[quote="indogal"]I am at a very large school in Brazil. Our school only has one psychologist & she is planning on staying for a while. But, I know our school does a lot of hiring at the AASSA fair, as do many of the schools in the region. Good luck![/quote]
Which school are you working at? Brazil is where I would like most to end up and would love to hear about your experience there. Feel free to message me privately if you would like.
Schools in South or Central America
Guatemala
I am now looking at some schools in Guatemala. Does anyone have any experiences at school in Guatemala, or what life is like living in Guatemala. I have looked at a few American School of guatemala, Atitlan Multcultural School and Inter-American School.
thanks!
thanks!
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chilagringa
- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm
I know Guatemala fairly well although I've never taught there.
I would speculate that Atitlan Multicultural School doesn't pay well, but I would love to live on Lago Atitlan. So beautiful. Would be small town life but I love it there.
IAS in Xela is super Christian, not sure if you are into that, but I heard it's a decent place to work and Xela is a great city to live in.
My friend from the capital says the American School is the best in the country, but I don't know anything about Guatemala City really so I can't comment.
Guatemala has its issues (crime) but you can be safe IF you are cautious. I don't know about life in the capital though so I can't really comment on that.
I would speculate that Atitlan Multicultural School doesn't pay well, but I would love to live on Lago Atitlan. So beautiful. Would be small town life but I love it there.
IAS in Xela is super Christian, not sure if you are into that, but I heard it's a decent place to work and Xela is a great city to live in.
My friend from the capital says the American School is the best in the country, but I don't know anything about Guatemala City really so I can't comment.
Guatemala has its issues (crime) but you can be safe IF you are cautious. I don't know about life in the capital though so I can't really comment on that.
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calciodirigore
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:16 pm
- Location: Europe
Guatemala is a beautiful country. Guatemala City also has its charms. However, it has gotten incredibly dangerous over the course of the last few years. Having said that my friends there are still enjoying it.
I worked at the American School of Guatemala for two years. I enjoyed the experience and only left after my two year contract in order to get IB experience. Although not an IB school, I have heard that it has improved considerably over the years.
The Interamerican School was always considered tier 3.
Good luck!
I worked at the American School of Guatemala for two years. I enjoyed the experience and only left after my two year contract in order to get IB experience. Although not an IB school, I have heard that it has improved considerably over the years.
The Interamerican School was always considered tier 3.
Good luck!
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schoolcounselor
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 2:28 pm
Psychbean,
I have not lived in Panama City, but I did just have a 1st and 2nd interview (an got an offer) with a school there at the AASSA fair this year. I had a lot of questions about life there, as you can imagine and I will be taking my dog with me wherever I go next year. (I accepted a position in Mexico)
This was what I learned (totally based on my questions and what is important to me, lifestyle-wise):
1) it's not a walking city -you simply must have a car there and public transport is not recommended (safety and efficiency)
2) because it is not an agricultural country, produce generally is imported. Hence, no veggie/fruit stands all through the neighborhoods.
3) most folks in the city live in highrise apartments (awful for me with a dog) and it is not a city of parks
4) more green space in the suburbs (that's where the principal I interviewed with lives) but then it's more isolated (not great for me as a single person)
5) with a car, you have easy access to incredible natural places in Panama, beaches, jungles, etc. People I spoke to compared the city to Miami, but raved about the beautiful countryside within a few hours drive.
I hope this is helpful. I know Panama City has a large expat community, perhaps if you Google "Panama blogs" you will gain some perspective about life there.
Best wishes! I didn't realize til this thread popped up that you are in ME now. Some general thoughts about your South America search: AASSA fair is indeed a very long way to come, and expensive. Almost all the positions I saw at AASSA were also posted (although with a few days delay) on JoyJobs.com. It's only $40 a year and includes a nice one page website for you to create a one-stop for recruiters to see your photos, read your philosophy, download your CV and email you directly. Nice to send out as a link in your emails. TIEonline is also worth the cost for listings. For such a narrow specialty, some schools will only hire locals (every school in Columbia from what I learned at AASSA) however, large schools throughout Mexico, Latin/South America (even with mostly host national kids) will hire expats for counseling positions and while they of course prefer Spanish fluency, it is not always required.
