Since I started working with private students, I’ve realized this is my jam. Honestly, I can’t help but think about my students a lot. I’m always coming up with new lesson ideas and planning classes to make sure they get the most out of it. But when those prepaid classes wrap up, I start to get a little anxious – what if they decide to quit, and that’s the last I see of them? Retaining private ESL students has become something I think about often, and I’ve learned a few strategies to help make sure they stay motivated and keep coming back.
Teaching adults and teens has always been something I really enjoy. Now that I’m working online and mostly doing one-on-one sessions, I get to be a bit choosier about what and how I teach. While there are some downsides to this setup, which I’ve mentioned before when talking about The Flakiness of Adult Students, honestly, there are way more upsides. With the right mindset, you can dodge most problems. I had my fair share of bumps along the way, but those were good learning experiences. Now that I have a better grip on one-on-one teaching, I came up with five tips to help keep your students from vanishing on you out of the blue.
1. Write down any important information
I know this sounds a bit weird, but I really think this is super important. I realized it about a week ago while chatting with one of my students. She had previously shared some pretty personal and significant news with me, but honestly, I totally forgot about it until I saw her in class again. So, I asked how she was doing, and I could see her mood lift, which was great. It was clear she appreciated that I checked in on her.
I started writing down short notes about each of my students. Before, I only focused on language stuff, how to help them improve, and keeping track of important dates. Now, I include little tidbits like their birthdays, what they like and dislike, their hobbies, family members, and some past experiences. I do this to help me in future lessons. It shows I actually pay attention and care about their lives. Plus, who doesn’t love when someone remembers their birthday and wishes them a happy one?
2. Personalised classes
Once I get a handle on what my students are into, it’s way easier to plan fun lessons. Sometimes, while I’m just going about my day, I’ll come across something that I think one of my students would really like, and I’ll save it for the next class. It’s definitely trickier when you’re at an academy or working with a big group. There’s a syllabus to stick to and the topics are pretty broad. But when it’s one-on-one, you can either stick to general stuff or dig deep into whatever niche you want. Personalization is key to retaining private ESL students who feel seen and engaged.
For my student who’s going after her acting dreams, I like to focus our lessons on pop culture, musicals, psychology, and just being yourself. When it comes to my digital marketing student, we dive into social media, how to attract customers, and the psychology behind marketing. With my future fisherman, we talk about the technical lingo and how fishing impacts the environment in Spain. It takes a bit more work to set these lessons up, but I really enjoy learning new stuff and breaking away from just exam prep, even if it’s just for a bit. The best part is seeing them enjoy the lessons I put together.
3. Be understanding, empathetic and approachable
Even though it’s a good idea to have some insurance and a cancellation policy in place, it’s also key to be understanding. Private students choose your classes for a reason – they often have irregular schedules, which is why they don’t go for group lessons. Right now, I have three students who let me know their availability at the end of each class. I was a bit unsure at first, but I’ve gotten used to it now. We always find a day and time that works for everyone. They can also message me if something comes up or if they need to take a day off and want to reschedule a class.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to push lessons back an hour or even a few days because of a delivery, a spontaneous trip, or just needing a mental health day. It might seem like a hassle, but honestly, it’s no biggie. Life happens, and I figure if I’m chill about it, they’ll be cool when something comes up for me too. It doesn’t happen often, but there were a few times I needed to reschedule classes or even teach on a Saturday (or Sunday!). I’m not really into working weekends, but it doesn’t bother me much now that I’m my own boss.
I totally understand if someone has to cancel English lessons for personal stuff. People usually go out of their way to explain, like they want to make sure I know it’s not my fault. Honestly, I don’t even expect an explanation. If they’re dealing with a tough situation, low on cash, or just not feeling it anymore – that’s cool! Canceling lessons shouldn’t be a big deal or stress anyone out, and being flexible is actually a big part of retaining private ESL students in the long run.
4. Be knowledgeable
I always get ready for my lessons. If there’s a topic I’m not totally confident about, I look it up and practice on my own first. I read through all the texts ahead of time and think about what might be tricky. This shows that I put in the effort and don’t just show up to class without knowing what’s going on.
If I ever miss something I didn’t see coming, I just own up to it and tackle it in the next class. I do this because I want to stay professional in front of my students. They really appreciate honesty and get that no one can know everything.
his actually happened to me not long ago. I thought my C1 level student knew a lot, so I prepared a really basic explanation since I figured she was familiar with the topic. I based this on what I had seen and the fact that she had used that kind of structure before. When we got to the grammar practice, though, she got totally lost, and I didn’t have enough time to dive deeper into it. So, in the next class, we focused on that completely. I apologized for my mistake, and we went through it properly that time. By the end, there were no hard feelings, and she even thanked me for adjusting the class to fit her needs.
5. Open up to your students
I always encourage my students to share their lives with me if they feel comfortable. I also throw in some of my own stories during class – talking about my experiences, travels, friendships, or even a bad date. It makes the lessons feel more real and helps them use the language in a natural way. I love it when they get so caught up in the conversation that they forget they’re even speaking English. For my B1 students, I put together a lesson on prepositions of time by sharing my trip to Singapore. I share my story and answer their follow-up questions, which is way more engaging than a boring textbook tale. It really gets them excited to share their photos and stories with me, too.
I don’t think anyone can be the perfect teacher. So far, I’ve managed to get all my students to stick around after the trial lessons. But I know it’s only a matter of time before someone decides they don’t want to work with me, or quits after a few lessons. Retaining private ESL students isn’t always easy, but for now, I’m not going to worry about that. I’m just going to concentrate on my current students and do my best to help them hit their language goals.
How do you make sure that your students are happy and want to stay with you?
