matt
I have a question about contacting teachers prior to taking a lesson. Hello, I am new to this site, so please forgive me if this information is covered somewhere else on this site. I am interested in taking a lesson. I see it is possible to send a message to a potential teacher. Is it acceptable to exchange a few messages?, or is it preferable to just sent one. I would not expect a teacher to spend a long time exchanging messages, but it would be nice to think that two or three exchanges could be done. I do not want to be a nuisance or break any rules. Does any body know how these things are normally done. Thank you for reading this, any suggestions will be welcomed.
Sep 14, 2014 7:42 AM
Answers · 9
2
As you can see, it varies from teacher to teacher. I guess most teachers will appreciate knowing something about a potential student prior to the first lesson. If they do not need a lot of information, one or two messages could do. If they need more information, they might prefer to go on messaging or to arrange a skype meeting (trial lesson or other). In any case, I am sure that the teacher you contact will let you know what their prefered way of going about it is. Good luck with your choice!
September 14, 2014
2
I partly agree with Peachy and Andi, however I find it best to ask all my students to book a 30 minute class first to find out all that kind of information. Even after some brief messages it can still be pretty tough preparing a lesson for a student you have never spoken to and know very little about. Messages before class are great but they can still sometimes been unclear, and many things are easier to explain verbally than in writing. My advice is to send a brief intro message, then book a 30 minute class if the teacher offers them to discuss your needs in more depth.
September 14, 2014
2
I completely agree with Peachey. Knowing a little about the student, their needs, level of language, topics that interest them, etc. is incredibly valuable and avoids wasting a lot of class time. There is nothing worse for the teacher and the student, than to waste the first lesson trying to create a lesson on the fly. Go ahead and contact the teacher, ask them some questions, give them some information about what you want from the class, and then see if you like their response.
September 14, 2014
1
Hi Matt, As a teacher, I really welcome messages from the student before a lesson. It helps me prepare. If the student books a lesson but doesn't send a message, I usually write a friendly message asking what they would like to do in the lesson (I mean, on the booking page, right had side). If there's no reply, then I'll have a few things planned and take the lesson as it comes. From a teacher's perspective, I suppose all we need to know is what you want to do in the lessons, or what you want to aim for when practising the language. Even if it's just chat, it helps a lot for us to know. Have fun!
September 14, 2014
Thank you.
September 14, 2014
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