Comments on: Universidad Tecnologica de la Mixteca Mexico http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html Independent Information on TEFL Life, Opportunities and Schools Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:45:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: dougal thompson http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html/comment-page-1#comment-34992 dougal thompson Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:38:18 +0000 http://www.teflwatch.org/269/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico/#comment-34992 I worked at UTM a few years ago and was very happy. Maria's list of pros and cons is right...but I would add- basic salary is ok, and you get bonuses at Xmas,Easter and summer. You get $50 deducted each month. This is matched by the uni and these are returned to you, with interest at Xmas.There is also a pension and financial help with buying a house should you wish. It is a good package and it is the reason I have returned to the group. I am now at a sister uni on the coast-UMAR. The students are happy kids. If you want an easy-going lifestyle, I would recommend either of the above unis. I worked at UTM a few years ago and was very happy. Maria’s list of pros and cons is right…but I would add-
basic salary is ok, and you get bonuses at Xmas,Easter and summer. You get $50 deducted each month. This is matched by the uni and these are returned to you, with interest at Xmas.There is also a pension and financial help with buying a house should you wish. It is a good package and it is the reason I have returned to the group. I am now at a sister uni on the coast-UMAR. The students are happy kids. If you want an easy-going lifestyle, I would recommend either of the above unis.

]]> By: Maria http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html/comment-page-1#comment-30911 Maria Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:58:27 +0000 http://www.teflwatch.org/269/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico/#comment-30911 I worked at UTM for a year, from 2002 to 2003. I moved from there to another university in the chain of regional universities it belongs to. There were both pros and cons to my experience at UTM. The pros: - low number of teaching hours - my own office (very nice building and surroundings, I spent a lot of time reading books online) - nice co-workers - having a language lab and a computer lab (not having these facilities at the schools I've worked at since makes me regret not having used them more than I did) - no hassles with the Mexican administration (again, my current work situation in another country makes me nostalgic!) The cons: - you only teach 15-16 hours but you HAVE to be on campus 40 hours a week - the trip from Oaxaca City to Huajuapan, where the university is, made me motion sick (up hills and round bends) - the (Mexican) university staff in Oaxaca City, knowing I spoke some Spanish, were less than helpful when I went to get my teaching visa - the salary is high by Mexican standards, but pretty low compared to what you can earn outside of Latin America. The thing that really got me with the regional university system, in both the universities I worked at, was the way in which the students were treated - the compulsory list of 'extra-curricular' activities they had to take to keep receiving their scholarships. But, to be fair, few of the students seemed to resent it as much as I did, and I know I resented it because I came from a different culture with very different expectations of university education. I worked at UTM for a year, from 2002 to 2003. I moved from there to another university in the chain of regional universities it belongs to.

There were both pros and cons to my experience at UTM.

The pros:
- low number of teaching hours
- my own office (very nice building and surroundings, I spent a lot of time reading books online)
- nice co-workers
- having a language lab and a computer lab (not having these facilities at the schools I’ve worked at since makes me regret not having used them more than I did)
- no hassles with the Mexican administration (again, my current work situation in another country makes me nostalgic!)

The cons:
- you only teach 15-16 hours but you HAVE to be on campus 40 hours a week
- the trip from Oaxaca City to Huajuapan, where the university is, made me motion sick (up hills and round bends)
- the (Mexican) university staff in Oaxaca City, knowing I spoke some Spanish, were less than helpful when I went to get my teaching visa
- the salary is high by Mexican standards, but pretty low compared to what you can earn outside of Latin America.

The thing that really got me with the regional university system, in both the universities I worked at, was the way in which the students were treated – the compulsory list of ‘extra-curricular’ activities they had to take to keep receiving their scholarships. But, to be fair, few of the students seemed to resent it as much as I did, and I know I resented it because I came from a different culture with very different expectations of university education.

]]> By: Josie http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html/comment-page-1#comment-30904 Josie Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:40:43 +0000 http://www.teflwatch.org/269/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico/#comment-30904 I just moved back to the states after working at UTM for 2 years. I can honestly (yes, very honestly) say that that experience will be one of the best experiences of my life. I moved there in September of 2005 and everything fell into place for me: a clean place to live, nice co-workers, and a town that felt like home in some very wierd way. The atmosphere was very professional, and it was nice that I had a library full of teaching materials and the freedom to do whatever I wanted in the classroom (as long as it prepared the students for the KET/PET/BEC exams). The students are great. The only problem I had with the students was when my class size got up into the high 20s and low 30s (didn't go beyond the low 30s), and that may have just been the dynamics of the class. I will admit that I have complained about the bureaucracy that is abundant in Mexico, but then I think back on some of my office jobs in the states and wonder which was worse. Really. As for the town of Huajuapan, I loved it except for the constant whistling from the men. Oh, and the food is not my favorite, but I had limited selections since I'm not into dairy. The markets are fantastic. Fresh veggies and fruits all the time. And there is cheap transportation to everywhere. Lots of fun travels. I left UTM for personal reasons -- missed my friends and family. I loved my friends and co-workers in Huajuapan, but family is very important to me. It was a hard decision because I loved my job that much. I just moved back to the states after working at UTM for 2 years. I can honestly (yes, very honestly) say that that experience will be one of the best experiences of my life. I moved there in September of 2005 and everything fell into place for me: a clean place to live, nice co-workers, and a town that felt like home in some very wierd way. The atmosphere was very professional, and it was nice that I had a library full of teaching materials and the freedom to do whatever I wanted in the classroom (as long as it prepared the students for the KET/PET/BEC exams).
The students are great. The only problem I had with the students was when my class size got up into the high 20s and low 30s (didn’t go beyond the low 30s), and that may have just been the dynamics of the class.
I will admit that I have complained about the bureaucracy that is abundant in Mexico, but then I think back on some of my office jobs in the states and wonder which was worse. Really.
As for the town of Huajuapan, I loved it except for the constant whistling from the men. Oh, and the food is not my favorite, but I had limited selections since I’m not into dairy. The markets are fantastic. Fresh veggies and fruits all the time. And there is cheap transportation to everywhere. Lots of fun travels.
I left UTM for personal reasons — missed my friends and family. I loved my friends and co-workers in Huajuapan, but family is very important to me. It was a hard decision because I loved my job that much.

