Bare Bone Basics of OPCAS

Attention: Update 1 January 2017: All training organizations are now required to register on the Datadock website and upload 21 documents defending and proving the quality of their services.  This website is used by all of the OPCAs in France to determine if the training organization can qualify for CPF funds.  All training organizations have a deadline of June 30 2017, after which the OPCAs will stop funding training provided by organizations which are not included in the Datadock.

Registering for an account on the Datadock is quite easy. You must have a SIRET and Numero de Declaration to register. Once logged in, you will be able to click through the list of 21 criteria. You will also have to provide a short description of each document you upload.  You can upload a maximum of three documents of proof per criteria.  

 While this process may seem extremely daunting for some it will no doubt help training organizations to enhance the quality of their training. So get started! You've got until June 30th 2017!

Original article from 2013: 
There are a handful of initialisms that strike fear in the hearts of Travailleur Indépendants. URSSAF and CIPAV are two, but careful, financial planning and a good accountant can help lower one's blood pressure.  DIRECCTE is another, but hyper time-management and an Excel fetish can help cure the hives that break out when dealing with this administrative hurdle.  

But the letters from the alphabet that drain the color from many of my fellow independents' faces are:  O.P.C.A. or: organisme paritaire collecteur agréé. In short: mandatory funding managed by a government agency for employee training in the private industry.  Warning, any sentence that includes the words "funding" and "government" means bracing yourself for an administrative migraine.

Putting up with the admin abyss and gaining access to the OPCAs can open doors to bigger clients, internal referrals for more training, multipliers at top management and ultimately, more long-term contractual commitments. 

OPCA funding 101

Different OPCAs have different rules. There are different OPCAs for different industries. But these steps should give you and idea of what to expect when you wade into that murky, paperwork-infested lagoon. Apologies for all the hedging.

Step one:  Get your Numéro de déclaration d'activité. If you don't have this registration number, or don't intend to apply for it, then stop reading.  Now. 

Step two: It depends.  If you've been approached by a company that requires OPCA funding then you might (repeat, might) be able to put Numéro de déclaration d'activité en cours on your contract and, eventually, on the fiche organisme de formation you send to the OPCA (see step six). For example, Christina Rebuffet-Broadus happily found this to be the case with FAFIEC.  You need a contract in order to get a Numéro de déclaration d'activité and you could use this first contract to get your foot in DIRECCTE's door.

Step three:  Your client should notify their OPCA of their intention to bring you on as a training provider.  You should then receive the OPCA's "fiche organisme de formation" to fill out.  

Try to stay calm. You'll likely need:

• An Extrait K-bis (NB: Travailleur Indépendants don't have this.  They have a Certificat d'Inscription from INSEE / URSSAF.  A photocopy of this proof of your SIRET will do).
• Récépissé de déclaration d'activité from DIRECCTE, (proof your declaration number is active. You have to request this document from DIRECCTE and, sometimes, it can take a while.)
• Copies of your Bilan Pédagogique et Financier (BPF) from the last two years, signed by your accountant (see step two above),
• A RIB,
• A brochure advertising your services. A bit of knowledge of fancy word-processing software, a good eye and a color printer should do the trick. Or get it done right and pay someone to write and design a brochure for you.

OPCAs up close

Now, you may be asked to produce all of these documents in 10 days (wait...what?!).  But the good news is since the DNA of OPCAs is hoops and hoops of administration, they are likely to be sympathetic if you can't get those documents in on time. Just send them a polite letter apologizing for the delay. 

Step four: Dance a little jig in your living room when the OPCA notifies you that they've approved your dossier.

Step five:  The OPCA should then send you a separate contract for the training and ask you for a programme détaillé and a copy of the contract you signed with your new client.

Step six: Write an amazing training proposal (programme détaillé). In it, include the training objectives, the types of trainees, the number of hours, a description of the training, your methodology, materials, where the training will take place and how you will evaluate the trainees.  The time you invest writing this training proposal will help save you time down the road when your client is thrilled with your high-quality teaching and wants to renew the contract.

Step seven:  At the end of the training, send signed presence sheets and a bill to the OPCA, not your client. Payment may take up to two to three months.

Some of you may have set up a training package that lasts over a year. If so, good going!  But waiting until the end of the training to get paid can cause your bank account to collapse in fits of dry heaves.  Rebuffet-Broadus recently spoke to a very nice lady at FAFIEC and found out: "I can send the first bill after the first 10 hours of training. Then, it's up to me when I bill. I don't have to specify the billing frequency in the convention de formation (I asked just to be sure), but I can if I want."  

So calling the OPCA directly can pay off if you run into any snags along the way.

If you find all the OPCA admin utterly daunting and impossible to do on your own, but you still want to give it a shot, I strongly recommend joining The Language Network. For a small, incredibly affordable annual fee, members get access to additional help dealing with OPCAs including how to fill out the initial paperwork, writing a training proposal, billing, etc. 

Good luck on your journey!  Hang in there.  But remember: there's a reason why OPCA rhymes with vodka.

Go it alone: Go freelance (co-authored with Mike Hogan): Part 2

(This article was originally published in the mELTing Pot and has been posted here with the very kind permission of IATEFL-Hungary).  For Part 1 go here.

Invest in your brand
While you are establishing the direction you want to take your training business, it’s important to be ready to invest in its development. The word “investment” can be interpreted in many ways. For instance, you could offer free taster workshops or webinars to prospective learners or clients, or volunteer for ELT associations or publish articles about your work. In these cases, the thing you are investing is your time and energy. But when carried out professionally and sincerely, they can greatly enhance your own professional development and reputation in the community.

Another form of investment is your money. This may be more difficult in the beginning, but it is absolutely crucial. Developing professionally could involve paying for further teacher training and/or going to conferences. Or, if you have a well-established niche, consider getting the same corporate training as your clients. Sometimes finding clients means attending networking seminars, trade shows, and other non-ELT events - most of which have a cost. In addition, while there are many free ways to communicate your services to prospective clients, you will also have to be prepared to spend money on sales and marketing, if only in the form of business cards and some printed information about you and your services. This is why, in your business plan, it’s important to calculate how much you can set aside towards your own professional development and marketing.

