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joleen7
Joined: 11 Nov 2012
Posts: 46
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 Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 3:46 am Post subject: KSAU-HS Riyadh |
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Hello All
Anyone on the forum work here or know anything about this university's reputation? Any info please about class sizes, academic calibre and classroom behaviour of the students. And how is the management ? Thanks. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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joleen7
Joined: 11 Nov 2012
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 6:34 am Post subject: Riyadh KSAU -HS |
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| Hi Nomad\Yes thanks, I saw that post. I have been in Saudi for 2 years and am looking for specific answers re Riyadh branch.I will not consider the job unless I know about class sizes and behaviour. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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If you are in Saudi Arabia now, why not pay a visit to the institution in Riyadh ? that should give you the opportunity to see for yourself.
These things can be done ! |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: Riyadh KSAU -HS |
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| joleen7 wrote: |
| .I will not consider the job unless I know about class sizes and behaviour. |
Your request is totally unrealistic. No educational institution in the world, from Harvard to Shabaka (KSA), can confirm class sizes or student behavior. It's like asking "what's the weather like?".
The only answer you'll get or should expect to get is something like: "We usually have about 20 students per class" (but it could go up to 35 unless we can squeeze another chair in the classroom) and most students are not a problem, (except for the 3 or 4 that "disrespect" the teacher and cause chaos on a daily basis).
That's what teaching is all about - everywhere.
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joleen7
Joined: 11 Nov 2012
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:14 pm Post subject: class size and student behaviour |
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| Hash- I disagree entirely. This is the only country I have worked in where I feel the need to ask such questions. |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:44 pm Post subject: Re: class size and student behaviour |
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| joleen7 wrote: |
| Hash- I disagree entirely. This is the only country I have worked in where I feel the need to ask such questions. |
Well you may be right about this being the only country where......
But my point is: you're not going to get a believable answer. Things are too unstructured here for an answer you can rely on.
Someone may answer you with specific answers, to be sure. But there's no guarantee that by the time you arrive 6 months to 1 year later, what you were told is anywhere close to the way things actually are run at that location.
That's one of the things that makes living in KSA frustrating. The uncertainty and unreliability of everything.....including class size and student behavior. You should be aware of that by now. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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On the other hand, that can also work for you. If you don't get the answer you want the first time, keep asking other people who have the authority to grant or deny.
Odds are - sooner or later you'll get the answer you want. That worked very well for me on a good number of occasions. 
Regards,
John |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Riyadh KSAU -HS |
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| joleen7 wrote: |
| I will not consider the job unless I know about class sizes and behaviour. |
Let me give you an example:
I had one class, 13 guys, 35-40 (bar 1 who was 23),good as gold, very respectful, motivated, humourous, open minded (relatively) and were a great class to teach. Best class I ever had in KSA, and the best 2 months I had here.
Class immediately after them, 12 24-27 year olds, of which ONE was even remotely respectful (and had a good level of English as well, as he was hellbent on getting far in life). The rest of them were evil, rude and annoying little beggers, of which some I never even heard speak a word of English (they were too preoccupied with their cellphones and talking in Arabic), and all bar 3 had an appalling level of English, despite all of them having degrees (not that means much in KSA) - I ended up refusing to teach them for 5 weeks until they finally left the course.
All other classes have been between 2-13 students, mostly pretty low levels of English and mostly quite disrespectful, highly unmotivated and generally a waste of time teaching, but in each class, there is always one or two who are worth the effort |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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| johnslat wrote: |
On the other hand, that can also work for you. If you don't get the answer you want the first time, keep asking other people who have the authority to grant or deny.
Odds are - sooner or later you'll get the answer you want. That worked very well for me on a good number of occasions.
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Well, yes, you can ALWAYS get the answer you want. Whether the answer is an accurate portrayal of a specific situation is a different matter.
It's like getting an ESL teacher. You can ALWAYS get an ESL teacher (just send me to Bangkok). Whether the "teacher" performs in class as his resume says he can is a totally different matter.
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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Dear hash,
Whether the answer is an accurate portrayal of a specific situation is a different matter. "
Not sure what you mean by "an accurate portrayal." I was writing about getting the OK to do something (or get something done) which is why I used the terms "grant or deny").
For example, once, when I was the coordinator, two of the best teachers were not having their contracts renewed. The ELC director said it could not be changed. I got the same answer at the next level, and the next, etc. When I finally got to the Director of the institute, he reversed the decision.
Regards,
John |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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Joleen may have unreasonable expectations, but she can still ask a question of the people in Riyadh. Whether she will get any answer or any approximation to the Trtrh is another matter.
"What can I say to this troublesome Frenji to make her go away and leave me in peace ?" |
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Pikgitina
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 420
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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All teachers who come to this part of the world - the Gulf and KSA - should come prepared to deal with discipline issues, many of which will be related to unwanted mobile use in class, perceived disrespect and noise. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between.
You no like? Why you come here teacher?  |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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In my personal experience, problems with student discipline issues in Saudi pale beside the problems many/most teachers in junior or senior high school encounter here in the States.
But then, maybe I was just lucky there.
In both places. issues with administrators can be incredibly frustrating, irritating, and annoying. And in that area, I'd say Saudi takes the gold.
Regards,
John |
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