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[canuckgoneaway]

After looking down the line of previously posted topics concerning Istek Vakfi schools by relatively few individuals, I feel compelled to throw out my own opinion concerning this institution in an effort to provide some balance to those teachers out there who may be considering coming to Turkey to teach. I'm not intending to deny these others their opinions - their experiences are their own - but for every teacher harbouring disappointment or even anger, be aware that there are many more of us who are indeed very satisfied and enjoying our time in Istanbul with Istek.

Istek Vakfi (Foundation) has 8 K-12 campuses across Istanbul, four per side, European and Asian. The Foundation also boasts a university campus and a number of affiliated medical facilities, from dental to hospital services. Its reputation with Istanbulites is strong and it continues to grow. In recent years, the focus has returned to its educational interests and a great deal of reinvestment has been happening, from capital injections to human resources. They are a progressive institution with a clear desire to move towards that elusive western model from which we typically come.

Therein lies the root of the difficulties most of us encounter.

First, let's talk package. I've worked at other private schools within Istanbul - almost consistently, they will offer a fairly common base salary, perhaps a limited health plan, lodging and transportation to and from work. Schedule commitments vary depending upon hours taught, naturally, but be aware that many schools also place high demands upon your weekends and evenings across the scholastic year. At Istek, the salary is very good in comparison to other school organizations, and they do reward experience for those of you with deeper CVs. Further, their demands on time outside of normal work expectations is very limited - a definite plus. In my experience, they have never missed a payroll, never missed overtime compensation, and they have a good relationship with one of the better Turkish banks out there. Coming back home and being able to slip my Turkish debit card into my local ATM without the slightest hitch only makes it better. They offer a very good health plan and I've witnessed teachers who suddenly take ill being ushered into the Foundation's health units with little to no cost, little to no waiting, and with terrific results. For families, plans can be arranged that cover them, too. The lodging offered to teachers is located in different areas of Istanbul with an eye to keeping teachers near areas where they're employed. The lodging is clean, secure and th-e buildings themselves are typically owned and managed by Istek. Another bonus? University, hospital and Foundation administrative personnel are also housed in the same locations so it's not just a bunch of ex-pat teachers fresh from Seoul knocking on doors down the hallway from each other like a dorm. Think of the market value of that flat around 1500 YTL per month, which you're not paying, and you quickly realize the bonus of having your own comfortable home. You're not forced to live in shared accomodation and even entire families have been provided for.

Now compare this to a language school, pick any of the brand names out there offering the nightly and weekend dershane courses, and you'll quickly realize that you might make more money if you work exceptional hours at the expense of the best times of the day for socializing and relaxation. Will they process your permits for you? Do they offer other benefits or perks? And why is it that most teaching staff there only last a few months before walking out the door? At Istek, if you understand me, you are teaching as you would back home in a normal school, to kids, with all of the related responsibilities and duties of a normal classroom teacher. It's work.

Istek's contracts are clearly written and honoured. If you are hired, you are hired as a teaching professional. As in North America, if you're a qualified teacher, you're qualified to teach K - 12. A fact of life with Turkish private schools, like those back home, is that until the heads are counted and the doors are closed, the course offerings and teacher schedules will be juggled accordingly. The reality is that your request for a certain grade or level may or may not be possible. Stick around for the following year, and you'll likely have better chances but even then current circumstances (staffing and student numbers) simply dictate where you go. This is standard practice everywhere.

Your residency permits are handled immediately by Istek. The reality of Turkish bureaucracy is that things like this will take time and there will be paperwork involved. So be prepared, bring originals, be patient. Things will get done. Other schools? Don't be so sure. As a Foundation, Istek is carefully audited by the authorities and they're simply not permitted to fudge the rules. Everything's above board here, however other privately owned schools are an entirely different story. At a "family-run" school one year, I once had my residency permit entirely neglected without my knowledge which cost me a huge fine, a police escort, and sudden air travel out of country, then a new visa to purchase upon return and no reimbursement, no apology. The Turkish work permit can only be secured after your residency and that goes to a different ministry altogether - think of it as a whole new application process. But be patient, Istek delivers. The following year, everything is a simple renewal, much faster and less hassle. And these applications all cost a great deal of money - everything does, and Istek covers all. The staff in Istek's HR Dept. is highly effective, attentive to their ex-pats' needs and working very hard on your behalf. Just remember...this is Turkey and things just don't work the same way here.

Istek only employs qualified teachers with proven experience or credentials which points to their sincere intentions of growing their English progams through quality hires. IB has been introduced and will expand, levels of available technology are being raised and inservicing is taking place to train and develop teachers' skills and practices (both Turk and ex-pat). Don't think that you're entering a California public school or a Canadian private school - this is Turkey and the pace of reform and development is inconsistent and, from my own perspective, often lagging. But this is also an unfair cultural bias. I have taught for over a decade in Canadian schools and I can testify that Turkish children are just as "spoiled" (as loudly decried in other posts) as our own. Our system cannot and should not be the standard to which you compare the Turkish model. The cultural and institutional differences are simply too great. Instead, if you're flexible, if you're mature, and if you're willing to work at your craft, you will find that your time at Istek or any other Turkish private school could be meaningful and extremely rewarding. Perhaps the best time in my teaching career has been spent in the halls of an Istek school. The challenges you face as a teacher in North America or Europe, of management, communication, lesson delivery, whatever, they're the same that you face at home....but with the added joy of a Turkish spin.

