I'm almost celebrating my first anniversary being an online teacher. I'm blessed and more than happy to be teaching young kids and few adults. Though, I have come across rainy days and bumpy roads while being in this journey still I'm grateful for the handful of experiences, lessons and realizations that it generously gave me.
I'm never the teacher that gets plenty of students. I only have few regulars in fact the number of the students that favorited me didn't reach 100. That is quiet frustrating because I'm considered as a tenured teacher. I can't really pinpoint the reason why I don't have plenty of students but I have speculations.
My profile picture is not that appealing. This is very important because all of the teacher's picture will be displayed like a list of items in Shopee or Lazada. The moment the parent or kid opens the app for the first time, of course, they will look for the teacher who at least looks kind and not strict. So, it is best to wear your best smile in your profile picture for you to have many possible students.
I didn't teach on Sundays. Our center manager adviced us to open slots on peak hours especially on Saturdays and Sundays but I refused since Sunday for me is the time I need to spend with my family and go to church. The center manager adviced me to open slots on Sundays even just for a month for me to acquire students that will favorite me but I refused.
Those were only mere speculations. There are also teachers who are working with me who got a lot of students eventhough they are still new to the platform. Even teachers who didn't really have formal training in teaching, even though they don't exert effort that much, they still have a lot of students.
These made me feel insecure at times. I would question my ability. I have formal training in teaching and I'm pretty sure that I have given my best in class but still I can't get enough.
I did adjustments. I made improvements. I changed my profile picture, even changed my audio. Then, I tried to be be livelier and compassionate depending on what the situation calls for. I would observe the students and study their behavior, so I could teach them in a way that they like.
I don't know if it works but I quit trying. I quit competing with others. I decided that I will only have myself to compete to. That is my turning point. I stop caring about the number of students I got everyday. I'm happy if I got to teach 15 students in a day and if not I would say, 'Let's see what happens tomorrow'.
There were times I felt like quiting but I didn't. I have been putting off for tomorrow my plans of resigning. I got offers from my sister and classmates to work in a BPO company in Cebu but I don't know what hinders me. Is it the fear of being away from my family or the challenges that I might need to face there too.
The online teaching company that I'm currently working is facing crisis too. The government in which our clients came from implemented a new policy. This policy aims to give back the kids their lost childhood. The students of this country has so much in their plate. They wake up early to go to school and when they get home, they don't just play and then sleep. They have music, English classes and still need to attend to their homework too. This is the main reason why they don't have time to play. They have a lot of things to do.
So, the country implemented a policy that will not allow kids to have English classes other than in school. This leaves online teachers hopeless. The company has been working on ways on how they will acquire more kid clients. They have been reaching out to other countries but it will take time.
As of now, the number of students is slowly getting low especially now that the vacation is over. There are teachers on our facebook group that are complaining about having 2-3 classes a day but there are also teachers who still have more students. At the center where I'm working, the effect of the new policy is really felt. Eventhough the teachers who constantly have a lot of students experience changes.
As of now, I have been waiting for what God calls me to do.
I don't know where will this new policy lead us. I don't know where will God lead me. But wherever it is, I hope He is there.
Happy Saturday read-friends! I'm sorry for sharing such a not-so- happy thought of mine today. I hope it didn't ruin your mood today. Well, how do you spend your Saturday? It feels like it's Monday yesterday and now its Saturday. The week have gone by like a breeze.
Thank you so much everyone! To my sponsors, upvoters, to the people who spent time to read and comment, you made my soul happy! Thank you heaps!
August 28, 2021
3:32 p.m. | saturday
Murakamii.7
That's the attitude girl. Never compare or compete with anyone other than yourself. Cheer up. At some point in our lives, we really get to experience these kind of changes. Soon everything will go back to how it was before. For now, it is ok to have less students than none at all. 😉