With all the tips and hints I give out about starting your own school there does tend to be a natural emphasis on the business side of things (along with discipline & curriculum.)
And sometimes we miss out on the one single biggest reason for starting your own school.
Yes, you can get rich from doing it.
Yes, you can have a million students and a ton of staff if you really want (I wouldn’t recommend it! 🙂 )
But the main, number one, super reason for starting your own school?
— Freedom —
Freedom to teach what you want to teach (without having to follow a boring curriculum.)
Freedom to teach when and where you want ( to fit in with your lifestyle, not the other way round.)
Freedom to earn what you want (and keep more of it.)
Freedom to teach who you want ( no more monster parents if you don’t want!)
Freedom to make a difference on your own terms.
That’s the real advantage of doing things on your own.
Yes it can be a little like a job sometimes, but if you have a clear image in your head of exactly what you want from your school you’ll be able to make clear, sharp to decisions to really let you rule how you do things, and not the other way round.
Teaching can be fun and is one of the most important jobs in the world, let’s keep it that way. 🙂
Good luck, you *know* you can do it! 🙂
Be genki,
Richard
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I agree 100%! I currently work for a school which sticks to the textbook, regardless of the fact that it’s terrible… I tried to incorporate Genki English, but the school freaked out I didn’t use a textbook. So, even though the kids were having so much fun last time with the Genki How Are You, I’m back to teaching from a boring textbook…
No freedom in my school ;-(
Oh, well, I’ll be Genki anyway 😉
You really made me sigh with your inspirational speech. Indeed it’s true. My husband and I are teachers of English, we met at a private school of English, then we got married and then we decided to start our own school, what you say it’s true, you have the freedom to teach as you think but also the commitment to give good or excelent results. It requires some constant work but at the end it’s rewarding.
Well said.
For me, it was the freedom to give kids fun, exciting, effective English education at a reasonable price. For most of my students, this is their first real ‘study’. What a better way to start than with Genki English!
Its great being responsible for a curriculum in which you can design yourself to suit the needs of the students. Its also a good learning curve, since the buck stops with you. But thanks to Genki English, it gets a lot easier!!!!
I have a question regarding costs. How much would you say is a good amount to have saved before starting this whole adventure. I am looking to move back to Japan from the US and start a school.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Usually the best way is to start slow whilst you are doing your current job. If you want to jump straight into it then you’d need at the very least 3 months living expenses and ideally 6 to 12 months worth.
YES!
I’ve been working in a small school where my wings have been cut off year after year and for next year I was given the final blow: My wings have been yanked off and I’ve been instructed to bore my students to death by teaching them through constant drilling of a selection of questions. No games, no songs, no smiles, no paper, no videos, no anything. Just drill, drill, drill, day after day, hour after hour.
I think it’s time to move on. This past year my reputation as a teacher has flown up to the highest standards despite all the obstacles, and I want to take advantage of that! I’ve worked VERY hard to achieve this. I deserve better and I want to take back my respect and my freedom!
I CAN!
You *definitely* deserve it! 🙂