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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003
Posts: 1536
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 Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2003 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Metaphorically speaking, I'm with Ben on this one, Isabel. Your posts have given me some interesting food for thought. I'm new to TESOL, have hardly any money, and have known to be a little nervous at times about the whole teaching English in Mexico thing. Your words have helped me to realise another option that it didn't occur to me I had.
So, thanks! Keep on posting! 
Lozwich. |
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dduck
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 422
Location: In the middle
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| isabel wrote: |
| I am responding on the Mexico forum, first because I love Mexico, so I eavesdrop here so I will feel closer. I specifically responded to DDuck's dilemma because I think that one can get experience here and go back to Mexico and get better work there (the ultimate goal for me, anyway.) The point of Dave's forum, at least for some of us, is to trade experiences and share advice. That is what I am trying to do. I hope I am not being too much of an interloper. |
Some very sound advice, Isabel. I realise now that I've really made things hard for myself starting off my teaching career in Mexico. One of my mexican colleagues laughed when I told him how much I was earning (a lot less than he was getting). He'd never heard of a mexican company exploiting a white person before.
I've been whinging a fair bit in the mexican forum, I wouldn't normally, but I think it's important that other newbies get to hear how hard it can be here. In some ways I'm lucky to have work, I know of one other European newbie teacher who can't find any work here. Besides, I applied for another job nearby, only to discover after a few weeks that they've changed the amount of experience they want from 'Entry level' to 1 year. It's an uphill struggle.
It would have been much easier to have started in Asia or looked for work in Europe. Live and learn.
Iain |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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Isabel, you are living my dream. But I don't understand why you think you need an MA in TESOL to work in a Mexican university. I know lots of people who have MA's in various fields, (totally unrealated to TESOL) and yet manage to work in Mexican Universities. Especially with your experience, I can't see that any university in Mexico would turn you away.
I wish I had an MA in anything, I would be heading to Mexico tomorrow.
PS: Ben is my hero. 
Cheers |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2003 3:21 am Post subject: |
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Ben is my hero.
- some waygug-in |
Gosh, some waygug-in. What can I say? 
I, too, found it strange when isabel suggested that she needed her MA in TESOL or something related in order to teach EFL in Mexican universities. I realize that there's pressure on a lot of state universities to increase their percentage of teachers holding higher degrees. Maybe half of the people teaching EFL at the university where I work have MA degrees (a generous estimate,) but many of those are in areas unrelated to EFL or education.
The state university where I teach isn't big on hiring foreigners, however. During most of my 8 years at the unverisity, there have been only two of us foreigners out of 15-20 people teaching EFL. I had my MA in TESOL before I began working there. The other foreign teacher just recently completed her MA, and she's been working there a few years longer than I have.
I work split shifts 4 days out of 5, and I don't do Saturday classes. I teach 31 hours per week and earn less than USD$700/month (plus paid vacations, medical insurance, and a few other benefits.) You can see that it's not a super job $-wise. |
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isabel
Joined: 07 Mar 2003
Posts: 510
Location: God's green earth
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| Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2003 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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HI Guys,
I had applied for jobs at Tech de Monterrey (several campuses) and a couple of other places. I was offered a couple of classes in my discipline (Political Science) but was told that I needed to have the M.A. in English or a related field for a full time position.
I need to be making more than $700 per month (bills, savings, etc.). And I don't want to work those hours unless it is necessary. I have taught university in the States, and the hours are much more reasonable. I am teaching 18 hours a week now- four each evening Mon.- Thurs., and two on Friday. I know, I am spoiled. But I know that this is the sort of teaching hours for ITESM, which is my target school in Mexico.
I'm not so young, and I don't have much savings to supplement my income. I am starting to believe that I might have to work for some more years here in Asia, get some "retirement" money, and come to Mexico to work when I don't have to depend on the income for everything. I am retinking my options after the discussion here. It sounds like Mexico might be best for the young who don't need to worry so much about the future, or those with nice retirement savings who can live on what is paid there. I haven't given up on ITESM, but I am not counting on it either.
Of course, I can always spend long holidays there. . ..
P.S.- I do follow the Mexico forum, and I also appreciate the wisdom of Ben, Mellee, and Guy (among others, of course.) |
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MELEE
Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| seriouslydog wrote: |
dduck,
Surely there are other jobs in Mexico that would help you secure a visa. I hope so, at least, because I'm coming down in two weeks. But now I'm getting worried. Here I am trying to get in the country and others are planning to get out.
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Yes, there are. I'd say that about half the jobs I know about will help you get an FM3. I'm with Ben, that I'd NEVER recommend working with out one. I have two reasons. 1) I know two Irish teachers who were deported from Oaxaca for working illegally. 2) If you come to Mexico, you are getting some much out the of the experience, if you work illegally, you are not contributing to Mexico (schools who hire teachers to work on tourists visas are not paying their taxes). Most Mexicans will tell you that they'd like to see the levels and types of corruption in their country diminish. If you want to help them in that goal, you need to be upstanding in all aspects of your life here. I do not cut in line when I see a friend up ahead of me, nor do I hire teachers illegally. |
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dduck
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 422
Location: In the middle
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| MELEE wrote: |
| If you come to Mexico, you are getting some much out the of the experience, if you work illegally, you are not contributing to Mexico (schools who hire teachers to work on tourists visas are not paying their taxes). |
Firstly, as I mentioned before I'd prefer to have a work permit, and perhaps I'm being unreasonable by expecting my school to help me get one. The school's attitude seems to revolve around denial. I predict that when my tourist visa runs out and I tell them I'm not prepared to do a border run to extend they'll get all surprised and think I'm some evil person whom they should never have trusted in the first place.
I do believe that I'm contributing to Mexico. For one, every centavo I earn is spent in Mexico, plus I don't have enough money to support myself from my wage alone, so I'm using my savings, i.e. bringing in my own money. As a consumer I buy stuff and this in small part contributes to the Mexican economy.
I agree that schools should employ teachers legally. Should I report them?
Iain |
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MELEE
Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| dduck wrote: |
I agree that schools should employ teachers legally. Should I report them?
Iain |
Unfortunately, the teachers I know who were deported, got the penalty, the school they were working for got no penalty. But when you are ready to move on, you could call the local migracion and see if they are interested in the school. I believe you said that you are the only foreigner they have ever hired, so my guess if the migracion wouldn't be interested  |
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