Thread: Private lessons... what's a fair price?

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Charge whatever the market allows if you actually want to do it. Charge over the market rate if you don't. I have no idea what the market rate is though.

useful post that one.

must be an ajarner, no?

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

If ever he is asked about private lessons he states it will be ThB 1,000 per person per hour payable in advance.

half a dozen years ago I was charging 1000-1500 for an hour for a lesson (one on one).

gave it up, my time is too valuable.

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Another Super TEFLER? WOW, you must be absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!! You can charge around double the going rate (I am making an assumption here as I am not a TEFLER, so I don't know exactly what the going rate is) but still you are too talented to work for that?

WOW, I am so impressed, you the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But the original poster may not be a SUPER TEFLER like yourself, so your answer may not be of much value to him. But at least you got to make the point about how great you are!!!

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

But at least you got to make the point about how great you are!!!

erm, no. making the point about the going rate. something you apparently know nothing about.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

Another Super TEFLER?

nope not at all. quite ordinary as a matter of fact.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

You can charge around double the going rate

nope, that is the going rate.







but if it makes you feel better, believe what you want...

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"nope, that is the going rate."

Right, Thailand is filled with people who can afford 30-50 dollar an hour for private lessens. I think you would have some trouble getting people in Japan or Korea to pay that much. I am sure there are a few busy exectuves and rich families wanting special treatment for their kiddies willing to pay that price, but I doubt the demand for courses at this level of expense would be great.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

Right, Thailand is filled with people who can afford 30-50 dollar an hour for private lessens.

in a word, yes.

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So at say 20 hours a week, you can make around 30,000 baht or over 120,000 baht a month, but your time is too valuable for this when the average wages for TEFLERS is between 35 and 60K Baht?

You make more than this in English teaching elsewhere?

WOW, TEFL SUPERHERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sure everyone on the forum is now duly impressed. I know I am.

Originally Posted by mrsquirrel

500 one student

5 or more students 150 each

10 students 100 each

This looks good, although I would avoid one on one's and go for the group big money.

I've charged 125/hour for the last few years. That sounds cheap, but my group size is 8 minimum, or 1000 baht an hour.

You've got to make it worth your while, or you will get burned out IMO. Last year I had a group of 17, which came to 2125 an hour. Tasty!

How to find such big groups? That's the trick.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

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If you have a group of 17, that is not a private lesson, but a class. You would in effect be running your own school. Seems this would require a lot of marketing and/or sales to sustain. Doubt most TEFLERS have either the ability or willingness to spend that much time and effort in self-promotion.

Working at a school, the parents approach me directly or through the Thai teachers. I don't do any self-promotion, the parents want their kids to be taught by me after school and I'm happy to oblige. This is a quite common setup with both farang and Thai teachers.

I don't see what difference it makes if you call it a private lesson, school or Mercedes Benz. The point is that big groups can be quite lucrative. Trying to make the best out one's situation would be better than worrying about nomenclature IMO.

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Oh, you are doing that pay me so your kids will get a better grade in class deal. But this requires you to have a full time teaching job at a school where you have control over grades of the kiddies. Big difference from teaching "private" lessons. You are teaching extra classes after school hours, huge difference from teaching privates. Hey, no problem, gotta make a living some how. What you are doing is basically an extortion racket, not teaching.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

You make more than this in English teaching elsewhere? WOW, TEFL SUPERHERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

erm, no.

and no. you dont listen good, do ya?>

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

So at say 20 hours a week, you can make around 30,000 baht or over 120,000 baht a month,

if you get 20 hours a week, every week after your normal job.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

But this requires you to have a full time job so that you can hold a correct visa....

exactly.

not far different from when i get to do a workshop, i get several hundred dollars a day for doing them.... it would be a great racket, except, I do not get at least one workshop each and every week of the year.. rather I get about 10 over the whole year.

drinking money. that;s all.

I don't think there is too much difficulty finding "privates". I have people coming up to me in the gym and even 7-11 offering money to teach them English, and I'm not even a teacher.

Knowing how reliable Thais are I imagine it must be a nightmare trying to run private courses.

All's fair in love and TEFL.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

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Oh, you are doing that pay me so your kids will get a better grade in class deal. But this requires you to have a full time teaching job at a school where you have control over grades of the kiddies. Big difference from teaching "private" lessons. You are teaching extra classes after school hours, huge difference from teaching privates. Hey, no problem, gotta make a living some how. What you are doing is basically an extortion racket, not teaching.

Wow, you're really hung up about this - and entirely incorrect, as know-it-alls can only be.

