Comments on: Canadian Center Mexico

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:46:51 +0000

I agree with Ethel ; at the Canadian Center either you learn how to teach or practice if you already know how to. Goals are already set and with the proper WORK and discipline those goals are met. This English school is the most prestigious one in the city – Tuxtla. Some of the above descriptions of the school are true, but are within the upper local standards.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:24:38 +0000

I agree with Ethel; at the Canadian Center either you learn how to teach or practice if you already know how to. Goals are already set and with the proper WORK and discipline those goals are met. This English school is the most prestigious one in the city – Tuxtla. Some of the above descriptions of the school are true, but are within the upper local standards.

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:11:44 +0000

My name is Marie and I am from Quebec, Canada. Anybody who might need information about the Canadian Center may contact me: bellemarie_2005@yahoo.com I have worked for over one year at the Canadian Center and never heard of Lulu or Jeff , unless our schedules did not match; however from your comments I conclude that you must be talking about Maria Luisa (not me) ,who is related to the Principal and performs office tasks. I understand everyone is entitled to have their own opinion and a glass can bee seen half empty or half full. I have checked a few schools in this Town and received some offers but for me staying at the Canadian Center until the end of my contract has worked better. It is the most prestigious English school in Town as proof of hard work by the office and academic staff. I do not mean to offend anyone, but share my own experience, and will conclude by quoting Ethel Muth’s comments at the beginning of this page. I understand that Ethel worked at the Canadian Center sometime ago. “If you work at the Canadian Centre you need to understand that, like alot of places, you’re going to have to work. How hard is that?”.

By: Marie

Marie — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:03:12 +0000

I don’t recall anyone with the name “Lulu” and “Jeff” working for the Canadian Center at all, unless our schedules did not match and I must correct you.. I’m from Quebec city I suppose you must be talking about Maria Luisa who is the director’s relative; and sure she works in administration. As in everything you can see a glass half full or half empty…a great part of it has to do a lot with your own perception or doings.I only mentioned my own experience which has been good so far. Those, who come here are always given foreign teachers references to contact which I did before coming, those teachers had also good things to say.. that means something.

I have perceived a very clear intention to harm the image of the Canadian Center and I don’t think that’s fair, because I have checked other schools in town and have received some offers, but I decided to continue here till August when will be going home.Yet you are entitled to express your opinions. Please read the following notice – this teacher worked for the Canadian Center some time ago, so I was told –

“Ethel Muth on Fri, 21st Sep 2007 10:58 pm… This is a great place to learn how to teach, or if you think you know how, to practice. Apparently, other teachers hate it. If you work at the Canadian Centre you need to understand that, like alot of places, you’re going to have to work. How hard is that?”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:35:39 +0000

There’s a lot of truth in these reviews except those from the owner’s relatives. Canadian Center students are great and well motivated and the people of Chiapas are generally gentile and friendly.

As for teaching there, one should avoid it especially if you are an American. The owner scapegoats foreigners for any and all problems, bad mouths them to the Mexican teachers behind their backs and generally wishes she didn’t have to deal with them but has to because she advertises foreign teachers.

The most unprofessional aspects of this school is overcrowded classrooms the owner’s scolding of teachers in front of students, their parents and other teachers. She has no control over her emotional rages which can last up to 30 or 40 minutes. Students, secretaries and other teachers are ordered to spy on you and you are called before the owner for a tongue lashing for even minor offenses. It’s not a pleasant place at all for foreign teachers to work and I’ve never heard of one renewing their contract or coming to the owners defense.

By: Lulu

Lulu — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:47:16 +0000

I feel that it is important to try to be as objective as possible when writing these reviews, so when ‘Marie’ wrote that she is renewing her contract, it is misleading. She is a close family member of the director. I have recently returned home from teaching at Canadian Center, and this is what I have to say about the establishment and the experience…

The students are great! The people in Tuxtla are very hospitable, but Canadian Center is a very difficult place to work.

Much of what ‘Aronson’ says is correct. First, the schedule looks similar to this:
7-9 (or) 9-11 am and 2 classes at night: 5-7 and 7-9pm Mon-Fri. (that’s 6 hours 5 days a week = 30 hours), and you will have a class on Sat. from 9-1(4 more hours), which brings that total hours to: 34 hours (Marie isn’t intimate with this schedule as she is not a full time English Teacher). The hours don’t include; time to plan your classes, grade tests, or the time-consuming task of filling out evaluations on all students every two months. You will have very little time to do anything else besides teach.

