The moment has finally arrived.  You have completed your CELTA (or TEFL or whatever certificate) and you have been accepted to teach somewhere in Mexico.  You have always liked Mexican food, you speak a little Spanish and your plane ticket has been arranged.  You have passed the preparation course with flying colors and you are excited and enthusiastic about your new career.  Your coursework for teaching English hinted that you should be prepared for a culture difference, and you feel confident that you are going to have a wonderful experience.   But just how big could that culture difference really be? Even my Peace Corps experience and my travels in many parts of the world did not prepare me for living in an entirely new culture – Mexico.  I prepared myself by reading about culture differences, but the materials available consisted mostly of descriptions of different holidays and celebrations.  I was not prepared for a different way of thinking and a different way of doing things.  I now have the benefit of four years of hindsight to review the moments of angst when the culture differences became personal. I came to Mexico to teach English at one of the most prestigious schools in Mexico with campuses in all the major cities throughout the country.   It was with eager anticipation that I accepted the position and brought my somewhat reluctant, retired husband south of the border.   Years of working in various technology capacities within the business environment of the USA had made me yearn for sunny skies and less pressure.  Teaching English would certainly give me the ideal working environment.  I had taken a CELTA course to acquaint me with the rigors of classroom environment and to back up my MBA in finding a well-paying job.  I thought I had found it all. The first few months in any new environment are the honeymoon period.  This was no exception.  My husband and I, in our halting Spanish, began to explore our new city.  We were well accepted and viewed as objects of curiosity in our non-gringo neighborhood.  As I began my work at the school, a different reality set in. It is with enlightened hindsight that I can now look at certain situations and understand the implications of what was happening at the time.  Hopefully these insights will help others who are contemplating heading south to Mexico to teach English. Ethnocentrism All cultures are ethnocentric.  We look at other cultures through the filter that has been placed there by our own.   We compare other cultures based on what is “normal” or “accepted” in our own.  It is not possible to do otherwise: our culture creates our “frame of reference” for evaluating our surroundings and it is the only tool we have to live by.  The problems start to occur when people from two different cultures judge each other through their own filter or “frame of reference” without realizing what they are doing.  The “filter” can never be eliminated, but with conscious effort, the realization that the filter is in place can help us realize what the filter is doing and compensate for harsh judgments.    In other words, intellectual realization can overcome emotional reactions.  It all relates to perceptions.  Two people, one Mexican, one American can view the same situation and have totally different interpretations and reactions.   For example, two diverse viewpoints emerge when each culture considers the “work ethic” of the other.   Americans look at Mexicans and think that Mexicans are lazy and that they do not do quality work.  Mexicans look at Americans and think that Americans are obsessed with making money and they do not know how to relax.

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Multiply that example of perceptions by all the different standards that a person may perceive, such as attitudes, behaviors, characteristics and traditions, and a very confused, fuzzy picture emerges that can explain many of the misunderstandings that occur when an American decides to live and work in the Mexican culture.  The way the misunderstandings will manifest in the work environment will vary according to the individual situation, but I have seen some common themes arise as new teachers arrive on the scene.

Management Style
The type of school where you accept a position will have a bearing on what will be expected of you.  If you decide to work in a school that is devoted to language study, the demands will be different than if you are in a high school or university environment, with a variety of topics being taught.   However, there are some similarities.  The concept of “empowering” or trusting employees is talked about by the local management, but usually it is not actually done.  The latest management techniques are known and studied in Mexico, but many times, only the buzzwords are used, not the actual concepts. 

Working in a large school system allows you to observe different levels of management and how they interact with each other.  Mexicans are very class-conscious and the higher up the management hierarchy a person is - the more respect they command.   Teachers are unfortunately on the lower rungs of the academic hierarchy, with foreign teachers being at the lowest level.   This situation is manifested in the fact that the judgment or decisions of school directors and department managers are not questioned by the lower levels (teachers).   Clarification questions might be asked, but never questions that would express doubt about a decision that has been made.

Working Conditions
There is a double standard for Mexican and American workers in the same environment.  Since foreign teachers, and especially Americans, are viewed as people who love to work, there is sometimes a lopsided assignment of extra work given to the American employees.  The newest foreign teacher will probably have the most lesson plans to prepare, the worst time schedule and, of course, the least amount of resources.

