Morning Or Night? A Consideration When Finding TEFL Jobs

In addition to these questions to ask at an interview, it’s important to ask yourself: when do I want to work?

I’m personally more of a night person. My better ideas come after noon and I just like staying up late. Of course people get up early and otherwise adjust their bio schedules for work and life, and I certainly CAN get up early if need be, I can even get in the habit of it, but it’s not my preferred method. I have taught early classes successfully – the earliest start was 7:30 for a group and, for a period of about six weeks, 7 a.m. for a privately arranged one to one. Each class has its own unique characteristics, and I certainly can’t attribute everything to the time…but I feel confident that the early morning hour played a role, at the very least on my part. I was always as prepared as possible and I was on the premises when the receptionist unlocked the door, but little things make a difference. At a 730 p.m. class I might have reacted just a bit more quickly or been just a tad more perceptive
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The other thing that can make a difference is reguarity – if you’re every day teaching at 8, despite not being a morning person, it will probably be easier than if you’re teaching at 8 twice a week.
Regularity can have a downside too though…teaching through dinner time five days a week might be great for your bio schedule but after a bit it might get old.

And then there are split shifts.

All this said, it’s quite possible to find a bone to pick with ANY schedule! So my point is not to say that there is one which is best for everyone or even for each person individually but to show that it merits at least some consideration. Find out what’s in store for you with each potential job and compare.