Idiomaster has two English language schools in the province of Cordoba. The first of these schools was opened in Lucena in 1989. The second was opened in Montilla in 1990. The Montilla school is in premises in the main street of the town.
There are approximately 700 students between the two schools, the majority being children from 7 to 16 years old. There are also classes of smaller children, from 4 to 7 years old. The children make up about 70% of the pupils, the rest being adults from beginners up to Proficiency. The classes are all small with a maximum number of 10 students in a class, as we aim to offer a high standard of tuition in order to strengthen the position of the school in a highly competitive market. Apart from these group classes we also offer one to one private classes in the home of the student, and business and technical English to companies in the zone. Idiomaster is an official examination centre for Trinity College, London and organises annual examination sessions, it is also a preparation centre for the Cambridge suite of exams. This year over 100 students sat these exams.
Every classroom is equipped with a digital interactive white board (eBEAM) connected to a multimedia PC with broadband internet access and a projector. The course books used are Robby Rabbit, Cheeky Monkey, the Find Out series, the Look series, English in Mind series, Inside Out series, English File series, Complete First Certificate, Objective FCE and Fast Track to Advanced amongst others, although we frequently pilot new course books. Other resources include whiteboards, audio-visual equipment – CD’s, cassettes, DVD’s and videos, library and video library, laser printer, scanner, photocopier, laminator, resource materials and photocopiable materials for general, children’s and business English, realia, games, flashcards, story books, toys and teacher training resources. All of this is constantly added to and updated.
Teacher support, both personal and professional, is very important. Assistance will be given to find accommodation and to help you to settle in as smoothly as possible. Often problems that can appear enormous to a newcomer in strange surroundings can be resolved very quickly by an old hand. Equally support is always available for class planning, class management, material design and any other area of a teacher’s activities.
We have a policy of continuous staff training as we regard this as being vital to the ongoing development of the teachers as individuals and the schools as a whole. Teachers are observed once a term and their performance assessed. There are teachers’ meetings and in-house and external seminars which include some weekend seminars and conferences, normally in Seville or Cordoba. These are usually organised by TESOL, book publishers and ACEIA (The Andalusian Association of Language Schools of which Idiomaster is a member).
Job Information
The duties of the teachers are to prepare and give classes at all levels, produce teaching materials, periodic exams and end of term reports. They will need to be able to talk to the parents of students and answer any queries that may arise which the administrative staff are unable to answer. They will also be expected to participate in occasional extra-curricular activities. In a small organisation all the staff must be good representatives of the organisation whether working or outside the school.
The majority of the classes take place between the hours of 4.00 and 10.00 in the evening although there are a few morning classes. The contract is exclusive and runs from October to June and is for 25 contact hours plus class preparation, class administration – individual reports and annual class profiles – teachers’ meetings, extra-curricular activities and travelling time, with a competitive salary paid according to qualifications and experience (starting at 1300€ gross for newly qualified teachers) plus an end of contract bonus.
There are 3 weeks’ paid holiday – two weeks at Christmas and one week at Easter, as well as national and local bank holidays. All staff have full health and social security cover. Other benefits include life and disability insurance. Any notice period for both parties will be one working month. Contracts are according to Spanish employment law for the private teaching sector.
Requirements
The ideal applicant is a person with at least 2 years TEFL experience, principally with children, and who speaks Spanish. Some computer skills and knowledge of Internet would be an advantage.
Living and working in a small town has its advantages and disadvantages and applicants should consider this before accepting the post if it were offered to them. You must be self-reliant, communicative, punctual and reliable. To work well with young learners you should be creative and adaptable and have enthusiasm and stamina for your work. A driving licence is an advantage as some of the in-company classes require teachers to drive to their premises, a school car is provided.
Vacancies
Idiomaster will be at the annual TEFL Jobs Fair in Cordoba on 17th May, 2014. You can visit us at stand 13.
