Job Discussion Forums

[indirect.object]

So which would you go for and why?

Say your salary would be around:

3200 $ month in Kuwait plus furnished housing provided. Also, you have more freedom of movement, no need for multiple exit visa. But you are teaching 6 through 12 grade Kuwaiti boys, which you've never tried. two year contract.

3600 $ month in Jeddah plus enough allowance to pay nearly half of the rent for a place you must find and furnish (includes furniture allowance); no freedom of movement; must apply for visa to exit country. You are teaching male university students their foundation program, similar to your past experience. one year renewable contract.

Which job do you think has better chances of leading to full-time employment here in the US?

[nomad soul]

Neither opportunity will help you snag a full-time teaching position in the US. For k12, you'd need to be licensed in the state you plan to teach in. That entails teacher education coursework, a relevant degree, and licensure. What you'd learn in Kuwait would have no relevance/value in terms of the learning environment and curriculum in American public schools. At the tertiary level, the Jeddah experience might be a plus in helping you get a teaching position in an IEP in the US. However, you'd need the proper qualifications (e.g., a TESOL-related MA and several years of relevant experience) to compete for openings. Plus, those positions tend to be part time (adjunct with no benefits) and very rarely full time.

But it seems you're also asking which position is the better fit for you personally. No one here knows what your preferences are. For example, you mention freedom of movement and employer-provided housing. If that's important to you, then accept the Kuwait offer. On the other hand, if you're ambivalent about teaching kids, then perhaps the Jeddah position is the better fit. Anyway, I'm sure you can decide on which one on your own.
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[indirect.object]

Thanks for your discrete bit of input.

In any event, I have presented the question in a particular way because I don't want to provide a lot of info about my credentials / preferences or more details about the institutions (whether accredited by US entities or not, etc). That's why the question asks those who might be interested to imagine which position they would choose. This is a time-saving way to elicit input from others whose unique perspectives could be informative and useful, while also providing them with details that might be of use.

[psychedelicacy]

Teaching young Gulf Arabs is not something I'd fancy personally (and yes, I've done it, though not in a state school). On the other hand, that Saudi position has a lot of drawbacks. On balance, if you're willing to try your hand at teaching young Arab learners and accept that it might at times be very challenging, that Kuwait one sounds okay.

[Hatcher]

For me, the KSA was bigger culture shock than I expected. In the classroom, the Saudis were horrible to work with. They dont even put their names on exams.

I would go to Kuwait.

[currentaffairs]

Yeah, decent option for Kuwait, I would probably go for that when all is said and done..

[scot47]

Kids in Kuwair or students in Jeddah ? No contest - go to Jeddah.

[bigdurian]

I taught teenagers in Saudi, and while challenging at times, overall it was a positive experience. Got some great memories, and had some fun moments. Just because it's kids doesn't mean it will be a nightmare.

Doubt there's much difference between kids in Q8 and Saudi.

[indirect.object]

Thanks folks for sharing your input.

I have Googled Kuwait and Kuwait City, and at first glimpse the environment seems at once forbidding (scorching desert) and significantly more interesting than the way the country has been represented in postings I've seen on this website.

[nomad soul]

[indirect.object]

Thank you for your input.

Obviously, it's a choice all teachers with options are faced with.

As for where to get useful pointers, I know it's common for migrant teachers to have personal experience of multiple Gulf teaching contexts, or to have an informed, general, sense of things in the region.

Teachers who know the Saudi context tend to acknowledge and take some interest in certain, seemingly better, conditions in a neighboring country.

If only as a mental exercise, I think it would be interesting if we TESOL instructors could set up our own emirate -- all TESOL all the time in certain neighborhoods -- refuse to take jobs in sovereign nations of the GCC, and compel their students to obtain visas to enter our jurisdiction in order to learn the language.

[Hatcher]

Saudi students are by far the worst I have ever worked with. I would call it somewhere between a warden and a babysitter

[scot47]

Saudi students are easier to deal with than Kuwaitis. As for schoolkids - I reckon it is much the same. I taught schoolkids in Saudi in 1970 to 1972. A lot more personable than schoolkids in Scotland !