Job Discussion Forums

[MuscatGary]

Not sure if this is the right place, maybe should be in the newbies forum but I've been meaning to do this for a while based on my observations in my 12 (I know others have done more!) years of teaching abroad in Spain, Venezuela, France, India and for the last fours years in the Gulf. Every point I make here is based on direct experience of what happens when people don't do the basics.

So if you are even begining to think about teaching abroad PLEASE:

Do your homework, research the country, the potential employer and the exact location in which you will be based. Arriving in the Gulf and complaining about the heat just makes you look like an idiot. Turning up in Paris only to find that your employer is a charlatan who is all over the forums is downright stupid. Check as many forums as you can and insist on speaking to teachers who are already in situ, if the employer refuses then look elsewhere.

Be realistic about the salary and the cost of living that you will experience, do your sums. Don't arrive and then start complaining about your salary/package, you agreed the deal so wait a year and THEN try to negotiate something better. Don't be shocked when you discover that others are getting paid more for doing the same job, maybe they're more experienced, better qualified or just better at negotiating.

If you are coming to work remember that is what you will be expected to do, not just party away.

If you're not adaptable in your own country you will almost certainly struggle in other places where you will not be protected by the state/family/friends.

If you are employed to teach English the remember that this is why you're being paid. You are not being paid to liberate downtrodden and oppressed people from their wicked regime/religion, they need to do that for themselves and you can get into serious trouble..

Always keep a FU fund in case to need to do a runner, it happens. Never arrive with less than a month's living expenses, you may not be paid for some time.

If you're an alcoholic don't seek respite in an Islamic state, the Gulf is one of the heaviest drinking places I have ever lived. The teacher I replaced in Oman had been found comatosed and surrounded by sixty empty bottles of whiskey, his release papers from a U.S. jail were also on the floor with the condition that he attended AA meetings. He had only been in Oman for 6 weeks....

Never pay an agent for recruitment, if they ask for money it's a scam.

I'm sure others can add to this quick list...

I've seen dozens of teachers come unstuck by not doing the basics, mind you some of them....but that's another story....[/list]

[BadBeagleBad]

Great list and advice. I would just add a couple of others.

Don't think just because you have a certificate that lasts one month that you are now a professional teacher. Courses to do nails, cut hair and tend bar last longer than that. If you want to be a professional, get professional qualifications, a degree in teaching or a related topic and you will be surprised at the doors that will open. And the $$ that will follow. No, you are never going to get rich as a teacher, but being a qualified, trained teacher WILL command much more money and better positions.

Don't continually complain about the country where you live, at least not to natives of that country. You are a guest in country "X" and, no, it is not going to be just like the US/UK/Canada and the fact that it is not like your home is to be expected. If you really hate living where you are, maybe it is time for a move.

[Teacher in Rome]

Great list!

What's a FU fund, btw? I read it as something unprintable, but maybe that was the point!

Other tips:

- Read and understand the contract. How many hours are you contracted to teach exactly? What is being offered - accommodation, flights (unlikely in the EU), bonuses or overtime? What about notice period, provision for taxes / social security, travel expenses?

- Stay connected to the outside world. We often get into a little bubble of what it's like to teach and live in our own part of the world. But if things go down the pan in wherever you are (armed conflict in Kuwait / Libya anyone?) it helps to know about other alternatives. Make it your business to always have an eye out for the next gig.

- Beware of oversell. If a language school owner seems desperate to persuade you to work for him / her, try to find out why. It's rarely good.

[johnslat]

Dear Teacher in Rome,

It could also be called a TTJASI fund (Take This Job And Shove It), which may give you a pretty good idea what the "F" stands for. The "U," of course is "You." (Well, not you -it's the employer).

Regards,
John

[Teacher in Rome]

That's sort of what I thought John - thanks for the clarification!

[Sashadroogie]

- If paid by the hour, how long is the hour you are being paid for? Is it the same as the 45 or 50 min period that comprises your timetable? Or is it really a full 60 min hour? The difference to your salary can be quite significant. Find out in advance - don't assume an hour and a class are the same things.

[Sashadroogie]

- When teaching English, do not assume your learners are mentally deficient just because of their inability to express their thoughts in your language. Many of them will be much smarter than you or me! Just like the folks back home.

[Sashadroogie]

- Do not assume that every learner everywhere is interested in or even knows about your pop culture. Trying to explain a lexical item by reference to a Hollywood film may not always work - "Brave means like Mel Gibson in like the movie Braveheart..." For that matter, film titles are also often adapted to local culture.

Besides which many learners read! Not everything cultural is a TV show, film or sporting event.

[JustinC]

Great advice. I'd like to add don't always blindly take advice from colleagues, however much more experienced they are. They may have been in their job too long and generally feel bad about the school/city/country. Keep an open mind and give any new situation some time before you make any hasty decisions.

(I thought it was a 'Fed Up' fund..

[BadBeagleBad]

[Sashadroogie]

Yes, very good point. Sadly I have seen similar too. "I'm trying to make them complete people", and similar hogwash.

[spiral78]

AW. Can't we 'open their minds' and 'teach them to think critically?' That's SO much fun, and clearly the proper role for a language instructor We are gods and goddesses, after all, right??? I mean, 'cause we know English

[Sashadroogie]

Only if it is the Queen's English, dear boy...

[johnslat]

Dear spiral87,

In order to write a good Argumentative/Persuasive essay, I'd say critical thinking is rather important.

Regards,
John

[steki47]