The Digital Literacy Coach (DLC) shall, under the supervision of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) & Special Projects Coordinator, ensure that digital literacy is carefully and appropriately integrated into all content areas. The majority of the Digital Literacy Coach’s time will be spent working with teachers and students to achieve integration between digital literacy and content objectives as well as providing training and support to create a global and collaborative approach to learning. The DLC will pursue instructional change in the classroom through increased duration and intensity of DLC-teacher interaction.
Hi all,
First of all, I want to commend all of you for the wonderfully informative posts about teaching in Mexico. I've read many of them--some of them even multiple times--and found them very helpful.
I've been wondering about the best way to go about obtaining a university job in Mexico.
Here's some info. about me, if that helps:
1. Moderately fluent Spanish speaker and native English speaker
2. MA in TESOL
3. 1-2 years part time teaching experience and over 3 years of tutoring experience
Here are a few ways I'm thinking of applying for university jobs in Mexico:
1. Applying to jobs posted online (there are a few universities in Oaxaca that have posted at eslemployment.com and esljobs.com)
2. Flying to my city of choice, showing up at the Centro de Idiomas at the local university, and asking if there are any openings (I'd try to arrive around January or August). Right now, I'm looking at Oaxaca City, Guadalajara, Manzanillo (Colima), Salamanca (Guanajuato), or Xalapa (Veracruz).
3. Looking up universities online and emailing the director of the Centro de Idiomas at the ones that interest me. However, I'm not exactly sure what the best time to do this would be. And I have a feeling that the director would still want to interview me in person, which I don't mind flying to Mexico for as long as I know there are openings at a few universities so that I'm not left in a lurch.
Of the three options, which one(s) do you think would be the most fruitful? Also, what are good times of the year to start sending emails and what are good times to arrive in Mexico?
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
I would suggest a three pronged approach. In many cases landing a job will be a case of being in the right place at the right time. So do as much as possible to get you or your resume into that right place.
People leave and positions open up at just about anytime of the year, but more positions will open for the start of the semester--which is Feb and August, so in January and July are good times to look. For fall openings, schools might now further in advance so may start recruiting earlier. But it often depends on both student enrollment as people leaving positions. And in Mexico schools are not big on early pre-enrollment, so often times are hiring on fairly short notice--that's why the people who are in the right place at that time get a job.
I have worked at the language center and the main campus for the Tec de Monterrey. I like it there. They pay well for Mexico, on-time, and do the paper work for your working visa (although you pay for it). The Tec does everything legit, and you are enrolled in the public health care system.
You can work in the language center, the prepa (high school), or the university. They want people with masters so if there is a position open you would probably get it. The better jobs (i.e. more pay, some full-time positions with better benefits like accomodation supplement) are in prepa and university.
I got my job by walking into the language center, but other foreigners have been recruited from abroad and are paid better than me!
If you want to check them out, I believe you can apply on-line at any of their campuses throughout Mexico. They start again in January, so I'd apply now if you want to start in January.
Here's the website:
http://www.itesm.edu/wps/wcm/connect/ITESM/Tecnologico+de+Monterrey/Herramientas/Empleo
Hi, I am currently finishing up my last year in college then upon graduation was thinking of heading down to Mexico to try my hand at teaching ESL. I will have my Bachelor's Degree in hand and plan on doing an online TEFL course in the coming months. I had a few questions I was hoping you could all help me with (I know the boards have a lot of info on them but I wanted to condense all the info right here)
1.) Is my best option to find a school and sign a contract before I come to Mexico OR just find a school there when I arrive? I am guessing there are a bunch of options, especially in DF. Also, should I stay away from the language schools? They seem like they'd be the easiest place to get a 1st job at.
2.) Is it easy to find work as an ESL teacher if your Spanish skills aren't the greatest? I can speak some Spanish but it is still very much a work in progress. Will this hinder me in my search or will I have no problem finding work?
3.) How much $$$ in US dollars should I plan on coming to Mexico with in order to cover start-up costs and to hold me over until I get on my feet?
4.) Will the school that hires you sponsor you and help you turn the Tourist Visa into a Work Visa in Mexico? Also do you have to apostille your documents before arrival? I have heard conflicting reports on this.