Your online presence
As you gain more experience and invest in getting your name out there, remember, most people’s first instinct is to look for you online. Paying a web designer can be costly but there are many inexpensive or free online sites that allow you to describe your experience and the services you provide in one central location. Setting up a LinkedIn, Aboutme.com or other professional networking profile that lists your entire up-to-date experience as well as how to contact you is a must. Consider paying a translator so that your profile is in the language of your clients.

Since your current and prospective clients will be searching for you online, so too should you. You should be aware of what can be found when Googling yourself.

If nothing comes up, try adding the name of your town or city, and possibly something like ‘English teacher’. If you still don’t see any results, neither will those who are searching for you. Is this what you want? Ideally, they’ll be able to find your online profile as well as details of workshops you’ve given, local events you’ve attended, conferences you’ve spoken at, articles you’ve written, or even a blog that you write. And what you don’t want them finding are any inappropriate Facebook photos that you forgot to take down.

Nurture your reputation
The sign of a high-quality trainer is one who is getting referred. If you’re not getting referred ask yourself (and even others) why. Collect honest and constructive feedback from your clients, learners and peers, and take it seriously. Handle negative feedback or problems immediately and professionally. Very often people will remember how well you dealt with the issue rather than the issue itself. Gaining respect and building a reputation takes time, but fixing one takes even longer. The ELT industry is a small world, and you want those you’ve done business with to think of you (and talk about you) in a positive light.

As you weigh the pros and cons of going freelance, remember your brand is your name. It’s what people think when they hear your name. It is your reputation, your work ethic, your beliefs and values, how you make others feel, and the results you get. And while developing your freelance business requires an enormous amount of dedication, time and resources, you will ultimately develop skills that will make you a better trainer and a better professional.

Further reading to get you thinking:
Cyr, L.A. (2007) Creating a Business Plan. Harvard Business School Press.
Sivers, D. (2011) Anything you want. The Domino Project.
How to Write a Business Plan’ (2012) Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/businessplan/index.html (accessed 31.08.2012)

© Cagnol & Hogan 2012

 

Declaring your Bilan Pédagogique et Financier (BPF) Numéro de déclaration d'activité Part 2

If you've done the necessary paperwork to obtain your Numéro de déclaration d'activité (a number with 11 digits, the 3rd and 4th digits being your region) then you very likely have received a letter from the Direction régionale des entreprises, de la concurrence, de la consommation, du travail et de l'emploi (DIRECCTE) reminding you to submit your Bilan Pédagogique et Financier (BPF) by April 30th.  However, if you didn't receive this letter (I didn't for the first six years of my company's existence) you still need to submit your BPF paperwork by April 30th of each year.  So add it to your calender!

Again, your Numéro de déclaration d'activité is a declaration of your activity as a vocational training entity. It enables direct clients to declare your services using their training funding (e.g. the DIF, or, droit individuel à la formation). If you specialize in teaching students in higher-education establishments, then this number is not necessary.  But it's good to have should you wish to take on private clients, deal with OPCAs and/or apply for Appels d'offres publics et privés (Call for Tenders for public and private companies). 

DIRECCTE makes it very clear in their letter that if you fail to submit your BPF, you have a one-year grace period; after that you lose your number.  This can be a major inconvenience, especially when so many clients these days, before they sign a contract with you, ask for a Récépissé de déclaration d'activité d'un prestataire de formation which is a document from the DIRECCTE which acknowledges you are up-to-date with all your BPF paperwork.

So, my advice: tie yourself to a chair and use that long Easter weekend to get that %#&$*@ BPF filled out. 

Head to: https://www.declarationof.travail.gouv.fr/ and click on "Inscription et Connexion"
Choose one of the three choices that apply to you.
Letter A) This is if you don't yet have your Numéro de déclaration d'activité
Letter B) This is if you have your Numéro de déclaration d'activité but you haven't yet created an account.
Letter C) This is if you have your Numéro de déclaration d'activité and you have already created your account.

 If you choose C, and your number is active, then you should see the word "validée" to the left of your screen. Be sure to check this far in enough advance. DIRECCTE has been known to make mistakes which can delay the validation process.

Click on the link  Bilan Pédagogique et Financier to the left and off you go!

Tip 1:  The first time you fill out the BPF may be an incredibly daunting task.  Therefore, it's probably best to first do it in the comfort of your accountant's office.

Tip 2: In order to prepare for paperwork vertigo, I strongly suggest you create an excel file that organizes all of the required information (see questions below). That will greatly reduce the time it takes to fill out the BPF.

Tip 3: Use Google Translate to help you understand the questions. I've found it does a great job of translating the BPF's jargon. 

Tip 4: Beware, the online form times out if you leave it open over an extended period of time.  So, always take screen shots of the parts of the form you fill in, and/or put the information you need on a separate document.

The BPF will ask you the following questions (NB: the form won't accept decimal points).  If you answer "none" to any of these questions, then simply put a 0 for that specific information.

Earnings (produits) from last year

• What is the percentage of your total turnover in the field of continuing vocational training.  For many of us, it's 100%. However, if you've also done translations through your company, or been paid to write materials, then you'll need to calculate this accordingly. 
• How many total hours did you provide training last year? 
• How many people have you subcontracted (if any) and how many hours did they work for you? 
• What were your total earnings last year?  
• What were your total earnings from private industry?  
• What were your total earnings from public industry?  
• What were your total earnings from unemployment office clientele? 
• What were your total earnings from OPCAs.  
• What were your total earnings from private individuals who you billed directly through your company and who paid out-of-pocket for that training.* 
• What were your total earnings from contracts with other training providers (e.g. did you bill any language schools?) 
• What were your total earnings from contracts outside of France? 
• What were your total earnings from sales of learning tools?  
• What were your total earnings for any other miscellaneous contracts related to vocational training. 

