Job Discussion Forums

[chicagogirl]

Hello,
I am a new EFL teacher in Mexico, with hardly any experience. I managed to get a job at a medium sized university. I was wondering if it is common in Mexico for the teachers to pay for everything.

My students haven't bought the required book and I am making copies and creating activities for them. Today I had to pay for copies of my exams..i have 4 classes with a lot of students!!

We (the other 3 English teachers) have also been asked to create the entire curriculum for the program. This is the first year the school has had a language dept. Is that common? We only get paid for our teaching hours and I am already putting in a lot of time outside of the classroom.....which is fine for now because I am getting experience and I get to put a University job on my resume...Just wondering how things work in Mexico.
THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT!

[saraswati]

Every school/university has a different policy, but I would assume that copies for exams etc would be paid for by the institute. You should consider mentioning it to the powers that be and see what they say.

As for developing curriculum, in all fairness, if your university is going to be using this curriculum again, you should be reimbursed for it. Unfortunately, your boss(es) probably consider it a part of lesson planning. Again, you may consider discussing it with them. There's a world of difference between time involved to plan lessons based on a set curriculum and time required to devise your own.

[magpie]

Ahhhh, chicagogirl, welcome to the wonderful world of teaching! As you say you are new to teaching and probably weren't aware of what might be expected of you or what you might have to put into the job. Now, you will know what to ask about next time you interview.

I agree with saraswati that you MUST ask your school about paying for making copies of materials as well as possibly being paid for curriculum development. The fact that you are teaching university students means you shouldn't have to coddle them until they buy their textbooks. However, it happens at all levels and it's part of the territory.

I came into ESL with experience teaching in the Chicago area and Dallas school systems and though I was given, and paid for, "prep time" there it was NEVER enough. It IS routine for teachers in the US (and elsewhere I'm sure) to assume the cost for many items for their lessons. In the states there is even a VERY small tax deduction which teachers can take to offset these cost, but not for the time spent.

I knew before I got into ESL that I would not be paid for prep time in most cases. I am not reimbursed for creating materials for my lessons. But, I bought and brought a lot of materials with me from the US and my school makes copies of whatever I need.

Once you develop a set of lesson plans for your classes the prep time will be shorter the next time around. After your present each lesson and test note what worked well and what didn't. This way you will be able to tweak the lesson plans you've used before for the next class--adding new material, deleting parts that just didn't work, etc. It IS a learning experience and like everything it will get better and easier with time.

[ls650]

[Ben Round de Bloc]

chicagogirl,

I'm just wondering what kind of university program you're in. Our university, which has had an established EFL program for years, is in the process of revamping its curriculum in accord with mandates from the national level. It's a major task involving lots of experienced, fully qualified EFL teachers. Those involved in co-ordinating the project receive some extra paid time (not nearly enough) for their efforts, while for the rest of us, it's just one more thing on our list of responsibilities for which we get no extra pay. Most of us who are involved have experience and training in curriculum & syllabus design and textbook & materials selection along with several years of EFL teaching experience. I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must feel in your situation.

As for spending your own money for things, some of that is to be expected. However, keep in mind that a general Mexican philosophy is If you don't ask, nobody will tell you. There may be money available in the university's budget for photocopying exams, purchasing materials, and even for bringing in outside help/experts to assist you. If you haven't made the right connections and figured out the correct channels, that money could very well go for something else . . . like some administrator's next vacation.

[moonraven]

Paying for copies in not standard procedure. Especially not for exams.

Being asked to make a curriculum when you have very little experience is, unfortunately, typical here. When I arrived at my current university job, the "curriculum" was just the table of contents copied from a textbook series. Students had learned almost nothing--even after 4 semesters. Students told me that the teachers could not keep order in the classroom--in a university?!--and that they had basically talked in Spanish and did nothing.

I put a program in place that I had developed for another university in the same system, and gave the first semester and a half of it in 2 months. Students were happy, they were speaking and writing coherently in English by the end of the semester. Magic? No. I am a very experienced teacher.

Unfortunately, although universities here all require their students to have a certain number of semesters of English studies, usually the folks running the show speak zero English and have no idea what the English professors are actually doing--nor do they care.

[seanie]

When I worked at the Universidad Veracruzana, I was somewhat surprised when all the teachers were reminded - at the end of my first pre-exam meeting - to collect "money for the exam". Turned out that that was standard practice. I was embarrassed and apologetic on the morning of the exam, but all the students knew the drill. One by one, they came up to my desk and deposited their pesitos before collecting their exam papers. I had already made a vow to myself that I would throw in the money for anyone who couldn't come up with the coins, but I never had to do that. After the exam, the money was turned over to the English Coordinator, who in turn paid the copy shop across the street. So if you are embarrassed, as I am, about asking the students for money, just put it this way:"The University says you have to pay for your exams." Apparently, it's not all that strange. As for other copies (extra materials) well, I agree with ls650: make a folder available. Maybe some stuff you could also write on the board (or put on transparencies) and let them copy in their notebooks.

[chicagogirl]

Hello,
Thanks for all of your input and replies! I have spoken to the director and she said that because the program is new the school won't give us any money until they see results?? We also had a meeting about us making the curriculum..and we explained to her the time and money that would be involed..she then just asked us for a syllabus for the semester, and we agreed. I was also told to ask for money from the students and at first was appalled..but after asking around I realized that is common...I still feel weird about it and think I will just pay ...for now..and then next semester ask for more from the school. I am here to help the students..and apparantly the school has different motives...($$$) so I will do my best, learn, hopefully make a small difference, and help the students in someway...I also worry about my inexperience and hope that I am teaching them something!

I realize these are common practices, and things are different here...you have to take the good with the bad!
Thanks again for the replies!

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[delacosta]

As crazy/illogical/bass-ackwards as my " Mexican university experience" has been I would never in a million years accept financial responsability for a program's success or failure. I'm a teacher. At the state university where I teach we are limited to 30 copies per day per teacher, after that the students are supposed to pay for their copies. It's challenging at times with up to eighty students having classes every day, but with a little planning ahead and resourcefulness, none of my students have had to, as of yet, pay for their own copies. This from the administration that paints the ENTIRE campus every year whether it needs it or not, where garden beds are surrounded by wrought iron fences... i truely could go on and on but I think that would be an entirely new thread...
May all of you working towards the 'puente' enjoy your one day weekend!

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[ls650]

At my school, we had to work Saturday to 'cover' Friday the 17th, as the school wouldn't give everyone two days holiday for a 4-day weekend. I believe delacosta is complaining about the same thing.

[Ben Round de Bloc]