Full-Time vs. Freelance Work in Poland

Full-time teaching may require forty or more hours a week if you combine classroom and preparation time, but actual time spent in the classroom will rarely exceed eighteen to twenty hours per week, unless you make special arrangements to take on an abnormally large class load.

In Poland, teaching jobs in the public sector usually demand eighteen units (forty-five minutes each) of classroom instruction, while the number of hours of preparation time is left up to the individual teacher. In private schools, roughly twenty hours per week of classroom instruction are expected. Since private schools in Poland are generally more flexible than their public sector counterparts, classes may be offered throughout the day and early evening. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to teach at a couple of different locations or on weekends, usually Saturday.

Freelance teaching, on the other hand, means that you determine your schedule to a much greater degree than you would working for a school. Though that may sound appealing, you still have to teach at times that are convenient to your students. As a freelancer, you are more likely to be giving lessons at odd hours from early morning to late evening. This usually means that you spend more time commuting from one lesson to another, unless you are fortunate enough to convince all of your students to meet you at one convenient location.