Purchases (achats / charges) from last year

• How much did you spend on your own training / professional development? 
• How much did you spend on the rental of any premises or tools? 
• How much did you spend on advertising? 
• How much did you spend on personnel outside of your company (e.g. subcontracting)? 
• How much did you spend on taxes (e.g. URSSAF, CIPAV, RSI, etc.)? 
• How much did you spend in financial charges for any personnel (e.g. for CDD or CDI contracts). 
• How much did you pay your accountant or financial adviser? 
• What is the total amount of your other business expenses minus taxes, personnel charges, advertising, rental, and accounting?

Training Figures (bilan pedagogique) from last year

• How many hours did you provide training to employees whose training was provided by their company?  And for how many employees?
• How many hours did you provide vocational training for unemployment offices? And for how many employees?
• How many hours did you provide training for private training you billed directly? And for how many trainees?*
• How many hours did you provide training to employees whose training was provided by their company but not through the DIF?  And for how many employees?
• How many hours did you provide training for another training company? And for how many trainees? 
• How many hours of training did you assign to another training company? And for how many trainees? 
• How many hours of training did you provide that involved certification through the RNCP? And for how many trainees? 
• How many hours of guidance and support training did you provide? And for how many trainees? 
• What is your "specialty of training?"  In ELT, you will very likely choose code 136 on the BPF form "Langues vivantes, civilisations étrangères et régionales."And how many total hours did you provide training under this specialty and for how many total trainees?

 *While I'm not at all a fan of "petites cours," these figures should not include any cash clients you may have or any clients who have paid you through Cheque emploi service.

The BPF will then ask for a contact person.  I highly recommend putting your accountant, or other financial adviser, if you have one. And finally, add your own name and qualité (e.g. directeur / directrice), your phone number and then mention in which city you filled out the BPF.

Click on "valide".  You will get a pop up message that will vary depending on your income. It will also give you the address where you should send the BPF and provide a link where you can download the .pdf copy.

Download your BPF, print it, sign it and then mail it registered with acknowledgment of receipt (recommandé avec accusé de reception) to DIRECCTE. Also email a copy to your accountant just in case.

And there you have it! Again, take care of this far enough in advance to deal with any speed bumps along the way.  Good luck! 

Go it alone: Go freelance (co-authored with Mike Hogan)

(This article was originally published in the mELTing Pot and has been posted here with the very kind permission of IATEFL-Hungary).  

ELT teachers are often enticed by the idea of being their own boss or increasing their income by striking out on their own and going freelance or even starting their own small (or large) schools. There are many benefits to going freelance, but where there are possible rewards there are also risks. We may be very good at developing lesson plans and managing a classroom, but as soon as we move into a context of developing a service and managing ourselves as a business we are confronted with all sorts of issues, business issues, which have nothing to do with teaching that we need to be able to do well and do quickly.

Start with an idea and plan from there
Despite the allusion above, your business idea should be designed to fulfil a need, not just to fill your pockets. Decide which need it is you aim to fulfil when going freelance or starting a business. It could be, for example, the need for a type of teaching or training not currently offered in your area, or a higher quality than is available in your local market. It could be offering something completely new to an existing group of customers that don’t yet know they need it, or it could be for a target market which will form as a result of previous experience. Either way, you should start with fulfilling a need and reflecting on how to do that.

Creating a business plan will help. Even if you’re not starting a school but just starting out as a freelancer, you need to see yourself as a business, a one-person business, and prepare accordingly. Spend a day writing down the details of your idea, how you plan to sell it, how much you will charge for it, and so on. Your business plan will help you formulate these ideas, set realistic and attainable targets, and will have various sections which will also help you think about who your competitors are and what sort of budget for marketing or further training you’re going to work under. It will help you to see potential holes in what you’re planning or areas you might be neglecting (e.g. niche markets, saturated markets, professional development, etc.) and it will help you to think about what makes you different from the other companies and trainers who are offering the same thing.

A business plan shouldn’t have vague, sweeping demands such as: “I’d like to earn more money” or “I'd like to get more of my own clients so I can work less for language schools.” You need to have defined targets like: “I want to sign with three new clients by the end of this year.” Set yourself realistic achievable targets with regular milestones. Then, you can start to think about your strategy and how you’re going to achieve those targets.

Consider doing a SWOT analysis. You may already do this with your business English students, but why not make it a part of your own professional analysis? SWOT stands for your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and potential Threats. The GROW model, often used in coaching, is another useful one. It stands for Goal, Reality, Obstacles/Options, and Way (forward). Overall, a business plan can help you put a lot of your ideas down on paper, see them clearly and address them in a realistic way.

Finding your niche, or ELT brand
You may have gained work experience in other sectors before moving into language training. In a way you are already a specialist. Maybe you have some experience in the banking industry, or in the arts, or you are a trained lawyer. This is an amazing resource because you’re immediately differentiating yourself from the general English language training market. You can offer targeted training and, usually, charge more for it.

Perhaps you don’t have experience in other sectors, but you have achieved positive results in other language-rich areas such as test preparation, pronunciation or presentations. You can offer high-quality, skills-specific training in one-to-one or group environments. Whatever your specialized knowledge, it needs to be very prominent on your CV and online profile. Finding one’s “ELT brand” can take time. Try different options and enjoy that time of exploration.

In part two we will develop this idea further and look at what to do once you've found your ELT brand; the importance of online presence and how to build a reputation.

