Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

Is s/he really more balanced or is it just because s/he agrees with you. I'd say that this whole thread is reflects the usual situation. Half of the teachers will be the grumbling, never happy crowd that seems to be typical of TEFL in the Gulf... and half will get on with it because they have perhaps more realistic expectations.

If it is true that over 100 people left in the last couple years and if it was an awful place, a large number of them would be here posting. There is no reason for those who leave to fear posting. That suggests that the situation there is the usual... tolerable for a contract or two or three and then time to move on. Let's face it, many of us hold on because we do like the lifestyle of the city we live in, and the pay is good enough and arrives every month... and our students are tolerable... and the management mostly stays out of our hair.

I suspect that a large proportion of teachers leaving these days is because of the decline of the Gulf currencies and attendant rising costs. Obviously the 25% raise was to try to stem that flow.

VS

[773]

VS, you've nailed it on the head.

There are, of course, unhappy people at UGRU. But I wouldn't say I have met many of them at all.

I think that if one is constantly comparing things to the way they are done at home, too, they tend to be much unhappier. Comparing work environments, expectations, etc. to the US, UK, or wherever is simply unrealistic in the Gulf.

I've been working overseas now for over a decade, and I can honestly say that UGRU is the most organized, well put together program with the most competent coordinators I have ever seen during my time overseas. Instructors are well supported, resources are plentiful, and the program is run competently. Like I mentioned before, all it takes is a wee chat with instructors / teachers at other institutions to realize that UGRU is a pretty darn good place to work.

[Gnocchiman]

I guess we're all the proverbial blind men describing different sides of the same elephant. We all know which side Arabantics got stuck describing !

I have a theory about our newly signed-on Arabantics. I believe that he/she is one of those disgruntled employees who left a year or two ago. Sorry A, but your complaints are so 2006 (an unsettled period for UGRU). I even think you may be one of the many who left and have come crawling back this year begging to be rehired. Yes friends, it seems that many of our departed got a good dose of reality and realised UGRU wasn't so bad after all. Could it be that A is one of the few they refused to take back? That's my theory. I could be wrong though. He/she could always be one of the 12 leaving this year.

Gotta go teach a class/read my novel/devise a way to make myself look good so I can get outstanding evaluations. Oh wait, that sounds like too much work. I think simply teaching would be much easier.

Peace Out

[Iamherebecause]

773 said:

[arabantics]

I am still employed by UGRU and am not leaving this year but may do next year. I think those that don't hear too much grumbling don't have too many friends. As for all those coming back...at last count it was TWO. Not exactly hordes. I have also been overseas for more than a decade and this is the WORST place I have worked in. You have to be joking about the good 'organization' in UGRU. I haven't seen an exam, event, workshop or assessment that has been well 'organized' yet. As for those disgruntled ones not posting�..I wouldn�t be bothered posting either if I wasn�t here and fed up with the UGRU apologists who appear on this board. If someone had warned me on this board about this place (and I spent many hours here looking for insight before I signed on) then I might not have taken this job and taken the one that ZU offered instead. I haven't worked at home in over a decade so I can't be one of those caught in the trap of comparing it to how its done back home. I can say without a doubt that some of the UGRU management are extremely shady characters. I am not talking about level coordiantors either.
VS, I am not giving Iamherebecause a plug because the poster and I agree (we don�t on all things if you check another post of mine on another topic ) but I am aware that I am an unhappy poster and the apologists are not to be believed so Scot47 should have a careful look at someone a bit more balanced.

[773]

[Gnocchiman]