Anyone move from US to Mexico to teach??

Question

I am really, seriously considering packing up (husband & son) and heading to Mexico (or elsewhere in Central Amer) to teach for a year. I am an ESOL teacher now & would love to take it to the next level and immerse myself in teh culture and share the experience with my family. For those of you that have done it... where did you begin?? What have your experiences been? Public school? Private? Lessons? Adults? Can you live off what you make?? Any other info greatly appreciated!!

Answer 1

I moved to Mexico from Texas 18 years ago. I love it.

I am an ESOL teacher (actually now I am the Academic Director at an English school).

If you need extra advice e-mail me.

I have hired some American teachers, I usually fix the FM3 (permit to work in Mexico) for them so I am familiarized with the paperwork.

Answer 2

I quit my job about 5 years ago....just like you are talking about and moved to Honduras and now I am in Mexico.  I am also a teacher and can give you a WEALTH of information on how to do it.  I think it would be better talking with you in person.  I can give you a call.....I am very interested in helping you....this was the best decision I made in my life.  So, how do we contact each other?  I seriously can't tell you everything there is to know in a type written letter like this.  And believe me, there are things you MUST know in order to pick the best school and to get paid fairly . International teaching has a lot of loop-holes that trap teachers.  Please let me share with you.  How can we contact each other?  My e-mail is [e-mail].  Send me your number in the States and I promise to call.

UPDATE!!!!  tomnmexico,  l live in Guadalajara too.....how strange.  Maybe we teach at the same school.  Colomos ring a bell?

Answer 3

i live in a beautiful town in mexico called san miguel de allende. so beautiful. I moved here with my family 5 years ago and became fluent in spanish within a year. I had a teacher who is from new york. she was on the board of the museum of natural history and started bilingual programs all throughout new york. She was the best teacher i'd ever had. she now runs a science summer camp for kids who can't afford expensive classes and want to learn. so many teachers, designers, authers, ect. move here to relax and be with their familys. everyone falls in love with it. Here is a link:

http://sanmigueldeallende.com

http://www.internetsanmiguel.com/

hope I helped : )

Answer 4

I would do it.

Answer 5

You would need to find an employer first in order to get a work permit.  You need your diploma, certified transcripts, proof that your university is licensed by the state.  Then you would need to get an FM3 visa with a work permit.   If you could get a job with a major ESL teaching company and have a contract in place before coming, it might be ok.  If you come and then try to find a job , you will starve!  Takes a long time, offers do not pan out, you get lied to a lot, pay in local schools is maybe $5.00 USD an hr. if you are lucky.  Had an aquaintance, a teacher who moved down here thinking she could get a job teaching English in nothing flat...6 mo. later she finally got one.  Have another friend who has lived in Mexico City for yrs, a businessman, who just  started teaching for a big ESL co. recently. You would do best to research these companies and get hired, let them help you with visa, etc., then come to Mexico.

Answer 6

i am an ESOL teacher and i moved to mexico to teach.  my first advice is to do everything legally.  it is imperative that you have a proper visa in order to work and recieve health care, especially b/c you have a family.  next,  do you speak spanish?  if so, great.  if not...start learning.  even a little will help a lot.  i recommend working at a  university, especially if you don't speak spanish, b/c you'll work almost exclusively with your dept. and most require the eng. teachers to speak eng. all day long, and all meetings are done in english.

you can start searching for a job now, but understand nothing will be final and secured until your visa goes through.  here is what i did...i made contact with a university...i did internviews and such via email and phone.  they assured me they were extremely interested, so i packed my vital posessions, wrote up a letter of resignation to my public school job here and left it on the table at home, and then went to mexico. i had the interview, they offered me the job, i waited the 6wks-8wks for the visa, and as soon as it went through i called my family and told them to mail my letter.

let me give you a hint about salary..it's not as bad as some people say, and it can get better.  i have a masters degree, i started making about 9 USD an hour with benefits, after one term i told them i had a better offer, they immediately doubled my salary.  do NOT work at a public university, they don't have this kind of paying power.  go private.  i reccomend tech de monterrey and universidad panamerica.

i would reccomend mexico to you, rather than central/south america.  i would also recommend a medium sized city such as aguascalientes...well, i am biased about aguas.  guadalajara will have many more job options for you...but also many more americans.  you need to be a great teacher too, i made a nice salary not because i'm american, we're a dime a dozen, but because i was good at what i was doing.  i was interested in teaching, not just having a great cultural experience.  now that i'm back in the US, i'm infinitely more prepared to teach my students here because of my experience there.

your husband does not have such a great chance of getting a work visa and following the legal route...not that he really needs to with his job.  but he would be able to come perhaps bulked in with your visa, and certainly on a tourist visa.

Answer 7

You are a teacher and you dont know that Mexico is in North America ?? "

Quote: "(or elsewhere in Central Amer) "

Answer 8

I have done it so if you have any questions, email me.  I moved to Guadalajara and had no trouble finding a job.  However, the pay is low, not enough to support a family.