Rhetoric of Irresponsibility

I recently participated in a heated discussion on Facebook.  Luckily, the conversation is so far down my timeline that it would probably take four hours of scrolling to find it, thus the identities of those involved have been protected by piles of social-networking compost.  Rather than provide the details of the actual discussion, I've decided to use a substitute topic: 

The whole firestorm started when a teacher posted a rant on her Facebook page that the coffee machine in her office constantly breaks down.  "This is outrageous!" she vented, "I can't teach properly without my caffeine!"   Meanwhile the post collected "likes" and comments faster than ants on a watermelon. Several of those posting comments worked together in the same office.   The majority of the replies were clusters of Yeah!, Word up!, and Agree! Other comments read: "We should complain to the administration about this!" "We should demand better working conditions!" "We should refuse to come to work unless the machine is fixed!"

Being the victim of office-coffee-maker breakdown myself, I sympathized with my colleagues. I posted a few suggestions to solve the problem that have worked for my institution in the past.  More "likes" popped up along with dozens of, "Yeah! We should do that!" 

A few weeks later, I sent an email to the teacher who posted the original rant, asking if the coffee maker got replaced. She reported that the lifeless appliance was still in her teachers' office and nothing had been done to fix or replace it. She threw in how unfair it was to work without coffee.

Strange, I thought.  So many colleagues seemed to have banded together online to help.  There were some good suggestions and it appeared as if the problem would be solved in no time flat.

Upon analyzing the comments from the conversation, I came to a cloudy-day realization: all the suggestions started with "We should..."   None of them started with "I could..."  or "I will..."

"We should..." are perhaps the two words in the English language that will guarantee the project won't get off the ground.   This is what Maria Araxi Sachpazian beautifully calls "Rhetoric of Irresponsibility". 

I work with some wonderful people who come up with some wonderful ideas. However, I hear "we should" almost on a daily basis. I've thus developed a reflex that fires off the following reply: "That's a great idea! Why don't you come up with a game plan to implement it? Let me know if you need help." 

I encourage you all to try this.  And be aware of when you (over)use "We should..." Consider changing it to "I could..." and see where it leads.

Numéro de déclaration d'activité: Part 1

Expolangues was abuzz this year with seminars devoted to trainers who have taken the leap and gone independent. The majority of the attendees were auto-entrepreneur and many were travailleur indépendant.  I am quite pleased to see the growth of independent trainers; it means the field is headed towards an even higher level of quality and trainers are taking charge of their own professional development. 

Taking charge of the paperwork (a popular French pastime) is also key. I've checked and it's possible for both travailleur indépendants and auto-entrepreneur trainers to obtain a Numéro de Déclaration. Many of you may have heard of (or may already have) a Numéro de déclaration d'activité. This is a declaration of your activity as a training entity. It enables private clients to declare your services using their DIF funding (droit individuel à la formation). If you specialize in teaching students in higher-education establishments, then this number if not necessary.  But it's good to have should you wish to take on private clients.

All of the documents, FAQ, and other handy information can be found here: https://www.declarationof.travail.gouv.fr/index.php
The basic instructions for what is required when putting together your first "declaration": 
https://www.declarationof.travail.gouv.fr/doc/51469-01.pdf
The document that you should fill out (though you can also do it online!) for your first "declaration":
https://www.declarationof.travail.gouv.fr/doc/10782-03.pdf

I strongly recommend you set up an online account. 

There is even an handy tutorial (in French) that walks you through all the steps for setting up an  account. Wonderful!
https://www.declarationof.travail.gouv.fr/doc/TeleD_Tutoriel.pdf

This will make things easier down the road when you have to submit your annual BPF, or Bilan pédagogique et financier (an annual report on the amount of money you've earned as a trainer, expenses, the number of hours, and the number of trainees you taught. This report is due every year at the end of April. If you miss more than two annual declarations in a row, you risk losing your number.).

When doing your first declaration you must provide proof of your:

• SIRET,  
• Code APE/NAF (e.g. 804C for language training - though I'm told APE has changed to another, similar acronym - shall check on this), 
• Address (e.g. copy of your electricity bill)
• Your company name (The name you used when you first registered as an independent - most of us use our own names - some of us have chosen company names).
• Your first "convention" or contract signed with a direct client (public or private), 
• Field of activity (e.g. 136 Langues vivantes, civilisations étrangères et régionales), 
• Name of the founder (you) 
• If you have any employees paid with a CDII, CDD, or CDI salary (if you're auto-entrepreneur or independent then probably not).

And as always with technology, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. When filling out your online account and data, before you click "continue", print out the page just in case the website is buggy. That will help you save time if you need to fill out a paper version and mail it in (registered of course!).  

Going freelance in France has gotten easier over the past few years. Fortunately for us, it's the same for that loisir français of doing paperwork! 

Part 2 of this article (the BPF annual declarations) will appear mid-March when the BPF forms are available on the declarationof.travail.gouv website.

I Touched a Piece of Heaven in 2011

A popular New Year's saying is: "Let us not drink to the past, but to the future."  In this post, I'd like to make an exception.  I'd like to recognize the people and the organizations that brought me a great deal of personal joy and professional satisfaction in 2011.

The TESOL France Conference
I wouldn't be able to keep my sanity as a teacher and as a freelancer without my PLN (Professional Learning Network).  I mentioned it in a previous post that isolation is a teacher's worst enemy.  The individuals I've met through Twitter have provided me with classroom ideas, professional advice and contestant laughs. 

A wave of friends and colleagues arrived in Paris on November 4-6 2011 for the TESOL France Conference I organized.  I'd like to thank the following individuals who contributed to the conference's success. Your words of kindness and support resulted in a marathon of happy tears running down my face.

To:  

The Best Team of 2011

The TESOL France Conference team: Debbie West, Ros Wright, Gillian Evans, Eric Halvorsen, Laurence Whiteside and Jane Ryder who made ELT magic from scratch. It is a genuine pleasure to work with you all.

  To:

The Best Moment of 2011

Vicky Loras, Mike Harrison, Shelly Terrell Arjana Blazic, James Taylor, Dale Coulter, Ceri Jones, Sandy Millin, Shiv Rajendran, Stephen W. Henneberry and Paul Maglione for your thorough Conference Reports and fantastic contributions to the online ELT community.  I hope that others will read your posts and realize that this conference is an event not to be missed!

