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Sgt Killjoy
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 438
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 Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| PlayadelSoul wrote: |
| Sgt Killjoy wrote: |
But maybe you know more, Playa, I am always open to advice and opinions, do you think it is better for a teacher to have information from three former teachers at a school or none? |
If it were one school in one location, then 3 comments might be helpful. When it is one company with over 100 schools, it is misleading. |
So why are you avoiding the question, it is a pretty simple question. Do you think it is better for a teacher to have information from three former teachers or none? |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: |
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| Ben Round de Bloc wrote: |
| Belmont wrote: |
| As for the ones just showing up and declaring themselves an EFL teacher, more power to them--especially considering the woefully low pay. I say give them a chance. And if they can't hack it--"next!" |
How about proposing the same for teaching in the USA? Let's let all those who want to declare themselves teachers show up at the elementary school in California where you teach, give them a chance (especially if they're willing to work for half the salary you receive) -- if they can't hack it -- "next!" |
Try 10% (probably way less) of the salary I receive. It would never happen, of course, because the standards are set hugely higher here and the work load and nature of the job are totally different. On the other hand, teaching EFL for $3.00 or $4.00 an hour in Mexico: "This is a book. These are books...." is just a tad different, and could be done effectively by a bright, interested native speaker looking for an adventure while getting paid for it...at least enough to cover the bus fare home. |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:12 am Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| No child left behind. |
Just one more reason we aren't paid 40 pesos an hour here in L.A. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:33 am Post subject: |
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Ooh, another that likes to kick poor people and developing countries.
Teach your children well,
Their
father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your
dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.
Teach your parents well,
Their
children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on
your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know
by. |
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M@tt
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 473
Location: here and there
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| Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject: Re: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| cwc wrote: |
Nice way to make friends and impress people. If you said "some schools", I would agree. You may have over-generalized a little. Did you attend a school of education in the States? |
that's not really my goal but you're right, i should have said "many of". and yes, i attended classes in a school of education. the university of chicago used to have a really good program for teachers but it was through the english department. it got phased out when the guy heading it resigned. |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:40 am Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
Ooh, another that likes to kick poor people and developing countries.
.[/i] |
No Guy. What I was responding to was what someone said about showing up and declaring themselves a teacher in the US and expecting to get paid for it. I make an OK amount of $ that allows me call what I'm doing a "career". In Mexico that wouldn't be the case, yet some here seem to demand the same level of costly education and experience for those showing up at schools south of the border where they are paid barely enough money to provide food and shelter for themselves.
Kick poor people? I work in a school district where the overwhelming majority lives below the poverty line. I have great respect as well as great rapport with my kids and their parents. I only wish I could speak Spanish better, which I will do after next summer.
Last edited by Belmont on Sat Sep 30, 2006 1:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Belmont wrote: |
| I make an OK amount of $ that allows me call what I'm doing a "career". In Mexico that wouldn't be the case, yet some here seem to demand the same level of costly education and experience for those showing up at schools south of the border where they are paid barely enough money to provide food and shelter for themselves. |
It's all relative. Isn't low pay one of the major complaints of many teachers in the States? "We teachers don't earn nearly enough considering the amount of money we have to invest in education, first to become teachers and then to continue being teachers. It'll take us years and years to pay off our student loans."
Belmont, you are a qualified, experienced teacher. What makes you think you couldn't earn enough to live on in Mexico as a teacher and call it a career? You're working for a large school district in California that pays relatively well. There are plenty of school systems, both public and private, in the States -- not to mention other types of teaching jobs there -- that pay a whole lot less than you earn, enough less, in fact, that those teachers claim they are being paid barely enough money to provide food and shelter for themselves. Still, those schools don't/can't hire people without the right qualifications. Should those schools be allowed to hire any self-proclaimed teachers who show up looking for jobs? You claim that similar schools in Mexico should.
On a more personal level, your support of the notion that any self-proclaimed teacher should be allowed to teach in Mexico is no threat to my job. The requirements are a bit stiffer than that. As you said about the school where you teach, it wouldn't happen at the school where I teach either, even though the standards at your school "are set hugely higher and the work load and nature of the job are totally different." Unless you've left some things out of your profile, even you wouldn't be qualified to teach at the school where I work. You could most likely do my job a whole lot better than I can -- although if you believe anyone who can do This is a book. These are books. can be a successful EFL teacher, then I'm not so sure about that -- but you still wouldn't be considered based on your qualifications. By the same token, I'm no threat to your job as an elementary school teacher, because I don't have the qualifications . . . unless your job is teaching ESL.
