Job Discussion Forums

[Nomad Dan]

Hola all. I am teaching in Dallas and want to live abroad again. I am bilingual, and would love to go to a Spanish-speaking country.
I am focusing on Colombia.
I am a certiifed teacher, so I wish to teach in an international school.
I cannot seem to find the schools that PAY....surely they exist.
Do all Latin American schools pay in the same meager range? I would not be so concerned, but I have financial obligations back in the US, and schools in Asia seem to be able to pay enough for me to go and save and send money home.
Can't find that in Central or South America. I am wondering if any of you might have any ideas. I am attending the University of Northern Iowa Job Fair in February....
The international schools there should be paying the best...and none of the South American schools, with the noted exception of Brazil pay decent wages.
Thanks for your help.....
Happy Holidays.
Nomad Dan

[Guy Courchesne]

Help us out and tell us what decent wages are. Most school s pay according to local cost-of-living, which are usually 1/3 or 1/2 of the US. If you have to meet financial obligations in a high-cost zone, then it's probably not a good idea to work in a low-cost zone.

[Nomad Dan]

Talking 25k to 35k is something I can deal with...
Talking 15k to 20k just isn't enough....
I can't take a cowboy gig...

[Nomad Dan]

I have no dilusions of grandure here....If I could find a good school paying around $ 27,000, that would be adequate.
If Cambodian International Schools can pay that, Colombian schools should be able to as well.
I don't see the difference in global economic power.
Hope I make sense.
cheers.
Nomad Dan

[Guy Courchesne]

Mexico City or Sao Paolo might be your only chance. I don't know about your qualifications enough to say.

Cowboy gig? That's gotta be a Texasismo

Why not stay home and earn more? 25k in Latin America goes a long way. In Dallas, quien sabe

[Nomad Dan]

Make that DElusions...
Sorry.
Anyway, anyone anywhere in Latin America teaching in an international or American school who can give me some advice I would appreciate it. I may end up in Thailand or China, but I was thinking of staying a bit closer to Texas...I will be gone until 2008...for political reasons.

[Guy Courchesne]

You are probably better off in Thailand to be honest.

[waxwing]

If you make it "grandeur" too, you can start having those delusions...
Oh and, Guy, I think you'll save more in China than Thailand. But better listen to someone who's taught in both countries.

[Nomad Dan]

______________________ resume

[email protected]

Education



Dec. 2004 Master�s Degree in Bilingual Education and the Teaching of Gifted and Talented Students (MBEGT), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

Dec. 1991 Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Spanish Language,

The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas

May 1990 Associate of Arts Degree, Kilgore College, Kilgore, Texas



Teaching Certifications (State of Texas)



Secondary Spanish and Social Studies Composite, Gifted and Talented, English as a Second Language, Bilingual-Spanish Education (Grades 1-12) Elementary Classroom Teacher-Self Contained



Work Experience



Aug. 2002-Present Bilingual and English as a Second Language Teacher, Urban Park Elementary School, Dallas Public Schools, Dallas Texas



Oct. 1999-Jan. 2002 Management Trainer and Consultant, Saudi Aramco Oil Company, Dhahran Saudi Arabia. Responsibilities included Delivering Training in a Competencies-Based Self Development Program for all Saudi Aramco employees and their supervisors.



Aug. 1997-June 1999 Bilingual Teacher, Cedar Creek Elementary School, Bastrop Independent School District, Bastrop, Texas.



Aug. 1996- Aug. 1997 Instructor of English as a Second Language, English 2020 Institute, Kwangju, Korea, Responsibilities included coordinating and training Korean teachers as well as development of lessons and teaching ESL to Korean children ages 5-17.



Aug. 1995-June. 1996 High School Spanish and World Geography Teacher, Campbell ISD, Campbell, Texas.



Aug. 1992-July 1995 Instructor of English, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.



Jan. 1992-June 1992 High School Spanish and U.S. History Teacher, Carthage ISD, Carthage, Texas.



_______________________________________________________


Texas Educator Certificate
This certifies that
Daniel Weaver
has fulfilled requirements of state law and regulations of the
State Board for Educator Certification
and is hereby authorized to perform duties as designated below:



STANDARD
Description Effective Date Expiration Date Status
Classroom Teacher
Elementary Self-Contained 08/24/2002 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (1-

Secondary Spanish 03/04/2001 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (6-12)

Secondary Social Studies Composite 03/04/2001 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (6-12)

Bilingual/ESL-Spanish 08/24/2002 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (1-12)

English as a Second Language 08/24/2002 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (1-12)

Gifted and Talented 08/06/2004 01/31/2007 Valid
Grades (1-12)

[Guy Courchesne]

With all those credentials, you should be able to earn more at home, no?

waxwing, you can really save in China? I've only ever heard horror stories about people getting ripped off and abandoned there, though for every horrow story there has to be at least one good story.

[waxwing]

I think it's eminently possible for a well qualified teacher to save $1000 / month or more in China. A single, convenient gig like that probably won't fall into your lap, but they're out there.

The bare figures of salary quoted by Nomad Dan above are meaningless, because we have to think about not only drastic differences in living costs, but also issues such as tax and free accommodation, bills. I had a (non-teaching) job in mittel Europe with remuneration totalling about $70K (I'll stick to US$ to keep the USAnians happy) including bonuses, and after all the everyday costs mentioned above, I could only just manage to save $1000 on a good month. Here in China I can often do the same, and if I choose to spend that locally it'll go a heck of a lot further.

(I don't know how that squares up with the OP's idea is of a decent living. American standards of living are unparalleled in the world, with a few minor exceptions like Scandinavia.)

Admittedly most people in China don't manage these kind of numbers, but the majority of people who come here are not hugely well qualified, to put it politely.

I agree with Nomad Dan's original point - Asia seems to be the only place (apart from the insanity of the Middle East) where you can get a wage that might be useful at home.

[Nomad Dan]

Thanks "guy" with a waxwing in China....
You make a lot of sense....I am hoping a job at one of the international schools in Shanghai works out for next year. Other than that, I really don't feel up to putting up with any monkey business with people wishing to blow me up in KSA....That is out really. I don't mind returning to Asia, but I was hoping to be able to brush up on my Spanish......Mandarin here I come, I reckon...
Are you studying the language? It sounds God-awful to my naive ears. I loved Arabic, but, you know, few opportunities to chat with the locals in ol' Saudi.
On On,
Nomad Dan

[moonraven]

Forget Latin America, Dan. I have better qualifications and experience than yours, and the most I have made here was 2200 dollars a month tax free as a dean at a private university in Ecuador--and even that wasn't enough to keep me there more than 3 months!

Go back to Saudi Arabia.

[Nomad Dan]

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I will hang around and keep getting more experience in public school and perhaps community college teaching. I was keen on Colombia because I wanted to increase my Spanish study, but that can happen here in Dallas and on summer breaks I suppose.
Moon, good point about Saudi.
I keep that option open.
Dan

[pirateinpanama]

Trying to make serious dollars in this part of the world is almost zero. Except for the job Moonraven mentioned, I thnk my job at in a well known university system is about the best I've heard (about $1,200-$1,400 per month). High rent in this city eats up nearly half that amount.
Best try Japan or the Mideast for the "big bucks."