When I was initially hired, my new boss explained to me that teaching would be easy because they used a technological platform which had all classes and lesson plans computerized.  I thought I had found the ideal job and that my effort would consist of learning to effectively apply the information given in the already-planned lessons.  Reality set in quickly when I attempted to organize my first few lessons.  There were indeed “lessons” set up on the technological platform.   Each lesson referenced material that was to be presented in the class.   However, these materials were not always available.  The first few times this happened, I went to my boss and she promised to locate the materials and get them to me.  This never happened.  I found myself frantically searching the internet for materials for a given topic that I could download and use in my class.  I finally realized that my well-meaning boss did not want to tell me anything negative and so she kept promising to locate materials in the near future.   The near future never arrived. 

Once I comprehended the reality of the situation, I accepted the fact that I was on my own for resources.  I changed my tactics for talking with my boss.   Instead of asking her for the resources that were listed, I created my own lesson plans with resources that were available and asked permission to alter the course to include these items.   She was much more receptive to “upgrading” the course with new material and gave me guidelines about what she wanted included and what could be changed.  It became a win-win situation because I was able to add information from my background and still stay within her guidelines. 

My first two semesters teaching did not yield a day of rest.  I worked Monday through Friday on campus and Saturday and Sunday at home, putting together materials that made sense.  My husband patiently watched as I spread potential materials throughout our apartment.  Mondays through Fridays were used for actual classroom presentations and administrative work such as grading papers and turning in reports to the school.  Subsequent semesters have been much easier and more enjoyable in the classroom for both the students and me.  I now know the material well and it is a simple task to prepare each lesson.

Meetings 
Scenario:  You have received notification that there will be a 2:00 PM meeting of all teachers.  This is a scheduled meeting that happens regularly during the semester.   You arrive at the scheduled room at 2:00 PM to find it empty.  Or possibly, someone from the cafeteria staff is bringing in sodas and sandwiches.  The school director, who will lead the meeting is nowhere in sight.  There are no other teachers, with the possible exception of other foreign teachers who mistakenly showed up at the designated time.  Teachers will start to drift in about 2:05 and will spend the next few minutes greeting each other and finding the right place to sit.  The meeting will probably start around 2:10 to 2:15. 

As you glance around the room, you may notice that not all teachers are in attendance.   Only the full-time teachers are required to attend.   Part-time teachers are exempt, and most of the teachers at the school are part-time teachers.  This is a requirement that still mystifies me.  Part-time and full-time teachers may teach the same class, but only full-time must come to the meetings.   It seems to me that if there is going to be important information discussed, then, all teachers should be present.   If the part-time teachers can perform their jobs adequately without being at the meetings, then the meetings are not adding anything that could not be communicated with a well-written email.   When I expressed this view to my boss, I was told that meetings are mandatory for full-time teachers.  End of discussion. 

Mexicans love to talk.  When leading a meeting, they will say the same thing in different ways several times.  This habit could be viewed as a negative by foreign teachers, but it is actually an excellent time to practice your understanding of Spanish.  Forget the fact that you have a hundred things to do.   Forget the fact that you will probably be working into the night to get everything done in time for your 7:00 AM class.   Consider this a private Spanish lesson with cultural nuances.   If the room has the capacity for using PowerPoint, there will probably be a slide with lots of information that is being read by the speaker.   While this may not be considered the most effective use of a PowerPoint presentation, it is excellent for listening and reading at the same time.   It will help train your ear to the particular accent and pronunciation of the Spanish being used in that area.   You can pick up useful vocabulary and observe the interaction between speaker and audience.  In other words, turn the experience into something that will benefit you. 

Classroom Issues
Mexican students are a gregarious lot.  They are generally happy, outgoing and very sociable.  And this spills over into the classroom.   There is never a problem getting Mexican students to talk or participate.  The problem becomes how to get them to stop talking long enough to explain something and to have a class period where you are not shouting to be heard above the talking that is going on in pairs and small groups.  It took me a while to get used to this.  Early on, I found myself asking students on one side of the room to please be quiet and pay attention only to have students on the other side of the classroom start up a conversation. 

I went to my boss with this situation and asked for suggestions.  The school does have guidelines for behavior, but I found that there were relatively few times when students were reprimanded for not adhering to them.  I asked if I could kick out students who would not stop talking.   She agreed that it would be appropriate, but that I must be justified in my actions. 

I soon discovered what actually was the most persuasive incentive for establishing control in the classroom: faltas.   “Falta” is a Spanish word meaning “lack” and is used to indicate when a student is absent from class.   Mexican schools have a unique (from the American viewpoint) system of keeping track of attendance in the classroom.  Depending on the number of days a week a class meets, a student is given a certain number of “faltas” or absences that are permitted.  These absences can occur at any time and no reason for the absence need be given.   My English classes were held three days a week for the sixteen weeks of a semester.  Every student could have six faltas during this time for any reason.  It is expected that students will not come to a class if they have an exam in another class.  Or if they oversleep because of a party the night before.  Or if they go out of town for some reason.  This means that some students may miss a class when certain important topics are being presented and discussed.   When they do return to class, they have no reservations about asking questions that force you to repeat and explain the topic again.  I wanted to put a stop to this practice, so I went to my boss with some “revolutionary” ideas to combat the cycle of absences and repeated topics.  Some other problems were also corrected at the same time.

I explained the situation as I saw it to my boss and proposed a new way that “faltas” could be applied.  She listened patiently, asked a few questions and was generally enthusiastic about my ideas.  Ultimately, my ideas were so different that she had to get approval from the director of the school.  Support for the changes was given on a trial basis to see how they would work.   The end result was that I announced to my students that faltas would be given for reasons other than being absent.  A student could receive a falta if:

• they were not in class
• they were late for class
• they did not have the required materials for class
• their cell phone rang in class
• they misbehaved and were asked to leave the class
• they left the class for any reason (bathroom was the most common)

The response was amazing.  After initial grumbling and complaining, the classroom environment changed drastically.  Students came to class on time, and they did not miss class as often.   Homework was done on time.  They had the materials to do class work and they were attentive to the topic.  Bathroom requests and ringing cell phones were eliminated.  After the positive response in my class, other teachers adopted the same methods with the same results. 

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• Loneliness and/or sadness, feeling vulnerable
• Not sleeping well or sleeping too much
• Extreme homesickness
• Frequent headaches, pains or allergy flare-ups
• Obsessing with your native culture or the new culture
• Feeling confused or lost
• Overeating or lack of appetite
• Being overwhelmed by small problems

Exercise and eat well.  Make sure you are getting the right foods.  Go for a walk or join a gym and have a more extensive workout.  This will keep your body and your mind in good working condition.   Depression and negative thoughts leave when the body and mind feel good.

Improve your Spanish.  Make a conscious effort to do some extra study or join a class.  Make friends with more natives and practice your Spanish.  This will improve, not only your communication skills, but also your circle of friends. 

Do a reality check.   Think about what you wanted to accomplish by coming to a foreign environment.   Have you been able to achieve some of your goals?   If they seem overwhelming at this point, redefine them into more manageable objectives.  Acknowledge what you have accomplished and pat yourself on the back.

Do something that makes you feel good about yourself.  Get a new haircut, splurge on a small gift for yourself.  Smile.  Laugh.  Keep busy.  Understand that you are in a difficult situation and that you will get through it and be back to being your old self!

Take stock of the stressful situations that you are currently experiencing.  Realize what you can control about them and do something positive.   Also realize what you cannot control or change and let it go.  Relief is on the way.

If you do what you can to fight the symptoms of culture shock you will progress nicely to the acceptance stage and the symptoms will start to disappear.  The natives will again appear to be delightful, rational, intelligent and friendly.  You will begin to look at your experience in a positive way. 

Moving to a foreign country is never an easy thing to do.  However, it can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do in your life.  You will grow as a person.  You will learn more than you ever expected.  And it is an experience that will enrich you for the rest of your life. You will delight and fascinate all your friends back in the USA with your stories.  Oh, and please take note: If you live in Mexico for several years and then return to the US you will experience something called “reverse culture shock” which can be just as bad as culture shock.   But that’s a topic for another article.