Job Discussion Forums

[Professor]

Every year people make New Year's resolutions regarding work, family and many other things. For the professional EFLer's, any suggestions on how we can all make 2011 better for teaching EFL here in Mexico?

Spend more time on lesson plans
Be more energetic
Read more books and journals on EFL
Join mextesol.org.mx
Get more students

Feel free to jump in with ideas.

[Dragonlady]

Of late, I've hit the wall at least twice each year.

What gets me back up and on track, is the promise to myself to give less time to teaching matters and more time to personal matters.
For the past (too many) years I've been consumed by my responsibilities to my students, this includes professional development.
If I'm physically and mentally exhausted, I'm hardly fit to be teaching.

Regards,
DL

[Guy Courchesne]

I was surprised not to see the idea of getting another degree or IB training as a suggestion in the previous threads about professional development. It isn't easy to do from a distance or in Spanish (studying locally) of course. Moving onward and upward into a Master's in education, linguistics, English, etc for those that want to make a career of teaching here, at home, or another place.

Does anyone know of a specific program available online? I've been looking into an early childhood education program available online through an Ontario, Canada college...tossing the idea around of a career add-on.

I'm not sure how many other schools in Mexico offer this, but the ASF offers master's degree courses through a US university for their teachers, on campus here in Mexico City. My girlfriend got her MS in Interdisciplinary Studies this year, with the school paying for about half of it through the ASF. Tec de Monterrey offers certification courses in IB, as another example.

[Dragonlady]

[Guy Courchesne]

No new tricks for the old dogs then?

I've become interested in ECE from having my own child and from having looked at some of the programs available here in DF. I've never thought of myself as restricted to Mexico but you make good points about actual job possibilities. I don't see myself restricted to an actual classroom either though. EFL program design is my strongest suit at this point and I'd like to explore that at the very young learner level. Perhaps.

[FreddyM]

CENEVAL (Central Nacional de Evaluacion Para la Educacion Superior) offers a way to get a licenciatura (similar to a Bachelor's degree) in Teaching English, and many other fields, through a test and documenting relevant work experience. I've thought about doing it, since none of the degrees I have are actually in education.

More info here:
http://www.ceneval.edu.mx/ceneval-web/content.do?page=3910

Regarding IB training, I've always been interested in that because it more closely reflects my own philosophy towards education. But I didn't think one could get training for that unless one worked for an IB institution, which I don't.

None of the training or workshops I've attended through my school have I found to be very relevant or interesting. I've done my own reading (books and articles and online) to better myself professionally, albeit without having any nice looking diplomas or certificates to show off for it.

I'm interested in doing more however, in the coming year. Perhaps CENEVAL, maybe mextesol, definitely read a few books, and see if I can publish a paper or two somewhere.

As for males working in primary schools, there is a niche market for that, though most of the schools are religious in nature. You don't have to be religious to be hired at such places. I seriously doubt that's what Guy was aiming for with his interest in early childhood education.