Job Discussion Forums

jooooooey · Joined: 16 Dec 2009 Posts: 65

I haven't seen much on Georgia lately, except one long rant that was closed. Footprints recruiting is trying to place some teachers in the public schools of this country. It doesn't pay anything ($300 a month) but there is food and housing, and free flights. Says most of the jobs are in Batumi. I was just wondering if anyone had anything to say about the place recently. I know there has been a lot of problems with war and whatever else there. (So I am not asking about the economic benefits of this country, as can be implied)

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

jooooooey · Joined: 16 Dec 2009 Posts: 65

I was just wondering about the actual teaching more than anything. I don't know if anyone has worked in the public school system there. There is a startling lack of qualifications needed for this job, and I am afraid of getting myself into something that I regret. I also don't know much about Batumi. I wouldn't really want to be stuck in a tourist town where everyone speaks English. It's a smaller city.

Thanks for the reply.

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

cks · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 144

I live right by the Abkhazian border and it is totally safe. PM me, too many details to give you.

Alsion · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 2

I just spent a month in Georgia. I didn't make it to Batumi but it's not that touristy a country, even in Tbilisi (English teachers I met actually wished there were a few more expats to socialise with). However, there are a lot of Israeli toursts (perhaps 70% of foreigners I met)! The place is perfectly safe in my opinion. I chatted to Georgians about the schools programme you mention and read a lot of political articles - they are just chronically short of English teachers and the current Government is keen to get more English into schools. I understand that the programme was intended to appeal to young graduates in the UK/US/Australia etc looking for a fun gap year - you stay with a local family, learn Georgian, etc. It's a cultural exchange programme as much as anything. I understood that it was spread across the country especially outside the main towns, where perhaps decent English teachers are otherwise hard to come by. Thus I'd be surprised if they really were concentrated in Batumi, although they are perhaps preparing for the influx of foreign tourists like in every big city, with building works all over the place. Whether the expected numbers of tourists actually come in the next few years remains to be seen!

Splenda · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 19

Can anyone comment on whether Georgia is a place to some Russian while teaching there? I am wondering what portion of the population speak Russian, or is Georgian the only language spoken there.

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

kclaib · Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Posts: 7 Location: New York

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

jooooooey · Joined: 16 Dec 2009 Posts: 65

I am just following up my post. I went ahead and signed up for the program, I've been here since October.

About Russian: Nearly every single Georgian I have met speaks Russian to some degree or other. The older generation usually does not know English, but will know Russian. There are also a lot of products/medicine in Russian. It is not necessary, but I really wish I knew it since I don't speak much Georgian. However, the younger generation knows English. Most (at least the younger ones) are not so keen on Russian, due to politics and otherwise, but will still know it.

I get the feeling that English will take over Russian as the lingua franca in the future, but then again, Russia is on the border, an English country is not.

As for the program:

The public schools have a lot of problems: underfunded, bad facilities, low pay for the teachers, discipline problems... But for me, it has been great. I got placed in Tbilisi, which is where the majority get placed (a large percent of the population is there). I think the Batumi thing was to appeal to potential teachers as a paradise town, but it is rather small. I help my teachers, am given the freedom to teach them more or less how I want when I run the class. Sometimes I do a lot of sitting around, but sometimes I am very active. The work day is fairly short, the kids are incredibly enthusiastic. I've found that when you introduce things that stimulate their minds (they are used to a lot of repetition stuff) such as games or whatever, they suddenly get much more interested.

Tibilis is very interesting, as is the rest of the country. The only thing is that you don't get to choose where, and if you are a city person there's a chance you could get placed in a little farm town or something. But some of the little towns are very beautiful and interesting.

A lot of my fellow native English speakers weren't so hot on the program, largely because of the poor state of a lot of the schools. But I have liked it a lot. The place is very safe, I have never felt in danger of getting robbed or mugged or anything anywhere I go, like I do in some parts of cities in the US. And the country is very interesting.

I think a larger majority of the native English speakers were fresh-out-of-college younger kids, but there were also a lot of seasoned teachers, or older teachers just looking for something different. Some of the volunteers didn't see much to do in their school, and so didn't try to do much, and hence did a lot of sitting around in their classes and not teaching.

You know, I don't think I've met any Israeli, but maybe it's just the parts of Georgia that I've been. I met a couple American and Australian tourists, but I think the tourism thing is relatively new here so it hasn't developed.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Feel free to PM or write me if anyone has any questions.

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

WanderAround · Joined: 19 Nov 2010 Posts: 15

Thanks for the update! I have also been looking into the program, but there are a couple different recruiters offering the positions.

One is Footprints, and the other is Greenheart Travel.

From what I have read about the Footprints program, it is ending around the middle of the year, while the program by Greenheart Travel offers start dates twice per month for the rest of 2011.

I will be graduating in August, so I am looking for something in September.

I'll send you a PM, as I have a few other questions about the process.

Thanks!

mackayscanland · Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 39

Hey Sadebugo,

I'm glad to finally be able to talk with someone who is there! Q's (and there will be plenty of them).

How's the wifi?
work hours?
days, ect.
weekend exploring?
short contracts?

Just throw some info out there on why to go there!
I'm trying to make arrangements to go there in the summer(late may-aug).

Thanks for all the info in advance, much gratis!

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524