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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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 Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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| TeresaLopez wrote: |
| There are some colegios in more middle class areas where the kids are different. The parents usually respect the teachers a lot more, the kids behave better and expect the kids to perform. The pay decent wages, in the $15,000 peso per month range, plus a good benefit package, but they rarely advertise, so you almost always get the jobs through your contacts. I was offered a job by a former collegue last year and actually went to the school a few times to check it out, and I think it would have been a great wok environment. |
I worked in several of those schools. Kids were brats, out-of-control, and spoiled as can be. They expected to pass because their parents paid a lot of money. The parents expected their kids to pass because they paid a lot. Admin expects the kids to pass because they have been paid a lot of pesos.
Yes, my pay and bennies were good. Stress was very high and I remember many teachers quit in the middle of the school year. In 6th grade we lost 3 English teachers in 4 months.
Low-stress work it is not. |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: Just blame the teacher |
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| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| brian1972 wrote: |
I work at a private school. The kids are in general, just normal "kids" in the lower grades. Spoiled, but kids. When you get to 5th and up you start getting spoiled kids who know their parents call the shots, not the school. They pay to go there, the school wants the money, therefore the kids stay... regardless of behavior. Also, grading is a bit different. If you give bad grades, you are generally percived as a "bad teacher". Good grades = good teacher. At my school, you CAN give bad grades and teachers have. However, once you do that... you will have angry parents banging your door down and freaking out because they have angel children who have never received a bad grade in their lives and it is all YOUR fault. If you can handle the culutral difference of the parents have more power than the admin and give good grades to kids that don't deserve it, you should be fine  I taught in Central America last year and it was stressfull for me at first, but I am over it now. Whatever, I just play by their rules! |
When I first started working in colegios I gave the kids what they earned. If they didn't participate, failed to turn in homework, and did a crap job they got crap grades, Garbage in, garbage out. Of course doing so didn't make me a popular teacher, but I could care less. Once you start down the slope of giving slackers good grades, next stop is taking bribes... 
But it does make life very hard as a teacher. Like you said, the parents have more power than the admin (which are just a bunch of slaves to the parents anyways) and the teachers get blamed for EVERYTHING. Once again, self-responsibility is lacking and it starts at an early age. |
It's hard. A few years down the line and I wonder why I even bother preparing lessons and so forth. The system wears you down. Only your self-respect will keep you going in these places. |
Somedays, if they are really terrible, just write down the work on the board and take a seat. Sometimes they realize they aren't going to learn and that this will be on the exam. Other times they don't. Fine with me, I get paid either way. They can go home and study the lesson on their own time or get a low score on the exam. |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: things not much better there |
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| delal wrote: |
Thank you all for your input
Looks like things aren't much better on the other side of the pond unless you get really lucky.
Personally I think I'll stay put and find something outside EFL to do instead. I do envy you all being in Mexico though |
Your welcome!
I'll trade you Mexico for Turkey |
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Dragonlady
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 720
Location: Chillinfernow, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 6:28 am Post subject: |
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I hope the OP didn't make a rash decision  .
Here's a thought or two, speaking generally of course.
Maybe the problem isn't with the kids/teens, parents, or administration/owners... for the most part.
Maybe the problem is that many teachers lack the class management skills needed for different age groups.
Maybe teachers don't understand their role in education and the classroom. How often do we see teachers waltz into the picture eagerly trying to 'be buds' with the kids, instead of being educators?
Maybe teachers who don�t want to be teaching a particular age group are sending out vibes that students easily pick up on.
Your thoughts?
DL |
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delal
Joined: 04 Oct 2005
Posts: 251
Location: N Turkey
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| Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:03 pm Post subject: Not the case here |
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Hi Dragonlady
I think that some people are emotionally equipped to deal with private schools and all that entails; others not. I fall into the latter category. In fact I haven't been put off Mexico but working in private schools in general.
I also really like this forum-it's very lively with positive and supportive posters
Prof Gringo, PM me if you'd like some info about private schools here. There are lots of foreigners teaching English in private schools in Turkey (and some even stay on for years) |
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FreddyM
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 180
Location: Mexico
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| Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Dragonlady wrote: |
I hope the OP didn't make a rash decision .
Here's a thought or two, speaking generally of course.
Maybe the problem isn't with the kids/teens, parents, or administration/owners... for the most part.
Maybe the problem is that many teachers lack the class management skills needed for different age groups.
Maybe teachers don't understand their role in education and the classroom. How often do we see teachers waltz into the picture eagerly trying to 'be buds' with the kids, instead of being educators?
Maybe teachers who don�t want to be teaching a particular age group are sending out vibes that students easily pick up on.
Your thoughts?
DL |
I've thought the same thing. while a lot of the complaints about private schools are vaild (bratty, spoiled kids, pushy parents, unhelpful administration, etc...), a lot depends on the individual teacher's ability to manage all that, and maintain good classroom discipline and control. Some can do it easily, others can't, no matter how many degrees or credentials they hold. I won't say I'm the best at it, but I've learned enough skills to be able to handle those situations. I don't get stressed out at school from classroom discipline, it's just not a big issue to me anymore, and I've learned how to handle the parents as well. The actual teaching part of the job is also fairly easy, but it wouldn't be if I had discipline problems to deal with. That being said, everyone has a comfort zone. I would never try to teach middle schoolers again, no matter how much money was offered. Others handle that grade level easier than other age groups. I have a lot of problems with the unprofessional administration (I don't like it), but that's another topic altogether.
I think good classroom management skills can be learned however. But to share that sort of knowledge is beyond the realm of what these forums are capable of. |
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