Job Discussion Forums

guatetaliana · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject: Quitting??! Advice/Help?

I have never done anything like this in my life, but I am very seriously entertaining the possibility of quitting my job right here during the school year!

I was hired at a private bilingual school last October (previous teacher was fired for God knows what, to this day nobody knows), teaching 4th grade English. I was upfront about my expectations and in the interview, I asked about the conditions at the school, as I wanted to avoid the terrible private school teaching stories I had heard from others. It quickly became clear that I was directly lied to about the expectations for the teachers (there are far more) and students (there are few). They also haven't helped with the FM3 process. The 4th grade Spanish teacher is equally desperate - I had to talk her into returning from Sonora after Christmas break. She considers quitting just about every week. This is probably not a surprise to those of you who have been doing this awhile, but I am completely losing my mind.

I have taught through difficult situations, challenging students, and impossible principals in the US, and come out just fine. However, this time, my health is taking a hit. By the time Semana Santa began, I was suffering from the worst asthma of my life, skin breakouts all over, constant fatigue, dizziness, and severe depression. I've been sitting at home crying most of the time, my husband has no clue what to do, and I can't figure out what's happening to me. All I know is I can't go back there. I'm even prepared to go back to the US, stay with my parents, and substitute teach in my old school district for a month or two until I can regroup.

I'm wondering what happens if I quit. I have finished all my grades, I even have lesson plans and exams prepared for the next two weeks. But even if I gave them notice today, school is back in session on Monday and they will be eternally upset for leaving them with no English teacher for the time being. I don't even care about any disruptions in pay: if they want to retaliate that way, we can live without my final paycheck. What I do care about is:

What kind of effect could this have on any future jobs I seek here?
Can this current school in any way threaten my future chances to get an FM3 through a different employer?
How do I explain this departure to another employer in the future?
What exactly do I say to this school to explain why I am leaving? I know it's sort of a lost cause, but I'd prefer to leave on the best terms possible.
We live in the sector of the city where most of the students come from. How do I deal with seeing them or their parents when we're out shopping, etc.?

I know it's completely crazy, but I think I have to do this. Can anybody offer advice? Shocked

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

All I can say is that life is too short to spend any more of your time in a job that is making you sick and has you crying constantly. It's just not worth it.

I would say to go in Monday, say what you wrote (re: expectations of the job. I'd cut out the "lied to" part and maybe say that you were led to believe certain things that are not consistent with your experiences on the job and that you are very unhappy.). If you're feeling nice, you might offer to stay for a week or two if they need it. Knowing you're leaving and have an end date might make it tolerable for you to be there till the end.

I don't have any expert knowledge on immigration, but from my experiences getting and renewing my FM3, I'd highly doubt that this school could hold any sway with you getting a visa in the future. You need to show documents showing your qualifications for working as an english teacher, and usually a letter from a prospective employer saying they want to offer you a job. I don't see how your ex-school's input would be relevant for either of those components. And if your immigration office in Monterrey is sizable, it makes it less likely that somebody is a buddy of a guy who knows somebody at your old school or whatever.

I'd just offer a smile and as little information as possible to students and their families when you see them. A simple "Oh, I'm working at such and such now" should cut it.

Not to belittle any of us teachers, but it seriously won't be the end of the world for either your school or your students if you don't stay there. They'll figure something out, and I think you need to find a better situation for you. Good luck!

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

I have survived through similar situations, and am quite bothered that this story is so common. To me it is a reflection on the inability for a school to also be a business...but that�s another issue!

I would agree in that life is too short to be so unhappy. I would be polite, but upfront with the school in regards to why you are leaving, so that perhaps they will learn from this, and improve (don�t hold your breath however).

In regards to future employment, you should be fine. Even though schools ask for references, I have yet for one to ever contact them, even when it is a person/school in Mexico! I interviewed with a school, and was very honest about how I struggled with another scho�l�s system because of similar issues. I got the job, but sadly it was basically the same struggle!

Your FM3 should not be affected by your current school, as you still do not have one, thus they will have no input when you go to obtain it.

As for running into parents, and students, I also agree that you should say as little as possible.

Best of luck!

Mrs L · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 72 Location: Rainy England

I agree with Dixie and Sarliz, tell them on Monday that you're leaving and even if the final few weeks are hell you'll feel better knowing there's an end in sight. There are so many schools you'll find something else.

Worse case scenario and you have inmigration problems/ hassle off parents and students (both of which I doubt) you can always move somewhere else, Mexico's a very big country.

A situation always feels helpless when you're in it but I don't think you need to go back to the US, just leave that job and rest a little to get your health back on track then you'll be fine.

Good luck x x

leslie · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 235

guatetaliana · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject:

Yeah, that's my intention. I have a TESL cert and when we came to Mexico, the intention was to teach adults, but somehow I got tempted by a seemingly decent position teaching kids.

I've learned my lesson.

What kinds of qualifications do they look for in university-type jobs?

I have the aforementioned Trinity TESL, a bachelor's in Elementary Ed, and this is my third year of teaching elementary school. I'm not sure I'm qualified for an official university kind of job.

Otherwise, I might just work at Interlingua with my husband...

leslie · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 235

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

You've received some good advice here. It will all be better soon. Don't worry about INAM. Leaving a job doesn't affect your being able to get approval for another, especially if the current school appears not to have helped you with the process in the first place. I suspect this school admin might be used to teachers pulling the pin before the year ends. If after your discussion on Monday, you receive no assurances of things improving, then tell them goodbye. When I was teaching the li'l uns in a similar situation, my English coordinator backed me 100%. She was the only reason I stayed as long as I did. I would have been so gone, much earlier had she not been there to back me up with the "riot act". She had the nightmare of being the go-between with English teachers and the school owners (who watched us through glass windows from afar but had never met us in person). I look back on the experience and know I am a better person for it. I dredged up patience I never knew I had.