Teaching at Mayatan

Mayatan Bilingual School presents an opportunity for international English-speaking teachers to live and work in a Honduran community. Teaching at Mayatan can be both highly challenging and highly rewarding.

If you are interested in living and working in a small and safe touristic town where the food is great, people are friendly, and you will have the opportunity to change and impact a student's life, JOIN US AND BE PART OF THE MAYATAN FAMILY!

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Mayatan Bilingual School has an economically-diverse student population of 400 plus students. There are about 15 foreign teachers and 25 local teachers. Teachers work in either primary (K-6) or secondary (7-12) levels.

Primary school teachers will have up to 25 students per classroom, split into A and B sections. Each section has a homeroom teacher. Either the Math, Science & Social Studies teacher or the ELA teacher.

Kindergarten teachers have Honduran teaching assistants. The other grades have Honduran counterparts to teach certain classes in Spanish, such as Spanish, Civics, and P.E.

Middle school and high school teachers will teach one or more subjects and may share classrooms. Students take a variety of courses at a time (often 10+), and teachers often wear multiple hats to cover this. For example, one teacher may teach multiple science or math classes; another may teach grammar and online courses. High school teachers may also supervise online courses from the University of Missouri High School program.

All teachers must grade student tests, quizzes, activities, and homework assignments; create lesson plans; record attendance; complete report cards, recess and lunch duties; write year-long plans; meet with parents when requested; and complete student evaluations, report cards, and progress reports.

Teacher Benefits

HousIng

Mayatan secures and pays for teacher´s housing for the entire academic year. All housing includes full bathrooms, a bed with linens, basic furnishings, and a kitchen with a stove-top, pots and pans, basic utensils, and a refrigerator.

All accommodations are within a 25-minute (uphill) walk of school and only 5-10 minutes from each other and the 'down-town' area.

Teachers are responsible for electricity, water, internet, and any phone bills. Electric bills are usually less than $10.00 per month and water is around $5.00.

Teachers may use one of the several school buses or mini-vans that transport students to school, all of which pass within a few blocks from teachers' houses.

If a teacher has any medical condition that prevents them from walking, accommodations can be made.

INSURANCE

Teachers receive free health insurance ($50 annual deductible), which covers accidents, illnesses and emergencies and can be used throughout Central America. There is a bilingual doctor in town, a public clinic, and several small private clinics in addition to a basic emergency center about 5 miles from town. In case of hospitalization or bigger emergencies, there are excellent hospitals in San Pedro Sula, 3 hours away by ambulance. The policy does not cover evacuation to your home country, so the school recommends you take out this coverage if you feel it is necessary.

ImmIGratIon
STATUS

When entering Honduras, you should request a tourist visa valid for 90 days in Honduras. Teachers are not technically working but volunteering for the school. The school will cover the cost of renewing the tourist visas twice a year, in October and March, but volunteers must leave the CA4 zone (Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador) on their own over Christmas break to renew their 90 day visas.

The school will help you get your residency if you stay for 2 years or more at MBS.

stIpend

Teachers receive a comfortable living stipend, paid at the end of each month from August through May. Note that August and June are short months and that you will be paid partial salary for each of these months.

There are ATM machines in Copán so you can easily access your account.

For the most part Copan is a cash society. You can use a credit card, but the exchange rate is high. Most merchants accept U.S. currency, but it is best to use Lempiras (Honduran currency).

TransportATION

Other things to know

As a non-profit, we ask our international staff to cover their own costs of airfare. Most teachers fly into San Pedro Sula, Honduras (4 hrs by bus from Copan Ruinas) or Guatemala City, Guatemala (5 hrs).

Buses are the cheapest method of transportation within Central America. We recommend Hedman Alas for its tight security and the level of comfort on its buses,($25 one way to Copán from San Pedro Sula). There are also second-class buses providing transportation all over Honduras and Central America ($7 San Pedro Sula to Copán). Second-class buses (commonly referred to as 'Chicken buses') and mini-buses ('Colectivos') may not be as comfortable or secure as first-class companies like Hedman Alas.

Unlocked phones work in Honduras. You will need to buy a sim card which is around $ 5.00 and a monthly basic plan with internet and calls can be around $ 10.00 to $ 25.00 or higher.

Mayatan's Campus counts with internet and you can connect while here. There are several cafes around town that offer free WiFi to customers. You can purchase home internet service from different vendors for $ 35.00 a month.

Laptops are essential for classes and more during these times. We request that all teachers have their own laptops. However, if you do not have one, the school can check one out for you for use during the school day and overnight, per the availability.