Job Discussion Forums

[Workingsmarter]

Hello everyone, I have been offered a job with the Colleges of Techology Ibra And I have some questions.

I was wondering if anybody here has had any experience with the place? How many hours a week do you usually teach?
How much downtime is there?

As to Ibra itself-

From what I gather it is a pretty small place----but----just how small? Are there other expats here? What kind of things are there to do besides the souq? Is driving to Muscat or Sur on the weekends doable? I have done a few searches and I get the impression that Oman is much more liberal than Saudi Arabia; what do you guys think? What about Omanis as students--do you find that they are motivated or will I constantly be dealing with discipline problems? Are classes mixed sex in Oman? Is it possible to date in Oman?

Sorry to ask so many questions but I just don't want to end up making a big mistake here. I taught at a school that was "eeeheem" less than great in Riyadh, and I don't want a repeat

Thanks to everyone in advance!

[TheSilentKind]

Hi

I'm sure there are people out there who can give you better information on Ibra than I can, but here are a few answers to your questions.

Ibra definitely is a small town, and Sur isn't much better when it comes to finding things to do. The best option I've always found in Oman is to get a car and either enjoy the outdoors such as the beaches, wadis or desert or get to Muscat at least once a month for a well deserved real coffee and the large supermarkets. From my understanding, the college is probably the main place where expats can be found in Ibra.

I've always found Omanis to be super-friendly and very sociable. In class, most tend to try to cruise through courses as with most places in the world outside of Asia, but also there are some who apply themselves fully and enjoy learning.Discipline can be a problem depending on how good you are at controlling the young male students in class.

Dating other expats is possible in Oman, but as with anywhere in the Middle East, be discreet. Dating Omanis is not advisable and of course students are off limits to any professional teacher.

My advice is to only take the job if you have the energy and capacity to occupy yourself in your free time and get out of your flat as much as possible. Most problems I heard of with teachers in small towns have come from boredom and too much time with the same people at work and outside.

Good luck with your decision. I hope this helps a little.

[similartoawolf]

I worked at Ibra college of Technology for about a year and overall my experiences were positive.
The schedule is 5 days a week, 7 hours a day. Roughly 4 of those hours are spent in the class room leaving the other 3 for office hours & the occasional staff meeting.
The student body is mostly comprised of Omanis from the Beduion areas and you will soon learn to tell the difference between the students who grew up in the city vs. the desert just by the way they conform to classroom decorum. Overall, the kids all have great hearts though at times you'll be frustrated getting them to "act their age". The biggest problem teachers complained of is cell phone use and tardiness.
The English dpt. itself is about 40 or so teachers strong. Many countries are represented; India, Pakistan, UK, US, Canada, South Africa, etc. The teachers now tend to be older and more settled (as opposed to Korea where the teachers tend to be fresh out of college).
The best thing going for Ibra is it's close proximity to Muscat. But to give it a more positive spin, you save $$$ during the week because, well, there's really nothing to spend your money on in Ibra.
Other good news about teaching out here is all the disposable time/income you'll have. You have plenty of opportunities to travel and pursue any kind of hobby you want.

Hope this helps.

[Workingsmarter]

I think I'm going to take it!

It's September already and I need the work; honestly Oman seems like a much more relaxed country. Does anybody know if the classroom is segregated by gender or is it mixed?

Thanks again to everyone who has responded it's been a great help!

[similartoawolf]

It's mixed but the students segregate themselves-- meaning the girls all sit on one side and the boys the others.

I think you'll like working in Ibra College. It has a great staff and the students are a very lively bunch. See you when you get here.

[veiledsentiments]

Oman government colleges/universities are all sexually integrated. You've been to Saudi so you know the culture somewhat, but the key to this is to let the students do the integrating. Let them decide who sits where. Don't try to make mixed groupwork or pairwork. The women pretty much decide how this all works and it is best to leave it to them.

Handling the bedu students can also be a challenge. Hopefully the administration will help with any extreme situations, but I found it best to talk directly to problem students... in my office... no other students to overhear. Appealing to the ideas of respect for yourself, the other students, the college, the country will often turn the class monster into your helper. Interestingly this tends to work better for women than men teachers... we call it the 'mommy card.' Avoid taking them on in the classroom or trying to embarrass them into good behavior... if you can.

Lest this sound worrying, my Omani students were 99.7% wonderful to work with and I loved teaching them.

VS

[jdl]

The Sharkiya Sands hotel has a pool and a good menu. Great place to meet and greet. The local restaurants are good and cheap. If you are up for some pool (billiards) check out the billiard bar at the Ibra Hotel. A lot of police, oil workers, x military etc hangout there. The pool is pretty high caliber so pratice up. The community is very welcoming and it is a place where you will actually get to know and befriend Omanis.

Ibra is a great place: 2 hours from Muscat which you will visit primarily for Carfour, 2 hours from Sur which is a delight, 1 hour from the Wahiba sands which is a world class attraction...go dessert camping for sure. The drive out to Kafifa and across the mountains to Wadi Tayeen is breathtaking. The list goes on and on. If you want to experience Oman Ibra is the place.

Check out the back issues of Oman2day for several articles on Ibra and the area.

Oh I forgot Ismayee which is out passed Wadi Nam...another great ride/drive. A little town at the bottom of the mountain range with a modest little coffee shop where everyone meets to visit. Good Thursday morning fun!

P.S. the teaching is fun ... it is all good. Mind the whiners though

Oman in general and Ibra specifically has two tremendous gifts: space and time; if you enjoy and can rely upon yourself to utilize both you will have a very liberating experience.

[Workingsmarter]

I really appreciate the time everyone has put into helping me on here. It's always better to get information from people on the ground or who have been there. The people on this forum have been great!