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menker2001
Joined: 05 Jan 2015
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:58 am Post subject: Positive experiences in Turkey? |
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After reading through the posts here I'm about ready to toss out the idea of considering Turkey for teaching. Seriously, there have to be some agencies or schools that weren't absolutely horrid, and I'd love to hear about them. I'm very new to this site, but I have noticed in the little time I've spent on here there is a lot of negativity, and honestly for someone considering teaching overseas for the first time it's a bit overwhelming, and makes me question whether doing this is a good idea or not. I'm all about disclosure and sharing your experiences, positive and negative, but it would be great to hear more about some things about the jobs that were positive, in Turkey or elsewhere.
Does anyone out there have some positive light to shed on the job search and teaching experience? Am I being unrealistic? |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:09 am Post subject: Re: Positive experiences in Turkey? |
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| menker2001 wrote: |
| Does anyone out there have some positive light to shed on the job search and teaching experience? Am I being unrealistic? |
Can't talk about Turkey as I haven't worked there but I've had some great gigs. Some are great because of the place, e.g. France, but the money tends to be low in Europe. Others are great because of the cash, e.g. the ME, but the quality of life isn't as good and you have to put up with a lot of BS. You will find more negative posts than positives on any tefl forum as the unhappy are more likely to vent whilst the happy are just getting on with life. You will experience the same when drinking with fellow teflers. If you want to do it then don't be put off, it would be awful to be sat at home in 20 years saying "if only." |
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adaruby
Joined: 21 Apr 2014
Posts: 171
Location: has served on a hiring committee
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 3:35 am Post subject: Re: Positive experiences in Turkey? |
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| MuscatGary wrote: |
| menker2001 wrote: |
| Does anyone out there have some positive light to shed on the job search and teaching experience? Am I being unrealistic? |
Can't talk about Turkey as I haven't worked there but I've had some great gigs. Some are great because of the place, e.g. France, but the money tends to be low in Europe. Others are great because of the cash, e.g. the ME, but the quality of life isn't as good and you have to put up with a lot of BS. You will find more negative posts than positives on any tefl forum as the unhappy are more likely to vent whilst the happy are just getting on with life. You will experience the same when drinking with fellow teflers. If you want to do it then don't be put off, it would be awful to be sat at home in 20 years saying "if only." |
You have quite succinctly summed up the life of EFL teacher in one mere paragraph: even at the very top teachers will moan.
Ask them if they fancy going back home to Middlesbrough and it's a different story! |
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CVN-76
Joined: 28 Mar 2014
Posts: 171
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| Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Positive experiences in Turkey? |
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| menker2001 wrote: |
....for someone considering teaching overseas for the first time it's a bit overwhelming, and makes me question whether doing this is a good idea or not.
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Should you take the leap and go to Turkey? I'll say "it depends". If you're a young teacher with a mere TESOL certificate or diploma, Turkey will probably be a good experience for you. One only lives once, so he should get in different experiences when he can. However, if you're older and you're bent on saving some coin, I'd not go to Turkey. The pay is too low there. Use your time more wisely by going to the ME instead. I've worked in both Turkey and the ME, and I know a lot of the same BS you'll encounter in Turkey you'll also suffer in the ME, only in the ME you'll get paid 2x, 3x, and even 4x as much as a job in Turkey. If I'm going to be forced to endure BS, I'm going to have something to show for it in the end. If coin accumulation is your focus instead of exploring new cultures, then you definitely need to go the ME. Also, if you have gotten a master's degree and need to pay off any loans, then you should go to the ME, regardless of your age. Focus on your debt, pay it down, and then explore other places, such as Turkey. You should also look into Korea. Korean colleges and universities are good to work for, and the pay is good in Korea. I know I'm sounding a bit biased towards the 'coin' reason and less on the 'exploration' reason, but after you have been on a job a bit you'll begin to see you are really there for the coin and nothing else. If it lacks coin, you'll begin to look for something else. It happens to us all when the novelty wears off. Good luck. |
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menker2001
Joined: 05 Jan 2015
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the input, everyone. CVN-76, I have been having debating the 'go with the experience' vs. 'go for the pay' paradox since I first started considering this venture. I'm not young (48), have a master's degree, and have all the 'grown up responsibilities (AKA debt, mortgage payment[not selling my house at this point], bills, etc.) - the adult in me says be practical and go somewhere that pays well, and I will still have a good experience. The middle-age wannabe adventurer says go for someplace you REALLY want to go, even if the pay may suck. If I was 23 and just getting out of college, there's no question I'd go with the latter. I know the Middle East is great for the money, but I don't really have any desire to go to that region right now, and as a newbie teacher, it seems highly unlikely I'd get an offer there. |
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Deats
Joined: 02 Jan 2015
Posts: 503
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Go and earn the money first - pay off your mortgage, debts etc, then move on and work somewhere you like. Don't know what your debt situation is like, but if it takes you until 53 to pay it off (5 years in the ME will give you a bucket of 'coin'), then you could take an easy job with few working hours in a location that you want to live without the burden of debt. That's what I'd do, but each to their own.
Good luck whatever you do.
In my experience you regret the things you don't do more than the things you do do. What's the worst that can happen? You don't like it and then you go get another job in another country. There are limitless opportunities for an ESL teacher. |
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