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yazzy86
Joined: 03 May 2013 Posts: 10 Location: United States
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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Justcollen you are too funny!
I actually laugh out loud reading your post! I figure that schools will be open even if its till 12pm for registration, and all that good stuff.
The Internet is definitely not working, most of the schools e-mail address just bounce back!
Okay so I'll make a list of all schools and get to walking.
How do you recommend I walk into the school? I'm sure it doesn't work like NY in that department either.
Walk in and say, I'm here for a visit and was looking into apply in your school for a teaching position? |
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justcolleen
Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 654 Location: Egypt, baby!
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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You'll want to walk in and ask to talk to someone about a teaching position. When you do get to speak with someone, ask for a tour of the school. What you want to do is listen carefully, and what you're listening for is the amount of Arabic used in the school. Sure, there are some subjects that are in Arabic (religion, Arabic, regional social studies), but that's it. If you hear Math being taught - or students speaking to their Math teacher - in Arabic, leave.
Most of the schools in Alexandria are diploma mills that received accreditation from any one of a succession of accreditation mills and, if you're not careful, you will be taken advantage of and miserable. |
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yazzy86
Joined: 03 May 2013 Posts: 10 Location: United States
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you so much for all your help.
If I get an interview, any recommendations on what I should say or specify about my teaching, or behavior management? I know schools in that part of the word may be a bit different?
Thank you again! |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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justcolleen wrote: |
What you want to do is listen carefully, and what you're listening for is the amount of Arabic used in the school. |
Ditto justcolleen's advice. If you hear mostly Arabic, chances are the students will have low English language skills. Sadly, teachers who fall back on using Arabic say they do so to "help" the students understand complex instructions and explanations. Yet, this tactic ends up causing confusion and doesn't advance the students' language proficiency in English. (I'm presently in Saudi Arabia and it's frustrating to teach students who can barely make a sentence in English because they've been "fed" too much Arabic by previous instructors.)
yazzy86 wrote: |
If I get an interview, any recommendations on what I should say or specify about my teaching, or behavior management? I know schools in that part of the word may be a bit different? |
Definitely have copies of your CV in hand. Give the prospective employer some time to look it over. Your CV will indicate how you teach, your experience, etc. During your interview, focus on your accomplishments---ones that could benefit the students you hope to teach. As for behavior management, the school's preferred teaching style, curriculum, supplies/facilities for teachers, etc., get those descriptions and explanations from the interviewer. In other words, just ask---don't try to fill those blanks from your own perspective and experience. If you can see the classrooms (with classes in session) as well as the curriculum, that's even better. However, you may not want to do too much in one trip. That is, you don't want to take up the administrator's time, especially if you dropped by without an appointment. In fact, you may just want to drop off a copy of your CV and then do a follow up visit, preferably after agreeing on a good time for both you and the school administration. |
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justcolleen
Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 654 Location: Egypt, baby!
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 1:47 am Post subject: |
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If you somehow manage to pass yourself off as non-Egyptian (and I'm not feeling like that's going to work), the fact that you have a pulse will be enough to make you employable and they'll start to woo you. When you know the wooing has started, you'll know the ball is in your court. Cut right to the nitty-gritty and ask about their accreditation.
If the school is accredited by NWAC, leave. True story: A British teacher friend of mine was employed by a non-accredited school (but a candidate for accreditation) and unceremoniously fired. Her salary was, of course, withheld. She complained to CITA (NWAC's predecessor), who determined she was pretty much a victim of human trafficking (by their definition) and barred the school from CITA accreditation forever. NWAC bought CITA and, imagine, accredited the school.
Now NWAC, which was nothing more than a web site, really, is gone and bought out by AdvancEd (which alleviated its logo copy write lawsuit), another accreditation mill, and all of the NWAC schools are simply being moved over to AdvancEd. To be accredited in Egypt is not the same as being accredited in the US; the standards are supposed to be the same but, instead, they are much lower and there is NO oversite.
Also, I'm convinced schools have been sold what I call "School in a Bag" ("Bed in a Bag" ... same idea) by a "consultant" in Egypt who has the title, "Dr." School in a Bag schools are easy to spot: two periods of "English" in a row, "Math" is never "Pre-Algebra" or "Calculus," but always "Math." Even the Lesson Plan forms are the same from school to school (and use the word "hook" so that's how you know). If you want to know if the school you're visiting/interviewing at is a "School in a Bag" school, ask to see the middle school "English" books. If part of the book package includes one green and one red Vocabulary and Grammar work book (circa 1974), you know you've found one.
These schools have paid, quite dearly, for a mold of an American school and spend years trying to clean up the mess. They are always - and I mean always - disasters. |
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yazzy86
Joined: 03 May 2013 Posts: 10 Location: United States
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 2:24 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all your advice.
As for passing as a non- egyptian, I think that will be simple. I don't look Egyptian, and I was born in NY. Even if I'm spoken to in Arabic, I just won't reply back.
I don't even know what the offers are like in schools in Egypt, I guess I'll just have to figure all that out!
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justcolleen
Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 654 Location: Egypt, baby!
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Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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yazzy86 wrote: |
As for passing as a non- egyptian, I think that will be simple. I don't look Egyptian, and I was born in NY. Even if I'm spoken to in Arabic, I just won't reply back. |
Your last name is, what?, Jones? You'll be staying in a hotel, not with family? You'll be entering on your US passport, which will have the 30 day tourist visa stamped inside, but you'll never have to have a conversation with your employer about a work permit to extend your stay/work legally?
ETA: This article will give you an idea of current conditions.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-07/egypt-investment-collapses-as-violence-sparks-lawless-vigilantes |
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