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possible to make good money in DF without teaching kids?
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the peanut gallery

Joined: 26 May 2006
Posts: 264

Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:48 pm Post subject:

My new thread "New Path?" brings up this point.

Prof.Gringo

Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:13 pm Post subject:

EFLeducator wrote:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

EFLeducator, I don't think there is such a thing as a decent wage in TEFL in Mexico... Gotta look further afield, but it won't be had in such a place as this.

Thanks for the great point Prof. Gringo.

Sure, gotta keep things balanced Wink

Prof.Gringo

Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 4:10 pm Post subject:

EFLeducator wrote:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

I don't see any better from the rest of Mexican society... Bribes are a way of life, laws are suggestions and education is seen as a waste of time

Education is seen as a waste of time by many in Mexico City from what I experienced. I too taught at one of those colegios and the students there could have cared less about education. They were concerneed only with the next party. Don't believe me feel free to go and watch a class sometimes. The same was experienced with adult students as well. While they were more interested than the colegio kids, there was still an attitude of education is a waste of time. Colegios and teaching kids is not the answer if one is looking for a half way decent wage TEFLing in Mexico City.

Prof.Gringo wrote:

From a micro bus driver in the DF giving a few pesos bribe to the corrupt transit cops to the corrupt cops to their supervisors that demand a daily kickback to the high-level officials to the lawyers and judges that turn a blind eye and take their share of bribe money, it exists at every level of society

Right!! And this makes it difficult to teach at colegios and/or to adults.

Most young children attend primary school but only 62 percent reach secondary school. At secondary level about half of students drop out and only a quarter reach higher education, according to non-governmental organization Mexicanos Primero (Mexicans First), which is pushing for reform of the system.

Around 45 percent of Mexicans finish secondary school, Mexicanos Primero says. By contrast, about 75 percent of U.S. students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Mexicans read less than three books a year on average, a product of low education levels and poverty, studies show.

Mexican students perform badly in the education tests run by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that measures standards in 65 industrialized countries. In the last study published in December, Mexican 15-year-olds came 46th in reading, 49th in mathematics and 51st in science.

These lowly results contrast with Mexico's status as the world's 14th largest economy. Economists have tipped Mexico to become the world's eighth biggest by 2050.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-mexico-education-factbox-idUSTRE73C4UY20110413

the peanut gallery

Joined: 26 May 2006
Posts: 264

Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:17 pm Post subject:

Prof, You are focussing on details that are better off hidden.

MotherF

Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

Around 45 percent of Mexicans finish secondary school, Mexicanos Primero says. By contrast, about 75 percent of U.S. students graduate from high school on time with a regular diploma, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-mexico-education-factbox-idUSTRE73C4UY20110413

For people reading this thread who are not in Mexico or new arrivals--the above stat is even more stark than it first appears. The term econdary school in Mexico applies to what we would refer to as grades 7, 8 and 9. in the US. So the 75% who are finishing high school in the US have three years more education under their belts than the 45% finishing secondary school in Mexico.

MotherF

Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:44 pm Post subject:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

I don't see any better from the rest of Mexican society... Bribes are a way of life, laws are suggestions and education is seen as a waste of time for many, so, no I don't see any huge difference from the campesino to the middle income manager to the elite. Only in scope, scale and size. From a micro bus driver in the DF giving a few pesos bribe to the corrupt transit cops to the corrupt cops to their supervisors that demand a daily kickback to the high-level officials to the lawyers and judges that turn a blind eye and take their share of bribe money, it exists at every level of society and is ingrained in the culture.

Going back to this. I mostly mix with Mexicans who can't afford bilingual colegios. They do sometimes give a bribe, but they don't offer bribes. The corrupt officials demand them. It doesn't go like this. "Oye officer, can't we work something out..." while taking out wallet. But rather like this. "I'm sorry sir you just ran a red light and that's a felony now so I'm going to have to take you down to the local delegacion where you will be processed and sent off to a Maximum security prison somewhere in Sinaloa...