]]> By: Melissa Ferrin http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html/comment-page-1#comment-14463 Melissa Ferrin Thu, 27 Sep 2007 23:34:44 +0000 http://www.teflwatch.org/269/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico/#comment-14463 I had to look through our emails because we recieve hundreds of applicants each semester. But I think I found Ron. Our lengthy questionnaire consists of 5 questions. Ron's answers were very cut and gave the feeling that he was bothered by being asked to complete the questionnaire. As we recieve many highly qualified applicants, we use this questionnaire to gage the interest level and seriousness of the candidate as well as looking for answers that suggest the teacher would settle in well at the university. We are a public insitution in Latin America, there is a lot of bureaucracy and little rules that one must deal with, foreign English teachers are not in a position to change this and we have found that many teachers are not willing to simply do the best they can and work from within the system. This is my tenth year working at UTM and during that time we've done a lot to improve the teaching and learning conditions, but it has been accomplished in a manner simmilar to chopping down a redwood with a pocket knife. Ron was not on track for a job offer due to his responses in the "lengthy questionnaire" if that was too much trouble for him, then he would not have been happy working here. As for his letters to other teachers, I know that one teacher recieved an email from him, she was the third member ot the hiring committee with Jonathan and myself. She told me since she already knew he was not moving on to the interview stage, she didn't bother to respond to him--that probably was not the best choice on her part. I'm sorry he feels that working for us would be a "bad decision" but I'm happy to see 5 other people have given us 5 stars. I had to look through our emails because we recieve hundreds of applicants each semester. But I think I found Ron.
Our lengthy questionnaire consists of 5 questions. Ron’s answers were very cut and gave the feeling that he was bothered by being asked to complete the questionnaire. As we recieve many highly qualified applicants, we use this questionnaire to gage the interest level and seriousness of the candidate as well as looking for answers that suggest the teacher would settle in well at the university.
We are a public insitution in Latin America, there is a lot of bureaucracy and little rules that one must deal with, foreign English teachers are not in a position to change this and we have found that many teachers are not willing to simply do the best they can and work from within the system. This is my tenth year working at UTM and during that time we’ve done a lot to improve the teaching and learning conditions, but it has been accomplished in a manner simmilar to chopping down a redwood with a pocket knife.
Ron was not on track for a job offer due to his responses in the “lengthy questionnaire” if that was too much trouble for him, then he would not have been happy working here. As for his letters to other teachers, I know that one teacher recieved an email from him, she was the third member ot the hiring committee with Jonathan and myself. She told me since she already knew he was not moving on to the interview stage, she didn’t bother to respond to him–that probably was not the best choice on her part.
I’m sorry he feels that working for us would be a “bad decision” but I’m happy to see 5 other people have given us 5 stars.

]]> By: Ron http://www.teflschoolreviews.com/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico-2007269.html/comment-page-1#comment-9804 Ron Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:00:05 +0000 http://www.teflwatch.org/269/universidad-tecnologica-de-la-mixteca-mexico/#comment-9804 I went through jonathan@mixteco.utm.mx, and submitted all documentation and a lengthy questionnaire. All was progressing fine until I asked some poignan questions, and I emailed several of their staff, for their impressions of the school, before I accepted a position...this is called due diligence. I had heard it was auocratic, and asked if these rumors were true. I received no feedback from the teaching staff. Then this Jonathan wrote shortly after this, that I wa no longer being considered. They are now looking for professors on the 'boards' Be forewarned....check these guys out before you regret a bad decision. I went through jonathan@mixteco.utm.mx, and submitted all documentation and a lengthy questionnaire. All was progressing fine until I asked some poignan questions, and I emailed several of their staff, for their impressions of the school, before I accepted a position…this is called due diligence. I had heard it was auocratic, and asked if these rumors were true. I received no feedback from the teaching staff. Then this Jonathan wrote shortly after this, that I wa no longer being considered. They are now looking for professors on the ‘boards’ Be forewarned….check these guys out before you regret a bad decision.

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