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TEACHING PROJECTS

Buenos dias - Welcome to Guatemala!

In Guatemala you can teach conversational English, Music, Drama, Maths, and more, to children and adults. The schools are very colourful and often classes take place outdoors. Most of the schools we work with are based in the beautiful small city of Antigua, but some are in pueblos on the edge of the city. The city itself is only about 2 kilometres long!

"Antigua is absolutely STUNNING. I cannot stress how stunning it really is. I wish I could zap you all here just so you can see it for yourselves." Rebecca Tilley

You don't need any qualifications to take part in a teaching placement in Guatemala. These are flexible programmes, tailored to suit you.

On this page:

  .       .

About Guatemala and the voluntary projects you can do there
Teaching English to children in Antigua in Guatemala

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AND YOUR WORK:

 
The Schools we work with range from small to larger, and from poor to not-so-poor. Some have delightful names, like the Snoopy School. In some schools teaching can also take place inside or outside or, in some cases, in classrooms that are semi-external, like the Centivo Educativo in the photo on the left..  Download and print additional
  information on this project
   
in .pdf format
   in Word format
Facilities in the different schools can vary, but generally most schools have a library, video and cassette recorder facilities. Some schools also have computers and some have sports facilities.

On average, class sizes range from 8 to 15 pupils, with ages from 6 upwards. The children's levels of English could be anything from beginner through to reasonably advanced.

Some of the subjects over and above English that you'll be able to teach (if you choose to) include:
  • Sports (mostly football or basketball)
  • Music
  • Drama
  • Maths
  • Arts
  • Science
Hours of teaching will most probably be around 4-5 per day. It is possible that some classes you teach will be throughout the day and sometimes mostly in the mornings and between 4 and 7 o'clock in the afternoons. Class periods are generally 45 minutes long

In some schools you will act as assistant to the teacher and once your confidence and ability have grown, you'll be allowed to take classes on your own.  In some classes you'll handle children on a one-to-one basis to give them individual attention and help, and in others you'll take small groups of children.

School Holidays:  Teaching is generally available throughout the year, with some schools closing for about 2 weeks over Christmas/New Year and about 1 week in July.

Most of the schools we work with are based in the beautiful small city of Antigua, which is very popular with tourists worldwide - it's the Guatemalan city to see on most people's itineraries!  Some of our schools are also situated in pueblos on the edge of the city. These schools give you an excellent opportunity to experience the Guatemalan culture in a way that the tourists never see!

Special: Xtra Spanish Lessons
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ACCOMMODATION:
Your accommodation will most likely be living with local families and this enables you to really become totally immersed in the local culture and gain insights into the way of life from the inside. Some families are able to take more than one volunteer at a time, so it's possible that you may be placed together with other volunteers.

Food will be provided and will consist mostly of local dishes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of living and working in a foreign country and culture is to enjoy the local cuisine, and in Central America the food is very interesting and sometimes quite exotic.

"The family is lovely and the house is fine. The food is sensational and changes every day so that we try a lot of the local food. The meal times are set at 7.10am, 12.45 and 6.40pm. Funny that it is so structured, but they are fitted in between classes, etc., so it has to be done.

"My days up until now have been 7.10 breakfast (cereal, pancakes, fruit, etc., it changes), classes 8- 12. Lunch is at 12.45 (chicken, soup, beans, pizza, tortillia, etc.). In the afternoon there are activities to do or it is free time till dinner at 6.40, then go out to a bar or to bed early as it is an exhausting life." Rebecca Tilley

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU:

As with all our destinations, the Guatemalan culture and heritage is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in mind. 

Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! 

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very detailed Guatemala Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Guatemala one that you will never forget!

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

TRAVEL
You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.) Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement.

Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.

You'll be met at the airport by Lilian, our Guatemala Organiser, or one of her staff. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation and introduced to everyone. Within the next couple of days you'll be taken to the school and she will ensure that you are well settled in.

VISAS:. In countries where visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and make the process very easy for you.

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!

PRICES:

To see the Prices of this project and all our other projects in Guatemala, please click here

Prices include
  • Food & accommodation while on your project,
  • 2 T-shirts, if required for your project
  • All support and backup during your programme
  • Meeting you at the nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

TO APPLY FOR A PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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Last modified: April 24, 2008