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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Don't get me wrong...I'm not knocking HH, just describing the business model. Clearly it has been a successful business.
For R&D, you're reinforcing what I was saying. You say that HH has spent years and a lot of money on this process. To what end? To flatten out the supply line and save money on future R&D, by both offering someone else's well-known brand and offshoring the costs of program development to the supplier of that product. HH will no longer have to pump money and time into designing programs...that's what you pay Cambridge to do.
As for tacos, don't read too much into that. I said Taco Inn, not Taco Bell (and I happen to like Taco Inn). But the business model is the same. Like it or lump it, Taco Bell makes scads of money. |
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gregd75
Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 360 Location: Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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Is EFL teaching still a good idea in Mexico? I think it depends on the teacher, and what they are looking for in their career.
I think that you can't just spend years and years doing the same thing i.e teaching classes and simply expect your pay, terms and general prospects to improve.
Teachers have a responsibility to their students to do the best they can, and they also have a responsibility to themselves to continue developing and learning. Teaching English is so dynamic. It's up to us to learn more, to find new methods, to engage our students even more- or maybe to try and engage those students that previously we simply let fall by the wayside.
If we develop our careers then the future for ourselves here in Mexico is very bright- and exciting.
I'll give you an example. Peru TESOL has an annual conference. They are always looking for new presenters to submit workshop ideas. If you're accepted, then they pay for your hotel, entrance to the conference and our food. All you need to do is submit an interesting proposal and pay for flights.
I think thats a great developmental opportunity. It's up to us to make EFL what we want it to be here in Mexico. |
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mejms
Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm just wondering, there are so many experience and qualified teachers - have any of you thought about starting a reasonably priced high quality professional school ? Seems to me that'd be one the best ways to improve things ? |
Good question. Not sure why it was passed over. |
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TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:31 am Post subject: |
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I haven't thought about opening a school, but I toyed with the idea of starting an institute and focusing on Business English, but at about the same time I started doing some supervising and presentations to business for the institute I work for part time and when I saw how much work it was it became a lot less attractive. |
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TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 12:42 am Post subject: |
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gregd75 wrote: |
I
Teachers have a responsibility to their students to do the best they can, and they also have a responsibility to themselves to continue developing and learning. Teaching English is so dynamic. It's up to us to learn more, to find new methods, to engage our students even more- or maybe to try and engage those students that previously we simply let fall by the wayside.
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This seems like a no-brainer, but I know so many people who don't think that way, they just read the lesson out of the teacher's manual, answer a few questions and think they are fine. They look around and see lots of teachers who are worse than they are, so they feel OK about what they are doing. I supervise a group of teachers, and part of my job is to observe their classes and offer constructive criticism, if needed. Luckily, a lot of them are going a very good job, but the couple who need improvement are very definsive and resistant, even to reading an article, looking at a resource book, etc. And until schools and institutes start demanding more, that isn't going to change. I see signs of hope now and then, the man who owns the institute I work for has high standards, has lots of resources for teachers to use, and organizes workshops for the teachers (which he pays for, and pays teachers to attend). He pays decent wages, and gives merit raises. But there are many other institutes who don't do any of that, they will pretty much hire you if you are breathing. No experience, no problem. And so it goes. I am not sure what the answer is, but I do see signs here and there of improvement.
Personally, I really enjoy workshops and reading new books and resources, and I totally agree that it is an ongoing process. I have been teaching for 20 years, and when I think back on some of the classes I gave as a young teacher, I wish I could find some of those people and apologize to them. It's only in the last 4 or 5 years that I have begun to think I am a good, really good, sometimes even great teacher. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:17 am Post subject: |
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mejms wrote: |
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I'm just wondering, there are so many experience and qualified teachers - have any of you thought about starting a reasonably priced high quality professional school ? Seems to me that'd be one the best ways to improve things ? |
Good question. Not sure why it was passed over. |
I ran one years ago with my wife and built it up to a nice size at which point we sold it. I'm not a big fan of the day to day business side of things involved in such an endeavour. Phil can tell you about that.
It takes a good amount of capital to start up such a thing. And there's one thing to point out...a really good teacher does not necessarily a really good business person make. |
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mejms
Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:21 am Post subject: |
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Have any of you tried working together before? |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 1:31 am Post subject: |
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I covered a class for Phil once.
I've worked with a few others posting here, mostly on job connections. |
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mejms
Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:03 am Post subject: |
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But no one's ever teamed up to work together? I mean we all spend so much time posting here, talking about the pitfalls of so many schools around here. A lot of the posters here are professionals. We talk all the time. No one's tried working together? |
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TeresaLopez
Joined: 18 Apr 2010 Posts: 601 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Guy sent me a great teacher when we had a very "professional" one quit with one days notice........... |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:09 am Post subject: |
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When I returned to Mexico three years ago, Guy hooked him up with a fellow Canadian who helped me find a private business class to teach. |
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latif
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 31 Location: Oakland, California
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:52 am Post subject: |
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Guy Courchesne wrote: |
It takes a good amount of capital to start up such a thing. And there's one thing to point out...a really good teacher does not necessarily a really good business person make. |
True, but a really good teacher does know what is good teaching and what is not ... re: the business side of things, well thats why g_d (or maybe that other dude) made accountants, investors, and managers (not suggesting that anyone discussing teaching standards should go out and start a school ... but just that it could be one option to consider). |
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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latif wrote: |
Guy Courchesne wrote: |
It takes a good amount of capital to start up such a thing. And there's one thing to point out...a really good teacher does not necessarily a really good business person make. |
True, but a really good teacher does know what is good teaching and what is not ... re: the business side of things, well thats why g_d (or maybe that other dude) made accountants, investors, and managers (not suggesting that anyone discussing teaching standards should go out and start a school ... but just that it could be one option to consider). |
The difference between an entrepreneur, a manager and a technician in a nutshell. |
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mejms
Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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It takes a good amount of capital to start up such a thing. And there's one thing to point out...a really good teacher does not necessarily a really good business person make. |
Depends on what you�re looking to do. This business actually presents a pretty unique opportunity to get started without much investment. You don�t need any machinery, supplies, etc. It can be just you, your brain, and your connections.
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True, but a really good teacher does know what is good teaching and what is not ... re: the business side of things, well thats why g_d (or maybe that other dude) made accountants, investors, and managers (not suggesting that anyone discussing teaching standards should go out and start a school ... but just that it could be one option to consider). |
I�ve seen non-teachers get into this business. They were a walking disaster. I�ve seen teachers who are not cut out for management also try their hands at it. They didn�t too well either.
I think you�ve got to have, first and foremost, a sense for business and experience. You�ve got to know how to hire, who to hire, and how to keep staff. You have to manage money well and invest in what�s going to give good returns. Don�t rent an office if you can spend most of the day in companies. You need how to keep overhead low and have a head for the bottom line. Besides not seeing too many professional teachers involved in management, I�ve seen even more inept �entrepreneurs� start up a school in Mexico, frankly because I think they wouldn�t be able to hack it anywhere else.
In my humble opinion, too few business owners know how to invest in their greatest capital, the staff. I�ve seen that in all sectors. With schools, you just add to the fact that they don�t know anything about education either. |
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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In my humble opinion, too few business owners know how to invest in their greatest capital, the staff. I�ve seen that in all sectors. With schools, you just add to the fact that they don�t know anything about education either. |
I think the greatest asset is the product, but I know what you mean (in this business they are pretty much the same thing!). When will people realize that hiring the very best people (and rewarding them accordingly) is an investment, not a cost? |
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