AND FINALLY 5.) Should I stick with my plan to come to Mexico? I am 23, (a soon-to-be) college graduate, and I am very well travelled (I have been all over Latin America and Europe as my passion is travel and I devote much of my extra money towards it)...I know this is a big step, moving to a new country, but the thought of staying in the US and becoming a corporate stick in the mud doesn't interest me much....life is about new adventures. So will I have success if I keep the right attitude?
Thanks everyone!!
1.) You will want to wait until you get here to find a school. Try Harmon Hall, Berlitz and Hamer Sharp. I know Harmon Hall will help you do the work to transfer your tourist visa into a work visa
No, do not stay away from the language schools. You can gain some valuable experience through them and learn some techniques that you can take with you if you ever decide to go to another school. They are good for experience and you may move up over time.
2.) I think it's easy to find work if your Spanish isn't perfect.I have had no problems. There are some schools that will not want you speaking in Spanish because they want the students to focus on the target language. You should have no problem finding work because of this.
3.) 3,000 to 4,000 dollars is what I would say to try and bring. Others may have different amounts,but I think what I mentioned is pretty average.
4.) Some schools may help you with the transference of your tourist visa into a work visa.I remember Harmon Hall does or at least they used to. I believe Berlitz does as well but I'm not sure about Hamer Sharp. I had my degree, EFL online certificate and my marriage license from the States apostilled before coming. Get the degree and EFL certificate apostilled beofre coming just to be safe. Some places may ask for that while others may not.
5.) Yes, stick with your plan to come to Mexico. You're young (23 you said) so the experience couldn't hurt. It may help your resume if you plan on going to graduate school for a Masters in International Business for example. The right attitude will carry you far in life. Stay positive. Being negative destroys your Ki.
If you have all your needed paperwork there is no way it will take a few months. I just walked two teachers through the process, one had everything and got her FM3 in 11 days, the other was missing something and it took 3 weeks. The law is, currently, that you have to have an answer within 30 days. From what I have seen, for people that are waiting months, it that the schools are turning the job over to a lawyer who takes his own sweet time about going to immigration. To answer your other quesion, most schools will allow you to start teaching while your paperwork is being processed, yes. You might also pick up a few private classes on the side to tido you over.
In another thread there was some discussion as what consitutes a "better" job in English teaching in Mexico.
Obviously, what is best for one person is not best for another, but I thought this is a worthwhile topic and would be helpful for new teachers.
I work at a university. I have a full-time permanent position.
For me the pros are:
a comfortable salary
full benefits package
some nice perks like paid sabbaticals and options to take extended leave--I just got back from 6 months off to extend my maternity leave. a reasonable work load and a pleasent working environment
for the most part respectful students who recognize English as important for their futures
The cons are:
inflexibility in hours, as a mother, I'd like to be able to consider part-time work. (the hours most teachers work at colegios are very attractive to me)
vacations fixed into academic calander, the same times as sooo many other people.
a cap on my earnings, while I get nice cost of living increases and small antiquity bonuses, I can't work harder to make more like I could if I were doing private or free lance lessons.
my students are too busy to really commit the time needed to advance in their language learning
my class sizes are often near 30
Common to Mexico City is teaching English directly in companies, either yourself or through a language institute with a business focus. I've done a lot of this over the years.
Pros
Good hourly pay
Flexible hours, usually no Saturday work
Good stepping stone into other areas, such as translations, or into other fields
Small class sizes
Motivated students, for the most part
Independence
Cons
Usually no benefits
Difficult to maintain a full work load
Travel time a pain if not managed properly
Holidays and cancellations can cause havoc with a schedule if not managed
I teach high school at a colegio and would echo MotherF's pros with a few additons:
PROS
Hours - I can be home by 3pm and feel as though I still have a full day to accomplish what needs to be done, to enjoy my family or to do nothing at all.
Resources - My school is full of the basics and the extras; I have an apple laptop, a digital projector, and opportunities for professional development (some better than others, but at least it is there!).
Colleagues - I work with amazing people who help me to grow as a teacher constantly; we are all qualified and dedicated professionals who provide unlimited support to our kiddies and each other.