The director expressed to me that the teachers who are unhappy with not being able to experience and explore because of the demanding schedule and low pay are not dedicated to the job, and are there for the wrong reasons. So, if you are looking for a place to work that affords you personal time to learn the language, experience the culture, and possibly site-see, then Canadian Center would not be an ideal fit for you.

In addition, Canadian Center even has a bad reputation in Tuxtla because of how they treat their instructors. You can expect to be verbally and mentally demeaned for the smallest infraction. And as stated in other reviews, Canadian Center is never in the fault for any challenges that may arise. There is no team at Canadian Center, you’ll be treated as the help, and not as a professional. There is little or no support from the administration. There is a persistent feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder. Much of the staff feels the air of intimidation passed down from the director.

The pay is very low; in fact, you are barely paid enough to get by. Your Visa will only allow you to work at Canadian Center; you cannot take on other jobs to make more money. Not that you would have any time to do that anyway. . .

The apartment that they set you up with is not a requirement, as Marie pointed out. It is more expensive, but it is close to work, safe, and has hot water.

All in all, the students are the sweetest people on the planet. And despite the long hours, and low pay Canadian Center would be a workable place if it weren’t for the harsh treatment that one receives there.

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:05:49 +0000

I’ve been working at the Canadian Center for one year so far, and about to renew contract. I totally agree with Ethel’s comment because it is necessary to understand that when you have to work you have to. Work environment has always been nice (between secretaries, teachers, the principal included). Concerning the comment about computers I won’t deny that those aren’t the newest ones on the market but it is a service provide within the capacities of the school and I’m almost a 100% sure that it is the only school that provides this service. (Please do remember that Mexico is not a 1st world country).
Concerning teaching all material is provided and you have detailed information on what to use, when and how you just have to follow it.
Pay it is what was mentioned by aronson but you don’t teach 34 hours (I might teach you some math) and you are never forced to live in that apartment, it is always a suggestion based on the fact that its close to work and its not so expensive. I can say that never lived in those apartments.
But it is important to know that there are always to versions of a story right? it just depends on how you want to see it.
And if anyone wants to come to this school I can asure you that you won’t regret at all!

By: Paola

Paola — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 06:12:10 +0000

Re: Ethel Muth,

Hi Ethel,I was your student at Canadian Center. I just want to tell you that CC is not as good as it used to be. Now they crowded the classroom with 20-25 students.

I would like to hear news about you and Maria…

love, Paola

By: Scott Zimmermann D.A.

Scott Zimmermann D.A. — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:47:46 +0000

I concur with the views expressed by Mr. Aronson. He cites all of the key factors that make Canadian Center a third-rate school: inept management, overcrowded classrooms, antiquated and dilapidated audio equipment, an overly complicated and cumbersome curriculum, and low pay. His posting is one hundred percent accurate.

By: geoffrey ellis aronson

geoffrey ellis aronson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:50:09 +0000

This is a school in which the director of the school never assumes any responsibility for anything bad that happens at the school. Nothing is ever her fault, everything is everyone elses fault.
If you prefer to teach in a classroom that is only 8 feet by 10 feet jampacked with 23 students this is your ideal place to teach. For anyone with any sense of proper schooling would realize, this is not correct educational procedure. The computer lab is a mess, with each of a dozen computers with different programs, some of which work, others do not. There is no effort by staff to earmark the working programs so for each teacher, there is a learning process by which he/she learns what each computer contains. Much class time is wasted by students struggling to find the programs that they need to do their exercises or they have to jump over to another exercise that is compatible to their inclass work.
CD players are hopelessly broken and not taken out of circulation. Again, new teacher recruits waste valuable class time trying to get the av equipment to work when the staff, intimidated by an extremely stern owner/director fail to maintain the equipment.
There were 5 foreign teachers when I started teaching there. I came in January, half way through the year contract along with another foreign teacher. Of the older 3 teachers, only 1 had been there at the start of the academic year in September.
The program is a highly regimented one. There are 22 educational sources of material, all of which must be used in each course. We`re talking DVDs, grammar lessons, CDs, audiotapes, chapbooks, textbooks of every kind, etc. etc. I spent the time counting them. Yes, intimidating. I had 5 textbooks alone for a single class.
As far as language school is concerned this is one with an incredibly low pay of 7,800 pesos per month for 34 hours of teaching. In contrast, here in Mexico city, International House pays 9,500 pesos for 20 hours of instruction and even in Merida, Yucatan which has a cost of living comparable to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the pay is 6,500 for 20 hours of work.
As part of the terms of employment, the director insists that you stay at an apartment of her choosing near the school which costs 2,600 pesos per month, a high rent for Tuxtla.