Teaching English in Poland

Teachers' advice / Poland

Poland has high unemployment, as a result your boss always has the upper hand. It is a good idea to get a solid contract. The contract should include pay and number of hours per week. Many poorly run "English Schools" will guarantee high hourly wages but not the hours per week. This can be problematic, if you make any plans based on your salary."
Anonymous, 21/04/06
Transport system in the city is wonderful - best is to buy a monthly ticket (ticket office at Plac Bankowy) for 66pln. This will enable you to use the buses and trams and metro trains for one month. 66pln is the equivalent of £10. Average cost of a flat is 1200 - 1400pln - just over £200 per month. You can get a very pleasant one room flat with kitchen and bathroom for that amount. Any more and you are being suckered. I have been working in Warsaw for four years - I have also spent one year in Slovakia. If anyone wants more information they can get in touch with me at gilgaskell@hotmail.com"
Gill
Poland is becoming a popular destination to teach English, especially among those who don't want to follow the herd in Spain.

I taught in Poland for one year in a place called Lodz, which happens to be Poland's second largest city. Like many places in Poland, it was grey and drab, and had high unemployment. That said, Lodz has a university and important film school which attracts people from all over the world. On the good side, the school was well-equipped, students were highly motivated, demanding, but easy to get on with. At the time, I earned about 2,500 zloty per month, which is of course peanuts in comparison to British wages."
Stakhanov, 03/01/07
Plenty of jobs available especially for a native speaker. Many employers will take you on a part time contract and allow you to work privately for extra money so long as you keep focussed. Most cities are equipped with reliable and cheap public transport and most young people will speak English if you ever require any assistance. As one of the biggest markets for ESL teachers it is a great place to start, however, to ensure you get a job it is a must that you appear in person for an interview, as much for your sake as for theirs."
Geoff, 21/01/07
A wonderful place with wonderful people. The language is a pig to learn properly but help will be given if you try a little.

Food is sensible and large cities have decent supermarkets. Some really nice places to visit with mountains in the south and excellent sandy beaches in the north - especially good for the Summer. Something for everyone.

Some very good schools and some real cowboys too so be a little careful. Although the wages are poor by Western European standards native speakers should earn a more than decent wage by local standards. Some good schools will provide accommodation too possibly in lieu of part of your wages... well worth a visit!"
Anonymous, 18/02/07
Honestly speaking, it is very hard to make a decent living in Poland as an English teacher, and since most of the cities were destroyed during WW2 and rebuilt by the communists, they are not too colorful nor pretty to look at. The people are generally rude to deal with too. I would suggest looking for work in the Czech republic or Slovakia... at least you will have beautiful towns to walk around in..."
Anonymous, 14/10/07
Poland is a great place to teach English. I taught English for just under 2 years in a city called Wroclaw and I am very satisfied with how things turned out. There are lots of English schools in Wroclaw as well as in every other major Polish city. The people are very nice and the cities in Poland are extremely beautiful. Wroclaw's mix of classical and modern architecture is a pleasure to be surrounded with. Poland is one of the nicest countries in all of eastern and central europe but because of Soviet domination after WWII many people are unaware of its true beauty and the potential it holds for foreigners. Wroclaw offers a wide variety of activities for your spare time including rich nightlife, clubs, pubs, museums, galleries and sporting events. The city is equipped with effective modern transportation so getting around was never a problem for me."
Mike, 02/02/08
Due to the large number of people who left Poland to work in Germany and the United Kingdom, Poland is actually experiencing a shortage of labourers so there are tons of job opportunities for outsiders, including teaching English. I was sponsored by a Polish community center in Chicago to go teach English in Poland. I had my TEFL certification so it was easy for them to find a position for me at a local English training center for adults. I really enjoyed my stay in Warsaw and I have already been contacted several times by my Polish employer to go back and teach full time. This is why I am currently doing my TEFL diploma. Poland is in high-demand for skilled English teachers. Although the place I was at likes to hire native speaking English teachers, I learned that those who speak some Polish are much more likely to land a job there because some programs are for beginners who barely understand any English."
Anonymous, 02/02/08
I taught ESL in Gdynia - one of the three tri-cities; the other two being Gdansk and Sopot. Gdynia is a lovely city and is considered one of the "wealthier" cities in Poland (due to the shipping industry years back).

The private school I worked in was highly professional and very accommodating in the types of classes I wanted to teach. The salary offered was minimal, though higher than that earned by the native Polish teachers (bear in mind, I had only 1 year of teaching experience). I found the students to be extremely hard-working, eager to learn the English language well, and very respectful of their teachers. The students were a mix of young (and some mature), ambitious, students and/or up-and-coming professionals.

The locals were another story. Though I was there during 2001-2002, it seemed that many were still reeling from the years of post-communism. (Tourist guidebooks that claimed the 40-something crowd were considered the 'lost generation' offered me a clearer picture of why there was such disparity in attitudes between generations).

