Which Negotiation Damages A Freelance Teacher The Most?

How many teachers do you know? How many of them can you say (put your hand on your heart) are enthusiastic about their work? Who love the work they do? Who are highly motivated to do more than everyone else?

Hmmm… Can you count them all on the one hand? It wouldn’t surprise me if it did. And can you think of a reason?

The effect of social culture on freelance teachers

One of the most gravitating problems that demoralise teachers is society’s inability to recognise the work they do. These are social constraints set within a culture train of socially acceptable thoughts and behaviour. Look at the contrast between Western and Asian cultures, for example.

Social culture recognises teachers’ value, yet at the same time belittles this same value by turning a blind eye to the costs of having teachers. Most businesses today no longer regard education as an investment. Employees have to bring such expertise when they come to the companies.

Commercialism is partly at fault, but bad news and experience spread like a fire out of control. Learning is not always easy, and not every student finds success despite his efforts. The plain fact is the word ‘education’ is like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Education in society

The word ‘education’ has developed into a ‘bad’ name. Most everything to do with education ends being portrayed in a bad light. Education is negative. (Who wants to be associated with education?) And so it is, freelance teachers are afraid to ask for fair pay for the work they do because of the low standing (value) education has in society.

Social culture and the voice in your head

Culturally ingrained behaviour has a double-sided cutting edge. The one side creates socially acceptable behaviour. The other, however, invokes whispering voices in your head.

The costs of listening to the voice in your head

• The angel on your right…
• The devil on your left…
• The voices in your head…

Why don’t freelance teachers ask?

Ask who? Your colleagues and of course, your students and customers.
Ask for what? More respect and more acknowledgement for the value teachers bring to society.

Culture and its social values tend to separate and divide respect and values into hierarchical social levels.

Most voices are ingrained from birth onwards and become deeply connected to the roots of emotions and feelings of well-being. The negative side of traditions is manifold. Typical women or male-dominant careers still exist. Glass ceilings and salary differences still exist between men and women. But what happens in the teaching environment?

The long-reaching effects of listening to the voice in your head

There are areas where the differences level out, albeit slightly in the teaching environment. Both men and women freelance teachers struggle against a common prejudice—education value—to the extent, they avoid any question that questions their respect and their worth in society.

• Respect is visible in the form of students and customers, respecting your time and person by not continually switching or cancelling lesson times at short notice.
• Why is a motivated student and customer incredibly intelligent when he learns quickly yet when a disinterested student takes ages to learn, the ‘fault’ lies with his teacher?
• Value measures in how you earn your living; by how much and by what time measurement. For example, why do freelance teachers find it so hard to demand payment for the lost lesson hour or hours?
• Why are freelance teachers expected to accept every student? Why can’t they refuse students when they have unrealistic expectations, misbehave and have bad manners? Why shouldn’t freelancers be allowed to choose or refuse students without expecting automatic repercussions?

The invisible threat of listening to the voice in your head

The threat the invisible voice poses in a freelance teacher’s head is his lost ability to negotiate. Lost confidence to negotiate the life he needs or to produce better conditions that will motivate him to give his best. Regaining the ability to negotiate will open new opportunities for the freelance teacher because he can balance his work-life, produce more, and become more successful.

So which kind of negotiation damages a freelance teacher the most? The answer is the one he negotiates (and loses) with himself; born and conceived through cultural and social restraints.

The cost of not asking for fair value (by not negotiating with your teaching school or your students and customers) will damage your self-respect and your income.

The gains in asking – by going against the whispering voice

A danger recognised is a danger banished, they say. Once the potential damage is identified, most freelance teachers can reinstate their ability to negotiate and work towards solutions where everyone benefits. However, the real win is the positive energy that will lead to more opportunities, more happiness, and more self-esteem.

Summary

Freelance teachers are often suffering from centuries of cultural and commercial influences that have placed education low on the scale of ‘admirable’ achievements. Education is no longer seen as a life-long investment.

When a freelance teacher’s natural needs raise its head to ask for more (respect, better conditions and money), an insidious voice begins to whisper. It judges your standing in society and the truth of your demand. The wish to negotiate a better rate, time, or condition is undermined and becomes dormant. Over the years, even the ability to negotiate becomes ‘unlearned’.

To go against this trend is uncomfortable—it has taken years of compliance to get as far as it is today. The first conscious effort will be the most strenuous. Rest assured, however, it does become easier with each new negotiation. As teachers, you know practice is the key. You are going to win some, and you are going to lose some. Even when you lose the student and customer, you should see the negotiation as a success; a step to raising your self-esteem.

Coming next week…
Look out for another article I have prepared for next week on price resistance. It will talk about why your freelance teaching business must automatically lose a few students and customers and why you should strive to automatically lose a few more students than average.? 😯 Because if you aren’t losing them, than you are missing a vital piece of knowledge in setting your prices or hourly rates!

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What Do You Think?

The article is meant to be a little controversial. Do you have something you would like to add or comment about your experiences? How it may relate to cultural and social influences of the country you are living in now, or in which you were brought up? Add your comments and suggestions in Leave A Reply Comment box below?

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