Job Discussion Forums

[Oreen Scott]

I was reading "What to do about prepa students so horrible" and there was mention of collecting money from students to make photocopies.

I make a lot of my own handouts when writing lesson plans. Since advertising is my background the creation of handouts is one of my strong points.

While I'm in Canada I have a scanner/printer and I can afford the ink cartridges. Mexico will be another story.

I will likely be teaching adults in a private language school. I imagine I'll have to say goodbye to colour copies. I'm not bringing my printer, too impractical.

Here's the question - what are the chances of my working at a school that has the capabilties of my plugging my computer into a printer, printing a copy and then making photocopies? Is the alternative going to a print shop? Am I foolish to imagine Mexican print shops will have the capability of printing from my computer and then making photocopies?

[dixie]

A USB device is great for such issues. If you are working at a private school then there should be a computer lab where you could either use the USB to transfer the data and print off their computer (not likely in colour though) or you might be able to configure your computer to wirelessly print. You should also (hopefully) have access to a photocopy, although you might have to submit copies a few days ahead to have someone at the school make them for you. If not, collecting money and doing it yourself is easily done.

There are a TON of copy places here, and they are usually very reasonable. Again, a USB would likely come in handy, as I am not sure how likely it is that you would be able to hook your computer up to one of their printers to print the original and then make copies.

You really shouldn't have problems making copies, but rather the issue will come with the convince, and/or the cost.

[ls650]

At the university I taught at, excessive photocopying was a big issue. There were restrictions placed on staff who overdid it.

I found this comment interesting:

[Oreen Scott]

Silly me - of course I'd use a memory stick - what was I thinking???

1s650, in answer to your question about cranking out handouts and how fast - it depends on the handout. I imagine I will do a lot of recycling once hired and I develop a ciriculum, or a ciriculum is given to me.

In Canada, Manitoba anyway, obviously you'd know more about BC, adult ESL does not have a standardized cirriculum. Each teacher developes a cirriculum tailored to his/her students.

[ls650]

Curriculum? My experience is that with most language schools, an EFL text gets shoved into your hands and you're told "Teach what's in this book."

[sarliz]

I have my mac laptop with me, and before I had my own printer, I would get around compatability issues my creating materials on my computer in my apartment, then emailing them to myself (internet in the apartment is a given for this), and opening and printing them in an internet joint. I'd usually then make copies in another place with better rates than the cyber cafe. So I guess this could work if you have a mac, or don't want to go the memory stick route.

[TheLongWayHome]

[geaaronson]

No way, Jose. I refuse to take another job in which I am not allowed to add my own handouts. Did that once, out of desperation, and regretted it to a great degree. I hand out short stories for my private and corporate students, usually about one every two weeks, as well as exercises on grammar points that I note they need help on. Even my most advance conversationalists have problems with on/at/in so I make sure they get the dope on that along with the exercises for them to work on. And oh yes, I make the xeroxes at the corporate offices themselves and no one has batted an eyelash. If need be and I have to run off a few quick copies, that`s where Kinky`s comes in.

Is ciriculum a pun?

[Oreen Scott]

Curiculum is not a pun, its a spelling error, I think? And, it may be my spelling error.

Geaarson how much time do you spend travelling from office to offfice. I'm hoping I can work in one spot. The idea of spending half my day on a bus doesn't appeal to me at all.

[MO39]

[JakeJakeJake]

Travel time could be a useful time, I guess. I'm hoping to treat it as my conversation class.
How are you recieved in DF having a chat to a stranger on public transport?
London is great.... during the day you're ignored. At others you can collect knife holes.

[Guy Courchesne]

One has to manage travel time carefully or it can get out of hand. When I first arrived in this city, I ran myself ragged traveling up, down, and inside out to get to classes. Once you get a feel for distances and transportation, you can tailor your teaching schedule quite nicely by accepting classes in groups in a particular area of town (Santa Fe, for example).

Living centrally helps as well, so you move against the comings and goings of all those Edomex people (burb dwellers). I'm in colonia Roma, near a few travel hubs (metro Insurgentes, Metrobus line, two major avenues for buses) and can get to pretty much anywhere I need to be within 30 minutes.

[MO39]

[Kootvela]

'Death by handout' Try exploiting the coursebook more often and more extensively. When I started teaching, I used to do lots of copies and handouts until I realised they did little to go with my aims for the lesson. If you don't need handouts to kill time, I suggest paying more attention to the coursebook.

[Guy Courchesne]