Topic: ICTC - Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico

[reddevil79]

I wanted to write a few lines about the school I worked at for a year and a half – ICTC in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico.

This is a lovely language school that teaches English to students of all ages.  I taught to children as young as four while my oldest student was nearly 80 years old, so you can focus on a particular age group or have a mix of classes.  Class sizes rarely go above a dozen, so there are no huge groups to contend with.  The school is also very well equipped, with free internet connection for staff, CD players, televisions, video and DVD players, computer projectors and lots of material to help teachers plan their lessons.

There’s a close knit team at the school and they really do look after you.  They always go the extra mile and will help with problems outside of school life too, like accommodation, health matters, etc.  The Director always organises an all expenses paid for weekend away every semester, so new teachers get to know their staff and feel welcome when they arrive. 

Ciudad Guzman itself is small, but has a lot of character and charm.  There’s a lovely plaza (the biggest in Jalisco state), interesting bars, great restaurants, a natural park, a big lake nearby and even a rodeo on the outskirts of town.  The people are friendly and like receiving visitors to their town.  It is easy to make friends with Mexicans and a good place to learn Spanish too.

But maybe the best thing about the town is its location.  It is only an hour and a half away from Guadalajara, Mexico’s second city, as well as the same distance form the Pacific coast and great beaches.  There are also many interesting little towns nearby, with numerous mountain retreats and weekend getaway type places, all under the gaze of the Volcano de Fuego.

Of course this is not to say that ICTC is perfect; it’s not.  The school has seen a big surge in student numbers over the past two years, and this in itself causes problems from time to time, like with all organisations that increase in size over a short space of time.  The management team is still fairly young and are learning all the time about managing all aspects of a language school.  They are, however, committed, spirited and always take decisions with the students’ best interest in mind, something that can’t be said about too many private language schools in Mexico.  Teachers always have a say too in issues relating to school policy and there are regular staff meetings to iron out any problems.

I wholeheartedly recommend ICTC to all teachers, new and experienced alike.  It’s a great place to work, to develop professionally and you couldn’t wish for a more Mexican experience.   

[Nemesis]

Thanks for the great report!! You're right, no school is perfect, but if they give you a great experience then you owe it to yourself to spread the word. Thanks again!

[Guy Courchesne]

I wanted to write a few lines about the school I worked at for a year and a half – ICTC in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico.

I didn't realize you'd left...are you still working in Mexico?

[reddevil79]

Yep, I'm still in Mexico, but now working with our friend Melee in the Mixteca at La Universidad Tecnologica 

[daviest]

Stay away!!!

The owner is nice, but he lets foreigners manage his school, *********.

Management is inept to say the least, and they lie to candidates to recruit them to this very small town.

They also reduced teacher hours, increased teacher responsibilities, and change all teachers every two semesters after break so they don't have to support visas.

The facilities are barely adequate, and there is a severe shortage of materials and supplies.

Housing and visa support is nonexistant, and they have no credetials nor do they provide any training.

They pay per class, and classes are always getting cancelled.

Good luck!

[tristan]

After getting my TEFL Certificate there in March 2010, I taught at ICTC for a year and a half and had an excellent experience. The school, like the city itself, is very welcoming and comfortable. The teachers and administrators are all very invested in the school and the success of its students, unlike many private English schools which are run purely for profit. In fact, I was surprised to find that the level of professionalism (among other things, like textbooks and facilities) is higher at ICTC than at the various English institutes I've worked at since returning home to New York.

I can't agree with daviest's comments above as I found mainly the opposite to be true. While there are some things ICTC could improve (clearer communication/organization), these problems are typical of many schools - especially in Latin America - and I would recommend ICTC to prospective students and teachers alike. I hope to see myself back there someday very soon!

[LCugli4444]

I worked at International Cambridge Training Center in Ciudad Guzman for two and half years. I really loved it there. I have taught in China and Thailand, as well in the United States in the public school system, so I know how schools go. It has been a year since I left ICTC, and I still miss my old coworkers and students.

When I was there, ICTC did help me with my visas, although they didn't pay for it until I had already put a year in.  Some schools will pay for your visa up front, but these schools usually require that you make at least a year commitment because the visa process is a big hassle, expensive, and honestly not all that necessary in MX. ICTC does not require you to commit to a year--consequently they do not offer to pay for your visa when you first start with them. However, they will help you in sorting out how to do everything, and as I said, once you commit to being there for a long time, they will do the entire visa process for you. (At least this is how it was for me when I was working there.)

Someone above wrote about ICTC paying you per class and cancelling classes frequently. You are payed by class hours, however classes are never randomly cancelled. After the first week of classes, the schedule's kinks will be worked out and will be set for you for the semester; you will know exactly how much money you'll make per week. I always had the amount of classes I was promised for a semester.

The administration is friendly and really did do their best to improve their school and support the teachers. As I said, I have taught in a lot of different settings, so I did not expect everything to run like clockwork all the time. If you are teaching in a developing country, do not expect that there will be an efficient way to do everything--that's just not how it is. As the school has been growing and changing very fast, there were times where things did not happen as they were supposed to---but for me, this is all part of being in a developing country and a developing school. 

Overall, I had a great time there because it is a school where you can really be creative with your teaching and just enjoy it! My classes were never bigger than 15 students, I was given a curriculum and materials that were structured and well-organized, there were lots of resources to pull from to enhance my teaching, and my administrators supported me in any new or creative ideas I had for the school or for my classes. Also, the school has made an effort to be a part of the community with fun events like karaoke contests, a haunted house for Halloween, and Christmas parties.

It is a great place to work, and I highly recommend it!