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Are you having troubles getting students to reply to you?
15-10-2008
Hi Teachers,
This is JD, with the Teacherjames.com Admin. I see that some of you have been trying to contact students, but not having much success.
Here is some feedback that students have mentioned when looking for a teacher. We hope this can help you get more students!
1. No Picture, no interest = Most of the students say that they will skip directly over a teacher profile without a picture. A private tutor is a personal thing, and they want to know what their tutor looks like.
2. No Teacher Bio, no information = Also, a lot of students say that a teacher profile without a Teacher Bio is hard to tell what the Teacher's background and history is like. Since we have the "site search" bar up in the upper right corner, students can just search keywords. If you don't have a bio written for your profile, then you probably aren't showing up in many keyword searches.
3. Video Introductions really help = Students really like the video introductions that teachers have on their profiles. It gives an immediate glimpse into accent, personality, and knowledge of the English language.
4. A strong introduction message = Students have said that teachers with a strong introduction message can really interest and engage them. Although, a "strong" message is hard to describe, there are strong ones versus weak ones. Check out the forums ("How to get new students") for discussion among types of messages that have worked.
5. No Calendar, No Price Availability = A lot of teachers will forget to fill in their availability calendar or mark the prices they want to charge for classes. The student looks at this and thinks that the teacher is not taking any more students. So, if you are looking for students, please fill in your availability calendar and mark the prices for e-English, SKYPE, and face to face that you want to charge.
6. Participate in the Top Professionals, Free Language Exchanges, and Forums = Anything you can do to have your profile picture shown as many times as possible on our site is best. The more chances any student sees your picture, the higher odds that someone will contact YOU!
Remember, sending a student your private message is the first step. After that, the student is going to check out your Profile. So you need to make your profile as attractive as possible.
I hope this can help in finding your students. If you have any questions or suggestions, please post them in the forum section for discussion or send me a private message back.
Good luck!
Teacherjames.com Admin
Hey teachers and students, have you checked out the Teacherjames.com Teacher’s Lounge?
In here you will be able to download and share all sorts of tests, quizzes, worksheets that you can use in your classes. You can also put files here so that your students can download them from their own profile accounts. Any teacher or student can download a file, but only teachers and professors can upload them.
Documents are separated into categories for easy to browse access. You can also upload some of your teaching tools so that others can sample them too.
This feature is just another part of the Teacherjames.com community. Everything in here is free of charge.
Special worksheets are sponsored by “English Toolbox”. Check them out for more goodies.
If you have any questions, please email us at:
info@teacherjames.com
Thanks!
Teacherjames Admin
Teacherjames.com in Facebook!
24-09-2008
Teacherjames.com Facebook application
This is one of the most exciting things we’re doing at Teacherjames.com. We have released a Facebook application for Teacherjames.com on Facebook.
Facebook is the fastest growing Social Network on the Internet, and is used by millions of people each day to find friends, do business, and network together. For all you Facebook users, you will be able to install this application and:
#1. See the Latest Student registered on Teacherjames.com.
#2. See the Latest Teacher Request on Teacherjames.com.
#3. See which one of your Facebook friends is a Teacherjames.com teacher or student.
#4. See where your Facebook friends rank on Teacherjames.com.
#5. All of our demo videos and sample class too!
To check this out go to:
http://apps.new.facebook.com/teacherjames/
If you don't have a Facebook account, it takes about 30 seconds to set one up. Go to:
http://www.facebook.com
And sign up for a free Facebook account. It’s another way that we’re bringing Teachers and Students together to work, meet, and network with one another. We hope you’ll like it as much as we do!
If you have any questions, please email:
info@teacherjames.com
Have a great class!
TJ Admin
How Do I Get More Students?
30-09-2008
How Do I Get More Students?
Most often, teachers always ask "How Do I Get More Students?"
Here are a few things we've found helpful in attracting new students:
#1. Fill out your profile and calendar availability -
Often we see teachers sending private messages to new students or new student requests, but their own profile is bare and their calendar availability is empty.
Whenever a student registers or puts out a teacher request, they receive many, many teacher replies in return. You have to make sure you stand out, and you have to make sure that it's easy for students to see what your background is and when are you are available.
Teachers who send private messages but have no information on their profile or calendar will most likely be overlooked or skipped. Filling it out takes about 5 minutes, and it's very worth it.
#2. Fill out your bio! -
Along with the first point about filling out your profile, you should also write a short bio. This is a much better way to introduce yourself. Also, if you will see on the upper right hand corner, there is a SITE SEARCH box. That is a unique Google search bar that only searches our site. Using this, students can find teachers and documents having to do with "Business English" easier. Unlike our Search Engine, this bar indexes teacher bios as well. So students will often use it to find keywords in teacher bios. All this meaning that you should have a good bio written out.
