- Teaching in Barcelona: The Start of It All
- Becoming TEFL Certified:
- Preparing for The Move to Barcelona:
- Documents I Obtained to Prepare for My Flight:
- Finding Tutor Work in Barcelona:
- Meeting Parents for Tutor Jobs:
- Finalizing Your Tutor Job:
- What My Tutor Sessions Looked Like:
- Tutoring Over Zoom During COVID Quarantine:
Teaching in Barcelona: The Start of It All
Before going over how I became a private English tutor in Barcelona, I first need to explain why.
After graduating college, I decided that instead of jumping right into an education career, I’d take some time off to travel. That led me to embark on a 6-week backpacking trip around Western Europe.
You can read about why I went on this trip, how I planned it, and how much it cost in my “Backpacking Western Europe” series.
One of my last stops on that trip was Barcelona, Spain.
Upon arrival at my hostel, the girl that worked reception and I immediately hit it off. By the end of my ten days in the city, I fell in love.
It was the girl, it was the beaches, it was the nightlife, it was the architecture, it was everything.
Before I even flew home, I started researching what I could do to get myself back.
I was on a job hunt for English-speaking schools I could teach at but quickly learned that getting a work visa as an American was next to impossible. Honestly, getting any extended visa was pretty impossible.
I was determined to be back in Spain for an extended period, but I also wanted to be realistic and not put all my eggs in one basket by permanently moving there with no return. Lots of websites suggested going there on a tourist visa and then…never returning home. Essentially becoming an illegal alien and face future problems with the Spanish deportation office.
I knew I wanted to go back abroad, I knew I wanted to make my relationship work, I knew I had to start making an income at some point, but I also knew that should anything go wrong, I needed a way to get back to the US safely.
Becoming TEFL Certified:
I started to read about teaching English.
This could be done through online teaching platforms or by becoming a private English tutor.
Upon more investigation, I read that working in Barcelona under the table as a tutor was extremely common. People would go to Spain on their three-month tourist visa and market themselves as a private English tutor to parents for their kids.
(Whether they then stayed in Spain illegally or came back to the US was dependent on the person and their wants.)
The catch was that online teaching platforms and parents looking for tutors required (or preferred) a specific thing: a TEFL certification.
In the following weeks of my return home, I became more and more interested in the idea of tutoring. I researched every TEFL course, spent hours reading others’ teaching abroad experiences, and studied how to market myself as a tutor.
After weighing the pros/cons and a hard look at my bank account, I took the plunge.
In hindsight, I convinced myself TEFL was beneficial to my career pathway as an educator anyway, so no-harm no-foul in investing in the course and getting my certification.
I registered for an 11-week online course through International TEFL Academy. It was $1,249.
I went with ITA for reasons listed on my blog post here: https://agirlwithoutaclue.com/?p=227
A big reason I chose ITA, not covered in my blog post, was due to their information on work in Barcelona as a tutor.
Any questions or concerns I had were rapidly answered by their advisors, including how I’d find work after arriving in the country.
ITA doesn’t recommend going to a foreign country (like Spain) and teaching under the table. They also stressed that the tutor-market wasn’t as strong as, let’s say, ten years ago. Nor could they give me explicit help in acquiring families to work for.
But they did say it was possible. And possible was all I needed.
ITA does offer an in-person course on getting TEFL certified while in Barcelona, but it was more expensive, plus I wanted the flexibility of working from home.
Instead, I scheduled my course to start while I was in the US and then finish two months after arriving in Spain.
Preparing for The Move to Barcelona:
At this point, my first big decision was completed; registering for a TEFL course.
Next was buying my plane ticket.
Though also a plunge into the unknown, not to mention my pocket, this part was easy.
Over the next couple of weeks, I scanned different flights and airlines, watched prices rise and fall, then ultimately purchased a ticket. I’d be back in Barcelona for the 2020 New Year, almost three months after I left the city while on my backpacking trip.
I bought a departure and a return ticket. It was my safety net in that I could get my toes wet with living in a new city while in a new relationship and working a new job before actually diving into the water as a whole.
I figured if things progressed well in those three months, I would find new opportunities to move there full time.
My flight was through United Airways directly into Barcelona, Spain.
I flew out on December 30th, 2019, with a return flight scheduled for April 1st, 2020.
My ticket cost $783.15. Plus a $250 two-way ticket for my cat, Noel.
(Yes, I brought my cat to live with me in Barcelona. This will be covered in another post.)
Technically the itinerary of my trip was over the three months covered on a tourist visa. I had done tons of research and concluded that the Spanish immigration offices weren’t concerned if I was a couple of days past my visa. As long as it wasn’t weeks, I’d be fine.
Technically, technically, my time abroad ended up being just under six months due to COVID. But this will be covered in another post.
I’m sorry I can’t be any help with this part, but the next steps in your adventure would be to figure out where you would live abroad.
Since the main reason I was moving to Barcelona was to be with my partner, I had my accommodation already in place.
