Preschool, Elementary, Middle and High School English, Science, Math and Computer Teachers encouraged to apply. Our school year in form August 2016 unitl mid-June 2017.
The "El Alba" Bilingual Elementary and Secondary School is a private, institution offering a complete K-11 developmental bilingual program that fulfills academic curriculum requirements of the Honduran Ministry of Education. This program is presented within the model of developmental bilingual instruction, whereby students gain proficiency in both their native Spanish and in English as they progress through the grades. Upon graduation, "El Alba" students receive a “título de graduación” (Highschool Degree) that permits them to attend a university in Honduras, plus a high school diploma accepted by universities in the United States and other countries. "El Alba" was founded in 1976 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary in March, 2016.
The academic faculty includes teachers educated in Honduras plus a few teachers educated in the United States, or other English-speaking country. English speakers are assigned classes where English is the language of instruction, and native speakers of Spanish give classes that require Spanish as the language of instruction. It is not necessary that teachers be bilingual nor that those who give their classes in English know Spanish to accomplish their work in the classroom, however it is recommender that Spanish be learned to facilitate communication with the parents and all staff members.
Classes are small, with a maximum limit of 27 students-- which aids classroom control and allows for a degree of individual attention. Teachers are encouraged to be innovative and to utilize their creative talents in developing lesson units. Many textbooks in English are the same as used in schools in the United States, online resources are also made available to teachers through internet access on campus.
Teachers recruited from out-of-the-country receive use of a free modestly furnished apartment in addition to their salary. Salaries are paid in Honduran Lempiras and, though not comparable to dollar salaries in the United States and Canada, allow foreign teachers, due to a lower cost-of-living, to enjoy a standard of living within the local Honduran economy that is equal to that of teachers doing the same work in the U.S. or Canada. A medical plan for foreign teachers is available as well. Airfare from the United States to Honduras is provided by the school, as are visa and residency services. During the summer vacation period, teachers who have completed two years, and have renewed their contracts, are given a round trip airfare to the United States (Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or Detroit –or an equivalent fare to another location) to visit friends and family, and a similar airfare each vacation period thereafter.
The student body (approximately 450 students) is drawn primarily from middle-class business and professional families, plus a number of students on scholarship who have displayed talent and potential but whose families may have limited resources.
Siguatepeque is a small town, located in the central highlands of Honduras at an altitude of 3500 ft. (1,100 mts.) This fortunate geographical characteristic results in a very desirable climate, with temperatures ranging from a low of perhaps 50ºF (10ºC) in the "dead of winter" to a high of perhaps 90ºF (32ºC) in the blistering heat of summer. Neither air conditioning nor furnaces are necessary. The town is noted for its pine forests and the school grounds border on a forest preserve. Low-cost public transportation is available and one can travel on public buses or taxis for relatively low fares around the town, and being located in the center of the country allows for transportation to beaches, Mayan ruins or other interesting sites within 2 to 5 hours.