Cafes to teach English

[Anonymous]

I have been teaching English in Tokyo at my home. But due to the uneasy accessibilty to my house , my students drop out. I can go to Shinjuku or Ikebukuro to teach them in a cafe , but I do not know of any cafe where I can teach.

So if anyone out there who has been teaching in cafes and can give me a few names in Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, I would be really obliged. I am new to Tokyo and do not know much.
So please if someone can help me, I would be really grateful.

And also if we can sit in a cafe with one drink for an hour or more?

Thanks

[smallworld]

Almost any cafe is fine, but cheaper places might be too crowded and noisy. More expensive coffee shops like the ones found in department stores are better, they are quiet and have more space. But shy students sometimes feel uncomfortable if the place is TOO quiet.
There is a chain of coffee shops called 'Renoir' that I like to use- used to be quite popular but now all of their cafes are getting old and run down and thanks to competition from Starbucks et all, it's almost never crowded. Some of them have private booths where you can teach without distraction, this is good for shy students.

Another place I like is in Ikebukuro and is not a coffee shop at all. It's on the third floor of the Metropolitan building at Ikebukuro station- there is a court with a big table that seats about 10, and three or four smaller tables seating two. Anyone can use it for free so there are often students doing homework or shoppers taking a break. If all the seats are taken there is a coffee shop right beside it you can use, but this has never happened.

[Anonymous]

Some of the bigger bookshops (Junkudo, Maruzen) have coffee areas, which work especially well because the bookshop atmosphere is quiet and vaguely scholarly.

[Glenski]

Momoko,

Yes, you can sit in a coffee shop, order one beverage, and sit there for hours. I do this in one place, and after the management realizes that you are bringing in business in the form of your students, they'll smile at you broadly when you arrive. Some even take messages for me when students call to say they're canceling or coming late. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the information. I did not expect so many replies in a day. Thank you for your advice and time. All the best to all in whatever you are doing

[Anonymous]

If you can manage it, go to landmark tower in yokohama. It's has an awesome place on the fourth floor for teaching. It's large and spaceous. Warm, friendly environment, and a great vew of the bay. I teach in Sendai now, but when I taught in Yokosuka, that place was amazing. I loved it and my students thought it was the best thing since peanut butter...

[Bluwave]

Well, I have not ever done any private teaching before. But... about a 5 minute walk from Tokyo station or from Ginza there is a cafe in maranouchi that a lot of teachers go to. They don't serve food or drinks there and they have a lot of seating. Most people go there just to sit and read a magazine or go on the internet after work. You could stay there all day if you wanted. The cafe is called Maranouchi Cafe, btw.

Also, I often see teachers with students at your everyday coffee shop (excelsior, starbucks, even doutor). You can stay at one of those for at least an hour. I sometimes take my wife or my wifes friends there and we sit and talk for hours and no one has ever once told us to leave.

Hope that helps.

Joey

[Anonymous]

Not from your area but a piece of advice that worked for me.Talk to the cafe owner yourself,take a Japanese friend if you can`t speak Japanese.Make a deal that has the potential to be beneficial for both of you.I paid a percentage of my lesson fee to him and he supplied me with a free coffee and one for my student.1 student didn`t make a profit for him but once they started coming in his business increased and I made more money.He added a little message to his weekly ads of "Eikaiwa lessons".Lessons were conducted in his off peak times so it was no hassle for him.Both of us were more than satisfied.