Being a Professional Private English Teacher

We all know that teachers come in all shapes and sizes, but as an independent English teacher you are responsible for your own success. Here are 5 tips on how you can make the best impression and maximize your potential.

Sell yourself

This may, as an English teacher, go against every fibre of your being but ultimately if you want to attract more students and to have an abundance of work, you will need to promote yourself and to be easily found by students. There are are few sites out there, depending on which country you are in, and of course this is what we at learneng.eu are doing for you, but you can also advertise on the local ads pages, Facebook groups, or you can even create your own website. Creating your own website has never been easier, and you can create a good-looking and relatively cheap (even free) website with the likes of Wix or Weebly. 

Charge What You Are Worth

Like promoting yourself, many English teachers are reluctant to ask for a reasonable hourly rate. Our advice is to price yourself fairly. If you don't have much experience or many qualifications then be honest about this and ask a corresponding hourly rate. If, on the other hand, you have dedicated years to honing your teaching skills, gaining experience and certifications, don't be shy about asking an hourly rate which reflects this. As long as you give your students quality lessons, they will be happy to pay you properly and to recommend you to their friends.

Be Punctual

Nobody likes waiting for people, especially if you are paying the person you are waiting for. Leaving plenty of time before your lesson with a student will allow you the time to settle down, prepare yourself and be ready for when she or he arrives. If you choose to teach from home as more and more teachers now are, you can create a schedule in which you leave yourself some time between lessons to go to the bathroom, make a cup of tea, make notes about the student and to ensure you are prepared for the next one. Many English teachers who work from home schedule hour blocks with 30 minutes in between so there is time to do these things, refocus, and avoid awkward crossover of students. 

Prepare Well

'Fail to prepare, prepare to fail' somebody with experience of such things once said. If students are paying for your time it is right to make sure you have prepared well, with your specific student's needs in mind. Some teachers like to keep notes either in a notebook or online about their students, to inform their teaching and the learning trajectory, including an evolving syllabus. This can help you to identify objectives, monitor progress, and give coherence to your teaching. A prepared teacher is more confident and radiates quality. Be prepared, don't prepare to fail!

Be a Professional

There is a tendency to treat private language teaching as something that is not serious and yet for many people learning English is fundamental to their life plans, including the personal and professional possibilities and opportunities speaking English well can create. It can mean getting a visa to live in another country, passing an important interview, or enabling someone to meet and communicate with people from a different culture. Teaching in a school, or privately, is an important job. Treat teaching English with the seriousness that many of our students need and pay for. If we do, we will stay focused and provide the students with the best possible learning experience. 

If you are an independent English teacher, you can advertise your lessons with us: learneng.eu
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