Finding a Great English Tutor

As the student, it can feel like all you're paying for is the hour you're with the teacher. There is so much more that happens behind the scenes. The information on this page can help you to understand what you're truly paying for with a tutor or teacher.

If you image how you would feel and what you would charge with all of these things in mind, if can help you to determine whether the fees you see are reasonable. Of course, some prices will always be more than you can afford and it's important to consider that first.

Some of the things tutors consider when setting prices:

➡️ It's an INVESTMENT. Having a tutor is not always necessary but the right tutor will help you tremendously.

➡️ These are some of the things teachers / tutors consider when setting their prices:

➡️ Industry standard (see below)

➡️ Amount of time spent per class, which includes:

? Establishing a new student

? Scheduling

? Lesson planning

? Follow up (Communication with the student outside of class)

? Billing (Creating invoices, tracking payments and attendance, etc.)

? Fees they are charged: the platform used (such as italki or Preply), payment processing, website / calendar hosting, teaching materials, video conferencing software, etc.

? Marketing costs (Paid ads, making content for social media, etc.)

? Cost of living (For full time teachers / tutors) that replaces a salary from a company

? For example: For those in the US, this includes the cost of health insurance

➡️ $25 USD for an hour session is minimum for a highly qualified tutor with experience or a professional teacher with little experience. This is not much more than McDonald's pays in some places, has zero benefits, and is not a living wage.

? "Benefits" is a term used to describe the things an employee receives in addition to a salary: help with health insurance costs, paid sick / holiday time,

➡️ Cancellation / No Show fees protect tutors. Almost all platforms, tutors, and teachers have a policy to charge the full rate if a student does not attend a class or give notice to cancel more than 24 hours in advance.

? Warning: Some platforms charge YOU for not attending a class but do NOT pay the tutor the same rate. For example: One subscription model platform charges the student the full rate and only gives the tutor 10% of the fee.

? How you can help your favorite teachers / tutors keep costs low:

? Tell other people about the teachers / tutors you think are the best. (Some teachers, like me, offer discounts and other benefits to students who do this.)

? Subscribe to their social media profiles. Like, comment on, and share their posts as often you can.

? Advise them of any changes to your schedule as far in advance as possible.

? Respect their time outside of class time.

Thank you for joining this course! You can find an overview of key questions to ask a potential tutor and a link to my English Mastery Program in the PDF attached to the first lesson.

I hope you find the best tutor for you so you can succeed in reaching your English language goals!