OR like this

It's not hey teach, here's a thousand pesos, give me a 10. But rather, I have your exam here son, I haven't graded it yet, but it would be a real shame if a sharp kid from a good family like you had to repeat a year...

And just as a child abuser is more often than not a victim of child abuse him/herself, children who grow up in this sytem learn to screw those below them.

Corruption does not flow from the bottom up, it flows from the top down.

the peanut gallery

Joined: 26 May 2006
Posts: 264

Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:45 pm Post subject:

Wow. I thought the US education system was broken. Those stats are dire.

EFLeducator

Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject:

Teach adults in Mexico City. They will cancel a LOT making it difficult to budget on the little income you'll make there anyway but it is still better than babysitting all day and then calling yourself an educator. Adults amigo.

EFLeducator

Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:29 pm Post subject:

the peanut gallery wrote:

Wow. I thought the US education system was broken. Those stats are dire.

Pretty sad, huh? Unreal. Teach adults in Mexico City. Small salary but hey, think of the lifestyle. Laughing

Plus adults are more respectful than the kids.

FAIR...& BALANCED. Cool

mejms

Joined: 04 Jan 2010
Posts: 390

Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 6:09 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Teach adults in Mexico City. They will cancel a LOT making it difficult to budget on the little income you'll make there anyway but it is still better than babysitting all day and then calling yourself an educator.

I work with adults in companies. I charge the same every month. I always get paid, regardless of whether class is cancelled or students don't show up.

It's never happened, but if one month I were not paid, I simply wouldn't continue with the class.

I've had classes cancelled, sometimes for a week or two at a time. I sit at home, read and write on eslcafe, and watch the deposits get wired to my account. Wink

I would never charge on a per class basis. Just wouldn't do it.

Quite frankly, my job if anything can be TOO easy.

Dragonlady

Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 720
Location: Chillinfernow, Canada

Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 12:25 am Post subject:

mejms wrote:

Quote:

I work with adults in companies. I charge the same every month. I always get paid, regardless of whether class is cancelled or students don't show up.
It's never happened, but if one month I were not paid, I simply wouldn't continue with the class.
I've had classes cancelled, sometimes for a week or two at a time. I sit at home, read and write on eslcafe, and watch the deposits get wired to my account. Wink

I would never charge on a per class basis. Just wouldn't do it.
Quite frankly, my job if anything can be TOO easy.

Mejms, smart business practices is what keeps those who are making a success of things here successful, and (lack of) sending others screaming back to their homeland with tail between their legs. Cool

Prof.Gringo

Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 1:58 am Post subject:

mejms wrote:

Quote:

I would never charge on a per class basis. Just wouldn't do it.

Quite frankly, my job if anything can be TOO easy.

I thought you worked in a colegio... Question

mejms

Joined: 04 Jan 2010
Posts: 390

Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 2:26 am Post subject:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

I thought you worked in a colegio... Question

Too cool for school... Cool

I worked for language schools for my first three years, mostly in companies, then went off on my own. That's what I continue doing.

Other than that, I did a short stint at TecMilenio and posted a thread about that entitled: "How bad can they be? Very, very bad..." You can probably guess the content from the title... Wink

I advocate teaching in companies on your own once you have the know-how, confidence, and contacts. If you're a professional and value your time, charge them for it. They'll pay. And a few, or even several, thousand pesos per month is nominal for a company of any size.

It's not for everyone, but it's the best situation I've found for me so far.

Enchilada Potosina

Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 344
Location: Mexico

Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject:

mejms wrote:

Prof.Gringo wrote:

I thought you worked in a colegio... Question

Too cool for school... Cool

T'is good advice. What language schools do is not rocket science and once you've got the hang of things here you can pretty much go out on your own. There are a few other requisites though such as: very good Spanish, cultural awareness - particularly of how business is done here plus the ability to sell your product.

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