Job Discussion Forums

[sliim]

Here are some examples of worst practices I have seen:

(1) Manipulating grades and attendace records in order to please paying clients.

(2) Swindling money from teachers by claiming that certain administrative/government duties need to be done, which are, unfortunately, not covered in the teaching contract.

(3) Firing teachers without paying due wages.

(4) Offering to help departing teachers find cheaper airfare, taking their money, and arranging for them to be stranded halfway home without a connecting flight.

(5) (This is my favorite) Keeping teachers in deliberate isolation from one another to prevent "rebellion." This is done by not providing a teacher's lounge in order to prevent fraternisation, because teachers that communicate with each other may "conspire" against the administration. As strange as this manifestation of maniacal paranoia may seem, I've seen it. This tactic is similar to the slave owners tactics used in the southern US, pre-emancipation. Keeping slaves in isolation and trading them regularily made it possible for the owners to prevent uprisings, and so it is with some EFL "institutes".

(6) Bribing the police to have teachers arrested on false charges. It happened to me, but thankfully the police chief could see through the BS on that one.

These are some worst practices I have seen, all of it in Yemen. So should you want to teach in Yemen, send me a pm and I will be able to tell you what institutes to avoid at all cost. I will be glad to help.

Unfortunately, I once posted a thread on this board naming those places, but the post was removed. I asked the monitors of this site about that but never received a reply. So PM me before accepting a job in Yemen. It is a free service I would give even to my worst enemy, and it may save you a great deal of anguish.

Best,

sliim

[jdl]

After some thought and a little trepidation of overheated response, here goes the top ten list of worst practices. Lets do it!

10. showing up late for and leaving early from class
9. `forgetting class`
8. teaching a 10 week unit based entirely on the `crossword puzzle`approach to teaching English.
7. being drunk or hung over in class
6. failing to keep attendance or assessment records
5. failing to assess learning or assessing learning on the basis of `instructor intuition`
4.a. sleeping in class or with the class
b. refusing to take one`s medication and as a result ensuring everyon�`s life is more melodramatic than necessary
3. using the`read the textbook`approach to teaching oral language
2. falling back on the `we tried that and it didn`t work`response to any thought of change.

and the big number 1.....

1. expressing righteous indignation at being called on any or all of the above.

[Smallbore]

Not particular to the Middle East, but all from personal experience:

Management:

- English teacher arrives at school and is told they have to teach a new class starting this morning - in French, a language which they did not speak well.

- New hire arrives in new country. Director has not read his/her CV, has no idea what experience he/she has or what his/her skills are, and when this emerges, blames the teacher.

- A boss who in 12 months was never seen to make eye contact with any employee or any student

- A boss who surrounded him/herself with drinking buddies and treated other employees as second class - in a small staffroom so it was obvious.

- A boss who sulked, publicly at meetings, and in group emails.

- A boss whose main response to teachers' concerns about required overtime, unannounced policy changes and (ahem) a flexible approach to course entry requirements was the refrain "don't worry".

- manager bad-mouthed employees not present to other employees

Teachers:

- came to class visibly (and smellably) drunk.

- came to school accompanied by his boyfriend, who looked to be underage.

- bearded: food particles in beard.

- copied in-house authored tests and materials and sold them to the competition - complete with our school's logo!

- left a pornographic magazine in the staff room (accidentally or on purpose: who knew?)

- (in an observed one-hour lesson) spent 30 minutes drawing on the board while students looked on silently

- "forgot" to teach course requirements

- offered to sell a student the exam paper

- never marked homework

[basiltherat]

[norwalkesl]

[norwalkesl]

[veiledsentiments]

[johnslat]

Anything you love doing isn't work. If teaching is "like a vacation." I'd say that at least part of the reason (maybe a BIG part) is that you love doing it.
I've worked at a number of jibs other than teaching (at 66, one's resume tends to be fairly long and often varied.) All of them were "work," though I disliked some more than others.
But teaching, for me, has always been a most satisfying, fulfilling, and enjoyable way to pay the rent and put food on the table.
As my dear departed Mom used to tell me:

"Son, the secret of a successful career is to find out just what it is you love to do and then find people willing to pay you to do it."
Regards,
John

[scot47]

People who complain about teaching are often those who have never done other jobs.

And people who get into TEFL are often misfits, loners, eccentrics, solitaries, screwballs etc. Not me of course. I am a perfectly well-adjusted normal person.

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,

"And people who get into TEFL are often misfits, loners, eccentrics, solitaries, screwballs etc. Not me of course. I am a perfectly well-adjusted normal person."

who has just happened to spend a good portion of his adult life in an environment well-suited only to expat "misfits, loners, eccentrics, solitaries, screwballs etc."

Well, I don't mind admitting that I'm a misfit - who would want to "fit" into this crazy world?
A loner? A solitary? I certainly am, for the most part. Look around - how many of the billions of people on this planet would you be willing to spend a lot of your time with?
An eccentric? A screwball? Of course I am. Misfits always are, and they're also the only ones who not only make this life interesting, but who are also much more likely to affect the world (admittedly both for better and for worse.)

I say do not be ashamed of being a misfit, loner, eccentric, solitary or screwball; on the contrary, be proud. I'd be ashamed only if I were a "perfectly well-adjusted normal person." But then, if I were, I wouldn't have the insight to even know just how blah I truly was.

(And by the way, scot47, I can recognize irony when I see it, and I know full well that you are indeed one of us.)

Regards,
Misfit John

[scot47]

You can genearlly avoid the worst practices by heading for a direct contract with a large employer in the State Sector

IPA
Royal Commission
One of the Public Universities
etc

Avoid contractors, recruiters and private schools. All of these maximise their take by minimising yours.

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,

All hail to the sage of Saudi. He knows best!

Regards,
John

[With Malice Toward None]

[veiledsentiments]

Based on my not necessarily accurate definition of what is "normal" in my culture, it probably doesn't include leaving and teaching in a foreign land.

What becomes important is the degree of divergence from "normal."

VS