Job Discussion Forums

[barbaro]

Reports are coming out that the current manager of the ESL program believes the students are always right and has no problem coming into the classroom and dressing down the teacher in front of the students. What a miserable place to work.

[bertonneau]

Wow, Thanks for that update. I interviewed with thme and stated clearly my philosophy about teaching Saudi students. It's a good thing I didn't get the job as I would have most likely had some serious words for a manager who argued with me about correcting in front of students as well as doing what I have to do to motivate an often very lazy group of Saudi children.

[rollingk]

In my experience here in various roles, I've found the only time management/administration actually stand up to students or trainees has more to do with an oblique wasta dynamic than anything transpiring in the classroom. As such, really problematic personalities, usually those with wasta, have their bad behavior reinforced. Strategies for keeping management/administration out of classrooms here should be a priority for teachers.

[sicklyman]

[rollingk]

Nice to hear your experience with Aramco has not been the one I've most often heard about. Having a management team without their heads up there makes a helluva difference. If I'd known this I would have made it to one of their interviews.

[psychedelicacy]

While humiliating a teacher in front of students is incredibly unprofessional, to be perfectly honest, when I was there (formerly JECPT), a lot of the teachers were of a very low standard. JECPT didn't even require a CELTA. That may have changed under Algonquin.

In any case, this kind of thing would be the least of your worries if one were to take up a position there. There are some nice small cities in the Kingdom, but by golly, Jazan is not one of them.

[plumpy nut]

I would avoid any positions in Abha as well. Absolutely detestable city with detestable students.

[scot47]

I am puzzled by "has more to do with an oblique wasta dynamic " Never mind, one gets used to being puzzled after spending a few years in Wastaland.

[rollingk]

. .. just meant we can't hope to understand all the various shadings and consequences of wasta, nor should we try.

[JustinC]

[psychedelicacy]

^No, not justifying. Disciplining a teacher should always be done in private. However, have you ever been to JECPT and seen the people who work there? I'm afraid I find it unsurprising that a supervisor would just lose it with a 'teacher' and start yelling. Totally unprofessional, of course (perhaps he should be sacked himself), but unless you have been to JECPT yourself and seen the quality of the staff there, I would suggest that you are ill-placed to comment.

[JustinC]

I'm glad you have clarified your opinion and agreed that the supervisor's approach was completely inappropriate. It's good to get a first-hand opinion of a topic regarding a potential future employer. Because you were employed there, once, it adds some degree to the accusation but there have not been any specific details given, except that other teachers were "of a very low standard". I don't see how those who haven't had the misfortune to have been there are "ill-placed to comment". If the issues are so incredible, other than what has been read here so far, why not put some meat on the bone and enlighten us?

Or could it be that knowledge can only come from personal experience? From that I suppose you would also suggest people, probably including yourself, are "ill-placed to comment" on issues in Syria, Switzerland or ancient Sparta.

[psychedelicacy]

[MixtecaMike]

[plumpy nut]