I am finding it quite difficult to juggle my three different schedules. I have my VIPKid schedule which tends to be 90% full, 90% of the time. I am noticing that because VIPKid has hired a million and one teachers over the last year and a half that I do see holes in my schedule. Holes that don’t fill. I think it is time for me to start opening up my weekend once again. I just don’t want to have to do that. In addition, I had some really good potentials with the English center for intensive courses in the next couple of weeks but have heard nothing. That leaves me in a bit of a dilemma. Do I open up my VIPKid schedule so that I can fill the slots that are supposed to be the intensive ones for English Center? Or do I leave them closed off and try to go for short notice bookings?
But Houston, we have a problem. I am not a trial teacher. That means that my short notice bookings don’t fill in the same way that people who actually teach trials do. It is rare that my short notice classes fill up. I remember the good all days where short notice did fill up, and most of the time they were major course and not trials. I am conflicted about adding trials again. I hate trials. I hate selling the company. I hate trying to convince the parents to buy lessons. It is not my forte. There are other teachers who have a conversion rate of 60 and 70%. I am not one of those. And as is always the case with a gig economy job, one that is review based, I am hearing mixed bag reviews about trials. Apparently, they have changed so much that they don’t even match the curriculum that is actually taught in the major course curriculum. On the one hand, it might be fun to see what’s new, but on the other hand, it will be annoying to have to apologize to parents. “Sorry, Baobao’s mom. You were expecting something different from the courses? I mean entirely different? Please let VIPKid know your dissatisfaction. But please don’t give me a bad review because of it.” Personally, I think that VIPKid trials shouldn’t be eligible to leave parent feedback, especially if the parents don’t sign up.
Last week on Friday, I saw Felix for the first time in three weeks. His new job is such that he can schedule his lessons a month out. So that’s what we did I am very happy to be able to teach him even though it’s on a reduced schedule. I think we are meeting twice a week. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Janice since the 22nd and she intimated that she wasn’t sure when she would be able to start lessons up again. There is also no word from my potential new student. Nor is there any word about the gig in the Hague In a couple weeks’ time. So you see, dear readers, hence my scheduling problems. Do I start scheduling VIPKid and book classes or do I leave it alone?
The bright spot to the week was going to Writers Group and actually getting some writing done. Despite having tech issues with my Mac that doesn’t allow me to connect to the Internet at the bookshop, I managed to get about 1000 words and use placeholders for things that I need the Internet for. Like research on Welsh magic. All in all, I’m quite happy with the return to writing.
That’s all she wrote for this Inkreadable installment. But stay tuned. As always there is more to come.
Inkreadable 