Job Discussion Forums

[jillford64]

Oreen said:

[Oreen Scott]

When I was somewhere in New Mexico, I read a job posting at Dave's Cafe, for a school called "Thinking in English".

There was a young woman scheduled to begin classes on Monday. But she up and disappeared breach of contract without letting anyone know Something about an old boyfriend. Hiring practices are very loose here in Mexico, as you all well know.

The owners of the language school were desperate for a teacher to start Monday. I was arriving in Chihuahua on Monday. It was happenstance, I was offered a job over the phone.

But, being as I've just left Canada, and I'm use to a long hiring process. I wasn't going to accept until I felt comfortable. The kindly owners of "Thinking in English" offered me a place to stay and a Domino Pizza dinner. I met the group and felt very much at home.

I slept well. The area around the school is very quiet. The school was once upon a time a beautiful house. It's still beautiful, only a little run down.

My room is nice. I have good water pressure, hot and cold running water, two meals a day provided throughout the week, 100 channel satelite TV in my room (not that I care about TV) but, I have very good internet connection, which I care about a lot.

Transportation is provided when I teach at a company, which I start tomorrow, which means I won't spend half my day on a bus.

My first class was a good size, 12 is the maximum. The students were all very well behaved, even the young man who has a reputation of not behaving well. The youngest in the class were 17 and perhaps the trouble caused last year was because he was younger.

Generally the directors of the school require a 12 month contract and pay 6,000 pesos/month with apartment (actually room with private bath) and breakfast and dinner provide during the week A wonderful Mexican woman cooks traditional Mexican meals for us.

The posting would have lead older people like me to believe they wouldn't fit in. But, this is not the case. What the very young American directors want is someone who is outgoing and knows how to have fun with their students.

I'm still getting my feet wet, so I can't say much more. I've struck a short term deal, which the directors aren't happy about, but really like me so are willing bend, which shows flexibility.

I get the feeling Mexican directors are less flexible, partly my opinion is based on a conversation I had with the only English speaking person, other than myself, traveling from El Paso to Chihuahua via Americanos Autobuses. It was direct and I didn't need to transfer in Juarez.

However, I was also the only person needing to get an FM-T, and I was worried that the Spanish speaking bus driver would not wait for me.

[jillford64]

Sounds like you were in the right place at the right time. Good luck.