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I've read some bits and pieces here and there off other forums and
here in regards to some agencies or academies and how they operate. But
these experiences written online seem to be quite rare.
However, based on your opinion and the experience you've certainly had with
many academies or agencies, if you were in my shoes which would seem to
attract you more? That is, which would you work for?
Which would I work for? Is that which: academies or agencies? Or, which academy or agency?
In the first case – academies or agencies - I’d say that I would prefer to work in academies in the evenings and agencies some mornings and afternoons. I’d say that I would prefer to work in academies in the evenings if they paid well (2nd conditional = fantasy, unreal, imaginary), but they generally don’t, though there are a few needles in this haystack which do actually pay well (I’ve even heard of a government agency that pays around 50 euros per hour, but you couldn’t get me to work for the government for 100.)
In the “real” Madrid there is basically no such thing as an academy which will block your hours nicely while paying you decently because there are too many of us competing for those jobs (high demand + low supply = low pay). If I got 20 euros an hour to work in a stable academy, with a decent boss and friendly participating colleagues, I would jump at the chance (only evenings, please! If anyone’s listening …). I think the going rate for block-hours work is generally lower at about 15 euros or even less, even though an academy class can pull in 60 to 80 euros an hour (minus expenses, which can be pretty rough).
(However, there are as many secrets in Madrid as there
are freelance English teachers working out there. I know of a couple
of companies where there are teams of teachers working from 8 to 5
and getting paid decently on top of it. Don't ignore the little agencies
or agents because some of them have some pretty nice setups.)
Generally, if you get 15 euros an hour for blocked hours in the evenings in an academy, you’ll be doing pretty good here, and while you may lose some money to Social Security (you’re better off getting paid as an autónomo, I can assure you, as it will open up many windows of opportunity to you where you would least expect it), in private classes you may lose more to “sick” days, “out-of-town” days, “I-just-don’t-feel-like-it-today” days, and most importantly, “I’m-not-coming-to-class-anymore” days. (Also, in a 2nd conditional world, I would definitely love to have my fantasy academy within a 5 minute walk of my house.)
In any case, no matter how good my boss was, I’d rather not have all
my eggs in one basket and I’d also have some hours in an agency. Even
using the 2nd conditional won’t change the fact that they usually
want teachers between 8 and 9.30 in the morning (sometimes for one
hour) and between 1300 and 1600 in the afternoon (sometimes for just
one hour). Generally speaking, you can get 1.5 hours Monday thru Friday
in the mornings and 2 hours in the afternoons from Monday to Thursday.
Ideally, I wouldn’t work but 3 mornings a week and 4 afternoons for
a total of (3X1.5) + (4X2) = 12.5 hours. If I add this to my ideal
academy hours of (4X4) = 16, I have 28.5 hours, which is pretty good.
If you do much more in the beginning, you’ll probably burn out pretty
fast and if I were you, I would actually keep it to about 24.
I should mention that I’m getting my own companies so I wouldn’t work fro an agency because they take a healthy cut, but if I couldn’t find my own companies, I would expect between 18 and 21.5 from them. Also, I would expect them to be some old salts in this game and to offer me neat little packages of mixed hours. Perhaps, instead of having 2 hours in the afternoons, I would be offered 2 hours Tuesdays and Thursdays and 1.5 hours Mondays and Wednesdays, etc. etc. And from what I understand, many experienced teachers don’t do more than one class for any agency. I.e. they tell one that they have Mondays and Wednesdays in the mornings available, but that they need at least 1.5 hours, etc. etc. In any case, it’s probably true with experienced teachers, but that’s just one more reason why they’re probably maxing out on their hours and pay.
As for the question, “which academy or agency in particular” I would
say that in agencies I particularly like Englishjet.com, but that
may just be because I’m fiercely independent and individualistic and
they let you do things your way (as long as everyone’s happy). I don’t
want nobody snooping around in my classes (the students will let them
know if they’re not happy, let me tell you, and I’ll quickly drop
a company that does it too me) and I sure as heck don’t want nobody
forcing their methods and techniques on me. (Also, the pay’s not bad
at Englishjet.com given market conditions.) In any case, there are
other agencies that operate in a similar way, though perhaps not as
successfully. On the otherhand, I've worked at Astex as well, and
it's about 300 teachers strong or more. That's not a bad place to
work either.
As for academies, I’m particularly keen on Hyland for quality and spirit, but I think that they do have some pretty strong policies on methods and techniques and I’m sure we would come into conflict at some point over that issue (probably on day one). I would outright avoid many others like Linguarama, Ross and Berlitz (and a long list of etceteras) for their opposite lack of spirit and other very important factors (but, that’s just a personal opinion).
I would like to point out that I’m not at all opposed to working in
academies, but I just haven’t ever found the right one for me for
longer than a year and a half or two. In my experience, they don’t
take too kindly to my asking them for pay raises and they seem to
prefer cheaper inexperienced teachers :) (Now, why could that be?)
April 6, 2005.
Should I work for an academy ... some advice from a veteran.
