a job
though copy-paste the text, why should looking for a teacher differ?
Or am I being too pushy?
I spent this weekend basically wandering around in pyjamas, dishevelled hair
and feeding on coffee. However, it was a productive weekend:
1. I planned an itinerary for my trip to Stokcholm this autumn.
2. I planned the savings envelopes for the coming year (7 so far!).
3. I sorted out my used handouts to their files.
4. I prepared for next week’s lessons.
5. I set up online activities for my students.
6. I bought a pair of shoes and a handbag (on Friday). I hope at least
on holidays to look like a lady and not a crazy backpacker techer.
I messed up what day of the week it was today three times.
I also put a suger box in the fridge. Translate: I need a break.
The summer camp from hell is going on well in that respect that
it ends this week. I will be drinking all weekend for that very reason.
It is going on badly in that respect that kids from hell don’t want to
do anything. How am I supposed to keep them from killing
each other for 60min without actually doing stuff? We’ve watched
a video, we listened to their CD (Metallica?) and we tried to do
some handouts like wordsearches or crossowords. We can’t do any games
because there are too many of them, they move up the walls, they try to
hit somebody with a pencil (preferably, into the eye) or bite. Blowing a whistle
doesn’t help. I consider locking them up in the basement for the last lesson.
My other contract is going on well. I’ve got three group and each has five
lessons left. I informed them that during the last lesson we can a) do a test
b) drink coffee and eat cake. 
Today we did an activity on ‘Wonderful Tonight’ song. Lately I started
enjoying doing songs in class. Of course, the content depends on the
students and these do appreciate songs. I had a chance to try out
a variety of warmers as well, plus reading strategies like kinaesthetic
reading race.
July was rich in private students’ calls. Since I cannot take them myself,
I passed them onto my Mum (a senior teacher of English). She’s trying to
get into teaching adults and learns her way by leaps and bounds. Today one
new student didn’t show up for the first lesson. I got two calls during my own
lesson that I skipped because I was working. This might have been the student
asking for directions. Why don’t some people look up their way before they go?
I have too much work to answer the calls.
Blah.
These are advertising tips for those who want to find private students
AND are working legally (with freelance permits or other paperwork from
tax inspection, this differs from place to place). My tips include publicising
your services so what I want the least is a tax inspector knocking at your door.
1. Advertise local Internet advertising pages. Make sure you put many
buzzwords in your adverts: x years of experience, education, such and
such certificates, a picture/photo of where you teach to show it’s not
a basement but a decent room, native speaker (if you are one). My
adverts are all the same placed on a variety of websites that offer free advertising:
A private teacher with x years of experience and M.A. teaches General,
Business, Conversation and ESP English lessons on private basis and in groups.
Teaching in your company is possible should you have 3-4 people to start
with. I sign contracts, write out a receipt. Rates for lessons are x to y.
Contact: xxxxx. Stating these things is essential because people have to see
that you know what you are doing. I see many illegally working teachers do
the same (and they undercut my rates!) but they usually don’t give guarantees,
live in sleeping districts, can have few lessons after work or late at night, etc.
My rate that is double than their draws attention to the advert
2. Set up a webpage. I have a basic one built by myself but it takes
wisdom to make it be pulled by Google when people are searching for
‘English lessons’, so I turned to a specialist for help and by September
I should have a professional ad-free website where I can advertise my
services. You can start with a blog, too. Make sure it’s named like ‘Private English
Teacher Diary’ or something like that, so search engines pull it up when people
enter keywords. Then go and post in other teacher’s blogs, leaving your name
and blog link I don’t mind exchanging blog links to be put on blogrolls.
3. The printed word. This can result in a) flyers in mailboxes of office buildings
or well-off residential areas that are annoying spam but sometimes is very effective
b) small coloured poster on the billboards in the streets, café notice boards,
other notice boards, bus stops (not sure the latter is legal, by the way!)
c) advertisement of the same content as in Step 1 but in a local newspaper.
Make sure you advertise in the beginning of a high season, it draws attention
(is in bold, etc) and you may want to give only your email because it’s possible
you receive tons of calls and your quiet life is over or you have another phone
for business. Some teachers have been rather sceptical about newspaper
advertising but it does show you’re serious.
4. Business cards. If you want to start it professionally, it’s a good idea to have
business cards. They are cheap to make yourself and not so expensive to have
them made and 100 cards in a set are usually too many for me. Make sure every
person who talks to you about lessons gets one (including those who decide not
to take your lessons) for future reference. Also, you can give a few to your friends
and colleagues so that they can pass them around for people who ask them if they
know somebody who could help them with their English. That’s what friends are for!
Surely, this method is not quick in feedback but it does work.
4. E-mail to local companies. Google up ‘yellow pages’ for companies located in
your area, find their websites/emails and send them a short message about who
you are and what you do. Don’t spam them with your CV or anything, just inquire
if they are interested. This method didn’t work for me but other teachers say
they got positive replies.
5. Your current students. They’ll advertise you anyway when they’re asked
about lessons but you can also tell them you’ll lower the rate per person if they
find and bring a friend or colleague with the same level of English.
The most important thing is to realize that it takes time to become established.
It may take up about two years until you have built up a certain reputation in
the field, drop-out students leave and the faithful ones stay, you can raise your
rates slightly, start turning down students you dislike as people and working
hours you want to work.
From 2008 autumn DELTA certificate course is going to be
modular. There will be 3 modules, each certified seperately,
and a certificate for a full DELTA will be given after completing
the three modules.
The website of Cambridge DELTA says it will give teachers
more flexibility and fit in with their career plan, but I disagree.
