15 June, 2007

Desisions, desisions

This week I'm working a lot and my stress levels are quite high.
Because I started working almost at the end of the year, I've got just a couple of groups were I started and I sort of inherited most groups in the middle of their classes. To change teachers in the middle of the year is never easy, not for the students nor the teacher, and I've tried to make the best of a not-so-good situation. I'm taking this as paying my dues. you know, being the new kid on the block. I also took most classes that I've been offered in order to achieve my financial goal of earning €1,000.
Luckily for me, most of the classes finish at the end on June, so there's only two weeks to go and then I can relax, take stock, analyse the situation and establish new goals for the next year. Plus sleep until late, take time to go to the swimming pool and the sea with my dad and my son, read, and wear crappy t-shirts and shorts. Just holidays.
The only downside was the lack of income for 2 months.

As you may know by now, I'm working with 2 agencies. One belongs to local people, the other to a couple of British ex-pats.
I'm happy with the local one. They're very professional but very flexible as well, and they've been very understanding with me during the couple of times where I wasn't able to teach (because my son had a tummy ache or when I needed to take time off to pick my dad up from the airport).
The British were very professional as well but communication was never as easy as with the Spaniards (they're always busy and don't always took time to answer my queries on e-mails) and I feel a bit on my own with them. They also expected me to keep their website going and up-to-date for free and I've just don't have the time to do a lot of extra work ad honorem. Plus I've got more cancellations with them without payment for me than with the Spanish agency. Now I've just been told that one of the owners, Steve, is going to be P's rugby coach starting anytime now. And I'm not completely comfortable with the idea of working for the guy who's P's coach.
As for now, I'm working 6 hours a week for the Brits and 22 for the Spanish. The Brits pay a bit more but not much.

I'm thinking of staying with just one agency for the next year (starting September) but don't know how to tell Steve. Any ideas will be very welcome.

No comments: