American looking for work in DR

[yori85]

I also plan on heading down to Santo Domingo and I want to start working in February teaching English. I will have my teaching certificate by then and I am fluently bilingual in Spanish and English.

Are there any teaching jobs besides tutoring that start in February? I plan on staying 6-8 months but not a full year (at least not at this point). Also, 200-300 pesos per week per child for tutoring? What kind of living standard can you maintain on that salary? What is the mean salary for teaching at a school or company?

Thanks!

 

[alicious]

Not 200-300 per week per child.
200-300 per hour....

So usually you will work with a child 3-5 times a week. Every session is an hour.
So going with the minamum...if you are tutoring only 1 child 3 times a week for only 200 pesos an hour you will be making $2,400 pesos a month. Which is next to nothing...but the plan is to be tutoring more than 1 child only 3 times a week...It can add up nicely if you know how to balance your schedule.

(And I guess it adding up "nicely" can be subjective to what style of living you are accustomed to, or expecting.)

In Santo Domingo you can charge more than in POP...and remember to add extra for transportation if they don't pick up up or drop you off.

And the idea of getting a group of kids together works well. Instead of charging 200pesos an hour for one child, charge 100 for a group of 4 kids for 2 hours...twice a week and there you have another 12,800 pesos...

These are just rough ideas...it's up to you how you are able to work it out. But it is possible to make a livable amount off tutoring only.

What sort of teaching certificate do you have?

I don't know of any teaching jobs that would be starting at schools at that time, unless another teacher decides to quit mid-year...

And if you are staying only 6-8 months, you would be leaving in August or October..which is right when the new school year is starting up...

But...maybe some other DR1 members will know of a special position or something that I'm not aware of.

Pay scales for teaching in the DR vary by city, school, your education, your experience, and how long you have been at the school. I think the very very base or minimum pay, for someone who does not have a teaching degree or teaching experience in cities on the North Coast would be between 10,000-16,000pesos a month plus benefits and transportation. In cities like SD, a good school pays usually in USD...and considerably more than that!! Often times they will pay your accommodations as well.

 

[alicious]

p.s. Being bilingual doesn't really make too much of a difference when you are teaching English. It's a definite benefit in your day to day life in SD to be able to communicate with everyone around you. But the less Spanish the English teacher speaks, the better. That way you aren't tempted to explain anything to the kids in Spanish, and they can't take the easy way out of asking you for help in Spanish... They learn a lot faster that way lol

...Unless you are planning to also offer help with Spanish homework..etc.

 

[honeybunch]

so with my ECE i could get hired in the english teaching private schools with the preschool age level? i only speak english, does that matter?
i guess while i am there in november, the best thing for me to do is check out the private schools there to find out about hiring? I just wanted to see if my ECE is enough to land me a position working in the preschools ages 3- 6. my resume is in english, does that matter?

 

[alicious]

No..as I mentioned in the previous post, you don't need to speak or understand Spanish to get a job as an English teacher. In some cases they prefer to hire someone who doesn't speak any Spanish...as I said...so that you are not tempted to just take the easy way and explain something to the kids in Spanish..etc.

Your resume is fine in English. The principal of the school will have to speak and read English fluently to be in that position of an English school. Many English teachers don't speak Spanish, at least until they have lived there a year or so and start to pick it up.

Yes it's entirely possible to get hired with your ECE, the unlikely part is that they will be hiring someone for a school in November. Everyone required for the school year would normally be hired in June at the end of the previous school year or latest by August for the start of the new school year.

Your most likely chance to get hired at a school is if they fired someone mid-school year with no replacement in mind (unlikely...) or if someone just quits in the middle of the school year before they hire a replacement (also unlikely..)

If I was you, I honestly wouldn't count on getting a teaching job at any reputable school at this point in the year.

 

[honeybunch]

thanks. im not thinking of getting a job in a school now. im just wondering what the qualifications were. And now i know that i can be qualified for preschool with my ECE. that is great to here! and the tutoring options are also great to know. I was just curious about where i can with my ECE in the Dr.

alicious
Do you live in the DR? if so do you have any contacts that i could speak with if i do plan to pursue a job in the schools or with tutoring sometime?

 

[expatsooner]

"Yes it's entirely possible to get hired with your ECE, the unlikely part is that they will be hiring someone for a school in November. Everyone required for the school year would normally be hired in June at the end of the previous school year or latest by August for the start of the new school year."



If you are interested in teaching at some of the "better" private English schools now is the time to sign up with International School Services and make arrangements to go to one of the February job fairs. Most positions at International Schools around the world, not just the DR are filled in January - March for the next school year. Who knows there are private schools all over the world - you might end up anywhere in the world. Usually schools hire on a "foreign hire" or "local hire" pay scale. You def. want to get on as a foreign hire, much better pay and benefits.

I would def. rec. that you get your regular teacher's cert as well as your ECE. By the way, when I left the DR last year I was making 30 USD per hour for one to one tutoring in Santo Domingo. Several teachers at our school made 20+ USD per hour tutoring per student, but the parents at our school know us and our qualifications.

Good luck

 

[holita]

American Teacher in DR

I am a teacher in the capital and I tutor in my free time. Let me know if I can answer any questions...I know I had a bunch when I was moving here. Let me know. I am always willing to help!

 

[Rubirosa]

I have recently moved to San Francisco de Macoris and im currently looking for work, i am fluent in spanish and English, im looking to enroll in college get my degree in Tourism and management. If anyone has any info for me i would really appreciate it.