Martin Davies

“I would seriously recommend Mexico to anyone.”

The first few weeks at my school were amazing but very new to me. The students in Mexico are very warm and respectful. They love to play any kind of communicative games and are eager to impress any new teacher.

The school I work at is Catholic, so I was introduced to many ceremonies I had never witnessed before, such as Rosaries and also patriotic events like the Mexican Flag Ceremony.

In January, the kindergarten teacher had to return to the US, so I ended up teaching English to 5-year-olds as well as 15-year-olds. The difference in teaching is extreme, but also great experience for me. The other teachers at the school can’t do enough for you here. We are constantly getting together after school, and they all prepare a local Mexican dish for us to eat while we discuss our week at school.

My weekends are what really put the cherry on the cake. Only a mile down the road is San Carlos. A quiet expat beach town, with fancy restaurants and white sandy beaches. This is where I spend pretty much all of my weekends, just relaxing on the beach and listening to live music while sipping on Tequila.

Then there is the Mexican culture. My eyes have been opened to such wonderful sights and traditions. The most memorable has been “Dia de los muertos” or “The day of the dead”. Every November, the whole of Mexico celebrates their dead in the only style they know…parties and carnivals! The streets become full of colourful parades and bands, with huge skeleton floats painted in the most amazing colours. Then, there are the national holidays. The one I was most thrilled by was ‘National Teacher’s Day’. They celebrate this as much as Mother’s Day. My students brought me gifts of candy and cards and even clothing. I felt very humbled and appreciated that day.

Finally, there is the local food. WOW! Mexican cuisine is nothing like you would expect. Yes, they have taco’s but there are so many different kinds that I would be here forever trying to list them. The best experience with food is from the street carts: they do some weird stuff, but it’s all so delicious! And cheap!

So my first year here is ending and I have already signed a contract for the next school year. Next year I will be helping to coordinate the English department and make improvements to the school. I really feel part of the family now.

I have honestly had the best year of my life, and I can’t look back now.

Thanks to The TEFL Academy, I have been given this amazing opportunity and experienced wonders that I never would have without them.

I would seriously recommend Mexico to anyone that likes rich culture, warm friendly people and partying!