Ker Liber School

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | Mexico

Guadalajara - 005 | Print This Position Description

Excellent internship for education students on a budget (free homestay provided). Great opportunity to gain teaching experience and skills. Pre-school, elementary, and middle school levels at private bi-lingual school. Opportunities to assist with science fair, drama class, physical education classes (they love interns who want to teach P.E.), etc. Second year Spanish required to facilitate daily living.

About the Organization

Private, bilingual school grades preschool through middle school (9th grade). 330 students, 40 teachers part and full-time, (one-third of teachers speak English). Class size 30 students. School has small library, computer center with 33 PCs and Internet connection, small teacher’s room and a gross motor skill room for the pre-school students. Physical Education is offered daily (a rarity in Mexico). There is internet access in every classroom room.

Job Description

Interns are regarded as professional staff and are expected to maintain daily work schedule, help with necessary class preparation, and participate in school tasks and activities such as the Science Fair and the Book Fair. The English Coordinator will adjust the intern’s assignment to fit intern’s individual interests/abilities and the school's needs. Interns must be willing to substitute teach or be assigned their own class. The first two weeks, interns will help a teacher . After that, interns will develop class lesson plans, teach, grade papers, and make exams with help from other teachers. Interns assist with teaching English, art classes, special events, and field trips. They may also assist in the computer lab ( teach how to use the web and internet skills, website development and help develop programs for English). Ker Liber is a non-religious school which uses Cooperative Learning techniques.

# of Positions per term

3

Start Dates

Fall: middle August to 3rd week of December, Winter: early January to middle or end of March, Spring: April (depends on Easter vacation) to very end of June

Duration of Internship

10 weeks to 10 months

Academic Background

Open to most undergraduate/graduate majors, including Science, Physical Education, Art, History, International Business, Drama, Music, or English. Preference given to majors in Education or ESL.

Skills/Experience

Must speak English as a native speaker. Experience working with children or teenagers. Some knowledge and/or experience in teaching ESL recommended. Classroom management skills or ability strongly preferred.

Language Ability

Completion of second year university level Spanish (to facilitate daily living). Study of English grammar recommended prior to internship.

Other Requirements

Interns must be enthusiastic, and a team player. Along with your application, please submit an electronic photo of yourself (this will be used to place you in a homestay family).

Total costs vary depending on how long you plan to be abroad, where you will be living, your personal spending habits, and current exchange rates. The following estimates will give you a ballpark figure for this internship. Get help with the math from our handy Cost Calculator.

IE3 Program Fee

The program fee for the first term of any internship is $2,750 - $2,950. You do not pay tuition in addition to the program fee. Visit your University's IE3 page for details, costs for additional terms, and campus administrative fees.

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type Price
International Travel $500-$700
Visa Fees
Recommended Immunizations

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type Price/month
Housing Free
Food $50
Local Transportation $50
Recreation $50
Personal Expenses $50

Compensation

Free room and board provided with families of the students or teachers, arranged by school.

Additional Expense Information

The Teaching Internships in Mexico receive priority consideration for the IE3 Scholarship.

Free room and board provided with families of the students or teachers, arranged by school. $600 is suggested for 12 weeks for incidentals, personal expenses, local transportation, occasional meals out, and a modest amount of local recreation and some travel. Students who plan to go out frequently in the evenings or travel extensively on weekends, should budget additional funds for these activities.

The school is in Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico and a lovely colonial city. Lots of cultural activities, handicrafts and sites to see. Near to Lake Chapala, and the quaint towns of Ajijic and Chapala.

This is a cultural immersion program with opportunities to participate in everyday Mexican life and culture. Dress code is casual – Men: slacks, jeans ( no holes) tennis shoes ( no sandals) button shirts or polo shirts, any tattoos or body piercings should be covered at all times while at Ker Liber School. Women: slacks, blouses, polo shirts, jeans, no sandals, any tattoos or body piercings should be covered at all times while at Ker Liber School.

Read a intern's final report Kari.

Last Updated on Aug 11, 2008