How to survive working only as a PT English teacher?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    5

    How to survive working only as a PT English teacher?

    Okay this might be a slightly weird and awkward question (and possibly slightly dumb) but I have a feeling some people have been in the same position as me before so I am hoping that you will be able to give me some much needed advice or maybe moral support as I am getting a little lost.

    The problem I have is that I have recently graduated and with the lack of experience in the field I wish to pursue in, I'm doing internships to build up my portfolio. As with most internships they don't pay me enough for lunch let alone for rent! Hence I have to pick up teaching jobs here and there to survive in this ridiculously expensive city without having to live in a box. The trade off between a dream and the basic need! But I need some teaching jobs much more stable than the odd parents here and there as I don't want to be worrying about my next meal or how to pay for my bills, since I have been surviving mostly on savings and the odd jobs.
    If not I will have to give up and just do a full time teaching job.

    So to the main point, my question is has people been able to get stable teaching jobs like at weekends and nights which is enough for them to get by. And how did they go about it? How much can I realistically make on the side eg.weekend and nights on top of a full time internship?

    I have a TESOL and some teaching experience at learning centers teaching things such as phonics, YLE etc, but I have no idea why I have been having such trouble finding a part time English Teaching job during the weekend. Some has told me that they are concerned that I will be unstable and leave once I have a permanent job (which I can't deny). Are there ways to persuade the employer that I want this job rather than I am just doing it for the money? Or should I just have a more systematic way of doing private tutoring and that should be enough for me?

    Sorry for rambling. I hope I made some sense here and there.

    Last edited by tapas; 13-08-2012 at 02:47 PM.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    You have just admitted that this is a "stop-gap" until something better comes along. That's why people won't hire you.

    Teachers to work weekends, in my experience, are hard to come by, but that doesn't mean I hire whomever walks through my door. I need some kind of reassurance that the time and effort I take to train you isn't flushed down the toilet after the first month.

    As for how to make more $? Private tutoring will earn you a LOT more money, but it isn't as stable. You don't get paid when you are sick or when the kid/person is sick. You don't get holiday pay etc.
    I used to be able to earn about $2-3K/day when I worked tutoring privately on Saturdays.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    7,517

    Don't you get privates by working for a language centre and nicking the customers?


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    You need to have confidence and sell yourself. You can not say you are trying to find something better. Keep that to yourself. It takes time to build up and your pay might be lower if you are ABC BBC etc.

    Good luck.

    Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile


  5. #5

    Join Date
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    No, I never, ever stole privates from a centre. But then again, I only worked in a centre when I first arrived. I taught privately for over 13 years.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    5

    It's very unprofessional to steal clients of your learning center. You should refuse the offer when asked.

    At the same time yes I know my main problem is that I am going to be unstable hence unemployable and I don't want to lie or pretend otherwise. I guess private jobs is the way to go for me.

    And yep I am a BBC. Generally it's okay as I have a very strong British accent (except for this one time when someone asked can I do an American accent as their client wanted someone with an American accent and I got so annoyed I replied "if I watch enough Friends that day maybe" )... But yes I know how much I can generally charge which is slightly lower than a Caucasian. I am not that picky with wage really, the lowest I have been paid before is around $125 which I know is very low but I was desperate.

    Last edited by tapas; 13-08-2012 at 04:07 PM.

  7. #7

    Try contacting a range of places (centres) and offer to do supply on weekends. Lots of weekend teachers want leave and just call in sick so you may be able to get a bit of work this way and then do private tutoring for the rest of the time. Could also be an idea to sign up for programs at schools (secondary schools as I noted you're not wanting to teach young learners). This is usually done through an agency, and the programs/courses last from just a few lessons to a full term.
    By the way, when I first got here everyone wanted westerners only but when I was job hunting this spring I came across a few places that seemed to prefer bbc/abc teachers. So you never know and don't give up