Job Discussion Forums

Yorks Lad · Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 93 Location: England

I worked in Poland a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Since then, I've had a couple of years' management experience with a reputable organisation in the UK and I'm doing a DELTA. I've thought about going back to Poland but all the jobs advertised seem to be entry level or require a year's experience at most. Are there any "better" jobs in Poland? I don't want to have gained the experience and gone through the intense pain of a DELTA to do what I was doing a few years back....

hrvatski · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 270

British Council, koniec kropka.

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

Not quite, all you need to work at the BC is a CELTA and experience. The DELTA will only earn you a couple (quite literally) zł more per hour. The same situation is in Bell, I believe.

The extra amount of money you earn will allow you to pay back the cost of your DELTA in about, say, 8 years, in other words, hardly worth it. (Not exact figures, but you get what I mean)

The best DELTA positions I would think of is if you can oust some existing head methodologist or DoS but that means probably earning crap wages because most language schools will pay you peanuts:
(normal teachers wage)+peanuts x 0.5 (a little bonus for being in charge).

So in effect, my own personal opinion is that working with a DELTA in Poland simply doesn't return the money it should. Financially, its a nonentity in Poland.

scottie1113 · Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 375 Location: Gdansk

I agree with Simon about the DELTA in Poland, and why anyone would want to be a DOS is beyond me. I prefer to be where the rubber hits the road-in the classroom. But that's just me.

TwinCentre · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 273 Location: Mokotow

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

You're right - I was talking about freelance staff.

As regards full time staff, I've no idea.

However, word on the street is the last full time position offered at the BC in Warsaw was at least about two years ago and there are absolutely no plans in the pipeline to employ any full timers at all for the foreseeable future apparently, so if there are opps for DELTA qualified teachers, they wouldn't be at the BC. (Unless they decide to employ freelancers, in which case you'll do well irrespective of your DELTA)

Master Shake · Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA

I just completed a DELTA in June. So far all it's gotten me in Poland is a pay raise of less than 1% at the schools I teach for.

I suppose I could be a DoS before too long, but what the heck for? The DoS's I know have a near full-time teaching schedule on top of having to deal with a myriad of admin and timetabling headaches, like covering lessons on short notice.

Becoming a teacher trainer (e.g. CELTA) sounds like a better idea but one must wait in line for those jobs.

I think DELTA is a solid course and it helped me to become a better teacher, but Poland really doesn't reward teachers with DELTA's.

sparks · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 632

Even the Delta qualified teachers who I know who work at the BC and who were hired in country only have a couple of classes a week. From what they say you can really only hope to get a full time job by relocating as the BC tends to give full-time positions only to people who already work there.

Yorks Lad · Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 93 Location: England

Thanks for your comments, folks. Sadly it looks like Poland might not be the place to head to once I'm qualified. Shame, as I was really looking forward to a drozdzowka...!