How can a British primary school teacher get a job in Chamonix?!

A snowHead

I'm a British primary school teacher living and working in London but am planning to move to Cham. I'm going to be out there in the summer holidays but am planning on moving out there permanently in December for the beginning of the 2009/10 season. Trying to avoid doing season work, I'm thinking about doing some tutoring - maybe home school tutoring for English families with young kids who live in Cham, as an alternative to them going to the local French school. Or tutoring English as a foreign language to French kids. Does this sound like a good idea? Does anyone know how I would go about doing this? I can't teach in French schools as my qualification is invalid in France and I don't really want to work in Geneva. Please help! I'm desperate not to be a chalet maid! Many thanks!

A snowHead

Samski1, welcome to SnowHeads

I have no knowledge of the legal requirements you may need to comply with in order to tutor privately (the equivalent of CRB here for example) but perhaps contact the Town Hall (Mairie) in Chamonix to begin with. If they don't know, they should at least know which direction to point you in. If your qualification is invalid, is there perhaps a conversion course that would facilitate you teaching there?

I think that English families living in France, would prefer their children to go to the French school - I know I would - in order to help them to integrate and become bi-lingual, but you never know Very Happy

Start with the legal and official aspects and see how feasible that is, and then look at your options. Good luck snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I guess there might be a market in unplanned "grown-up gappers" who decide that because they've been laid off but have a pile stashed away they'll take the family out for the winter but I wouldn't expect many of them. International schools all over CH would seem a moire realistic option.

Otherwise I guess you might sort of qualify as a nanny.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Samski1 - The British Ski academy operate out of Les Houches through the winter. I have PM'd you with details

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Samski1, or if you have the ability to TEFL then that might be an option?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Samski1, what Plugboy, said.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Samski1, Get a CELTA course under your belt and then read the article that davidof mentions. How good is your French? If you cannot get by in the language you are stuck with trying to find private students or doing one-to-one tutoring which is perilous to say the least in terms of regular income.

CELTA is the University of Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults. It is the main entry-level TEFL qualification and is recognised worldwide. It will teach you in an exhausting 5 week course how to prepare and teach a range of abilities. Forget what you have learnt by teaching in schools already and be prepared to be patronised to hell and back again. With the certificate in your pocket your can start applying for jobs with Language Schools, education authorities (evening classes that sort of thing) and also start the process of getting recognition for your teaching qualifications. If your French is already at a decent level (i.e. you studied it to degree level), you can apply to private schools with out any problems. If they want you they will take care of the recognition details. The course costs about a grand I think, depending on where you are relative to the centre offering it. International House in London is a good place to start looking for info.

Although theoretically we have free movement of labour, when it comes to teaching qualifications you are always required to either do a kind of academic equivalence or only work in the private sector. I have taught in the Bavarian school system and it was a real battle to get recognition of my qualifications (2x triple honours and 20 years teaching experience in the UK finishing up as head of faculty). I was never accepted by some of my colleagues as being at the same level as them as I did not have their qualifications and I could not become a civil servant. Most teachers in mainland Europe are part of their respective civil services. The French go one better and make all their exams competitive, so only the best are allowed through to the next stage/level of training. Often means that you have a highly academic teachers who can't actually teach the poor students sitting in front of them rolling eyes

In Bavaria they are so snobby about academic titles that if you have a doctorate in any field, you can teach without having had any training! Shocked

Good Luck

Sue wink

Samski1, Welcome to Snowheads. Get a TEFL qualification and offer lessons to French children and adults. I did this and was never short of work and I'm always being asked to tutor, in Paris and in the mountains when I'm there. I found a really successful way of working was offering English tuition in small groups of three or four children (ranging from 7yrs to 16yrs). French parents often realise the necessity of their children learning English and many believe that they don't learn enough English at school and like to "top up" their English. I did this for a while before being offered a job in a small private French school teaching English as a foreign language. If you'd like any more info or advice please PM me, I'd be happy to help. I know plenty of primary school teachers who have done what you want to do all over France and I'm sure you'll find a way. Good luck.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

failing all that, there is a topless bar next to McDonalds, so depending on your physical condition that might be an option? wink

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Wow -many thanks to everyone for so much wonderful advice! It sounds like there are lots of very knowledgeable people in the forum! I'm in Cham next week so I'll pop into the Marie and see what they say with regard to legal things as suggested and maybe look into doing a TEFL. I did a 12 week course as part of my degree in languages but never did the actual certificate. I have spent a year teaching EFL in Asia and a year in Austria too - maybe experience counts for something too? Alas my French is not great - degree's in German - but I'm learning. I'm definitely going to contact British Ski Academy and will look up all links that were suggested with regard to non qualified teaching. Thanks so much everyone for your help!! (I'm aware of the topless bar.... I guess if times get tough.....)

snow reports

steph,
Steph, I can't work out how to email you! I'm a bit useless with computers. How did you find children and adults to tutor? Did you go through the local school? Any advice you can give would be much appreciated!

red 27, I thought it be did'nt dare say it...

You know it makes sense.

Samski1, Hi again! To PMsteph, look at the top right of this page where it says 'send/read' messages, and click into there - you need to send it her user name here which is ....steph! Good luck Very Happy

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Although TEFL would certainly be useful to have, and may allow you to earn more, it isn't mandatory for being able to teach English (in Grenoble language schools at any rate). I have even been offered a job in the past and have no qualification, or experience, in teaching English!

A snowHead

Red Dave, it is becoming standard to have, or to be asked for a TEFL qualification, especially if you have no EFL experience. The market is being flooded with "Native speakers" with no training and it is driving the price down. Language schools love it as they have a reason to pay you peanuts, work, the socks off you and then dump you for "not being qualified" and not have any hassles with the employment authorities. In Germany now someone just starting out stands little or no chance of being employed just because they are a native speaker. Even in Austria it is getting more and more difficult to get started, even though they will employ native speakers who have teacher training ahead of locals with uni degrees.

I've seen adverts in our local papers and in the Uni Mensas where people are doing the teaching for pocket money and only charging 9 or 10 Euros an hour. As a freelancer you cannot compete and live with those prices. The same goes for translation work, I'm getting loads of work correcting documents, web sites etc, that have been badly translated by these people. But it still goes on and probably always will.

You know the saying: pay peanuts, get monkeys! In TEFL teaching and translation work it is certainly true.

Sue wink

A snowHead

Samski1,

Hello,

We hope you get this message since your post is from 2010. We will be in Megeve, France from February 5- 26 and are looking for an English primary school teacher to tutor our five year old daughter, who will be starting at a a British school in Madrid in the Fall. We are both American and our daughter, Olivia speaks English fluently but only writes and reads in Spanish since she currently attends a Spanish school. The British school told us yesterday that she may not be able to attend next year unless she learns to read and write in English before school starts in September.

Would you be interested in coming to France the above dates and tutoring our daughter three hours a day? You could board with us in our chalet. If you are interested, please email me at stacyknoell@yahoo.es or call me at 34 626 246 271. I hope to hear form you soon.

Kind regards,
Stacy

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

jknoell, Welcome to snowHeads

Did you notice that Samski 1 posted her message back in April 2009?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

jknoell, Yes Samski1, worked for the BSA in 2009/10 seasona and loved it. Think she moved on to another school for the 2010/11 season though. Don't know where she is now.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

jknoell, welcome to Snowheads.
It might be worth trying to send Samski1 a Private Message (at the top of the screen on the right "Send/Read Messages"). It will sit in your out box until/unless she reads it.

Help!!

How can a British primary school teacher get a job in Chamonix?!

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