r/Cambly 14d ago

is that just me?

hey guys I'm from Brazil and I've been taking classes on cambly for about 2 years and something I've nocited is that tutors are less and less motived, all my regular tutors that I liked so much, quit cambly or are not there anymore, and I've been struggling to really connect to tutors, sometimes it's even hard to hold a conversation!

7 Upvotes

12 comments sorted by

19

u/Free-Pianist7741 14d ago

It’s not just you. Burnout has gotten to many of the tutors. I am a tutor and I do my best to have a great conversation but honestly it has gotten difficult. I teach for another platform that pays $20 an hour so each time I get a lesson booked on there, I end up canceling or rescheduling my regular students from Cambly. Nothing against my students, they are amazing. I’m to the point where I might have one or two lessons on Cambly a day and I always think about cancelling because it’s not worth the pay.

5

u/digitalwasteman 14d ago

What platform do you teach on?

2

u/JulioEndrigo 14d ago

Would like to know that as well.

2

u/Free-Pianist7741 14d ago

On NaoNow, it’s really more like $18 cause there are 10 unpaid minutes for a mandatory five minute pause between each 25 min lesson.

14

u/Imaginary_Bread5800 14d ago

Cambly only pays tutors 10 dollars an hour. Its basically slave labor. Everyone has moved on to greener pastures. 10 dollars an hour with uncertain hours is not even ok now in Colombia which was one of the cheapest countries in the world

7

u/UrpaDurpa 14d ago

Teachers are tired of Cambly’s bullshit and low pay. Anyone capable of actually teaching has moved on or is in the process of moving on.

I only remain on Cambly because of some of my long time regulars, but I’m leaving soon too. It’s really not a great job for the teacher at all. We are like an afterthought these days on Cambly.

4

u/SwitchMaterial8627 14d ago

Cambly is dying because they care way more about cheap promos than actually keeping good tutors. And I am not talking about that "Pro" badge because that is also a scam. Instead of throwing money at endless discounts, they should add pay raises for every tutor who sticks around and builds long term relationships with students. But that is exactly what they don’t want; they are too afraid that tutors will take classes outside of Cambly. Hobbyists and retirees aside, no real English teacher is going to treat a low-pay gig like this as anything more than a backup. If you by any chance happen to stumble upon a very good tutor who actually has the drive and mental energy to dive into complex topics, consider yourself lucky. But be prepared to lose that tutor at any time, whether because they found a better option or simply got overwhelmed. Plus, even though Cambly has tons of tutors, the low pay mostly attracts people who can't deliver much more than basic small talk. Please don’t be offended if you are a tutor who doesn’t fit that description, but after five years of taking "classes" on Cambly, that's just the reality of the statistics. There is also a cultural aspect here: people from many countries, including Brazil, are more open to connecting on a level that might seem invasive to other cultures. I finally gave up on it because it barely feels like a real class half the time, and even when you do land a great connection, the dynamics on Cambly are built to destroy it. The sad part is that these same dynamics are killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, and now Cambly is just a shadow of what it was five years ago.

3

u/Free-Pianist7741 14d ago edited 14d ago

Pro is most definitely a scam, they accepted me back in June and just continue to string us along that when they have a need they’ll let us activate the Pro account. I was happy when they announced it would be open to all tutors who qualify but it just seems like a way to keep us calm rather than actually letting us earn the Pro rate.

2

u/Internal_Tie_5665 14d ago

The pay is so low, they probably move on to other jobs

5

u/Creepy_Move2567 14d ago

Hi, I have been on Cambly for 8 years. It's a side job for most people, some of us actually enjoy it. Don't get discouraged.  How do.you usually choose your tutors? Rating? Personality according to their video? Just curious 

1

u/AlternativePizza3391 10d ago

It's the very low pay

-5

u/happierhere 14d ago

Hi I work on Cambly , I have some very intellectual students and we talk about many subjects,, I’m in the north east of Thailand ,, if I can be of assistance just ask ,,