Job Discussion Forums

Rochdale Ros · Joined: 20 Aug 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Jordan

This has become a totally f-ed up place to work. They don't pay on time, and if you are leaving, they don't pay you at all. They have a policy of trying to get out of paying people when they are leaving, a couple teachers just got ripped off leaving.

- They are not directly controlled by Bell in UK, so they use the Bell name to make it okay, what they do.
- High turnover of managerial, admin and teaching staff. Everyone hates it there.
- The teaching is bad at Al Quds College, crazy-ass, lazy students, corrupt exam system, and at times totally dangerous - a murder with a handgun happened there recently.
- Short notice on classes constantly, you are totally asked to teach at the last minute, all the time.
- You are expected to be there for 40 hours per week, work or no work.
- Very disorganized admin, Human Resource departments.
- A whole bunch of teachers just got fired from there for no reason.
- The center is far from Jebel Amman or anywhere in the city, the only realistic way to get to work is by taxi - which will cost you at least $6-$7 US per day.

It is not a good place to work, trust me.

Middle East Beast · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 836 Location: Up a tree

They had an ad running at tefl.com for a few weeks. It's gone now, so I guess they made their quota or, hopefully (based on your description of them), they gave up.

Thanks for the report.

MEB Cool

Rochdale Ros · Joined: 20 Aug 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Jordan

DQ33 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 4

This is totally untrue! Bell Amman is a good place to work at!

In fact, the majority of the teachers working there do not leave before the end of their contracts- only two teachers did this year. The Centre hires British and American teachers; as expats you don�t expect them to stay over a year in one country anyways. However, the Centre has teachers who have been working for 2-3 years.

Also, you could do your own search and you�ll find out that teachers there are amongst the highest teachers paid in Jordan!
To have real and credible feedback about the place, you should get in touch with teachers who work there, which should be easy to do.

About the Academic Manager, �Rochdale Ros� knows very well that he stayed longer than just 6 weeks! He left the Centre as he preferred teaching to management as he was a much better teacher than he was a manager!

johnslat · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:24 pm Post subject:

Dear DQ33,

" . . . as expats you don�t expect them to stay over a year in one country anyways."

Really? Besides having a misplaced modifier, that statement seems absurd to me - unless you're referring to unqualified "backpackers."

"However, the Centre has teachers who have been working for 2-3 years."

Wow, 2-3 years, huh? Long-time veterans, indeed. Very Happy

Regards,
John

DQ33 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 4

Dear johnslat,

The Centre has been operating for 3 years!

Regards,

johnslat · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:35 pm Post subject:

Dear DQ33,

I stand corrected on my second point. Sorry.

How about my first point?

Regards,
John

DQ33 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 4

Most of the teachers I�ve met change countries every one-two years! That applies to both, inside and outside Jordan. What most of them say is that they want to live the experience in different countries!

In Jordan, those who stay longer are usually half British/American half Jordanian or married to a Jordanian.

Backpackers? Maybe!

Regards,

johnslat · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 3:22 pm Post subject:

Dear DQ33,

That certainly doesn't jibe with my EFL experience (22 years). Most EFL teachers I've known (hundreds over the years) stayed in places at least two years, usually much longer.
The only ones I knew who stayed one year were either fired, hated the job/place, or were backpacking - sometimes all three.

I'd be interested to hear what others think, too.

Regards,
John

DQ33 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 4

From my perspective, there is no major difference between one year and two! Both are short periods of time, still.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

johnslat · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:07 pm Post subject:

Dear DC33,

" Most EFL teachers I've known (hundreds over the years) stayed in places at least two years, usually much longer

I've put the parts you seem to have overlooked in bold, just in case you missed them.

which, I believe, is very different from this:

"Most of the teachers I�ve met change countries every one-two years!"

The percentage of those I've known who stayed only two years was, I'd say, only about 5 to 10%.

You seem to be acquainted with an unusually restless bunch of colleagues. Very Happy

Regards,
John

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

Among many, i think one sign of evidence that you are doing the job you were asked to do is how long you stay with an employer.

Three, four or 5 years, for example, would indicate some sort of ability to perform to the employer's satisfaction.

Whether you actually wanted to stay is a different matter but at least it shows a future employer that you can hold down a job; whatever that job might have comprised.

Best,
Basil Very Happy

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

lcanupp1964 · Joined: 12 Dec 2009 Posts: 381

I found the place that CMP45 is talking about. Without sounding like a lackey for the university, I think KAU in Jeddah is a place that teachers can teach at and feel like wanting to stay those five years in order to get the larger end-of-service bonus. PM me if you would like to know more. Heck, I like my job, so sue me!