I think that the most important thing to consider when contemplating
whether or not to work for an academy is, what your own standards
are. I used to get angry with unfair treatment by academies, until
I realized that I was the one to say yes or no to a job. If you are
a qualified teacher and you know your stuff, you shouldn’t have to
accept an underpaid teaching job. By underpaid I mean less than 20
euros an hour for regular classes from an academy. I would maybe go
as low as 16 (net) if the conditions are fantastic and I have more
than three or four hours in a row, if the class is right for ME. It gets very frustrating when you realize that
you make the same amount (having a teaching degree or the equivalent)
as the guy or gal that just arrived to Spain, has never taught before
and just wants to make a few bucks here. It’s very frustrating, but
it’s a reality, unless you don’t accept that.
But it’s not all about money. I would ask myself these questions...
#1 - WHAT IS GOOD FOR ME? this is the first and foremost important
question. Don’t expect anyone to just look out for your best interest.
You’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy, and you have to look out
for yourself. No qualms. People expect you to do that and if you
don’t, you may end up unhappy and clicking your heels, wishing
to go home. There IS no place like home, but you’re not there,
you’re here, and the rules of the game are different. - What am
I willing to accept as far as conditions? - What kind of schedule
do I need in order to make enough money to survive in Madrid?
- Where are these people sending me to teach and how much time
do I spend travelling to my job? - How much extra work does the
academy expect from me? (reports, evaluations, etc.) - Do they
pay on time and respect my wishes as far as scheduling? Or do
they give me classes all over Madrid, 1 hour classes, or outside
of Madrid, for peanuts? - Are they being honest with me about
the classes they are offering? Or, when they say that the class
is only 2 bus stops outside of Madrid, does that really mean 7
stops and a total of an hour and 15 minutes away from my house
at 8 in the morning? (yes this has happened to me)-Also, are they
being honest with you about how you must pay your taxes, etc.
Many academies don’t deduct your
IRPF, which may be setting you
up for trouble come tax time. Some academies take full advantage
of
the fact that you may not be familiar with tax matters and labor
law
here. It is advisable to spend some time investigating this,
and/or
speaking with an "asesor" (your own asesor, not the
one the academy
offers you - they are on the side of the academy and will always
work
in favor of the academy). It is not that expensive and it can
save
you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long run.
If you go into
a job knowing your rights, they aren’t apt to try to take advantage
of you (and I dare to say that some bad apples might not even hire
you, because they know that they can’t get away with their usual bull
---- .... in which case, you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, trust
me) This is not to say that working with an academy is bad. It all
depends on what you need and how you organize yourself. It is just
wise to be careful and not to expect anyone to "take care of you".
Many academies don’t deduct your IRPF, which may be setting you
up for trouble come tax time. Some academies take full advantage of
the fact that you may not be familiar with tax matters and labor law
here. It is advisable to spend some time investigating this, and/or
speaking with an "asesor" (your own asesor, not the one the academy
offers you - they are on the side of the academy and will always work
in favor of the academy). It is not that expensive and it can save
you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long run. If you go into
a job knowing your rights, they aren’t apt to try to take advantage
of you (and I dare to say that some bad apples might not even hire
you, because they know that they can’t get away with their usual bull
---- .... in which case, you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, trust
me) This is not to say that working with an academy is bad. It all
depends on what you need and how you organize yourself. It is just
wise to be careful and not to expect anyone to "take care of you".
They need to make money just like you do. That is why they are
in this business. If you don’t feel right about an academy or
a job, there is probably a good reason why. Sometimes you need
to have patience too. Be picky and don’t settle for just any
job. And PLEASE don’t accept any job for less than 15 euros
per hour. Do the math ... If anyone has any questions I would
be glad to give my input about my experiences here in the Teaching
business ... Good luck! Victoria. Post recovered from hacked
forum March 26, 2005.
Should I work for an English academy?
... depends, my experience with academies has been varied. some
have defaulted on payments, some pay very poorly and others
are ok. I would recommend academy classes only as a last resort.
Most of the time, you can make more money on your own through
ads and referrals. Right now, most academies pay under 12 euros
an hour, which in my experience is unacceptable. 15 to 20 euros
per hour is a much fairer rate if you can find it. My recommendation
is to place an ad on Segundamano.es and to compare rates for
companies on infojobs.es. Post recovered from hacked forum.
Author: dunno.
Teaching English - Question for a Non-EU Citizen
My wife and I are serious about living in Spain for a year or
two; maybe longer. We both have our 4-year degrees. My degree
is in Criminal Justice Administration, and my wife's degree
is in Elementary Education. I will work anywhere, although the
both of us would enjoy teaching English. For this reason, we
are both receiving our certification for TEFL. My wife is fluent
in Spanish, English, and English Sign Language and currently
has one year of teaching experience. Furthermore, to acquire
experience we volunteer teaching English here in the states.
Our primary goal is to teach in Spain, but it is difficult to
acquire employment if one does not have EU citizenship. Does
anyone have any suggestions of where we could locate employment?
We are tentatively planning to arrive in the Spring / Summer
of 2005. Thanks to all, for taking the time to read my question
and possibly responding with suggestions. Brian (Post recovered
from hacked forum: March 26, 2005)
Teaching jobs
I am Jasper, I am 24 from the Netherlands and people say I speak English
almost fluently. I am looking for a job in Madrid. Since my Spanish
is still rather poor, I guess the only possibilities are the Irish
pub and teaching English. I am wondering if you could give me some
insight into the chances that I have of getting a teaching job. I
don’t have a degree in teaching but I studied in the USA for a while
and I have a Masters in Science now. Hopefully you can help me a bit!
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