Job Discussion Forums

[survivorkitty]

Dear Friends,

I just got an offer from ACI school, in Turkey located in the city of Sarriyer. Does anyone have any information about this school.
How is working and living in Turkey like?
I live and work in Bahrain now-is it very different, is cost of living very expensive in Turkey?
Will I be able to save money and pay of student loans?

The offer from the school is 2200USD ( I have a MS in TESOL)
I will be teaching elementary students.

If anyone has any information I will greatly appreciate it..

Many thanks

[PC Parrot]

Do you mean Sariyer, Istanbul?

If so, $2,200 is only OK for an MA TESOL if they provide accomodation or a decent accomodatioon allowance as well (i.e $500-$750 a month).

Avoiding wealthy ex-pat shopping habits, and avoiding expensive restaurants, cafes and bars, you should be able to get by on $1,000 per month (not including rent)

As for being similar to Bahrain, Turkey's version of Islam is rather more relaxed and rather less finger-wagging than the Gulf version. That said, Sariyer has quite a high concentration of 'non-secular' Turks compared to other parts of Istanbul - due to it not being the most affluent part of the city. It is on the Bosphorous though, and there are some very atmospheric Bosphorous 'villages' close by that are dotted with impressive 'kosk's & 'yali's - testament to the fine skills of the Ottoman-Armenian carpenters of 100+ years ago.

[keitepai]

Hello,

The 'city' of Sariyer?! It is more like a town and yes a bit on the basic side. Lots of headscarves around but the people are ok if you are respectful to them. There are lots of tourists passing through in the summer so Sariyer is used to foreigners walking around in shorts and t shirts, locals just ignore you generally.

Transport is easy from Sariyer and you can get to most places by bus and the metro is currently being extended to Haci Osman which is quite close to Sariyer.
If you do decide to shop for luxury items, Istinye Park (clothes, shoes, electronics) is around 20 minutes away and Zekeriyakoy (ex pat land with Migros, sushi and cafes) is a 15 minute bus ride.
Kilyos beach is also close and accessible by bus.

Food is quite well priced, especially at the Sariyer market on Wednesdays and there are decent butchers and basic supermarkets for dry goods.
You will definitely need accommodation provided on a salary of 2,200USD - if your contract does not include it then I wouldn't advise you to take the job.

ACI has a fairly good reputation, I know some kids that go there and they are nice and well mannered (doesn't mean they all are though!).

[veensp]

The salary offered is within the standard range. The school is also good. I know someone who worked at their schools who said that teachers are made to slog and do mountains of paperwork; they are one of the few schools who give their teachers a laptop, obviously for a purpose.

[shuppi]

I just wrote a long and objective response to the question about teaching at Aci, but it somehow disappeared.

Briefly, I survived Aci for a year. The students are generally great, the parents fine, and the English department was very strong, though I've heard through the grapevine that its reputation is waning. The director-part owner is one of the cruelest and most unprofessional people for whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. You will live, eat breathe and sleep your job.
My advice to anyone who is considering signing a contract: run in the opposite direction.

[survivorkitty]

Hi guys,

thank you for the responses... hmmm mountains of paperwork? and cruel and unprofessional owner/director- Well I have a cruel and unprofessional owner now.. but the good thing is that she is never at our school except for every now and then.

2200 is kind of low but ok.. I am excited because it is in Turkey.. they said they do provide a fully furnished apartment and I can bring my pet dog. She said that I may have to pay for my airfare ticket and then get reimbursed when I reach Turkey.

I work in Bahrain now and I make 696 BD plus i teach an extra class which gives me 116 BD which is a total of 812 BD=2112 USD. I get 300 for housing and my housing is 375BD so I pay 75 from my salary for housing. I will get a 5% increase for next year.
The good thing about Bahrain the shopping is cheap- I can do grocery for 100 BD a month and I can be fine. As long as I do not go out much and keep shopping to like once every two months it is good. The other benefit is that BD is stronger than USD.

I am thinking should I stay where I am at.. or should I go for this new experience. My school right now is pretty laid back. We have lots of paper work but there is no one breathing down our throats and our current principal is amazing. (but he will be gone next year).

Maybe I should go check out this school? I am confused. I dont want to make a choice I will regret. I will be teaching 2nd or 3rd grade.

Thank you for your help everyone

[keitepai]

Hi again,

I think you should stay where you are, mainly because of your dog.

