Building your portfolio of private students

The teaching English sector in Barcelona and Spain in general have two large breaks in the calendar year. There is the winter break which can last anywhere from two to three weeks, and there is the summer break which lasts a bank-breaking one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half months.

A lucky few teachers have contracts which afford them paid leave during these breaks. The majority of teachers however are either working as freelancers or only being provided with temporary contracts which conveniently expire at the start of the holiday season.

To keep your finances out of the red, prepare yourself for these breaks by working more during the teaching season and taking on a variety of work.

An important part of this is to gather a good group of private classes.

The best sources for private tuition are:

• Tusclasesparticulares
• Superprof
• Preply
• Word of mouth

Tus clases particulares specializes in providing teachers and students a platform to contact each other. Posting your first job here is free. Have your advertisement translated into Spanish before posting. You need to pay for a second job or alternatively bump your advertisement up to the top for €1.50.

Superprof is completely free and very easy to use. It is an international company but particularly popular in Spain for locals to find a tutor in any subject..

Preply is a relatively newcomer which has become popular due to the surge in the demand for online teaching. You would be working 100% online and can connect with students all over the world. This enables you to work across different time zones and set your own schedule. 

Word of mouth is the strongest advertisement in any sector. Use your network of friends, landlords and local traders to put the word out that you offer private English classes. Students always trust peer recommendations over hiring a stranger.

Promote yourself consistently through these channels and continue to do so through the year and eventually you’ll be able to create a strong core group of private classes.

 Contact us if you'd like more information about TEFL in Barcelona.