To:

Willy Cardoso, Brad Patterson, Divya Brochier and Marisa Constantinides for continuing the conference conversations months after the event was over. Marisa, the #ELTCHAT videos are still a pleasure to watch.

And an extra emotional thank you goes out to Matt Ledding, who telepathically understood what drives me to organize TESOL France Conferences.  It really is, as he puts it: in order to shine a light on talents so that we see them and focus on growing and pass that growth on to others.

Working for eduPad 

Best Experience of 2011

I've mentioned to a few colleagues that I didn't have a summer vacation this year.  Instead, I worked for the educational app company, eduPad.  I admit it was the hardest I've ever worked in my entire existence, but I am grateful to the CEO,  Jérôme Serre, and his business partner, Daniel Jasmin, for their faith and encouragement as I hired and managed authors and editors, oversaw mountains of educational content, and formed professional links with educators who put their passion for teaching into the development of eduPad's applications.  

Over the course of three months I juggled busy class schedules and five time zones and worked with highly competent teachers and editors who included a homeschool parent, a physical education expert, scientists, historians, mathematicians, an Iraq War veteran, an SAT author, the incredibly creative Phil Wade, and the inspirational Lisa Dabbs who's insight was instrumental in ensuring the apps met US educational standards.

The Best Students of 2011

The Students at the Management Institute of Paris
Teaching at MIP was one of the most challenging, yet fulfilling, experiences I've ever had.  We all invested enormous amounts of time and energy in the students' development. It wasn't easy because some students had severe learning and behavioral difficulties. It was at MIP I learned the art of "tough love".

I'll never forget the Director of Languages' phone call when he informed me that MIP would be merging with another school in a different part of France. The Paris site was closing permanently. Suddenly, you are slapped with the question, "Was all that energy worth it?"

The process of relocating the students was painful and complicated.  We had to go from training the students for their futures as businessmen and women to counseling them on their transfer to other establishments. As the last day approached like an on-coming freight train, I witnessed inspirational growth in every one of them. In the end, they banded together to ensure the memories wouldn't die, the school's spirit would live on, and they would look after one another.

I wept on the last day, in the street, about a block away from the school.  I wept because they were some of the most creative, resilient and clever students I had ever taught.  They taught me more than they will ever know.  As another quote says: “A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.”  At MIP, I met dozens of unfolding blossoms. And I was incredibly fortunate to see their beauty within.  

Next year and the years ahead, I hope you witness petals unfolding. And as they do, shine the light on others' talents for us all to see. Continue to focus on growing and pass that growth on to others.

Free Legal Advice in Paris

The English Language Teaching (ELT) profession in France has seen dramatic changes over the last 40 years.  In the 70s, we saw a surge in demand for language instruction and an influx of teachers from English-speaking countries.  In the first part of this century, the demand stayed strong, but laws changed and Americans were denied easy-to-obtain contracts.  Today, the profession is in a bit of a low, companies are cutting back on their spending and language schools and travailleurs independents alike are feeling the pinch.

While a crisis is the perfect opportunity to think outside the box, it's not an opportunity to cheat the system or employees.  And sadly, I've heard of too many examples of the latter.

Granted, some language providers were cheaters even before the crisis.  So, hopefully this post will help them break that nasty habit and replace it with something a little more legal...like, say, nail biting.

Over a lunch of steak, fries and beer, a dear friend and colleague told me of a terrible legal issue she had.  Her French was good, but not good enough to compete with the person who was clearly cheating her.  Moreover, the culprit had a legal background and used that to further intimidate my friend.  She told me of a tiny shack she stumbled upon in the 14th district of Paris: La Maison de la Justice et du Droit du Secteur Paris Sud . Here, she was given FREE legal advice.

Translation of their website:  La Maison allows everyone to learn about their rights and to assert them in everyday life. Hotlines are organized around the themes of daily life: family law, the protected adults (guardianship, trusteeship), housing, labor, consumption, access to French nationality, immigration law, fight against discrimination. For schedules and making an appointment in the house of justice and law, contact us directly.

With the changing tides of the ELT industry in France, I hope you don't need to pay a visit to the Maison. But just in case - there are lawyers there ready and available to help you - free of charge.

Auto-entrepreneur (a wolf in a sheep's clothing?)

I have been called, cornered and accosted by teachers over the past several months asking me to compare the travailleur independent status and the auto-entrepreneur status.

While I am not an auto-entrepreneur (and cannot become one because I'm already a travailleur independent) I've listed a few pros and cons below following an email conversation I had with a teacher.

Being an auto-entrepreneur has its good and bad sides.

Good:

• The social charges can't be beat - you pay 22% in social charges and don't pay income tax on top of that.  That beats being CDD, CDII and Travailleur Independent
• You can charge "pre-charges patronales" prices.  For instance, as a CDII teacher, the going rate per hour is about 22 brut.  However, as an auto-entrepeneur, you could bill the school as much as 35 an hour because they won't be paying any social charges on your salary.   - Ask them about that.

Bad:

• You have to bill the school and keep track of your bills (and be very very organized).
• You can't charge any business expenses (metro, lunch, etc).
• You get very little health coverage.
• You need to be able to understand the government website to become an auto-entrepreneur which is in French, sign up and report your income to the government.
• And most importantly:  the auto-entrepreneur status was set up to allow for already self-sufficient professionals and students to have an income on the side. It was not designed for people to live off of as their prime income.  So, if you do this, I strongly suggest you juggle other contracts that are CDD, CDII, CDI, or that you have a spouse who has a CDI. 

Again, it's great to have on the side, but terrible as a prime income status.

The ELT PLN Book List!

I've just had a quickie conversation on Twitter with those I follow (99.999% are English language teachers) a.k.a. my PLN (Personal Learning Network).

