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Teaching in Dubai & special needs education

 
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woodphil



Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:58 am    Post subject: Teaching in Dubai & special needs education Reply with quote

Hello everyone,

I am just after a bit of information regarding teaching in Dubai.

I am originally from the UK but studied in Australia so my qualifications come from there. I am currently working on the Netscheme in Hong Kong and been here for 8 years, also worked for a year in Japan and 1 year in Australia as a teacher. I have a Bachelor of Education (P-12) and three Masters of Education (TESOL, education research & special needs education).

I am thinking of taking a little bit of time off when my contract finishes here in July but I am trying to get some options together for when I do need to get back into teaching (when the money runs out).

For somebody with my experience and qualifications what would be the best option for applications in Dubai? Do you apply to schools/universities direct or do you go through recruitment agencies? Is there something similar to the Netscheme in Hong Kong where you interview and then get placed in a school?

Also, when is the best time period to start applying? Is it February, March time for an August/September start?

Apologies for the long post but i just have one more question regarding special needs in Dubai? I am currently working in special needs and it is an area I am interested in continuing with. Are there specific special needs schools there or are special needs students integrated into mainstream schooling?

Really appreciate any advice anybody can pass on.

Cheers
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You didn't indicate what your specific teaching experience is (i.e., k-12, special needs, language schools, university level), but it looks like you've been teaching youngsters. Anyway, Teachaway.com might be a good place for you start, especially if your interests and experience are mostly in special needs learners and children.
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woodphil



Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

Thanks for responding, special needs is something i would like to look at so i will take a look at teachaway.

My experience so far is:

Australia - Primary classroom teacher (EFL Aboriginal students) - 1 year
Japan - Language school (conversation English) all ages - 1 year
Hong Kong - Primary school (P1 -6) English - 6 years
Hong kong - secondary school (special needs) English - 2 years (current position)

No experience at all at university level.

Thanks
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Ixchel



Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 156
Location: The 7th level of hell

PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do a blog search on teaching in UAE. The blogs are all k-12 and quite eye-opening. If you want to teach at a private, international or American school it's ok but it you want to get in the [newer] scheme of public schools hiring English speaking teachers to co-teach with locals, I'd think twice (or 10 times.) The turnover is shocking.
You have a BA and MA but to teach you'll need teaching certificates as well. They are pretty strict in the ME. MA's don't matter in K-12 but teaching credentials do. They are hiring right now for fall.
I saw one post on TeachAway for special education and I think it was Dubai but I can't remember.
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

check with tes.co.uk and work your way to the UAE (asia, uae) and then examine who and what is being offered.

the better international schools start hiring in Feb for the next academic year. so it is a good idea to start looking now.
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woodphil



Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. So February is the time to start looking around and applying, I probably won't be applying this year but it is certainly something I will be looking at for next year, I just wanted to get an idea of whats on offer and when to apply.

Ixchel when you say,
You have a BA and MA but to teach you'll need teaching certificates as well. They are pretty strict in the ME.

Does that mean i will need further teaching certificates on top of my B ed and M ed's to teach there?

Thanks very much for the info.
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woodphil



Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also Ixchel

the [newer] scheme of public schools hiring English speaking teachers to co-teach with locals

Do you have the name of the scheme or any schemes that organise teachers to work in public schools to co-teach with locals?

Thanks
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodphil wrote:
Does that mean i will need further teaching certificates on top of my B ed and M ed's to teach there?

Although you stated you have experience teaching children, you didn't specify if you hold any teaching credentials. But in order to teach in many k-12 international and public school environments, you need a teaching license/license from your home country, usually via a credentialing authority such as a department or ministry of education. If you look at Teachaway's site, for example, you'll see this credential mentioned.
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Ixchel



Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 156
Location: The 7th level of hell

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodphil wrote:
Also Ixchel

the [newer] scheme of public schools hiring English speaking teachers to co-teach with locals

Do you have the name of the scheme or any schemes that organise teachers to work in public schools to co-teach with locals?

Thanks

Yes, the Gulf but it's a disaster at this point-Teach Away recruits for them if you're rock bottom desperate. Google some blogs.
NET in Hong Kong and JET ALT in Japan. If you're American you'll need state teaching credentials (or certificates if that's what they're called in your home state) and similar teaching certs if you're from Britain, Australia, NZ, South Africa, Canada.