There are a couple of things a new teacher looking at a job in Istanbul, with Istek or otherwise, must consider:

1) The administrative structure in schools (and most elsewhere in Turkey) is quite authoritative, even autocratic by our western perspective. This means that titles and positions have meaning, lots of meaning. The Campus Director is king and you, as a branch teacher, are the lowest rung of the ladder. Do your job. Do it well. Poor planning, poor preparations, lacklustre classroom presence, lessons lacking resonance for students...all of these things should occupy your efforts. For all the years I spent teaching in Canada, I find Turkish students respond identically to interesting and meaningful lessons and presentations. Some current methodologies will find slow traction in your classrooms as the traditional Turkish teaching/learning model doesn't embrace or exploit them as we do back home. But this doesn't mean you can't employ them - just start slow and train those kids. And, yes, it's possible to succeed because for those students, YOU are the king. Turkish kids respond very well to authority, they love their teachers, and they understand responsibilities. A good teacher, especially seasoned and wise ones, will have little difficulty adapting to the hierarchical structure that comes with teaching in Turkish schools, and once done, that teacher will find his students behaving for her/him as they would for Turkish instructors. Remember, too, that Istek offers a great number of scholarships to the Istanbul community. This means that they draw a large number of students from state school backgrounds, from financial backgrounds that are far from rich and privileged. The results are students who are more likely to be respectful of you and motivated to learn and parents who are keenly aware of the opportunities afforded their children and who are similarly motivated for success. These are not just "rich kid" schools....far from it. And lucky for us all.

2) The Turks are your best friends. This cannot be undescored enough. The Turkish people are exceptionally warm and generous. Your Turkish colleagues are perhaps your best resource to exploit at school. Step away from the ex-pat table and seek out their insight. Istek employs very good Turkish teachers across all departments, and if poor ones are found out they're usually asked to leave fairly quickly. The Turks work harder, do more, are accountable for more than the ex-pat teacher will ever know...and they're paid a whole lot less. Your scheduled hours are typically lower, your administrative duties considerably less and your perks considerably more....and the Turks know it. Despite this, there is often a strong team mentality that exists in the English Departments at Istek. We look out for one another, enjoy each others' company. And if there's one department where western innovations or novel practices can be applied and explored, it's in the English Dept. Heads are typically very open to ideas, and despite comments elsewhere to the contrary, administrative teams at Istek are very supportive, toelerant and even proud of their foreign staff and the experience/added value that they bring. Nothing will impress your Turkish peers and admin than professional, reliable and quality teaching and behaviours. After all, we're the "hired guns"... should we not be somewhat exceptional?

My personal experience at Istek has been very, very good. I'm not saying Istek is the best, but if you compare compensation packages, work requirements, perks and benefits, all of the intangibles, Istek is certainly one of the best options you will find in Istanbul. Shop around. Regardless, in the end, what you bring to your time at Istek, your positive attitude and willingness and joy of teaching and learning, all of this will largely determine how successful your tenure here will be.

Any travelling teacher out there considering Turkey would do well to begin inquiries with Istek Vakfi. It took me a little while to find them but I, like many others I know and call friends, am certainly glad I did.

[studymylesson]

Wow... That was a mouthful!
This sounds suspiciously like 'management-speak' to me. But, perhaps I'm just being cynical!

[canuckgoneaway]

Far from it, my friend. I'm an English teacher who's far older than he'll admit and who has been around the block a few times, sometimes willingly and sometimes let by the teeth. I'm in no way a part of management, just a branch teacher like most others. Leaving the classroom and taking up a management post would be a hard pill to swallow - too much like work methinks! I love my profession and I really enjoy the students I teach, young or old, Canadian or Turkish. I'll admit I love this country, its culture and its people. My northern European bloodline has warmed considerably during my time here. I'm not a cheerleader, nor on the PR payroll - I simply don't like to see one-sided arguments presented against something I have a personal stake in. Istek Vakfi is far from perfect, but then, I dare say you'll never find such a situation in this country. Even across the many years I spent back home, occupying a number of various roles, including Head of my department, I could never say that I found a perfect workplace there either. It's normal, don't you think?

In the end, come to Turkey, come to Istanbul and revel in its beauty and culture and people. It's unlike any other place in the world and it's well worth experiencing. And while you're doing so, my suggestion to those teachers out there who consult this forum, and there are many, is that Istek Vakfi is a secure and solid platform from which to start. You could certainly do worse. And believe me, I have the scars to prove it.

[aziyade]

Thanks to "veteran teacher" for the invaluable info pack on teaching in Turkey. It would have certainly made my life easier had I read such comments before starting the position. Yes, we all have different experiences of Turkey and Turkish people....depending on a lot of factors and expectations. As far as I am concerned, I still maintain my extremist position and do not rate Turkey as a paradise, be it for teaching or else..... I feel there is little real openmindedness around and room for real communication or thought exploration. One has to acknowledge the fact that there is a tangible schizophrenic tendency in most people. On the one hand having to abide by the Republic laicity principles and its Westenized mode of thinking and on the other, the code of conduct inspired by Islam can only create mental confusion. Plus there's the undeniable fact that the majority of Turkish people are intolerant to criticisms and very virulent in condenming those who do seem to offer a more truthful outlook, on history for example. I feel I cannot discuss thoughts and ideas openly and that is irritating. One can always turn a blind eye and instead simply enjoy the ravishing beauty of a sunset by the Bosphorus.....

[dagi]

aziyade, you know the saying "When in Rome..." ?
You have two options here, either you go with the flow, adjust and forget 'how things are done in Western countries' or you go on being annoyed.
Turkey is neither Europe nor North-America so naturally the mentality here is different and things are done differently.
The best is to stop comparing things to 'home' and try to figure out asap how things are done here.

That being said, this doesn't mean I don't agree with you on a few points