So I am currently at B2+ level and I started teaching lower levels one year ago. I started feeling insecure about my own English (since I have learnt a lot through self-studying), so I decided to find a teacher. I have changed 3 teachers since August 2025 and I am currently studying with my 3rd one.
So my first teacher was a native speaker. And during our first meeting she said that she didn’t even understand the reason I was there because my English seemed so good. And after 3 weeks I stopped attending her classes since she would give me TOO many words to learn per one lesson (she could give me about 3-4 synonyms to ONE word). And also I didn’t really understand how she used to build her lessons. Like for instance we would always read a script for an audio that we just listened to.
My second one was kind of the same. And I didn’t really want to attend her classes because it was written that she had B2+ level (when I thought that mine was B2), so I asked the manager about it. She asked that she thought it wouldn’t be a problem. We would sometimes do too many activities during our lessons. And I suspected that she doesn’t really know how to teach when she said “Well, today we didn’t learn anything new, so…”. This is ridiculous! And frankly speaking, it pissed me off. I am paying for the lessons to improve my skills and you are telling me that we didn’t learn anything. Why am I even paying you? To get nothing? She also didn’t know a difference between a warm up and a lead-in (which is funny… and a bit strange?). She also sometimes would give me a wrong definition for the words we were learning. And when I gently hinted that maybe we should set one goal per lesson and just gently suggested a few improvements I want to see, adding that “maybe I am wrong, so please let me know if I am.” I got a message from a manager that she refused to work with me. The manager told me that the teacher thought she did “everything in her power to help me, so she doesn’t know what else to do”, and I appreciate her honestly. Even though I suspect I might have been a bit too pushy.
So the third teacher seemed much better. Her English is really good and I like it. And honestly I feel like I am the problem. We took up C1 because B2 and B2+ seemed a bit easy to me. And I started noticing tiny mistakes in the way she teaches too… But I promised myself I wouldn’t tell her anything even if I felt like there was something off. She basically used to make the same mistakes as my second teacher.
Maybe I am the problem here. I don’t deny that. Because I feel like I think of everyone as of “bad” teachers when I am the only good one. However, I do believe that studying on my own gave me the same result and cost less. So I consider giving up on studying with tutors and just enhance my English skills by self-studying. Maybe one day I will return to studying with tutors to either check up on my level again or for any other reasons.
It sounds like you’ve your mind made up. Good luck with the self study.
You sound difficult. Keep going well the self study.
I sound difficult? Like the way I write is hardly understandable?
they mean that you sound like you’re a difficult person to work with
Oh okay. Well, I don’t deny that I might be 😬
They mean your personality. The way you acted towards those tutors, and the way you viewed them.
Can you give examples of words they gave the wrong definition to?
Unfortunately, I don’t remember. But thanks for clarifying
NTA. You’re paying for this service, you’re allowed to go from teacher to teacher until you find one who challenges you in a way that actually makes sense and helps you grow your skills.
NTA, but it sounds like you may be better off learning on your own.
YTA you changed the first teacher as she was giving too many words then seem to complain the following two have not challenged you?
What would a perfect lesson look like to you?
Fair enough if the second tutor was making errors and even the current one – but how are you approaching this? Making snide and passive aggressive comments in lessons? I think working on your communication and interpersonal skills, regardless of language, would be beneficial.
How would you feel if your students were approaching you in the same way?
Well, you might have got the wrong idea of how I told the second teacher my opinion. I said that maybe we should have one goal for one lesson in order to make our lessons more beneficial and she said she was open to my suggestions. And as a tutor I also got a few suggestions about my own lessons. And, honestly, they were beneficial. I am glad my students told me what they didn’t like so that I worked on weak sides of my lessons and they are much better now. But thanks for your opinion I appreciate it