I was also recently asked: "Can you recommend any good summer reading?" 

I came up with titles such as The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary or Shakespeare on Toast  or The Fight for English.  But then it hit me. All the books I've read in the last 365+ days have been non-fiction books related to language or literature.

Fortunately, I've been saved! In the time it's taken me to type this out, the hashtag #ELTPLNBOOKLIST has taken charge.  It's coiner: @Shaunwilden

Who better to ask for reading recommendations than our fellow teachers? We probably have a high sensitivity for writing styles we can sink our teeth into not to mention excellent filters against airport junk.  

So use the hashtag #ELTPLNBOOKLIST and join in on the discussion!  And happy reading! 

You Think You Can....But Can You?

I never thought I'd say this, but language schools, I feel your pain!

Many teachers come up to me asking if they should become an independent freelancer.  The question isn't "Should you?" but "Can you?" This goes for becoming a travailleur independent AND/OR an Auto-entrepreneur.  Do you have what it takes to strike out on your own?  Sure being your own boss sounds cool, but before you take the leap, I strongly recommend you take a good hard look at what language schools go through - because that's exactly what awaits you once you write that letter to UR$$AF or sign on to be an auto-entrepreneur.

Are you ready for: 

• Finding clients (in France, this means, are you good enough so that your trainees talk about you and recommend you. In France it's all about word of mouth, so put down that phone before you make one very chilly cold call).  
• Comfortable with communicating the price of your services to prospective clients.
• Writing up contracts in French (and understanding their company's jargon if they are the ones drawing up the contract). 
• Maintaining clients (e.g. follow up, assessments; quality control of your own services).
• Monthly billing (and keeping up with it).
• Chasing after payments (are you willing to get tough? If you're subcontracting other teachers, do you have enough in the bank to pay those teachers in the event the client "forgets" to pay your invoices?).
• Keeping track of your earnings and business expenses (a.k.a. keeping track of itty bitty pieces of paper and filing them in chronological order). 
• Understanding the frequent love notes from government agencies such as UR$$AF, CIPAV, RSI et al.
• Setting aside money you earn during the good months for the bad months (in France this means one thing:  July, August and much of September).
• Setting aside money for when UR$$AF and CIPAV and RSI bills appear in your postbox every 4 months or so. 
• Getting to know your accountant and double checking any dirty work he side-dishes to his interns.
• Keeping a close eye on your own sanity and professionalism.

All of these slippery round orbs one must keep in the air are important and necessary.  I've said it before: it's not for everyone. But it's also an adventure and a never-ending learning experience.
 

When Does One's Work Ethic Become Unethical?

Today is day seven I've spent at home recovering from pneumonia.  Now, I do take some responsibility for being ill.  In a week, Santa will be bringing me some proper snow boots, I'm sure.

But last week, for two days, I taught in two university classrooms with no heat.  Nada.  Zip.  Nie. The radiators were cold to the touch.  What's a teacher to do in this case?

Naturally, I feel most teachers have a very strong work ethic.  We will battle it out, grin and bear it.  But should we consider setting some limits, especially when our health is at stake?  Because two days of bullet biting in an icy classroom has resulted in five days of missed classes and hundreds of euros of lost income.  I ask you, should I have refused to teach under those conditions?  Chances are, I wasn't the only victim that day.  Chances are some of my students also fell ill. 

With the current ELT discussions about what are the bare necessities of a language classroom (e.g. anti-material Dogme arguments, technology, etc), I ask: what are the bare necessities for staying healthy in the language classroom?  In my experience, three things: proper heating, ventilation and availability of fresh water.  Without these things, can we say it's unethical to teach and even learn in that kind of an environment?  In a country that is labeled as having one of the best health care systems in the world, I don't think it's too much to ask.

Flash Memories at the IATEFL Poland Conference, Bydgoszcz

First, I would like to thank those of you who made an honest attempt to kidnap me so that I could stay in Poland. Despite my efforts to remain in that wonderful country, I still had to return to Paris on September 20^th just after the IATEFL Poland Bydgoszcz conference.

It was a spectacular event. All IATEFL Poland conferences are. What I appreciate most is the enthusiasm for veteran speakers (e.g. IATEFL Global President, Herbert Puchta) but also an openness to accept newer speakers who are just beginning to get their “conference sea legs.” Conferences shouldn’t be just talent shows, but environments where anyone can share information in their own style of communication.  That’s what I witnessed this year.  I would like to send a special thank you to those who supported my friend and colleague Vice President of TESOL France, Debbie West.  She hadn’t spoken in front of an audience for 16 years and chose your conference to get back in the habit of public speaking. Un grand merci a vous tous!

Congratulations!

What IATEFL Poland conferences reveal is that its members all have such a passion for their trade as English teachers. They all work so incredibly hard! We are all on a relentless quest for satisfaction in our classes. I often say that I have 150 children – adults included – who I help explore and excavate the English language. I’m sure you all have your “kids” too. And it’s thanks to conferences and associations like IATEFL Poland that help you provide the highest quality of guidance and instruction. Moreover, Anna Rogalewicz-Gałucka has got to be the best conference planner on the planet. And the hard work of the dedicated volunteers leaves me awestruck. As the volunteer president of TESOL France, I can say I receive as much as I give being on the Executive Committee: the friendships, the personal and professional growth, the input, the fine-tuning of communication skills, all of which I put back into my classes. I truly feel all teachers should try being on an association committee at least once.  The rewards are countless.

Quelle histoire d’amour!

The town tour of Bydgoszcz was most interesting and revealed the enchanted history of the city. What a fantastic idea! Who knew that the history of Bydgoszcz is jam-packed with: lovers! And all sorts of love stories both humorous and tragic. Our guide donned a traditional costume and took us back in time to the medieval adventures of the citizens. The tour revealed the shear beauty of the Venice of Poland.