A smaller school will likely be a K-12 position and college counseling is part of the bundle. Counseling positions are so important, many schools start early and will wait to hire until they find the best possible candidate. I had several directors tell me this at AASSA. Still, I had 2 offers at the fair this year. Overall, there were 16 positions posted for counseling, 5 of which were just college counseling. Brazil had the most positions. No one expects you to speak Portuguese going in, so the language issue isn't part of the hiring criteria. For me, I have already put 4 years into studying Spanish, so I really was going for a Spanish-speaking country!
You may be able to manage without a fair. For example, I made a spreadsheet with every single school I was interested in (including links to their vacancy pages) and checked them daily once we got to October when positions are first being posted. This is actually how I found my job for next year, not via AASSA. (the fair was still very valuable) Two Skype interviews that went very well were enough! Overall, I invested a ton of time and no small amount of money into this process. I know it is possible, so please keep the faith :)
I have not lived in Panama City, but I did just have a 1st and 2nd interview (an got an offer) with a school there at the AASSA fair this year. I had a lot of questions about life there, as you can imagine and I will be taking my dog with me wherever I go next year. (I accepted a position in Mexico)
This was what I learned (totally based on my questions and what is important to me, lifestyle-wise):
1) it's not a walking city -you simply must have a car there and public transport is not recommended (safety and efficiency)
2) because it is not an agricultural country, produce generally is imported. Hence, no veggie/fruit stands all through the neighborhoods.
3) most folks in the city live in highrise apartments (awful for me with a dog) and it is not a city of parks
4) more green space in the suburbs (that's where the principal I interviewed with lives) but then it's more isolated (not great for me as a single person)
5) with a car, you have easy access to incredible natural places in Panama, beaches, jungles, etc. People I spoke to compared the city to Miami, but raved about the beautiful countryside within a few hours drive.
I hope this is helpful. I know Panama City has a large expat community, perhaps if you Google "Panama blogs" you will gain some perspective about life there.
Best wishes! I didn't realize til this thread popped up that you are in ME now. Some general thoughts about your South America search: AASSA fair is indeed a very long way to come, and expensive. Almost all the positions I saw at AASSA were also posted (although with a few days delay) on JoyJobs.com. It's only $40 a year and includes a nice one page website for you to create a one-stop for recruiters to see your photos, read your philosophy, download your CV and email you directly. Nice to send out as a link in your emails. TIEonline is also worth the cost for listings. For such a narrow specialty, some schools will only hire locals (every school in Columbia from what I learned at AASSA) however, large schools throughout Mexico, Latin/South America (even with mostly host national kids) will hire expats for counseling positions and while they of course prefer Spanish fluency, it is not always required.
A smaller school will likely be a K-12 position and college counseling is part of the bundle. Counseling positions are so important, many schools start early and will wait to hire until they find the best possible candidate. I had several directors tell me this at AASSA. Still, I had 2 offers at the fair this year. Overall, there were 16 positions posted for counseling, 5 of which were just college counseling. Brazil had the most positions. No one expects you to speak Portuguese going in, so the language issue isn't part of the hiring criteria. For me, I have already put 4 years into studying Spanish, so I really was going for a Spanish-speaking country!
You may be able to manage without a fair. For example, I made a spreadsheet with every single school I was interested in (including links to their vacancy pages) and checked them daily once we got to October when positions are first being posted. This is actually how I found my job for next year, not via AASSA. (the fair was still very valuable) Two Skype interviews that went very well were enough! Overall, I invested a ton of time and no small amount of money into this process. I know it is possible, so please keep the faith :)
Escuela Campo Alegre Venezuela
Escuela Campo Alegre Venezuela
Any current info on this school?
Any current info on this school?
@schoolcounselor: May I ask what part of Mexico you just accepted a job in? I am in negotiations right now and struggling with the low package, yet weighing all the very positive things about the school and people I have spoken with. I need to be able to pay down debt and I just am afraid I won't be able to do much paying of anything on this offer.
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calciodirigore
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:16 pm
- Location: Europe
Escuela Campo Alegre is an amazing school and moves from strength to strength. Definitely a top tier school.
Caracas, on the other hand, is very difficult to live in. I worked at ECA for four years and loved every minute of it. However, Caracas was becoming very unpleasant. This was several years ago, too. Friends who are still there say that it has become almost unbearable.
