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Private ESL Classes in Mexico:
How to Avoid the 5 Most Common Pitfalls
(Plus One Non-Pitfall)By Julia Taylor © Julia Taylor 2007
If you want to give private English as a second language (ESL) lessons in Mexico and be successful at it, first you need to know how much to charge and second you need to know how to avoid the pitfalls that commonly drive private ESL teachers out of business quickly.
Private ESL classes with a native English speaker are highly prized. You can charge 100 to 150 pesos an hour for classes. You'll need to work 17 to 25 hours per week in order to have enough money to live on, depending on how much you charge.
At first this sounds like a really viable option to make a living in Mexico. The problem is that Mexicans operate differently than we do up north of the border and some of their common actions result in your not getting paid. Before you begin teaching private ESL classes in Mexico, review and implement the solutions to the following five pitfalls and the un-pitfall listed below.
The problem Pitfall Type 1: Skipping and Skipping Out
- 1A. Students are habitually and randomly late.
- 1B. Students fail to arrive but never call to cancel.
- 1C. Students disappear but owe the teacher for classes already given.
Mexicans are famous for being flexible about time and appointments. This custom is fine when it's friends getting together and another thing when it's you sitting somewhere waiting to give a class to a tardy student. Since it's culturally acceptable to be up to 30 minutes late, students will feel perfectly justified to roll in the door whenever they want to. You can't rely on asking them to be on time because many students will just be insulted by the request.
An equally as common but much worse cultural habit is that of never calling to cancel when students can't make an appointment. People just don't show up. This is an expensive waste of time when it comes to private classes. Often the people who choose private classes choose them because they are too busy to take a regular course at a language center, so the problem of tardiness and absence is even more pronounced in private ESL classes. Again, asking students to "please call to cancel" is not a viable solution. Students will be offended by your request and may fail to show up ever again, just because you embarrassed them.
Another thing that private students often do is discover that they can't pay for classes that they've already received. In this situation, they just avoid seeing you ever again. This may not be premeditated, but the result is still the same: you without your money.
The Solution
To avoid problems with students skipping class and skipping out on payments, you need to set up the ground rules ahead of time. When the student is requesting that you give classes, the power balance is in your favor. Students have to agree to your terms or they won't get what they want. If you were to forget to set up the ground rules and find yourself facing the common problems above, it would be too late because the power balance would be shifted in their favor. If they owe you money, they have the power, not you.The ground rules should be clearly listed on a sheet of paper. Have an original and a copy ready. Give your students the original and have them sign the copy, which you will keep. In Mexico, the signed copy has a special note on it. While signing, the person writes "I received an original" or "recibí original" then dates and signs the paper. This way there can be no excuses later.
The ground rules should say that the student agrees to pay for each class/week/month -- you and the student can decide on the appropriate time span -- of classes in advance, that the student will be charged from the start of the scheduled class time to the end, even if the student arrives late, and that the student will be charged for all classes not canceled a minimum of 24/48 (you decide) hours in advance.
List your obligations on the same sheet. The teacher's obligations include beginning the class on time, planning a class that uses the full scheduled time, canceling a minimum of 24/48 hours in advance if necessary, and giving a receipt for payments so that the student has proof of exactly how many classes he or she has paid for.
Pitfall Type 2: Misunderstandings about Payments
The problem
If there is a misunderstanding, Mexicans often just quit rather than discuss their concerns. Often the foreigner has no idea why the Mexican student suddenly disappeared. In fact, in Spanish the word discutir, which loosely translates as "discuss," has a very negative connotation and is better translated as "argue" or "fight." Most Mexicans will avoid conflict at all costs.
- 2. Students and teacher disagree on whether or not the student has paid for certain classes.
The Solution
Design a simple calendar system so that both you and your student will feel comfortable tracking hours taught. Have the student help you to "check off" classes given on a class-by-class basis.Pitfall Type 3: The Private ESL Teacher is Viewed as a Friend
The problem
Once Mexicans have spent some one-on-one time with someone, even in a work relationship, they feel that they "know" each other, and that means that a friendship has been formed. This is not necessarily bad; in fact, many a good friendship has been formed between teacher and students. Students are excellent sources of information and referrals for teachers who are new to an area. Students also bring into play their networks of friends and colleagues who may also want to study English with the teacher. The problem comes when the teacher is taken off guard and either accidentally insults the student by thinking and speaking in "business terms" when "friendship terms" are required, or when the teacher feels obligated to work for free doing favors such as translations.
- 3A. Students use class a time to chat with a friend in Spanish.
- 3B. Students expect their teacher to translate documents for them as a favor.
- 3C. Students want to meet for class in a restaurant, so who pays?
The Solution
Think ahead about what you are willing to do and what boundaries you need to divide work and friendship. Decide what you want to put in the ground rules when you start classes. For example, you may decide to put down that you charge for all translations. Still, the ground rules aren't as vital as having thought the situation through ahead of time. You'll be able to give polite, appropriate answers when any of these issues come up.Pitfall Type 4: Parents of the Student
The problem
It can be uncomfortable to have parents sitting around watching you give class to their children. Sometimes the children get nervous or remain extra quiet, avoiding asking questions. Sometimes the teacher ends up being divided in their attention, being a "host" or "hostess" to the parent (giving something to drink, making the parent comfortable) and a teacher to the student. Sometimes the parent becomes an adjunct student. . .
- 4. Parents bring their kids for help with their English homework, then sit and listen in.
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The series: How to Make Teaching English in Mexico a Reality
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Part 3:
Julia Taylor lives in Cuernavaca with her husband and their young son. She is the author of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here, with inside information for those who want to work, live, and retire in Mexico.For more information, visit Home Sweet Mexico.
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