I guess the bottom line here is that until you've had at least a few years of experience teaching on both sides of the Rio Bravo, try not to be so quick to make comparisons and draw conclusions about how it is to teach English south of the border. |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| Ben Round de Bloc wrote: |
| Belmont wrote: |
| I make an OK amount of $ that allows me call what I'm doing a "career". In Mexico that wouldn't be the case, yet some here seem to demand the same level of costly education and experience for those showing up at schools south of the border where they are paid barely enough money to provide food and shelter for themselves. |
It's all relative. Isn't low pay one of the major complaints of many teachers in the States? "We teachers don't earn nearly enough considering the amount of money we have to invest in education, first to become teachers and then to continue being teachers. It'll take us years and years to pay off our student loans."
Belmont, you are a qualified, experienced teacher. What makes you think you couldn't earn enough to live on in Mexico as a teacher and call it a career? You're working for a large school district in California that pays relatively well. There are plenty of school systems, both public and private, in the States -- not to mention other types of teaching jobs there -- that pay a whole lot less than you earn, enough less, in fact, that those teachers claim they are being paid barely enough money to provide food and shelter for themselves. Still, those schools don't/can't hire people without the right qualifications. Should those schools be allowed to hire any self-proclaimed teachers who show up looking for jobs? You claim that similar schools in Mexico should.
On a more personal level, your support of the notion that any self-proclaimed teacher should be allowed to teach in Mexico is no threat to my job. The requirements are a bit stiffer than that. As you said about the school where you teach, it wouldn't happen at the school where I teach either, even though the standards at your school "are set hugely higher and the work load and nature of the job are totally different." Unless you've left some things out of your profile, even you wouldn't be qualified to teach at the school where I work. You could most likely do my job a whole lot better than I can -- although if you believe anyone who can do This is a book. These are books. can be a successful EFL teacher, then I'm not so sure about that -- but you still wouldn't be considered based on your qualifications. By the same token, I'm no threat to your job as an elementary school teacher, because I don't have the qualifications . . . unless your job is teaching ESL.
I guess the bottom line here is that until you've had at least a few years of experience teaching on both sides of the Rio Bravo, try not to be so quick to make comparisons and draw conclusions about how it is to teach English south of the border. |
Besides having a California K thru 12 + adult teaching credential, I did the 24-unit post baccalaureate TESL program at CSULB (Long Beach..or as some say "Wrong Beach"). I've also worked many years overseas teaching EFL--but not in Mexico, which I hope to do next summer. The only thing is I don't see many jobs listed for summer only. I've gotta look around some more.
Yes, you're right. In some areas of the States the pay for teachers is awful, but you have to admit, "awful" here doesn't really compare to the "awful" in Mexico judging from what I see posted here. The poorly paid jobs in Mexico are for the backpacker set, or for someone like me who doesn't care so much about the $. I want to have nice students and live in a nice place. I know I'll have to subsidize myself as far as living above the poverty level...and I don't care. I also didn't realize that some of you here on this board have jobs that afford you a comfortable life. Who knows? Maybe I'll find one of those and bail out of my life here! 
And I still do believe there are lots of people out there who can teach EFL very well without much schooling...other than having a thorough knowledge of grammar. 
Last edited by Belmont on Sat Sep 30, 2006 1:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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cwc
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 372
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| Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject: Re: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| M@tt wrote: |
| i attended classes in a school of education. |
That's what I thought. "Attended classes" and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee. |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| cwc wrote: |
| M@tt wrote: |
| i attended classes in a school of education. |
That's what I thought. "Attended classes" and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee. |
I can top that one. I, ahem, went to Harvard.....(long pause)........for lunch. Great food court there!  |
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kelt
Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 5
Location: ottawa
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| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:05 pm Post subject: teaching in Mexico-getting ripped off? |
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Hi Phyllis!
I'm sorry to hear you've been having a rough go of it... Since you attended Oxford Seminars, I wonder of they hepled you with this placement or if they bear some responsibility. I'll be starting at Oxford Seminars in less than 2 weeks. By the way, any feedback on Oxford?
Take care,
kelt |
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Belmont
Joined: 12 Jul 2003
Posts: 125
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:15 am Post subject: Re: teaching in Mexico-getting ripped off? |
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| kelt wrote: |
Hi Phyllis!
I'm sorry to hear you've been having a rough go of it... Since you attended Oxford Seminars, I wonder of they hepled you with this placement or if they bear some responsibility. I'll be starting at Oxford Seminars in less than 2 weeks. By the way, any feedback on Oxford?
Take care,
kelt |
Thanks Kelt for getting us back to the original topic: Phyllis! So what is she doing now? Can anyone here help her out of her dilemma? $360 a month she's making? Let's hope she's got parents back home who can bail her out. |
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