In the US all primary and secondary teachers are required to have a BA, an MA PLUS a teaching credential which takes 2 years of university classes, 3 or 4 standardized tests (basic skills, subject matter and reading) tests to complete plus a year of student teaching.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ixchel wrote:
In the US all primary and secondary teachers are required to have a BA, an MA PLUS a teaching credential which takes 2 years of university classes, 3 or 4 standardized tests (basic skills, subject matter and reading) tests to complete plus a year of student teaching.

Since when do they need an MA? I've never heard of that...

As far as I recall the process, it was your 4 year education degree which included your student teaching the final semester... and it came with the state cert. Once hired, basic knowledge and specific subject exams are given in some states.

I did a google - and the info that I found all seemed to match this - and all I could find mentioned was that "some states" require that its hired teachers work on getting an eventual MA.

Quote:
Do you have the name of the scheme or any schemes that organise teachers to work in public schools to co-teach with locals?


As far as we have heard here (this isn't a K-12 site), the only current contract is with the Abu Dhabi schools. The most dependable recruiter seems to be Teachaway. There seems to be a lot of variation in the support and the success in various schools. Many expat teachers have difficulties dealing with the vastly different system. This is not a position for beginners or the timid. Cool

As Nomad says, a teaching license/cert is required. And I suggest significant experience and good classroom management skills too.

VS
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodphil wrote:
Thanks for the replies, very helpful. So February is the time to start looking around and applying, I probably won't be applying this year but it is certainly something I will be looking at for next year, I just wanted to get an idea of whats on offer and when to apply.

Ixchel when you say,
You have a BA and MA but to teach you'll need teaching certificates as well. They are pretty strict in the ME.

Does that mean i will need further teaching certificates on top of my B ed and M ed's to teach there?

Thanks very much for the info.


Unless your Bed and Med came with a valid teaching certificate, then yes you will need more. If your Bachelors or Masters came with a teaching practicum/shadow teaching and you got a valid US/Canadian/Australian/UK teaching certification then you are fine.

Some education programs do not give a valid teaching certification. So you need to check and see.
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Eisenhorn



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 146
Location: HCT Land. UAE

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ixchel wrote:

In the US all primary and secondary teachers are required to have a BA, an MA PLUS a teaching credential which takes 2 years of university classes, 3 or 4 standardized tests (basic skills, subject matter and reading) tests to complete plus a year of student teaching.


This is rather poorly written.
1. All PUBLIC school teachers have to have the following qualifications, but Charter schools, private schools and some others do not.

2. The requirements vary depending on the state, but usually they require a Bachelor's of Education (with a focus and a teaching practicum which grants a valid teaching certification)
OR
A Bachelor's in the field you want to teach in (so biology, physics, math, etc) PLUS a teaching practium that you take seperately.
OR
A Bachelor's in the field, some teaching experience (between two and three years) and passing a subject mastery exam
OR
A Master's or PhD in a subject and passing a subject mastery exam. (at the MA and PhD level they often waive the required two to three years of teaching experience, but not in every state.)
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woodphil



Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks again for all the helpful advice on here. I suppose if i end up contacting Teachaway then they will soon let me know if my qualifications add up or if i need something else. It does sound a little confusing but all my degrees have included supervised teaching prac so maybe that will be ok.

Great to get an idea of what is on offer and where I apply.

Thanks again.
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Nouran



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:37 pm    Post subject: Special Ed Reply with quote

My experience is you can go to any school in the middle east which only has local students and you will find 90% would qualify for special needs in any other land other than there. Each time I taught there I had the majority of my primary classes were learning disabled, autistic, defiant. Find a school with working class children (from other countries), because the UAE locals do not acknowledge special needs for the most part. And the schools want money so they will take any breathing kid with or without special needs and place them in a class and give a teacher a land mine to walk into. Assessments are rarely done in the beginning to place children in appropriate classes and in the end all the kids get passing grades.
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robinbanks



Joined: 28 Apr 2009
Posts: 77

PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Too right,Nouran,
there was a report in the local English language newspaper that 20 per cent of high scoolers have some form of 'Special Needs'(attention deficit syndrome is a big one here)in today's parlance-they are usually pulled out of school with no psychological assessment and put in 'military',"police'or 'oil company'schools-but they're called 'academies'or "intstitutes"to make them sound better.
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