Students - my class sizes are (usually) a good size; this year I have groups of 17 (2) and one of 15; they have a great level of English; great resources at home and for the most part are competent and thus successful.
LOCATION - I do not have to travel far to get to work (or home) and best of all, I do not have to move around (like some language teaching).
Vacation/Holidays/PD - I have the norm but I also have days off that others do not, meaning I can vacation when it is off-season and thus cheaper and less crowded. We also have full days without kids (nine this year) dedicated to pd.
CONS
Admin is weak in leadership, positive modeling and general knowledge but for the most part (and this is a pro) they do not interfere in how I organize and lead my classes.
I too am stuck at a certain pay now, but my pay is good, as are the benefits. The school claims to be looking into how pay is determined and more importantly, how raises can be earned so perhaps this will be omitted in the future.
My first job here was in a horrible place, filled with horrible people and weak students. I followed that with another job that I enjoyed, but travel was time consuming, the hours longer, and less holiday time. Like all places, job environments vary but for now, I am quite happy.
In another thread there was some discussion as what consitutes a "better" job in English teaching in Mexico.
Obviously, what is best for one person is not best for another, but I thought this is a worthwhile topic and would be helpful for new teachers.
I work at a university. I have a full-time permanent position.
For me the pros are:
a comfortable salary
full benefits package
some nice perks like paid sabbaticals and options to take extended leave--I just got back from 6 months off to extend my maternity leave. a reasonable work load and a pleasent working environment
for the most part respectful students who recognize English as important for their futures
The cons are:
inflexibility in hours, as a mother, I'd like to be able to consider part-time work. (the hours most teachers work at colegios are very attractive to me)
vacations fixed into academic calander, the same times as sooo many other people.
a cap on my earnings, while I get nice cost of living increases and small antiquity bonuses, I can't work harder to make more like I could if I were doing private or free lance lessons.
my students are too busy to really commit the time needed to advance in their language learning
my class sizes are often near 30
Thanks for having started this helpful thread! I'm in Oaxaca. Came here to teach English but now I'm trying to decide whether to stay or move on.
What would you consider "a comfortable salary" in Mexico? I keep hearing different things and am having trouble wrapping my head around it. Does the benefits package include any kind of pension plan?
One other question to which I'm having trouble getting an answer (possibly because the answer varies from place to place): I'm an experienced teacher with a masters degree in education, but I don't have a TESOL background. Would I need a TESOL certification course to get a university position here? If not, would such a certification course improve my odds of getting a better job, or would my other education and experience trump the TESOL?
Thanks again!
Common to Mexico City is teaching English directly in companies, either yourself or through a language institute with a business focus. I've done a lot of this over the years.
Pros
Good hourly pay
Flexible hours, usually no Saturday work
Good stepping stone into other areas, such as translations, or into other fields
Small class sizes
Motivated students, for the most part
Independence
Cons
Usually no benefits
Difficult to maintain a full work load
Travel time a pain if not managed properly
Holidays and cancellations can cause havoc with a schedule if not managed
It seems to me that we really don't teach pronunciation and intonation these days. I know that i am guilty of thinking that maybe it's too difficult (for me to get my head round), so I'll just steer clear of pronunciation and more importantly intonation practice.
Do you do the same? Why is this?
In another thread we are talking about how salaries and teachers values haven't increased over the years- maybe we should re-evaluate what we're teaching!
Any student can arguably learn grammar and vocabulary from a book or off the internet, but pronunciation and intonation is a clear point of difference for us native speakers.
I'm going to be incorporating a lot more of it into my classes from now on. Maybe THIS is the future....?
The "sounds of the English Language", in all its complexity, is indeed a challenge to teach if your students are already too old to be good mimics. But, I'm going to attempt it, and hope to see some improvement you can spot.
Working in the SAC and using the program called, Clear Speech from the Start, Cambridge Univ Press, I'll be offering active practice for those who desire it, as a test of its usefulness. I plan to make before and after recordings, and invite native speakers to identify "which is which".
I'm hoping for an eight week commitment to an hour a week, in two half hour sessions. I hope somebody signs up....