There are so many stray dogs around and they will fight with your dog or attack it. The councils do nothing about it. Also there are lots of wild dogs in the forest so it's no good going there either.

A teacher friend was bitten by a neighbours dog after trying to save his own dog from being attacked......the owner of the attacking dog would not take any responsibility for the teachers medical costs or trauma. Apparently it was his fault for walking past.

Most landlords will not like a dog inside, they just don't cope with the idea no matter how much you explain about bathing, cleaning etc. There will be a few who let you, maybe.

All factors considered I think you have a good thing in Bahrain - why not visit Turkey at some stage to judge for yourself? Then you can consider for next year if you still want a change.

[PC Parrot]

Why work in Bahrain for that pittance? I'd much rather be in Turkey if the salary package were the same.

I wasn't aware that anyone with an MA TESOL sold themselves so cheaply in the Gulf. Why on earth would they? Are you a native speaker?

[survivorkitty]

Keitapai

thank you for the information on the forest doggies... that sounds a bit scarey- I have a little chihuahua- I dont want anything to ever harm him... well the school said they would provide me with accomadation so I can have my little dog with me in the apartment and I do keep him clean ... I think I will go for a few days and check out Turkey and see how things work there

PC Parrot-yes I have a MS in TESOL, and no I am not a native speaker- I am an American from NY but all of us here are Americans but this is the crappy salary we have- I couldnt find anything back home so I ended up in Bahrain-its not so horrible-but yea pay could be much better-

[himynameise]

It's true that there are stray dogs everywhere, but your chihuahua is small enough to pick up and carry should you ever pass by any big dogs.

I lived in Sariyer for a semester (I was going to Koc) and I think it's quite nice. Since I've been back in Turkey, I go up and visit often. You will need to ride the dolmus to get to and from Sariyer, but transit time is much reduced now that they've expanded the Metro further in that direction.

Anyhow, it's a very nice little sea town with plenty of shops and groceries, delicious fish restaurants, and everything you'll need to live. In case you need to buy clothes, you can be at any of the malls near Levent in about 30 minutes; and as long as you don't head out during the worst of rush hour, you should be able to reach Taksim in 45. Things in Sariyer are also generally quite cheap and $2200/month is enough for you to live very well.

[NisaTex]

Do remember that the Summer is coming up though and the traffic in Sariyer will be a problem!!!

[aggeliki]

[Heatherbnm]

Whats the deal with Aci? Is the bad comment about Aci schools or ACI (american collegiate institute)? I also have been offered a job there and can choose either campus. I live in Seoul right now and have it pretty easy, never been to Turkey and dont want to get stuck in a bad situation. Any advice or what are the other people that got offers gonna do?? thanks

[Caterinamh]

Just something to consider. In Korea, most schools just want a glorified Western face to work 30 contact hrs and babysit kids. Most if not all the planning is done for you and your job requires min. effort for an experienced teacher. At least that is what I and many of my friends experienced while working in Seoul.

2nd, 2200 USD isn't chump change if fully furnished accommodation is provided in Ortakoy or Sariyer(rents are not cheap in that area). The dollar is way up right now and that is the standard NET pay for many Universities in Istanbul. I'm talking about Universities like Koc, Bilgi, Sehir , Yeditepe, etc. So, where some people state it's just ok....it's about the NORM. In the uni's you work about 20 contact hrs on average and another 6 admin(prep, grading,inputting of attendance, grades) and advising of students. I know this is for a primary school but I'm just trying to make a point.

In terms of paper work, for things like fighting, bruises and physical mishaps... you better thank your lucky stars that they ask you to document it as "you are responsible" and could be blamed. This isn't any different from the States. I don't know what you think lots of paper work is ... but this could be very subjective.

Finally, working with kids and colleges in Turkey is difficult, hard work that takes a lot of effort. That is why it is called a JOB. USUALLY, the primary schools and colleges pay a bit more .. I like to say as combat pay. I'd ask to speak with some of the teachers who are currently working there and others who have recently left. Remember one persons idea of bad isn't another s. Just something to consider.

[pamjane]

I'm considering accepting a job offer to work at Aci Preschool in either Levent or Bahcekoy (the Turkish school, not American Collegiate Institute). The package seems really good and the school looks great on the website.

shuppi, I'm interested in hearing more about your experience. We can't PM each other yet, but if you're still around I'd appreciate if we could chat by email.

If anybody has any insight, please share!