One option I know you could do is nannying! I knew a girl that got hired as an Au Pair in Barcelona and did online English teaching/private tutoring on the side. The family she stayed with paid for her food and housing in compensation for her watching their children. She ended up maxing out her visa and staying since she loved it so much!
At this point, I’ve registered (and started) my TEFL course, I bought my plane ticket, I had a place to live, and I was getting my cat’s travel arrangements in place. Next was just waiting for the big day!
Documents I Obtained to Prepare for My Flight:
In the days before my flight, I created a folder containing all my important information. This was just in case I raised any eyebrows while going through immigration.
I made copies of all my identifications such as my passport and driver’s license.
I printed out my flight information (in case immigration wanted to see that I did in fact have a departure date), as well as my TEFL registration receipt (to play the angle that I was taking a course within the city).
I also went to my bank and got official documentation of my bank statements; proving that I had sufficient funds to support myself while being in their country.
And of course, all the paperwork needed for my cat to travel with me.
Finding Tutor Work in Barcelona:
Entering Barcelona was as easy as 1-2-3. I boarded my plane, sat patiently for 8 hours, went through immigration with a breeze, then picked up my luggage at baggage claim. My girlfriend picked me up from the airport, got in a taxi, arrived at my new home, then sat back and enjoyed the Spanish air!
I “vacationed” for a week, but eventually, the time came to fulfill my purpose for this journey.
Important Tip: download and set up messaging through WhatsApp. This is how you will communicate to potential parents/students, but also with anyone you may meet and befriend while abroad. I haven’t met a single international that doesn’t use WhatsApp.
I found families looking for tutors in two places: Facebook and Tus Clases Particulares.
I joined TONS of Facebook groups:
English Speakers in Barcelona,
English Tutors in Barcelona,
Barcelona Expats,
Barcelona English Teachers Association,
TEFL Barcelona, and Profes de Tusclasesparticulars.
I took my time reading through all the postings in each group. I looked for tips from other tutors, parent postings that asked for tutors directly, and ways that people were marketing themselves.
Then, I crafted my own post.
Here’s two posts I created for the groups
Parents either left a comment for me to Facebook message them or they would contact me personally.
I also got some messages from other tutors offering their advice on what I should change about my post to make myself more marketable.
Sometimes parents contacted me in English, other times in Spanish. Google Translate defiantly became my #1 resource when living abroad!
Tus Clases Particulares
This is a platform for both people seeking tutors and people looking to teach.
Note: not just English tutors. This is a Spanish website for all types of educational assistance.
If you don’t speak a lick of Spanish, like me, it’ll take you some time to navigate the website. As I said, Google Translate was my best friend.
When you join the website, you’ll create your profile. This includes your location, educational background, type of work you’re looking for, the price for your services, and a summary of yourself. If you have a degree in education, you can send the company a picture of your diploma and get “officially certified” as an educator – which will increase your chances of someone messaging you.
You’ll want to create your profile in Spanish so that potential students can get to know you easier.
After your profile is done and approved by the company, you can search for students directly or wait for them to come to you!
Meeting Parents for Tutor Jobs:
It could take a few hours, it could take a few days, maybe even a week . . . keep posting about your services and keep messaging people directly.
Don’t get discouraged if no one responds to you! I definitely had more unanswered messages than answered ones.
Eventually, you’re bound to get someone that’s interested. When that happens, it’s time to talk logistics!
Discuss the family’s circumstances first over text before decided to schedule an in-person meeting. This includes, but is not limited to: where the family’s home is located, the ages of the children, the English-level of the children, if they’ve used a tutor before, and price points.
If you both are on the same page, it’s time to meet in-person.
Do this somewhere public! Cafes are the best; they’re everywhere, they’re comfortable, and they have lots of people around.
At this meeting, you should re-touch everything you talk about from the texts. Not to mention about yourself! Your qualifications and relevant experiences, what you’re looking for in a tutor job, what you will provide. Go over the logistics such as price, session length, age and English-level of children, location of home, how you will be paid, etc.
Here is where you need to make your own judgments about the family and the job itself. If something is important to you (such as your price point) don’t budge just because they are older and are employing you.
You should walk away from the conversation feeling confident and excited. Not like you sold yourself less than what you’re worth.
I told the families I “interviewed” that I was willing to travel to their house, tutor their students for 1-hour intervals, for the minimum price of €25 in cash (two of my families ended up giving me €30, while another family gave me €40).
I acknowledge that this defiantly on the higher side of tutor lessons. But I was able to not only talk myself up, but deliver the quality of education that I promised.
I was willing to create my own lessons or use the curriculum they were being taught in their school settings. I would dedicate not only the hour with their children but also work on my own time to prepare necessary materials that would enhance their understanding.
If there were issues with how much I was charging, I explained to them that this fee included the travel to/fro their house and my dedication after hours for their children’s lessons.
For some families, this was perfect. For others, they wanted a cheaper rate.
I stood my ground, and as a result, I ended up working for some amazing families that respected me.
One father did want me to come to their house directly and work with their children that same night. He told me it would be his two kids (5 and 7 years old), as well as his friend’s kid (8 years old). Since I was uncomfortable with going to his home alone without meeting him in a public setting first, I brought my girlfriend with me.
