Job Discussion Forums

Flightly · Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: England

I think you've really got to ask yourself if the accumulative amount of money that you can earn in this country if you sign and commit yourself to an ESL contract is that worth it if you knew that you'd be signing your life - or is it individuality? - away; where you become controlled, owned, where anything remotely dignified becomes stripped away; where your passport is witheld right up until the last moment.
If you're lucky enough to get fired, it could be because of two likely scenarios:-
you can't bring yourself to 'teach' under a rigimen where too much paperwork is involved,
or that you can no longer handle classroom situations where the students are lying and two-faced, or vice-versa.

But to put it simply, would you honestly sign your life away if you knew the prospects are as silent as the grave, are as a ghost town, are as a mortuary where everyone is far away from each other; a deathliness broken only by the rustling of palm leaves in gentle breezes or the drawn-out intermittent wailing from loudspeakers which signifies a call to join in one of the several daily prayer sessions?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

.........................so you won't be coming back ? The fact that so many cannot make it here has an influence on keeping wage levels relatively high. Long may that continue. Please go on telling people how awful it is here.

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:29 pm Post subject:

Sign your life away? Personally, i've never signed up for more than one year at a time. If it was as bad as you say it is, people would never renew. But they do. Often for several years longer than they ever thought they would

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject:

Maybe I'm odd, but I actually like hearing the call to prayer (not at dawn, of course!) It's one of the few 'authentic' experiences in the normally sterile Kingdom.

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

The one near me likes to authenticate the destruction of my eardrums when I'm out jogging. Hey, I take in stride...like a starship trooper. Whatever that means. Oh--they're coming to take me away, ha ha, they're coming to take me away, ho ho, ha ha, hee hee!

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:52 pm Post subject:

Dear Flightly,

"But to put it simply, would you honestly sign your life away if you knew the prospects are as silent as the grave, are as a ghost town, are as a mortuary where everyone is far away from each other; a deathliness broken only by the rustling of palm leaves in gentle breezes or the drawn-out intermittent wailing from loudspeakers which signifies a call to join in one of the several daily prayer sessions?"

And the downsides are . . . . ???

Regards,
Silence is Golden John

Flightly · Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: England

Of course I know that some people renew their contracts, and stay for several years, but I can't believe that even the 'long' stayers are foolproof from an onset of boredom. I thought one of the other teachers I was working with was, until my flatmate told me otherwise.
The fact that I'm now no longer there has caused me to reflect whether I really made the best decision for myself in going there in the first place. And why was my flatmate envious of my repatriation? The only conceivable reason why he's staying on is because of the Big Buck. He can't wait for the vacations to come, and then the rest to go.

You might think otherwise if you had to 'teach' under mountains of paperwork, had to rush to every class, had to lock students out, had your schedule changed more times than you've had hot dinners in a week, had your overtime pay craftily reduced, and had to get up at 5 a.m. every morning because the school is 30 mins away by car or van, and made some of your weekends off, short, and at least had some of your coffee breaks compromised.

I might add that it's now very nice getting up when I want to, and not being controlled by some heirarchical bigwig.

Hate to disappoint you, but I'm no longer in the 6th form. I didn't know my writing was that good ----- or is it that bad?

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:02 pm Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Flightly · Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: England

Because he hadn't, as yet, found a better position for himself in a nearby or another country.

So you would like to proctor tests on one of your days off and not see any overtime pay for that?

Hate to disappoint, but I'm quite capable of sticking out the work ethic, and that job thank you very much, but now that I'm no longer there, it doesn't apply at the moment. I've only been back a few days.
And hate to disappoint, my life's very fine, thanks.

If the KSA's OK for you, then bully for you.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Next time you see a working stiff driving a bus, or a guy digging up the road for new pipes, or a waitress serving breakfast, ask them if they are "truly fullfilled". The world of work seems to be alien to you, as it is to many of the misfits I come across in TEFL-land.

Buddy, you have some growing up to do !

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:55 pm Post subject:

desultude · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 614

desert_traveller · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 335

anything for money man
we all have a price tag
Wink

(and now run for cover)