Pecha Kuchas and Tweets

I found dozing in the train back home impossible because the memory flashes kept bubbling up to the surface like voda gazovana. Especially when I thought of the fun we all had during the Pecha Kuchas.  Lindsay Clandfield introduced a fantastic, if not slightly lunatic, lineup (Jamie Keddie, Geoff Tranter and myself).  From crazy teacher inventions to Polish tongue twisters, the standing-room-only event is one I’m sure you will see again at future IATEFL Poland conferences.  A special thank you to Magda Klys, Jarosław Kawałek and Peter Whiley for your help with Chrząszcz (pronounced: Hshon'shch).

And finally IATEFL Poland has been introduced to Twitter! The tweets and tweeting during the conference made it easier to get the juice out of more talks (e.g. I was tweeting during David. A. Hill’s talk while Lindsay Clandfield tweeted during Vicki Hollet’s and all our followers online got to read about the best of both).  And there are now more “tweeps” after this conference. Consider following those who were there: Peter Whiley of IATEFL Poland (@iateflPoland); Jamie Keddie (@cheimi10); Vicki Hollett (@vickihollet) Paul Maglione (@paulmaglione); Lindsay Clandfield (@lclandfield); Veronika Salandyk (@weronika_sal) Marta Mrozik (@martulmj); Klaudia Skutela (@kskutela); Ron Mukerji (@Englodysiac) and me: @bethcagnol

Welcome Home

Did you know that Poland looks just like my native Virginia, USA? I feel at home in Poland with the added linguistic gymnastics Polish has to offer. My experience hearing Polish is a bit like listening to a recorded message backwards. From time to time, a word or phrase that’s slightly comprehensible jumps out at me. The language is so musical and seems to dance off the lips. It’s a language I can enjoy not understanding. It’s a language one must smile to speak. The covered vowels, the kissed consonants pull me onto the dance floor. Envious, I can only stand there and watch.

But dance I did this time.  I learned so much. I can only sink into an infatuated state when two people start a rapid-fire conversation in Polish next to me, or when a TLK train rolls into the station or when I listen to a Chopin nocturne.  Poland, you are my muse.

Prepare for the Worst and Get Paid

They are out there: the language schools that subcontract you and test your patience by innocently forgetting to pay you or outright ignoring your demands for payment.  You could have shown up on time, worked 35-contact-hour work weeks, signed those presence sheets, sent those invoices but the money just doesn't appear in your bank account.  A language school that is late on their payments does deserve a good, long, contemplative chin rub. They could be delaying your payment because the trainees' company hasn't paid them. Or they could also be in serious financial trouble. But in the end, language establishment directors who are late on payments should be hung by their baby toes.

In this post, I've provided three letters, in French, that go from "poor sad me I need the money" to the more firm: "remember, stupid, I haven't been paid" to the nasty "I'm going to sue if you don't pay me."  Hopefully, they will help you prepare for the worst and save you a few cents on rope for the occasional baby-toe hanging.

Letter 1) Poor Sad Me I Need the Money
Your logo, Your address, name, company, Number, SIRET, etc.

Rappel Concernant les Factures
no (list of unpaid invoices)

Client No :
Adresse de facturation :
(address of your client)

Au (date), nous n'avons pas reçu le paiement :
● de la facture (invoice number) du (date on the invoice) pour un montant de (total on the invoice) TTC,
● de la facture (invoice number) du (date on the invoice) pour un montant de (total on the invoice) TTC,
● de la facture (invoice number) du (date on the invoice) pour un montant de (total on the invoice) TTC,

Nous nous permettons de vous adresser une copie de ces factures et vous serions très reconnaissants si vous pouviez régler ces factures par retour, par virement ou par cheque libellé à l’ordre de (your name). Si vous avez réglé ces factures très récemment, merci de ne pas tenir compte de ce courrier.
Signature

More firm letter 2) Remember, Stupid, I Haven't Been Paid (NB: This one is sent registered)
Your Address
Their address
(City), le (Date)
LETTRE RECOMMANDÉE AVEC A.R.
Objet : défaut de paiement
Monsieur ________________,
Je me permets de vous écrire concernant le défaut de paiement de (number of hours) heures de travaux dirigés dispensées du (start date) au (end date) aux étudiants de (title of the students or stagiaires).

A ce jour je n’ai pas été payée pour ces enseignements.

Je comprends que les procédures administratives puissent prendre du temps. Toutefois, le délai de paiement me paraît singulièrement long. Depuis plusieurs mois (or weeks), j’essaie de comprendre pourquoi ces heures n’ont pas été mises en paiement.

(if you've received an email that seems fishy) Le (date), (name of person who told you you wouldn’t be paid) m’a envoyé un e‐mail dont le texte est (copy and paste the email or letter). Cet e‐mail n’explique en rien les raisons du retard. En outre, loin de s’en excuser, il me semble que la mise en paiement elle‐même est maintenant remise en cause puisque « (quote from letter that gives impression they don’t know when you will be paid) ».

J’estime que cette manière d’agir est contraire aux bonnes pratiques des affaires.

(if you choose to threaten to quit) Dans ces conditions, j’ai informé (name of department or director) que je renonçais désormais à collaborer avec eux. Je le regrette vivement. Par la présente, je vous demande de bien vouloir ordonner la mise en paiement des (number of hours) heures que j’ai dispensées dans votre établissement.

J’attire votre attention sur le fait que la situation perdure depuis plus d’un an (or number of months or weeks) et que ce courrier est une ultime action amiable avant l’engagement d’une action contentieuse.

Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur (name) l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
(Signature)
(Your Name)
(Your Title)
P.J. : Copie de l’état récapitulatif du service prévisionnel (copy of the contract or signatures of your classes)

Nasty Letter 3) I'm Going to Sue if You Don't Pay Me. (NB: it's also sent registered)
Your Address
Their address
(City), le (date)
LETTRE RECOMMANDÉE AVEC A.R.
MISE EN DEMEURE AVANT POURSUITES

Monsieur __________,
J’ai dispensé (number) heures de travaux dirigés dispensées du (start date) au (end date) aux étudiants de (title of the class, or students or « stagiaires »).