Good luck.
Caracas, on the other hand, is very difficult to live in. I worked at ECA for four years and loved every minute of it. However, Caracas was becoming very unpleasant. This was several years ago, too. Friends who are still there say that it has become almost unbearable.
Good luck.
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schoolcounselor
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2010 2:28 pm
[quote="calciodirigore"]Escuela Campo Alegre is an amazing school and moves from strength to strength. Definitely a top tier school.
Caracas, on the other hand, is very difficult to live in. I worked at ECA for four years and loved every minute of it. However, Caracas was becoming very unpleasant. This was several years ago, too. Friends who are still there say that it has become almost unbearable.
Good luck.[/quote]
PychBean,
I met a teacher from ECA at AASSA and asked about the area. Everyone has their own comfort level of course. And I am pretty adventurous, single and don't have kids. However, I have a dog and like to be able to walk solo to shop, enjoy exercise, etc. She described a life in which you could never carry a purse, wear earrings (not that I have diamonds, but living undercover sounds oppressive to me) and living in a gated community. I personally want to integrate with the local culture, and if I wanted an expat enclave, I could go to the ME and make more money. Just my impression. The teacher I spoke with was very happy at the school and def. made a case for applying. With a family, and coming from the ME, it may be perfectly comfortable for you! And the pay is good.
Again, best wishes. A perfect place for one person may be another's nightmare!
Caracas, on the other hand, is very difficult to live in. I worked at ECA for four years and loved every minute of it. However, Caracas was becoming very unpleasant. This was several years ago, too. Friends who are still there say that it has become almost unbearable.
Good luck.[/quote]
PychBean,
I met a teacher from ECA at AASSA and asked about the area. Everyone has their own comfort level of course. And I am pretty adventurous, single and don't have kids. However, I have a dog and like to be able to walk solo to shop, enjoy exercise, etc. She described a life in which you could never carry a purse, wear earrings (not that I have diamonds, but living undercover sounds oppressive to me) and living in a gated community. I personally want to integrate with the local culture, and if I wanted an expat enclave, I could go to the ME and make more money. Just my impression. The teacher I spoke with was very happy at the school and def. made a case for applying. With a family, and coming from the ME, it may be perfectly comfortable for you! And the pay is good.
Again, best wishes. A perfect place for one person may be another's nightmare!
Re: Schools in South or Central America
Thanks Schoolcounselor,
I think that this is not a good fit for me. I want to be safe. Also living in ME I was safe day and night and didn't live on a compound. I mixed and mingled at will. I would like to live and work in a place where my family can walk freely and not in fear. Thanks for your info on this school.
I think that this is not a good fit for me. I want to be safe. Also living in ME I was safe day and night and didn't live on a compound. I mixed and mingled at will. I would like to live and work in a place where my family can walk freely and not in fear. Thanks for your info on this school.
Re: Schools in South or Central America
Ok, gang still not in South or Central America but still in Asia for another year I think... The AASSA fair is still wicked far from Asia and it seems that you have to get there to get hired. I will try to get there this year but it is so financially challenging especially if I come away from the fair with no job. Yes the investment is large but to spend thousands, days off of work and the 18 hour flight.. ouch..
Have many applied to schools attending AASSA without actually going to the fair? I have joined 2 years in a row but have been in Asia and just couldn't go because it was just to far and expensive and there was not enough interest in schools for me to make that leap of faith financially to go. What to do?
Have many applied to schools attending AASSA without actually going to the fair? I have joined 2 years in a row but have been in Asia and just couldn't go because it was just to far and expensive and there was not enough interest in schools for me to make that leap of faith financially to go. What to do?
Last edited by PsychBean on Sat Jan 25, 2014 3:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Crgallen22
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:43 am
Re: Schools in South or Central America
I am curious about this as well. Has anyone been hired by good schools in South America (Nido, Graded, etc.) via Skype or do they hire exclusively through the Atlanta fair? I didn't receive even a nibble from any school in South America and ended up accepting a job at a great school in Asia. I am still curious about South America for future reference.
Re: Schools in South or Central America
I was hired by a 'good' South American school after interviewing via Skype, however I had experience at other top -tier international schools.