Pytania i odpowiedzi

• Wymień kilka ostatnio wykonanych zleceń.

  I taught english and spanish simultaneously to a girl from ages 15-17 and got her admitted into the Cervantes Institute, where I helped her become the highest rated student in her class.
  
  I taught a couple in preparation for an upcoming move to the United States for professional reasons. We worked together for over 6 months and remain good friends to this day.
  
  I taught an Iranian teen who had recently immigrated to Poland with her family in preparation for her move into an international school. She has since then successfully integrated into said school.
  
  I successfully prepared a girl for her matura exams, tutoring not only in english from the B2 to the C1 level. She obtained top marks.
  
  I helped a young aspiring footballer to improve his english via casual conversation several times a week. He has since moved to the Netherlands.

• Co najbardziej lubisz w swojej pracy?

  The opportunity to meet different people of all ages and the cultural exchange that takes place between us. Forging friendships while helping my students develop. Being able to show them that learning something new need not be a stressful or difficult experience.

• Co poradziłbyś osobie szukającej osoby o Twoich umiejętnościach?

  Four things.
  
  First, to go with their gut. Take the opportunity to meet the teacher and have a class or two, and if you feel something doesn't quite click, don't be afraid to say so and carry on searching. You'll find your match!
  
  Second: Never be afraid to ask questions! Let your curiosity lead your learning. Think outside the box. After all, this is why you chose a private tutor.
  
  Third: Be clear about your needs and never be afraid to introduce an idea on where you'd like your learning experience to be headed.
  
  Fourth: The price isn't everything. Although there is nothing wrong with giving an inexperienced tutor who might charge a lower price a chance, experience and dependability are well worth paying for. After all, any and all learning is an investment, and language is one with endless applications.

• Jeśli byłbyś(byłabyś) klientem, to co chciałbyś (chciałabyś) wiedzieć o Twojej profesji?

  I think for a prospective student/client, the priority must be the chemistry they develop with the teacher. The better the chemistry, the easier, more agreeable learning becomes. Experience is definitely relevant, but more than in teaching methods or repetition, in the way that it allows the teacher to respond to the student's needs. That is to say, the most important thing should be, how varied have the teacher's experiences been.

• Jakie pytania powinien zadać klient, aby znaleźć odpowiednią osobę z Twojej profesji?

  1. How long have you been doing this?
  
  Experience and durability with clients are usually good indicators of effectiveness.
  
  2. Why do you do it?
  
  There is nothing wrong with tutoring on the side for extra money even if it is not exactly what you enjoy most, but someone with a passion/disposition for teaching will guarantee a better, more relaxed experience for both.
  
  3. Have you got experience with people of a similar age and level to my own? How was it?
  
  Especially important for students of low levels who might be nervous about communicating with a teacher who doesn't speak their language well or at all, or for those with small children. Trust is everything!
  
  4. How would you define your teaching style?
  
  Know what the teacher can offer, compare it with what you need, make the best decision!
  
  5. What is your cultural/educational background?
  
  Teachers with a varied cultural background or who have had the opportunity to travel and/or live in different cultures will always be more adaptable, which will give both you and the teacher the ability to overcome cultural barriers in a smoother manner, facilitating a bond between you.

• Co powinien przemyśleć klient zanim zatrudni osobę o Twojej profesji?

  The most important thing is to have their needs clear and make sure the teacher profile adapts to it. Teachers used to working in schools will be more orthodox, and perhaps more ideal when needs are equally orthodox, e.g., extra tutoring to improve grades.
  
  If you are in it for the long run because you aren't satisfied with school or simply prefer to learn away from a group, look for someone with whom you believe you can develop chemistry. Chemistry is everything when it comes to tailored learning.

• Czym wyróżniają się Twoje usługi na tle usług świadczonych przez inne osoby?

  A passion and genuine enjoyment of teaching. I started teaching as an assitant lecturer at my university and have always enjoyed teaching and watching a student develop over any other kind of job.
  
  A multicultural background, regarding both family and places where I have lived, worked, studied or simply visited. I am completely adaptable and comfortable, or outright eager, for cultural exchange, that is to say, I learn from every student.
  
  Experience. I have spent most of adult life teaching one way or another. Law, english, spanish, history, economics, over such a varied age range that I have become comfortable handling any need or situation a student might have.
  
  Demeanour. I strive in keeping teaching casual. Overly organised, orthodox teaching is best left for school. I want you to learn what works, what you actually need, in the easiest, most stress-free manner possible.

• Jakie pytania klienci zadają Ci najczęściej? Co odpowiadasz?

  The questions I most commonly receive (other than my prices!) are regarding my cultural background, my experience or my choice of profession.
  
  To those I answer, I have British and Spanish parentage, I've lived and grown up in both Ireland and Mexico and have additional lived in places as varied as the USA, Poland, Italy, France, Russia, Ukraine, Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Kingdom, in addition to the many more I have had the chance of visiting. I chose the teaching profession very early on, after discovering my passion for it when I became an assistant lecturer during my university years. I have never had a negative teaching experience, and I hope I never will!

• Czy masz ulubioną historię z wykonywanej pracy? Jeśli tak - opisz.

  Two!
  
  One of them, Martyna, an incredibly intelligent teenage year with a passion for spanish. Working together we managed to take her from a stuttering A2 level to a borderline C1, including achieving the highest spanish testing scores in her school district.
  
  Second, three siblings, Nadia, Olek and Kaja, with whom I continue working to this day. I've known them for over three years, and not only have I become close friends with them and their family, but I now have the opportunity to contribute to Nadia's development as I coach her to prepare for the SAT to continue her education in the US!