Le (date you asked for payment) courant, je vous ai écrit pour vous faire part de ces éléments et vous demander d’ordonner la mise en paiement.

A ce jour je n’ai toujours pas été payée pour ces enseignements.

Par la présente, je suis au regret de devoir vous mettre en demeure de me faire parvenir la somme de (how much they owe you) euros (write out the number lexically in French) sous (number of days) jours, faut de quoi j’agirai par voie de droit pour obtenir le paiement de la créance et le remboursement des frais engagés.

Comptant sur votre diligence, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur le Président, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
(Signature)
(Your name)
(Your title)

P.J. : Copie du courrier du (date of the first and second letters you sent)

I was brought up to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.  This applies to your life and your home. As a professional it applies to your job, your presentations and your projects. As a teacher, it applies to your classes. As a freelance teacher, it applies to your clients, your taxes and most importantly...your paycheck.

Is Your Professional Image Wearing Thin?

1)  Assigned as an English teacher at a luxury accessory store in Paris, I was sent to the head quarters in the chic 14th district. Immediately greeting me at the door, the head of human resources looked me up and down and said, curtly, "Oh...I expected somebody older."

2) Later, at another school, upon seeing all the female teachers working there, a prospective, adult male student asked me, "Gosh, are all the teachers who work here pretty?" Without missing a beat, I replied, touching my hair, "Why yes, Monsieur, we are." 

3)  Not too long ago, I was standing in a Parisian commuter train on my way to class when an ad for a successful home-tutoring service caught my eye.  A beautiful, young woman with wavy brown locks sits at her cafe table with an esperesso tasse, pensively looking at the sky. The ad reads that she's a teacher - hoping she's been all she can be.  But what jumps out, or rather pops out, is her plunging neckline.  I had to smile, wondering if fathers would call up the school asking for a tutor "just like that one!"  

The above examples got me thinking. What is an English teacher in the 21st Century supposed to look like? Do clients expect they'll be getting the present perfect with Juliette Binoche?  Honestly, today, clients are getting scarcer and pickier, and with that the expectations for professionalism and perfectionism are getting higher.

I'm not saying we should all go get face lifts and hair plugs. But teachers, especially independents who bounce from the classroom to the human resources office and back again, need to be aware of their professional image. 

We've already acknowledged that the job is difficult and the conditions are harsh. But as ugly as this may sound, I do believe learners prefer a teacher who is pleasantly put together.   We teachers need to start thinking about the nonverbal messages we send to our learners if we come into class looking like, well, we've been run over by that commuter train.

What Now: Staying on top of your game

Times are tough and tense. And teachers are going to need to stay on top of their game.  Every sector has its ups and downs.  It's just what we decide to do during those downs is what counts. 

This time last year I was in tears - with exhaustion.  In the taxi, on the way to what should have been a relaxing weekend,  the tear ducts burst open.  I came to the realization that I had pushed myself too far physically and mentally and had to cut back.  Little did I know that the job of cutting back would be done for me.  Fellow teachers who were in the same boat last year (bawling from burnout) are, this year, wondering how they are going to make ends meet until September.  Companies are opting out of language teaching (at least face to face), clients are stalling on payments, and schools are suspending hours. This leaves the teacher looking at her nails wondering which one to bite first.  

With that said, there are still things teachers can do to stay on top of their game.  Below, I've provided a list of actions one can take, in order of cost.  I'd like to stress that it's now we need to look at the cost of our professional development as an investment.  What, among the not-so-free items on this list, will pay for themselves in 1 month, 5 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years?  Ask yourself that as you browse and consider each suggestion thoroughly. 

• Join Twitter - great for networking with other teachers around the world.  Be the first to know about anything and everything ELT related.  Sure it takes time to touch base, but now you've got it.
• Join the SEETA Online Community (South Eastern Europe Teachers Association). They run free online webinars with the stars and more of ELT.  
• Join the TESOL France Jobs List.   It's free and you receive the latest job ads for France (and a few abroad too).
• Join IATEFL Email Discussion Lists.  It's free to join, and you can stay up to date with the latest buzz in the ELT sectors that you enjoy the most.  My faves are the BESIG (Business English Special Interest Group)  LAM SIG (Leadership and Management SIG), and Testing and Assessment (TEASIG) discussion lists.  

€  Join TESOL France.  For the same price as a learner's dictionary, you can attend all of their events for an entire year.  Unlimited networking opportunities, workshops,  conferences, Teaching Times magazine and you can meet ELT experts face to face. 

€  Write articles for newsletters, journals, online forms, etc. Even if you think everybody's heard it all before, write it anyway.  Get your name out there. It will also speed up your typing skills (which is a huge time-is-money eater, in the end)  The key € here is time, not cash. 

€€  Attend (better yet, speak at!) international conferences.  The cost will include the registration fee (e.g. 60-100€), travel (60-200€) and accommodation (depends).  But believe me, it's totally worth it.  As an independent, you can even charge this as a business expense (within reason and provided you include proof of attendance along with your receipts) And quickly, like now, get over your fear of speaking in front of your colleagues. You speak in public as a profession every day for Pete's sake! 

 €€€   Do an MA. Nothing boosts your credentials like a good, solid MA in TEFL.  The good news is there are quite a few distance and semi-distance programs you can look into.  Google it.  Today! 

€€€  Move to where the work is.  This may not be an option for many, but I know a few who are considering it.  In the 1970s, France was the promised land for English teachers.  Work was a plenty.  Well the wrath of the grapes has arrived and finding ELT work is getting harder and harder.  But don't move until you are sure you 1) have the experience and credentials worthy of the place you're going to and 2) have a solid, trustworthy contract under your arm.  

In brief:  don't burn your bridges.  Au contraire.  Diversify diversify diversify.