#3. Verify Credentials -
Teacherjames.com has the ability to verify teacher credentials. From your teacher account, you can upload any document, image, or media that you think verifies a specific credential of yours. Send it to our staff, and we will verify and put a STAR next to your credential. In our SEARCH ENGINE, students can search only teachers with verified credentials. So it's important to verify yours.
#4. Do some Language Exchanges -
The most common request we get from new students are about Demos and Language Exchanges. Though many students are shy to put themselves on the Free Language Exchange list, they really want to participate. It's a good chance for them to make new friends and for college students, it's best because it's free. If you are interested in learning some Chinese (or other languages) and meeting someone new, then list yourself on the Free Language Exchange. It can (and often does) turn into English lessons or introductions to other people for English lessons.
List yourself here.
#5. Have a Great Opener -
That 1st private message you send to a student is your best and maybe only shot at introducing yourself. Different teachers use different methods, but you need to have a great opener. Students only respond to ones that they immediately like. Should it funny? Should you write DEMO many times? Should you introduce yourself again? Should you ask for their needs?
All these things may be a part of your Great Opener.
There's a thread in the forums page to discuss the Great Opener and how to get students in general.
Please check it out and discuss here.
We hope these things can help you find and attract more students. Share your ideas with us, either on the Forum threads, or reply back to:
info@teacherjames.com
Thanks, have a great class!
Highlight yourself by verifying your Teacher Credentials!
10-09-2008
Hi Teachers,
One new feature you will see in your Teacher Profile is the VERIFY CREDENTIALS feature.
STEPS:
#1. Log into your Teacher or Professor account.
#2. Click “About Me” or “Teaching” (either one)
#3. Next to each category, you can see a “verify documents” button.
This feature allows you to send our Teacherjames.com staff documents that you feel can verify your credentials in the ABOUT ME or TEACHING sections. You can upload any type of file (Doc, PDF, JPEG, MOV, MP3, etc), and our staff will take a look at your document and then verify it. If verified, on your Public Page, your category will have a star next to it signifying that our staff has verified.
Some examples: copies of diplomas, certificates, recommendation letters, newspaper or magazine clippings.
PRIVACY:
You can even select to allow the public to view your original documents. If you select this, then anyone can download your original verification document. (This would be good for newsletter clippings, etc.) This is completely optional. You can still have your credential verified with a “private” setting. There will still be a verification star next to your credential, but users will not be able to download it.
ADVANCED TIPS:
·Try uploading different types of things to verify your credentials. Anything that describes you in a unique way.
·Try using different types of credentials (not just education degrees). Teachers stand out because they have distinct or unique backgrounds, not just degrees.
·Be descriptive in your verification statement. Since this is shown to students as well, be descriptive. Funny, charming, personable. It doesn’t have to be a straight, strict answer.
To see an example of a profile verification go to:
http://teacherjames.com/teacher/public/?id=143
New Teacherjames.com Website live on Web
27-08-2008
Hi teachers and students, we’re very excited to unveil the new Teacherjames.com Social Education Platform today. This new web design and layout was the culmination of lots of teacher feedback, student feedback, and new ideas that we’ve wanted to do for a while. It includes many different features, and it also defines a new mission for Teacherjames.com.
Social Education Platform means creating a social network that empowers any individual with the ability to learn languages with ease, flexibility, and efficiency. Any private tutor in the world can utilize our Social Education Platform to put up a unique teacher profile and start attracting students for Online or Offline lessons. Lesson times, rates, styles, and class materials are always decided by teacher and student. After each lesson is complete (whether online or offline), our Platform will track that lesson using a variety of useful and fun Ranking systems. A good analogy for our Social Education Platform would be combining an open marketplace like eBay to a social network like Facebook or Myspace and build it around education. I hope you like our new site. I’ve attached some screen caps below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please always feel free to let us know.
Learn Mandarin Chinese with Teacherjames.com too!
18-06-2008
For anyone who wants to learn Mandarin Chinese, Teacherjames.com (www.teacherjames.com) is offering live online teachers to teach you Mandarin Chinese with Video Webcam.The Chinese teacher will be proficient in English, but be a native Mandarin Chinese speaker.
These teachers can teach you Chinese reading, writing, or just conversation in the unique “e-English Classroom” which incorporates Word, Excel, Powerpoint files as well as movie clips, pictures, and audio clips. Everything that happens in the e-English classroom is recorded so that students can review anytime.
Each student can log into the Online Classroom from his or her home or any Internet source making it easy and convenient to take a class.
The cost for each course is $15US for 1-3 students, and $20US for 4-6 students. Registration is free and everything is paid online (through credit card or Paypal). Pay as you go, there’s no commitment unless you make it!
For more information and registration, please email: chinese@teacherjames.com or look for their SKYPE ID: ‘teacherjames’.
