Some benefits of being a teacher at Instituto Estelar Bilingüe include:
- Initial and ongoing training: The initial training with the English director involves videos and an extensive training manual that are designed to give new teachers support and guidance for teaching their classes. New teachers observe several hours of classes, both adults and kids, and co-teach with existing teachers. We conduct workshops for teachers on a regular basis.
- Dependable Hours: Teachers work 18-24 hours a week in teaching group and private classes, Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday and Monday are free.
- Weekly payments: we provide assistance with setting up local bank accounts, and teachers are paid in colones every Tuesday by direct deposit. We pay teachers an additional 2% sales tax, which they must declare and pay to the Costa Rican government each month.
- Assistance with getting a short-term stay visa: we work with teachers to put together a complete application for immigration, and we accompany them to submit it within a month of starting work with us. Once they have an appointment for their visa application, they do not need to leave the country every 90 days to renew their tourist visa. The cost of this application is $100, which is paid into immigration’s bank account. We pay $100 to the teacher at the successful completion of their 9-month contract with us, so essentially there is no cost for the visa.
- Curriculum and Syllabi: All teacher materials are provided by the school.
- Spanish classes: English teachers receive a 1-hour free Spanish class each week.