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FAQs 
Q. What is a typical day like for a CEDEI School teacher?
A. CEDEI School staff is expected to arrive at 7:30 a.m, to prepare materials and get ready for the image day. Sometimes there are staff meetings at this time. At about 8:00 a.m. the children start to arrive and the teachers are expected to be waiting at the door to greet them. At 8:15 classes start and the English-speaking teacher will be assigned to a class to do opening activities. This includes greeting the children and getting them settled for school to start, doing calendar activities, singing songs, etc. At 8:30 each English teacher will begin teaching his or her assigned subject areas within the classroom. These include: Math/Logic, Language, Science, Art, Computer, Library, and Corporal Expression. Halfway through the morning there is a snack time followed by recess, and English teachers are expected to help monitor the children during this time. At the end of the day, the English teachers are assigned to a class to help them clean up and get ready to go home. From about 12:15-12:30 for preschool and 1:15 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, all staff help get the children on their buses or sends them home with parents. The staff take turns with bus duty, which means riding along on the bus route and making sure the children get home safely.
Several times a month the English teachers help to chaperone field trips to various sites around Cuenca. Once a month the English teachers help to teach the children to cook an international recipe.
Q. What is CEDEI?
A. CEDEI stands for Centro de Estudios Interamericanos. It is a non-profit institution dedicated to the study of American languages and cultures. CEDEI offers programs in Spanish, English, Quichua, a degree program in Marketing, and a Technology program. In addition, CEDEI offers presentations in art, music, and a host of other cultural activities.
Teachers at CEDEI School are eligible for free Spanish classes at CEDEI in the afternoons, free art classes at the Art Center and free salsa dance classes. They may also take advantage of CEDEI’s computer lab for free internet access, and may take out books in English or Spanish from CEDEI’s library. Teachers also get a CEDEI identification card that entitles them to discounts at local businesses.
See the About CEDEI School page or the CEDEI website (www.cedei.org) for more information on CEDEI School, CEDEI, the CEDEI Art Center, and how they are all connected.
Q. What is Ecuador like?image
A. Ecuador is a small country located on the equator in South America. It has four main regions: the coast, the sierra (Andean mountains), the oriente (rainforest), and the Galapagos Islands. There is an incredible diversity in ecosystems, tourist attractions and in cultural life. Spanish is the main language. The currency is the US dollar.
Here are some websites to look at:
www.goecuador.com
www.ecuadorial.com
www.ecuador.com
www.cuencanet.com
Q. What is Cuenca like?
A. Cuenca is a colonial city in the Andean mountains of Ecuador. It has a population of about 500,000 people. The weather is generally cold at night and usually warms up during the day (typically around 18 C or 70 F), although the weather changes often between chilly when raining and hot when sunny (range of about 7-30 C or 35-85 F).
Q. What is there to do in Cuenca?
image A. When English teachers arrive in Cuenca to work at CEDEI School, we give an orientation and city tour that points out tourist attractions (the colonial center of the city, the cathedral and other churches, the parks and plazas, the museums, the flower market, fruit markets, handicraft markets). We can also provide a list of restaurants, bars and discotecas, places to go to listen to live music, movie theaters, etc. There are also a number of tourist destinations nearby:
Day trips from Cuenca within 1 hour drive:
El Cajas National Park (hiking, fishing, camping)
Baños (hot springs pools)
Giron (waterfalls)
Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Paute (smaller towns nearby)
Weekend trips within 6 hours of Cuenca:
Ingapirca (Incan ruin site)
Salinas, Jambeli, and other beaches
Limon (rainforest)
Vilcabamba
Q. How do I get around?
A. Many places within Cuenca are close enough to walk to. It is also fairly easy to get around on buses (buses cost 25 cents within the city). Taxi rides within the city cost about $1.50 during the day to maximum $2.00 at night.
Q. Will I be OK living in another culture?
A. Before you decide to work at CEDEI School make sure you are prepared to live in Ecuador for the image full time commitment (September to July).
Here are some skills and characteristics that are helpful for living in another culture:
Have a good sense of humor, be flexible and adaptable, be realistic about what you can and cannot accomplish, be able to accept failure, be open minded, be non-judgmental, be tolerant of differences, be self-reliant, be self-assured, be self-motivated, be curious, be perceptive, be empathetic, be outgoing.
Read the ¨Orientation¨ page for more information about the culture in Cuenca and culture shock.
Q. What immunizations do I need?
A. Check out the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/travel) and/or go to a travel clinic to make sure you are up to date on all of your immunizations. For travel to Ecuador it is generally recommended that you are immunized for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid. You will also need to get a TB test, and you may want to get immunized for Rabies. If you plan on traveling to the rainforest or some beach areas you may want to get a prescription for malaria medication. It is not considered necessary for Cuenca since it is located in the sierra.
Q. How do I get my visa?
A. You will need to get a 12-VIII cultural exchange visa. You can do this in your home country by finding the nearest Ecuadorian consulate and asking for their requirements. Each location may have different requirements. Some things they may ask for:
* Proof that you have been invited by an Ecuadorian institution (CEDEI will provide these documents once you have been hired)
* A round trip plane ticket
* Proof that you are in good health and have no communicable diseases. Ask your doctor to write a letter and get it notarized.
* Proof that you are not HIV positive. There are free clinics that will do AIDs tests. In the US call 1-800-AID-AIDS
* Proof that you haven’t committed any felonies. Go to a local police station and ask for a letter stating you don’t have a police record. Some bigger police districts might have a form specifically for visas.
* Passport photos
* Copies of ID such as passport, drivers license, birth certificate
* There may be a fee. Unfortunately CEDEI cannot cover this: you will be responsible for any costs.
* You can also come to Ecuador on a tourist visa and we will help you arrange your Cultural Exchange visa from Cuenca.
Q. How do I get there?
A. Get an international flight to Quito or Guayaquil. Let us know when your flight arrives and we can help you make reservations for a plane ticket, bus ride, and/or a place to stay. From Quito or Guayaquil you can get a flight to Cuenca for about $60, or you can take a bus for about $15; $10 for Guayaquil. It is about a 3 hour bus ride from Guayaquil; about 10 hours from Quito.
Q. What should I pack?
A. Read the What to Pack link on the teachers page
Q. Where will I live?
image A. When you first get here, you may want to stay at a hostel until you finalize your living arrangements. We recommend Hostal Macondo ($13 - $20 a night for one person). The staff at CEDEI School can help you make reservations.
Ask the staff at CEDEI School if you need help finding a place to stay. Most teachers at CEDEI School and at CEDEI share an apartment or house with other teachers. Most pay about $80-$100 a month. If you would like to immerse yourself in Spanish and learn more about the culture, you might also consider living with a host family. This option ends up being quite a bit more expensive but includes all meals, laundry, and cleaning.
Q. What about money?
A. Teachers at CEDEI School are paid the first day of the following month. Licensed teachers are paid $350, non-licensed teachers are paid $325. (In the 2010-2011 school year) You may also make an additional stipend by working bus duty, and if you have your TOEFL and/or experience teaching English as a foreign or second language, you may be able to teach classes at CEDEI in the afternoons. Paychecks can be cashed at the bank for US dollars (the currency used in Ecuador). You may also want to bring along your ATM card to access a bank account in your home country. You may also want to bring a credit card, but keep in mind that many places in Ecuador accept cash only.
Q. What about insurance?
A. You can buy health insurance through CEDEI once you get to Cuenca for about $16 a month, which you can opt to have taken directly out of your paycheck. See the Insurance link on the Teachers page. You may also consider buying travel insurance.
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