Job Discussion Forums

[Isla Guapa]

[Tretyakovskii]

Mexico works for me, too, Guapa! I was really impressed by everything I saw at our winter trip through central Mexico, and a four day visit to Mexico City. As a big city person, myself, that place has a lot of appeal.

[EFLeducator]

[Tretyakovskii]

EFL Educator, it seems to me the OP had an unusually cushy posting in Thailand: her experience would not be what I would describe as typical there, though many make a go of it, eventually, just as they do here.

To get a better picture of what I'm talking about, read the Thailand forum of Dave's ESL.

When people make a go of it, anywhere, they have something to be proud of: Mexico is no exception to that rule. The important thing is, come with some financial reserves, some zest for living, some talent for teaching and, with time, you can discover the hidden opportunities, and cultivate those not so well hidden.

[ozgurl]

It was a cushy job, but not particularly. Just a language school (or "Mill" as some working in high schools would dismiss them). But it was also a teacher training center, so they had to try harder than usual.
Here is what jobs in Mexico (and Peru actually) can't compete with:
There were no spilt shifts. Travel was rare, paid for, and even transport provided. Management really supportive and worked hard to make schedules work. A big, comfy teacher room with loads of resources, a fridge, toaster oven, microwave, water, computers and a crew of awesome teachers to suggest an activity to make your lesson great. No limits on photocopying (and noone ever abused it) Good admin staff who ran things smoothly and dealt with student problems so that the teacher coordinators/director didnt have to handle too much of it, and so had time for teachers. There were clear policies school wide that dealt with absences/lateness so that teachers didnt have to deal with that stuff alone. Iwas able to branch out and tecah special courses and learn more. New teachers were assigned mentrs fr a month and were actually paid to meet with said mentors. Assessment was only a rough cull of the students who shouldnt be there, was run by dedicated staff (no marking exams) and was fair - no teaching to the test. Some studnets failed the test (GASP!). The students had a great sense of fun and it would make my day to give them a task that they liked. If I didnt do a good job one day, they forgave me and we could start fresh the next. I could go on and on. Obviously there were bad days and hassle moments. Nothing is perfect.
The proof of the pudding is that I am going back. I also really like 5USD pedicures, 10USD massages, a pronounced sense of safety and politeness (no weird noises at women), 1USD meals, nice condos and blah blah blah blah.
Sorry Mexico. I really like you but I'm leaving you for my ex.

[EFLeducator]

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

If additional postings have to be deleted because they were derailing and/or off topic, there will be severe sanctions.

As I warned previously, pursuing personal agendas and repeating one's mantra again and again here are not the things to do if one intends to remain active on this board.

[spanglish]

Be careful ozgurl - you're startin' to make me hate on Latin America with all your talk of comfy staff rooms, unlimited photocopies and machismo-free streets. Ah well...I've got it good here, real good, but still....

[Tretyakovskii]

Before you get too distressed, read Dave�s Thailand forum, you�ll find her experience far from typical.

[boomerexpat]