Thanks, Jon.

If you are a native English speaker, a certified ESL teacher and if you are passionate and flexible about teaching, then you are very much qualified!

We offer attractive benefits to qualified teachers and promise a rewarding career.

If you are interested, please send your resume with photo to recruit03(at)de-wey.com.tw.

Cheers!

I have been asked to join the school u have spoekn of here, WAT happened?? I’d really like to know.

PS- do u think conditions might have improved there now?

I have extensive experience at Colegio Aleman in Torreon, as well as several friends who have also worked there.

A few thoughts:

Colegio Aleman’s principal orientation is to make money. It’s a business. For those not familiar with how private schools operate, you may find this shocking, but it’s just a reality with which you will have to deal.

What does this mean? It means that there will be little to no support for teachers when the inevitable need for discipline arises. Want to have a student suspended for constant disruptive behaviour or disrespect? I wish you luck.

Want some support to help manage your classroom’s unruly behaviour? You’re on your own.

Would you like the gym teacher to arrive on time or administration to stop knocking at your classroom door all day long to deal with “outstanding administrative issues?” and interrupting your teaching flow? So sorry.

Essentially, the commitment to quality education was not obvious when I was there, but the commitment to grow the school(grow the business) definitely was. As a result, little importance is put on ensuring actual teaching and good conduct, and a lot put on ensuring the students and parents are “happy”. Were you always “happy” at school as a kid? I wasn’t. but I learned something.

So, I’m not sure how much the administration has changed in the last several years, but my overwhelming impression was simply that the administration exists to ensure the business makes money, and not that the kids learn.

The pay is not high, but that is clearly stated at the beginning. There used to be a month-end attendance/punctuality bonus paid but the office punch-in clock I remember being frequently changed in order to ensure punctual punch-ins impossible.

There are other private schools in Torreon, the most attractive of which I believe to be the Colegio Ingles, located up near the TEC campus. The Ingles is similar in design and philosophy, but the administration truly supports their teachers’ efforts to educate and while it has become a highly profitable business, the educational of their kids has not suffered. I recall there being several really neat extra-curricular activities available for the students, lots of good science, art and math – a more solid, robust curriculum.

I have encountered few people who were unhappy with their tenure at the Ingles – I would recommend it first. The few people who were unhappy were foreginers who simply never should have left their home country as they expected Mexico to be identical to their place of origin and any differences were met with frustration. Hardly the mentality to take with you on a trip abroad.

It is possible to have a good year working at the Aleman, but be very careful to create and maintain a solid, mature relationship with the staff. State your expectations and awareness up front, and have many interactions while still at home, before you travel. Don’t be bullied. Don’t put too much emphasis on bonuses and health coverage – do it for the experience, not the money, and buy a solid travel insurance plan. Change your focus from earning to something like living in a foreign country and being paid to do so and you’ll encounter less frustration.

Your year will be narrated by constant screaming children, unorganized events, inconsistent “discipline” (I use the word loosely) and intrusive office staff, but if you take into account cultural differences and understand things won’t be exactly the same as the public school you attended back home, you can prepare for these things.

Just don’t go in there with your eyes closed.

Torreon, it has to be said, may not be a cultural mecca, but it is quite close to the colonial heart of Mexico, which is not to be missed. There are a lot of things to do in Torreon but most are social in nature, or involving delicious meals and cold beer(it’s always hot, except for when it’s cold

I mention this as well because if you approach your year in Torreon with the idea of making many friends and enjoying a nice social life in addition to your work, you will have the correct idea, I would think.

Take the time to do something neat and “Mexican” every day (you’re done work before 3) – go to a cantina, take Spanish lessons, learn Spanish guitar, take art lessons, learn handicrafts peculiar to Mexico, soak up the culture, plan a good two week vacation to Mazatlan for Semana Santa, etc.

If you have the right frame of mind, you’ll have a good year. Heed these comments and go well-prepared.

Mr. Former Teacher

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=28338254&postID=1816234422863033528&page=1

I received great evaluations from my LC, principal and principal advisor. Nonetheless, I along with dozens others, received our letters of termination for poor evaluations and reviews.

God help you should you attempt to appeal the termination. By all standards I have a case. Yet it seems to be virtually impossible to have anyone take even one look at you to help.

Many of those still surviving in these appalling conditions are contemplating resignation or desertion!!!!

if you are a candidate for discrimination you should realize this going in… and if you aren’t, you should still think about whether you want to be affiliated with an organization that openly discriminates on the basis of race & age.

It is saddening to see the comments that you have posted on this site. A nice young man, who is hired for a teaching position within our organization, yet who doesn’t have any relevant experience nor a valid teaching certificate. Who ultimately chose to come to Torreon to marry one of our ex-students, and then to post negative comments about the school. Let’s be clear here, you are only one of two foreign teachers that have been fired from the school here in the past 7 years. Not knowing how to write a lesson plan, how to do a 6 week plan or even simpler how to follow instructions were the main reasons for the English Director releasing you from the school. How can anyone keep a job when their students are missing between 60-100 pages of a practice book that should be used daily and which the other teacher in the grade has completed with all of her students? Taking care of and valuing your job should be of primary importance when you apply and accept at job at our institution as well as coming to Mexico for the right reasons. Good luck with employment anywhere with your attitude and commitment towards work!

Please remember that when you applied for the job at Colegio Aleman you lied on your application/phone interview. When asked if you had any medical concerns the school should be aware of or chronic illnesses you said no, none. Then upon your arrival (I believe your 4th day here) you had 2 epeleptic attacks. A very scary experience to put your roomates and the school through when nobody knew of this medical concern and the fact that you didnt bring any of your medication with you. Technically you should have paid the entire hospital bill, but the school was nice enough and offered to pay half the bill for you. You weren’t even here long enough to pay the bill and you were well aware that the money you had earned, when YOU made the decision to leave the country, was going to cover the hospital bill. Again with the amount of time you had been here it still only covered about 40 % of the bill.

About being the fourth English teacher. Please state the truth. The first teacher was in her second year with us at the school when she found out her uncle had been diagnosed with cancer and had only been given 2 months to live. For obvious reasons she was forced to leave the country. The second teacher for these students was the Primary English Co-ordinator until the English Director could bring in a new teacher. The third teacher left because of his unhappiness outside the school. How can you anticipate someone being diagnosed with cancer or being unhappy in their own personal life? Two things that are totally uncontrollable by the school. Let’s really consider who these appallingly false comments are coming from? What kind of validity can and should be given to someones comments who only worked at the school for 21 days?

In the event that a teacher falls out of failure at the school, administration and ownership will play dirty–threatening deportation, denial of payment, etc. If they do not threaten a teacher with denial of payment, they will simply not pay you at all as was the case for Sandra, or they will attempt to pay you significantly less than what you are owed as dictates Mexican labor law.

Good luck to those of you who take the plunge at Colegio Aleman.

When I contacted the school to see if there was any problem with the electronic transfer I was told that I was a liar and that I would not be getting paid.

What bothers me is that I was given, on that pay day, the day before I was to leave Torreon, a new bank card speciafically for the reason so that money would not be deposited. I also feel that they are cowards ( and if you look at the coordinator you will see what I mean! Attention all elfs!) as I asked about the pay situation, and felt misled and was not told anything about the fact that I would be docked for an expense that the school had technically covered a couple of weeks before.

I am the fourth english teacher this group of kids have seen this year. I wonder why?!And it is only March.

Just understand that if you come to work here, get proper health coverage because the school doesn’t actually provide proper health care. I would also suggest to get paid in cash.