• Co chciałbyś aby klienci wiedzieli o Twojej profesji?

  I am always very open with the people with whom I choose to work, and I am never afraid to speak to them directly. If I feel the chemistry isn't right, I tell them so and encourage them to look elsewhere or recommend someone.
  
  I guess mostly I would like any client to understand that I choose them as much as they choose me. I am good at what I do, and I like delivering results. I don't waste my time or theirs when the disposition isn't right. Second, that the time I put towards them is not only the time I spend actually teaching them, but the time I put preparing for it, thinking, reading, contriving, the time I put into going to/coming back from their houses and the time I have put improving my skills to give them the best experience possible, which is to say, nearly eight years and counting!

• W jaki sposób zdecydowałeś(aś) się podjąć pracę w swojej profesji?

  When I was in the university, I had the opportunity to become an assistant lecturer, working under the auspices of my favourite professor, who happened to be a recently retired ambassador. Putting the things I had learnt from him in practice, being able to watch other people learn, improve and legitimately enjoy themselves during my lectures. That is what helped me realise this was what I wanted to do.

• Opowiedz o ostatnio wykonywanym zleceniu, z którego jesteś najbardziej dumny(dumna).

  Basically any I have taken. But the highlights could perhaps be, helping a student become the highest graded student in her school district in spanish, helping a banking analyst reach the proficiency and confidence to take a much more lucrative job abroad, coaching my favourite student from early high school all the way to her SATs, and making a little 6 year old girl a fully fluent listener (and a damned good speaker, too!) in just under two years only by talking to her and playing with her a couple times a week.

• Napisz czy, i w jaki sposób się kształcisz, aby jeszcze lepiej wykonywać swoją profesję.

  I educate myself constantly in a variety of topics.
  
  I hone my teaching skill nonstop by taking on all kinds of clients. I read as many books as I can (nearly a hundred in 2018!) and constantly reflect, learn and teach on the intricacies of language. I have studied multiple languages and enjoy comparing their structures and quirks. I keep up with world news.
  
  Oh. And I've been a writer for over 15 years. Application is the best form of mastering a language.

• Opisz ostatnio wykonywany projekt / usługę. Czego dotyczył? Ile kosztował? Jak wiele czasu mu poświęciłeś (poświęciłaś)?

  Time is not sacrificed. It is invested. In that regard, a project of which I am particularly proud is my ongoing involvement in SAT coaching. I invest close to 20 hours a week reading, reflecting, perusing and transforming materials from a variety of orthodox and unorthodox sources to transform academic learning of language into application and mastery. It is not without difficulty, and there are certainly more than a few bumps along the way, but it's worth every second (and zloty!)

• Jeśli cennik Twoich usług jest skomplikowany, opisz go tutaj.

  It's not really complicated. As a teacher, you have to know what your time, effort and experience is worth. I charge a fairly fixed rate of 80zl for one hour for standard clients, which I have found to be market competitive, but have on occasion gone over 100 for clients with very demanding needs that necessitate a lot of time of preparation.
  
  I have occasionally taught in the suburbs, and in this case I charge more for the added time and expense required for transportation and the way in which it might interfere with other clients. On average, a 25zl-35zl surcharge. A commodity price, if you will.
  
  I am also always happy to help people out, and offer moderate discounts under certain circumstances. A client that takes 1.5 hour classes instead of one hour, for example, might benefit from a 100 zl flat rate (a 20zl saving), and for those who take 5 or more hours of classes a week, I am happy to offer a 10zl per hour discount (example, if you take 6 hours, instead of 80*6=480, I am happy to make it 70*6=420, saving you 200zl in a month, helping your pocket a bit.
  
  I am lenient with cancellations. Sometimes you are ill, Sometimes you've got a lot of homework/work, and in this case I don't levy any charge. Likewise, if for some reason I show up late I only charge for the time I was actually there. However, if we meet at a neutral location, say a coffee shop, and you are late, I will charge full price for the time I had previously alloted to you, provided I was on time. Oh, and buying me a cup of tea is not mandatory, but is always appreciated!

• Jeśli miałbyś (miałabyś) doradzić osobie chcącej wykonywać Twoją profesję, co byś doradził (doradziła)?

  Understand that knowing a language does not by itself mean you can teach it. This is especially true for native speakers, who often do not know/understand the reasons why something works one way or another or is not inherently familiar with structures.
  
  Plenty of native speakers have ingrained grammatical inclinations, quirks, if you will, that need to be corrected in order to be an effective teacher.
  
  Read a lot. Study. Ask yourself questions about your own language which you would ask when learning another. In short, understand your language beyond just being able to speak it.
  
  Also, do not fall for orthodoxy. Textbooks are for school. They can be a great help if you have a beginner student or if you yourself are a beginner teacher, but strive to develop your own style. Different people need/want/expect different things!

• Jaka jest Twoja najmocniejsza strona?

  Linguistically? All of them. My experience, study and constant interaction with students of all ages and levels have ensured that I am knowledgeable in all areas of teaching.
  
  Personally. My style. I am relaxed, laid-back, stress-free and completely unorthodox. I teach what is actually needed, in a way in which it can not only be retained, but understood, which is the key to successful application.

• Jaką umiejętność obecnie chciałbyś (chciałabyś) udoskonalić?

  Honestly, I am supremely confident in my skills as a teacher and tutor. I would not do this job or charge the prices I charge if I thought of myself as needing any significant improvement.
  
  When I became a tutor I already had several years of experience teaching, so it came very naturally to me. Patience and understanding of student individuality where the skills I developed most. Efficiency soon followed.