Job Discussion Forums

davidxmastree · Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Istanbul

I was hired to teach English to high school students. At the interview I was asked if I was interested in teaching younger children. I said NO! Only high school. So I get my contract back and it has GR1-12 English teacher. After 6 weeks of fighting via email they finally put GR9-12 English teacher in my contract. I sign it & sent it back.

I get to Turkey and go to work Sept 2008...and they assign me to GR 2 & 4. I say, "No, contract says high school." They say, "We can't change it." So I find a teacher who is teaching high school who wants to teach little kids and ask her to switch. She says, "Yes, please!" I tell Admin, and they say, "No, it's too late." (Classes had NOT started at this point.)

So I've been teaching GR 2 & 4 for the last 3 months. They ask me to teach mentally disabled kids. I say, "No!!! I'm not qualified, nor am I interested." I am harassed, hassled and called all sort of names by my manager. After two weeks of saying, "No!" I'm called into his office and told that there's been a complaint with the GR2 & 4 kids: I don't smile enough. (Funny there was no complaint until I stopped doing what they want.) Now I'm on probation. If they find another excuse, they can fire me without cause.

BTW, I don't have a signed contract yet (I've signed it but they haven't), so it's not valid (for my right or theirs). And though I'm supposed to be this unsmiling teacher, no one has ever observed me; how do they know? And maybe I'd be smiling if I were teaching the kids I wanted to teach (and was told I'd teach at the interview & in my contract).

Don't trust them about anything. Even better, don't bother with Istek.

aziyade · Joined: 15 Nov 2008 Posts: 9 Location: istanbul

Hello Mister,

I am in exactly the same situation, having been catalogued an "unsmiley teacher" too, amongst other disparaging comments ( made mostly by my fellow Turkish teachers.....).

Yes, the contract was a fraud for many of us.....

I feel now I am under constant surveillance ( a first letter of warning was handed to me ). Everyone is watching me or am I simply paranoid ? Your story makes me say otherwise. I am not happy because I do not teach the subject I was supposed to be teaching in the first place.

Other teachers at work pretend to be "happy" because they just do as they're told. But the truth is they are scared shitless of the principal and its acolytes. This is a burlesque situation. So let's laugh about it all, and let's stop caring, let's pocket their money and shut up ! That's what we're here for ! To be Istek's property. If you want out, you know where the door is. There's freedom out there. Istek doesn't own the world yet.

P.S : as for the suggestion of a petition, of course, I don't expect anyone to follow that stupid idea of mine up. Why on earth should we stick together? Everyman/woman fort him/herself. Good luck colleague.

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:41 am Post subject:

Oh people please, you are been shafted right royally, you have nothing to lose by looking for another job. There are plenty, you are qualified experienced and native speakers. Just leave and don't tell them that you are going. They deserve zero respect from you, they have even less for you. Leave now!

nomad22 · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 71 Location: Auckland, NZ

oh yes, this sounds all too familiar. though the longer you stay through the contract the more it is in your interest to make it to the end, for the 2 1/2 mth's summer holiday pay.

you speak of a dictatorial principal, im pretty sure i know which school youre at. it's damn tough, aint it??!!!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Leave.

sanpedro72 · Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 86 Location: Earth

I applied to a school on the Asian side of Istanbul, which had an immediate vacancy for high school, er um, primary school (the info changed over a week or so of email communications). Now, this school has an immediate second-term opening.

I was working for a lise in NW Istanbul and got the shaft (mid-school year with 1 month notice) for warnings that I never received neither verbally nor written. It seems if a VP of Head or Eng doesn't like you or doesn't want to help you get things straight (maybe even spoon-fed if it's your first time in Turkey...mind you, I never even received an orientation), you are gone...but for bogus or fraudulent reasoning?

Sorry to mix schools here but I am wondering about your thoughts on this.

I wish everyone the best in getting honest contracts and fair treatment. J