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Spellbound wrote::jama:
I'll keep this as vague as I can, since apparently one of the higher-ups monitors forums such as these to see when employees make posts so he can harp on them.
I've been in Japan for "a while" working for "an eikaiwa" and I have had a really wonderful time (no quotes). I like the job, honestly. I'm one of the lucky ones. I have good coworkers, mostly good students, and my life here is enjoyable.
But apparently not as enjoyable as it could be. I've met two private teachers in passing and apparently I could be making considerably more money for a fraction of the time and effort. While this particular company promises no more than 30 teaching hours [and they haven't gone back on that, which I'm happy with] there is the small fact that I'm at the school for close to 50 hours a week - sometimes just sitting around, waiting for a visitor to come so I can start the sales pitch. While I've had worse jobs, I'd certainly prefer the job of "Bob" the private teacher - 15 hours a week of classes, 3 or so hours of prep time per week, and the rest he spends doing....whatever, for almost twice as much salary as myself.
I speak Japanese fairly well [and honestly, think it's not bad to use it when teaching to a minor degree just to use for translation examples], and my main concern is advertisement - how do I GET students? And is there a particularly good payment "plan" to use for students? A private student at my current job pays close to 460,000 yen for once a week lessons. Would someone pay 400,000 for twice a week?
Some advice would be nice. For the meantime I'm alright but... thinking about the future.
Spellbound wrote: A private student at my current job pays close to 460,000 yen for once a week lessons.
gboothe wrote:Do we have a zero problem here? If not and that is 46 hot ones a week of each lesson, give me that boy's address immediately if not sooner.
Oradea wrote:I dont have my own private thang going, but I would like to ask if anyone has considered advertising with newspapers, I mean a flyer stuck inside the morning news, or flyers put in post boxes. Anyone have any ideas of cost or effectiveness?
pheyton wrote:Well, while still good at 10,000yen an hour, there is travel time involved. A RT could easily take 1 hour so in reality you are making about 5,000 and hour. Which is still fine.
Again, how is the teaching environment over there right now?
thatoreoguy wrote:Im looking into coming over in September/October, 2009. Wondering whats the best way to cut my teeth on the english teaching trade. I will be completing a TESL certificate and have my BA in Psych. I have been to japan on several occasion and work at a japanese car shop my japanese is horrible so any help would be appreciated.
Probably going to stay somewhere near (20min) Shinjuku station. Should i work for one of those big schools? or would one of the smaller schools. Such as the ones you guys were mentioning on here be better to get to know the trade and get some beneficial experience. Is it wrong to assume i will be able to pull in 2,000-3,500 yen an hour at about 20 hours.
Preach !!!
;)"Yeah, I've been always awkward toward women and have spent pathetic life so far but I could graduate from being a cherry boy by using geisha's pussy at last! Yeah!! And off course I have an account in Fuckedgaijin.com. Yeah!!!"
Iraira wrote:1) Who's supporting your VISA is the first question you need to ask yourself. Coming over here with two suitcases, a tourist VISA, and a plan that exists in your cranium, and not on paper signed and sealed by some company here, will invite a severe amount of stress into your life. Having the VISA support before setting foot on J-soil will let you roam free without the company dicking you around..."You are on a tourist VISA, and you want us to support you? We'll do it, but bend over first....squeal!" If they give you the VISA support you can at least get a reach-around while they...sorry, I'm getting aroused.
2) Most schools pay about 250,000 yen/mo. The hours vary.
3) Many schools don't give a flying frying rat about TESL, or other acronyms such as ACLU.
4) Don't be 100% set on living in any particular place,as you don't know where you'll be working.
Big Booger wrote:In my opinion, the best way to attract students I think is to get involved in all the kominkans and/or international centers/associations in and around your area...
Put up notices in all these places, and actively start looking for a place to hold your classes. Most of my private lessons are group based and I work out of kominkans, international associations and the like.
You can also wait until July or August when a lot of foreigners head back home (though this can vary) and classes that have already been formed become available due to the current teacher leaving... This is one way to pick up an already set up scheme and not have to do a lot of work recruiting and so on...
The kominkans and the international associations are the best places to start your own "business" without having to fork over money for rent. Plus these places typically have parking available for those students who want to drive and are usually located in convenient places.
You can offer to pay the community center fee (usually it's less than 1000yen a class though I guess that depends).. most of my students very generously pay this fee in addition to my fee.
As for the fee, I think you could do this in a few different ways. You could charge a group fee, based on hours taught. You could charge per student per hour or per class. You could charge a monthly fee (this is what I do)...
I'd suggest starting out teaching in kominkans and working your way up until you have a steady business going. Then if you see that you can keep students coming back to your lessons and see little fluctuation, then think about opening your own shop and renting a spot... or whatever..
You could work out of your own place, but then your students know where you live, you use your own utilities and you have to keep your place clean all the time... but then you gotta think about privacy and the potential threat of stalking... I don't know anyone who goes this route in my area.
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