Upon arriving at the home, I met the two dads and was introduced to the kids. The dads then just left. Like, literally walked out the door and didn’t return until the tutoring hour was over.
It was weird.
Don’t get me wrong, the kids were great! Just the fact that the parents left their children with complete strangers (my girlfriend and I) after a brief introduction was odd.
I didn’t end up working with this family due to disagreements in the asking price.
I tell this story because you’re bound to have interesting experiences when putting yourself out into the world. You just need to decide for yourself if it’s a situation your comfortable or uncomfortable with.
Finalizing Your Tutor Job:
Okay so you’ve met with your families and you’ve agreed upon the following:
The price of your services
How long your tutor sessions will go
What a typical lesson would look like
What is expected from them as your employer
Past tutor experiences they may have
How you will receive the money
How often your tutor sessions will happen
Where you will conduct the tutoring
What is expected of you as a tutor
The ages and English-levels of the children
How long your planning on staying in Spain
Congrats! You’re officially a private English tutor! Now you just do that five to ten more times and fill your schedule!
Over the course of my tutor hunting in Barcelona, I met with five different families. I ended up only working with three of them.
I found my first family through one of the Facebook groups. I met with the dad at a coffee shop, agreed on the terms of my tutoring, and then met his two daughters (12 and 14 years old) the following week for our first session. The dad then passed my contact information to one of his colleagues, who had two boys (8 and 12 years old). We met and within the week I had another gig. The mother of this family then passed my number off to her sister, who also had two boys (5 and 8 years old).
Just like that, one family became two families, which then became three.
What My Tutor Sessions Looked Like:
The first session was always a get-to-each other.
I showed the students a PowerPoint about myself; talked about where I was from in the US, my likes, my dislikes, my cat, and my family. I then asked and made note of things about them; their favorite subject, what they like to do after school, music and TV shows they liked, etc.
This not only built rapport with the students and gave me an idea of their actual English-level, but gave me information on their personal interests which allowed me to conform the lesson specifically for them.
Note: I don’t speak any Spanish other than “hola como estas” “bien”.
The parents actually really enjoyed this about me, since their children couldn’t fall back on speaking their native language and were forced to listen to my English. Though, this was challenging at times when communicating or explaining things to the students. As I’ve said before: Google Translate is #1.
Some of my lessons were similar between different students. Others were completely catered to that specific child.
For two of my students, I created a variety of “lesson plans”. This consisted of PowerPoints in which I showed the student a picture, discussed what they saw, read and reviewed the caption related to the picture, and then quizzed the students on vocabulary and comprehension.
Another set of lessons for these students was a game in which I showed them a picture and we competed against each other to identify one thing that started with each letter of the alphabet. Typically, these lessons had a theme; such as food, nature, and sports.
For a different student, who was less proficient in English, I took the readings assigned to her by her actual English teacher and expanded the practice on them. Again, I made PowerPoints where the student read the story and then answered questions after each passage to test for comprehension. With this lesson specifically tailored to her, she was able to get additional help on her class and homework. The goal of course was the improvement of understanding and involvement when in the classroom.
For the younger students, I simply just hung out with them. We played board games, basketball, and went on walks around their neighborhood.
For another family, we made arrangements in which I would be their child’s pick up from school. Once a week I’d go to the school, wait for classes to be dismissed, walk him to the train station, ride the train with him, and then walk him home. All along the way, I’d try to get him to speak English to me. The best method for this was “I Spy” where we both took turns.
If you’d like to see more of my PowerPoint lessons and use some for your own classroom, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers page!
Teachers Pay Teachers Link (ZoomTeacher4Ever)
Tutoring Over Zoom During COVID Quarantine:
Very briefly I do want to touch on the fact that while I was living and working in Barcelona, COVID-19 took over the world.
I will go into more detail about my experience living abroad while this happened, but for now, I’ll give a short version of how I continued my tutoring during this time.
Once Spain went into a state of emergency, all schools were shut down and children continued their education through Zoom. Because this was quite a dramatic switch, especially for the younger ones, the parents told me they would pause the tutoring sessions to allow their kids to adjust.
About a month and a half into quarantine, we realized that normality wasn’t going to return for a while. So two of my families with the older children asked to continue their sessions with me, online of course.
I adjusted my curriculum, found some online-teaching techniques, and started my Zoom account!
My tutoring sessions started back up as usual; an hour a week per student. Just this time it was over the computer! The parents paid me through direct transfer of bank accounts.
This continued for about two months until I returned home. Ultimately, the time difference and change in schedule affected our ability to continue the lessons.
I miss my students and their families so much though! I wish them the best in this difficult time!
I hope this post was informational on your journey in becoming a private English tutor, possibly in Barcelona! Everything written here was based on my own research and experiences. Also, take into consideration this was all done before COVID took over the world. Always do your own homework and see what’s possible for your situation at this time.
Any questions or comments you would like to send me privately? Contact me!