You don't know anything about my situation, and haven't offered anything useful or accurate on this thread, so why don't you fuck off?

To the OP, reading your post again it seems groups would be they way to go for you. If your concerned about charging too much, a group rate keeps the price down for the parents. And the high numbers will provide a high enough net to keep things interesting for you.

I don't know what level you're teaching, but in general I've found it helpful to follow a book series in your privates. For young learners, I like the GoGo series.

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I am very familiar with the practice in Thailand of teachers asking their students to pay for extra lessons. It is common throughout the country, and the real purpose of this practice is known. It is an exchange of money for test questions or good grades. Maybe you are new to the system and have not yet caught on to what is expected of you in exchange for this money.

What you are doing is totally different from teaching "private lessons." If your "private students" don't get better grades in your classes than others, you can not sustain this practice and the income that comes from it.

How many groups of students do you teach you do not control the grades of? Do you think you could get students from a different school to come to pay for your extra classes?

So, you want me to fuck off? Getting a little testy? Why?

KW

I don't understand, you said 1000 to 1500 is the going market rate and Thailand is filled with people willing to pay this amount, and then later you say you can't get enough work to sustain youself at this rate.

Seems a contradiction here.

If I was an ESL teacher I would surely prefer working for 120,000 plus baht a month teaching at the market rate for privates than teaching for less than half that amount at a school if the first option was possible.

So, if you can get this much from teaching privates why don't you do it full time? I know you mentioned the work permit thing, but this is Thailand and I am sure for 10,000 baht a month someone would put you on their work list even if you are not in actuality.

Man, you SUPER TEFLERS get a bit testy when your statements of your superior business savy are questioned.

erm, i already earn more than 120K p/m.

FFS

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

^ TEFLING? WOW, YOU ARE REALLY A SUPERHERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nope.

You dont listen good, do you, here, I've said it 2 or 3 times already on this thread.

I am not a TEFL teacher.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn Another Super TEFLER?

nope not at all.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn You make more than this in English teaching elsewhere? WOW, TEFL SUPERHERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

erm, no. and no. you dont listen good, do ya?>

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

But there still is the contraction between your statement that this was the going rate and difficulty in finding enough work at this rate,

no contradiction.

There is a limited number of hours in a week that you could tutor students, since they are supposed to go to school etc.

I dont think that, (I could be wrong here) one could tutor a 40 hour week, every week of the year.

Originally Posted by Accidental Ajarn

but what the hell. As long as you get a chance to tell us how wonderful you are, who cares what the actual topic of the thread was.

Not really, you questioned why I do not tutor full time when i 'could, in theory earn 120K p/m' (your calculations, BTW, not mine).

You presented this as an argument to my statement that 1000K an hour is perfectly attainable and a reasonable charge.


Now since you are an Accidental Ajarn, but you aint a TEFLr - sounds like you know all about teaching in Thailand. Do enlighten us some more please?

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My my, aren't you just wonderful, you could (if you wanted to) make twice more than the average TEFL teacher and you are not even a TEFLER.

Aren't you just dandy.

Don't get sore at me, I am agreeing that you are so much better than the average TEFLER. You know a business plan a Tefler could use to make at least double their existing salaries, but you are way too good to lower yourself to that level which all TEFLERS are to stupid to reach.

You the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't that what you have been fishing for?

"Now since you are an Accidental Ajarn, but you aint a TEFLr - sounds like you know all about teaching in Thailand. Do enlighten us some more please?"

Not currently in Thailand, but spend over 10 years there and wife and kids still there. So, it is still home. Done all kinds of things there, been an NGO manager, a manager of an export company, a university prof type, a 210 baht an hour tefler (for a few months but please don't tell anyone), a writer, and who knows what all.

Made enough to live on and had a great time.

Now I am an "ajarn" again but not a tefler, two seperate categories in my humble opinion. But I know a great deal about the Thai educational system from both working in it and being a parent of children in it.

I know about both the economic conditions in Thailand and the educational system. I know there is a limited number of people who could afford 1000-1500 baht an hour for private lessons, and I also know there are many TEFLERS willing to work for less and I furthermore know the market does not distinguish that much between top of the line and run of the mill English teachers.

So, you claiming you are so wonderful that people throw themselves at you wanting you to work for higher than market wages in an industry you only dabble in does not ring true. But, if you are TEFL SUPERMAN, like you are claiming, well, it must be true.

But still, the original poster may not be all that interested in your greatness. Instead that indiivdual may want more practical advice.