Job Discussion Forums

[Sashadroogie]

Hi!
Anyone with any info on schools in Zelenograd?

[expatella_girl]

I plugged in the word "Zelenograd" into the search function and it returned this list of matches.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/search.php?mode=results

[maruss]

Although it is surrounded by greenery and consequently has much cleaner air than Moscow which you can also get to fairly easily,the place itself consists mainly of soulless high-rise blocks and I found it very miserable and depressing,like many Soviet era built towns in Russia.If you are prepared to go out of Moscow to work why not check out somewhere like Solnechnogorsk or Istra which are much more pleasant.There is a school there which was advertising on tefl.com quite recently and paid about $1000 per month,plus accom. which is more than you will get in Zelenograd and not that much further from Moscow either!But I can't tell you any more about the school and have never spoken to any of their teachers,past or present.

[kazachka]

There are many upscale dachas in Istra as well. You may be able to get private students in the area. One of my former students had a dacha in Istra but lived in Zele and the family I work with now have a dacha in Istra which is quite nice right there on the lake.

[ivanes]

Hello, everyone! My name is Julia and I'm a Senior Teacher in BKC-Zelenograd. I can give you some info:
The school has got 2 locations - the travelling time between them or to/from home isn't longer than 30 mins. The town itself is situated not far from Moscow so if you really need some busy night life at the weekends - it's not a problem! There are some decent bars and restaurants in Zelenograd too.
Our school has got very good resources and teachers' support. On average we have about 7-9 teachers each academic year - some of them natives, some Russian. One of the advantages of teaching in Zelenograd is having a good timetable - teaching mostly in the second half of the day and the groups are blocked.
If you have any more questions, write here or to [email protected]

[maruss]

Hopefully I'm wrong,but that suggests about $700 per month salary and a shared appartment!If you are going to live in a Soviet era satellite town,you might as well endure Moscow instead and earn around $2.500per month like I did.O.K. I found my own appartment but at least I was getting paid decent money!

[quietguy]

Zelenograd's fine. Everything said so far is pretty fair. The salary is a bit higher...$830 and up, and there is a $130 per month bonus. Rumor is that there will be another raise. Maruss is right. The town, while lush and green, is a bit soulless and boring. You can get into Moscow, but if you're going for the nightlife, your only options are after work on Friday, or going in on a Saturday night. It's problematic though because you have to leave the bar or club at about 2330 to get back home, or you have to stay the night. I think that is why Zelenograd teachers don't often take advantage of their proximity to the big city. A point on accomodations too...this year, all of the teachers here have had their own flats. I can't say whether that's normal or not, but I've enjoyed it. Zelenograd is a good place for anybody and a fantastic fit for the right person. I would encourage anybody to come here, but bear in mind that it can be a bit boring. I hope that helps people make informed decisions.

[Sashadroogie]

Hi again. Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I am thinking of moving from Moscow to Zelenograd soon, for personal reasons. But I am having misgivings about teaching there. There does not seem to be many schools there. The only two I could check out, the big name ones, seem to have a lot of bad press to varying degrees. Maybe they are ok really, but the people I have spoken to didn't have much to say that was positive. All quite off-putting, really.

Does anyone know of any other schools apart from LL and BKC in Zelenograd? Can a teacher just do privates there?

[maruss]

As you rightly said,there are already two large private schools working there and obviously they have most of the students.Although it is not far from Moscow,remember that it is still outside it and local incomes are definitely lower!
I have posted before, along with several other 'oldtimers' about the subject of private lessons and it's not all honey by any means:firstly,you have to establish a network of private students and this takes time.They tend to come by recommendation which is good, but they are also likely to start and stop without warning, which is not good for you as your income will vary accordingly!There is also the notorious 'dacha season' when everyone seems to have their mind only on escaping from the city to the country at every opportunity,rather than work and lessons etc!This year it has probably already started with the incredibly hot weather you are experiencing-warmer than here in Cyprus actually!!- and things tend to be this way until September.
You mentioned 'personal reasons for going there,which suggests you probably have a Russian girlfriend with an appartment there etc. so presumably you won't be paying rent, which is a definite plus!Otherwise,your landlord will not give you a 'dacha break' when you don't have to pay him so in effect rememeber that what you make each year has to be divided by twelve to see you through when work is scarce.
Of course there are ex-pat teachers I knew during my time in Moscow who were raking in SEVERAL THOUSAND $ per month but they had usually been at it for ages and worked damn hard so they deserved every dime!To get $25, 30 or even $50 per academic hour,which people in Moscow can and do pay,you have to be good and put up with their idiosyncracies and often boorish,arrogant manners!
The other secret is that the students should come to you,rather than the other way round and if you have ever been in Moscow,you will know why!
Most of all, don't forget that setting up anything worthwhile takes time , effort-and money,just like everywhere else so you need to have your eyes open and some cash to tie-you over the first few months until you hopefully get established.
But having said all that,living outside Moscow will have definite advantages for your physical and mental health,I can assure you!The pollution, noise dirt,overcrowding and stress of living in the place for six months during the autumn and winter of 2005/6 made me feel six years older and many other people have seconded me on that opinion, both locals and ex-pats!

All the best and I'll be glad to read yor comments.

[canucktechie]

[maruss]

Thanks for the correction- I would tend to agree with you because it is a place which was 'high-tec' in Soviet times-in fact until the late 1980's it was closed to foreigners because of this reason,as were many other parts of Russia!By the way,I heard that they have closed Norilsk again since 2004,not that anyone in their right mind would want to go there anyway!
Coming back to Zelenograd,I would definitely prefer to live there than in Moscow because of the air pollution and overall life quality in the city is getting worse - I bet everyone will agree with me after the hot weather they have experienced recently!!
If this guy has a place to stay and some funds to tie-him over until he gets his students sorted out etc, then I would say to give Zelenograd a try.

[Sashadroogie]

Dear all

thanks for all your help and advice. Im posting this now just to let people know about my experiences in zelenograd. Basically I have been spending as much time out there as possible with my 'personal reason' to acquaint myself with the place before I moved there. Im glad I did. While everything written in this thread was basically true and prepared me well, I feel that only being there in the flesh is the best way to learn about a place. And did i learn! We all know that russians are a bit on the non-pc side, but golly. i have never heard 'amerikanski' used so often with so much contempt. drunk guys in one of the two bars there came up to us and gave loads of hassle. i was expecting a small boring place, not a real mean one. its not that bad even in the south east of moscow. I dont know if a permanent move is really the way forward... Is it just me? has anyone else had this there? Be interesting to share notes

[maruss]

Glad to know my advice was useful!Where did you live in South-east Moscow by the way?I still have nightmares about Pechatniki and Lyublino etc!