Job Discussion Forums

[gringojoe]

Greetings to all you TEFL'ers in Mexico!

Is Mexico a good place for a newbie?

I realize that I'm at a disadvantage not having a four year degree or any teaching experience, but will hold a TEFL certificate at the end of my training with TEFL International.

Taking the above information into consideration, would you say that it might be better to get some teaching experience elsewhere?

I have also considered Thailand as there seems to be a huge demand for English Teachers there but would prefer to be in Mexico.

Any suggestions and opinions are appreciated.

[Phil_K]

I came to Mexico nearly 6 years ago (to marry my Mexican girlfriend) not knowing what I was going to do. I finally decided that as I didn't speak Spanish at that time, the best option was to teach English.
I found it easy to get a job, even though I didn't have any certificates. I was lucky enough to find a very professional company that paid, on time, with many hours and full legal benefits. I would warn you to investigate any proposals well, if possible talk to other teachers in the company before accepting. That said, the demand for native teachers is high, especially among students of executive level. I would also say that although you are offered a job with lots of hours and a good income, don't take it for granted as those hours can disappear and not be replaced. If you see that happening, it is time to look for other options. Many companies allow you to work for more than one institution. In private institutions a good hourly rate is $100-$130 (pesos). The international schools often don't pay anything like that.

If you are looking to teach in a school (as in, kids) or university it is highly likely you will need your certificate, but meanwhile the experience in a private institution will be useful.

�Buena suerte!

[cangringo]

Hi Joe,

Hubby and I are still newbies but have been here for 7 months or so and we love it. I think it's a great place for a newbie. We only have TEFL and no 4 year degree but a lot places will hire you. I doubt that the uni's will but there are a lot of private schools or you could try doing private classes.

[ls650]

[Guy Courchesne]

I agree with LS. In larger cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, however, there are opportunities in teaching 'business English' if you have some kind of experience in that realm. Pay can be quite good, though hours and travel time to various companies make it a bit of a rat race.

[gringojoe]

[ls650]

An example:
In my local area is a small language school. (Not the place I work at.) They pay about 7500 pesos per month. For that money the teacher is expected to put in about 30 hours of classroom time, plus additional time for preparation, marking, photocopying, etc. That teaching is split between language classes onsite, in the local hotels, and also teaching kids at a couple of local private schools. IMHO 30 hours of teach time is grueling.

I've known a couple of these teachers: after about six months or a year, they get burnt out and leave. After paying rent, utilities, food, etc. they usually have say 3000 pesos to spare per month. That's plenty for local travel and entertainment, but if you want to hop on a jet and visit your family once or twice a year, those savings disappear very quickly.

[MELEE]

[cangringo]

Neither hubby nor I have a degree and we are doing alright. Of course we are teaching classes at our house as well. Granted we paying for trips back to Canada but if we want to go on vacation, we would rather go somewhere else in Mexico and get our friends to meet us there.

Of course you need to be comfortable doing private classes. Our school is a small private school and they pay pretty well but the hours aren't the best. Of course we are living in a very big city and that's not what we wanted but we are getting good experience so it's worth it.

[hlamb]

[MikeySaid]

[TheLongWayHome]

[ls650]

[MELEE]

[Guy Courchesne]

I'll second that...