Swamped with Work: Teaching in Buenos Aires

I would like to start this post by apologizing for not being as consistent in updating my blog as I have been in the past. Work hit me like a freight train traveling at high speeds so I have had very little time to contribute my thoughts. This post will have to be brief as well because I'm running a tight schedule, but I felt compelled to write anyway.

As I hinted at above I've been very busy teaching. After hearing all of the negative commentary about not being able to find work as a teacher here in the summertime I would like to state for all to hear that work can be found, just not in the traditional places.

For example most English institutes operate within the business world teaching business English in companies that operate internationally. However in the summertime most companies suspend English classes because it is the time when most employees take their holidays. Because of this most teachers in Buenos Aires find work to be sparse or almost non-existent, however that is only in the business world.

The company I work for right now operates a little differently from the traditional English institute. While they do have teachers working in companies and teaching business English, the majority of us teachers are working with private students who are seeking to learn English for a variety of reasons. Most of these students continue learning over the summer and the structure of the classes is much more dynamic and less textbook based. The company itself pretty much acts as a middle man. The students contact them and they in turn connect students with teachers.

One benefit of this method is that it virtually guarantees the students want to learn English because they are under no obligation to take classes. They contact the company of their own free will and desire.

Even though I've only taught several classes so far I have been working non-stop preparing lesson plans for the weeks ahead. My goal is to build a strong foundation of solid lessons and materials that I can draw on and will therefore not need to develop so many lessons later on down the road, or feel rushed to prepare something immediately before a class.

Right now I have about five students and 12-13 hours of work a week. I am hoping to have 20 hours by the end of January and 25 hours by the end of February. In mid-February I will be moving into a very nice apartment so in order to afford it plus all the expenses for food I am hoping to work 20-25 hours a week. March is when the teaching work really picks up so 25 hours seems reasonable, and if I have a strong foundation of lessons to draw on I will really only need to prepare 2-3 new lessons a week.

Those are just a few of my insights and plans after my first week of teaching here in Buenos Aires. Now for another busy day of teaching and lesson prep : )

Kyle