From stories that I've heard and my own experience there, I would highly recommend teaching ESL in Poland. As in any country you first work in, it pays to do some research on the school and to get a firm (and clear) contract. Poland can offer you a beautiful landscape in which to work and/or travel just as long as you are willing to accept the attitudinal differences in the generations of Poles who lived through the rigors of war that many of us have never come close to. Oh, and keep your valuables close at hand - petty theft is still evident even in broad daylight."
Lillian, 24/03/08
"Poland is a real mecca to teach English... and is highly recommended. But it's not a mecca for money but simply that there is always work available for native English teachers (despite high unemployment). However, of course the quality of school does vary from place to place. You should be really cautious. Some schools obviously just care about the student's wallets rather than their language learning. At the moment, there is a high demand to employ native speakers. In many of the smaller towns, schools will still employ native speakers solely on the fact that they can speak English 'fluently', even if they are not trained teachers of English. Whilst this may all be very well and easy for those of you who haven't invested their grand in CELTA or Cert TESOL... you have to ask yourself this. What sort of educational institution employs unqualified "teachers"? The answer is simply cowboy outfits who obviously don't care about the quality of teaching and are literally desperate for the token native speaker. My advice to you all is to avoid these schools at all costs and invest yourself in the 4 week CELTA course (you can even do it here in Poland). You will feel much more comfortable as a teacher and will actually be able to deliver some quality teaching at the same time. After all...students come first!"
Glenn, 30/09/08
"Teachers applying to schools in Poland might want to be wary of the following... a school currently seeking teachers advertised two different gross hourly rates tied to the complexity of the teaching work. They also advertised as additional benefits free accommodation and private insurance. They did not seem too interested in Polish tax or national insurance. These would be taken care of within the teacher's own home EC country.
Later emails clarified the following...
a)The higher gross figure included accommodation and insurance. That is against all conventions on how pay rates are normally expressed.
b)They also explained that payment could vary from month to month depending on the school's judgement of the teaching quality - not something you will find on many bona fide teaching contracts."
George Benson, 19/01/09
"As another post explains... many Poles have left Poland in recent years to find work in Western Europe. Those applying to work there should ask themselves... if the natives are doubtful about working conditions here, what are my chances as a foreign teacher of securing a good job? The old system in Poland was manipulative and authoritarian. Communism has gone but perhaps some residual traces remain..."
JS, 19/01/09
"Having been in Poland a few months I've spoken to many schools and spent 3 months as a teacher for one. I left there to return temporarily to IT mainly due to low salary and a female manager with serious mood swings. Very unprofessionally shouting at me across the length of the school for finishing a lesson early, despite having completed the material, taught extra and then the student also asked to leave early to attend another class. A common trait with polish managers - they have no ears. When the student explained she had asked to finish early - the manager refused to accept this. The student felt very embarrased about the situation and I very angry.

My general advice is 'read the small print'. I applied for another school and something didn't seem right. I asked to see the contract before making a decision, half of one page contained a list of all the tasks that must be completed 'without pay' which could easily have eaten lots of time each week. Also when I turned the job down based on the rate, it suddnely increased about 50%... so why wasn't it this high to start with? Charge high - pay low, then wonder why teachers move on so fast.

Some contracts state that hours are not guaranteed and in 'school holidays' you simply earn no money whatsoever, so it's worth asking about guaranteed hours.

Finally, when you get that job - work at it! You'll not only earn the respect of your students and colleauge but you'll improve your career and enjoy it more. If you're a 'gap year teacher', please remember that you're also setting a reputation, some schools are wary of native speakers after having teachers who are consistantly late, rude, ill prepared and drunken. So remember, you're preparing the ground for those who follow, don't mess it up for them!"
Tont Kenny, 06/03/09
Be very careful teaching here, especially if you're new. The students are usually eager to learn and happy to have a native speaker. The employers are happy to have you too but many of them will use you as a marketing tool rather than a valued employee.

If you do get a valid contract, read it very carefully. Many private schools have contracts with double-meanings and fine print. These employers have no hesitation to pull a fast one on you with empty promises of guaranteed money and hours.

Be especially wary if you are in the small towns and villages. This is where I experienced the most corruption. These places are very poor and if you get caught sleeping, they will take you for a ride in a heartbeat and never think twice about doing it.

Be very sure to check where you will teach. One time I was told I was going to teach in a city. I signed a contract and the school was "outside" the city, over an hour away. Also, I got 6 hours per day but I started at 10am and the last class ended at 8.30pm. I spent many hours in a small town doing nothing. I ended up working long days and only getting a few hours' pay.

Basically, if you get a deal that sounds too good to be true, it is. Be sure to do your research and find reputable schools. Ask a lot of questions and avoid any places that have people who dodge them.

Poland has a lot of honest people who want to do the right thing. However, being skeptical at first is a wise idea.
Gary, 20/01/10

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