First of all, there is no centre for DELTA in Lithuania, that means that
I will have to go abroad for it. The nearest centre is in Poland. That means,
should I want a full DELTA (and not a modular one cert.) I will have to
travel three times. Also, the pay is different for modules and
now one module costs an arm and a leg! Plus, I will have to pay for
my accommodation, food and other stuff. What is more, I will
not be able to work during that time, so I will not earn anything.
To my mind, this is another money scam. I really wanted to do a
normal DELTA and was even saving for it but now I don’t see a
reason. I’d rather enter for a second Master’s degree. I already
know what I’d like- the faculty of Educology, Andragogics studies.
Now I have tod ecide whether to make it day or distance studies.
I’m about to survive my first week in the second summer camp.
The good news is that there are much smaller groups and
they’re slower, so we do less but it takes time. The bad news
is that it’s still hard work and kids aren’t motivated. It
cannot be helped. I try to pass my time and leave asap.
The little ones are a terrible mix from first to fourth graders,
so while some do handouts others get to colour pictures
(otherwise they burst into tears!). Sometimes I feel I am
very cruel by insisitng on correct spelling but if not me, who else?
What’s also good, I received my pay for the first camp.
My other work is slowly going forward too. I excpect to
start Present Simple with the two low-levels and
Present Continuous wth the higher-one. I’ve got
only one month left but that is manageable. What is
left to be desired is their actually learning new words by heart.
I hate to do all the speaking because they keep
ruffling their notes for that or another word.
There are also two or possibly three private students
who want lessons but I’m fully booked, so I will pass them onto
my Mom. I’m going to the local tax inspection tomorrow
to sort out the paperwork. I’m also seeing my dentist,
working and meeting a friend from Poland.
My toe stitches were removed yesterday and the doctor
will phone me in case my mole biopsy test was bad. I cannot
wait to go picking berries this weekend! Below you can see some
pictures of what our berries are like.
Yesterday I googled advertisment pages for work offers about
translating. One company replied with a trial translation. I think I
did it well but I will leave it for a couple of days to rest before
the final revision and sending. Translating isn’t my cup of tea
but when the season is low, ‘even a crab is a fish’.
I’m feeling very burnt-out. The second summer camp starts
next week and I don’t really want to do it. It’s a good job
with one or two clock hours per day only and it seems
that there will be less kids than in the previous camp, but my
motivation isn’t up. It’s unfair that teachers have to take up
classes they hate just because they need money.
I haven’t thought about my holidays yet. I’m going to
go to a gym and language courses (Italian or Japanese)
for my own pleasure. I can’t wait for August to come!
The good news is that I got another private students
who got my number at the summer camp I hate, so
it’s a bargain. The pay is good and the work isn’t a burden.
My mole was removed and I had my toe bandaged
again. The stitches are to be removed on Wednesday. I’m not
sure how I will be able to walk then but I cannot take
a sick-leave because I’ll lose my hours and my pay.
I am seriously planning to take on tons of work
beginning with September so that I could afford to leave on holidays
in July and August next year. My mom got her paycheck
today with her vacation money and we really need to
find her a second job soon. Luckily, there are still
one or two private students asking for lessons. Our rates
are low as compared to language courses.
Incoherent today, please do excuse me.
Even though everything I did during this weekend was to sit
with my bandaged toe up and watch TV (I am a proud
addict of Criminal Minds, the Foxcrime TV channel), the
world seems to turn quite the other way than I was
asking for.
First, from the 1st July my self-employed certificate will
double in price. With inflation as this, that will also mean
my school room’s rent will go up and the bills as well. Taking it
all into consideration, I will have to readjust my rates. I will
give up those students that attend only once a week in search
of those who can attend more. I will not raise my lesson fees
(though I’m charging way less than other schools) but I will
introduce a fee for photocopies made. I will also
advertise more to compile at least one group per term, then
4 daily private students will be enough. I am buying
stationery supplies in bulk.
The good news is that I have two ideas to work on.
The first idea is mine and evolves around a day centre
for children. I was surprised by the lists of the enrolled
students to the basketball summer camp (37 kids per group!)
and that hints at the new market. I imagine there kids would
be kept busy with lessons of English or French, music,
art, crafts, or something else until their parents pick them up.
The centre is packed with such places but the new districts
are bare. However, I don’t like kids (it’s mutual mutilation)
and as my old friend says’ there is a kid-there is a problem’.
Hopefully, those problem’s parents pay.
The other idea is that of my friends. He is suggesting starting
a course of distance online learning. It is all in a plan phase
and there are many things to look into, so I won’t talk more
about that.
All I know is that the next time I go shopping I will
not look into the price of bread or else I may get a heart
attack, and I am not covered for a sick-leave even though
I pay my taxes. Welcome to Lithuania.
According to the new law, this autumn is when a foreign
language is introduced in the second grade. Until then it was
only in the secondary level and in the primary level if the
parents asked for it. Now it is going to be compulsory, though
many schools had it anyway. This is a chance for primary teachers
without English and English teachers without primary teacher’s
qualifications to obtain new competences in different courses.
I am also looking into gaining another degree in educology, such
as androgogics (spelling?) but then again it will be paid studies
and I doubt they will be highly useful. Maybe it’s time to study
something I want, not something I need? That will make
me somewhat happier, I guess.
I have a plan to go to a teacher development course in
England next year. I am saving for that because I don’t
think that applying for grants is very effective. At the same
time it will be a chance to see London, finally! Not that I
am craving for it, but that would be interesing.
