Job Discussion Forums

[younggeorge]

[Stephen Jones]

Can't have anybody who knows anything about English Grammar teaching TEFL can we?

[younggeorge]

[miles_trethewey]

Just to let you know that i don't have what it takes to work at HCT. It was an rather bizare experience for me, or more like a nerve wracking experience.

I believe both of them were fair in the types of questions they asked, but on the whole i'm not really good at talking about what i'm good at and what i have achieved is better than anyone else.

The whole process felt like i was in a haze and before i knew it was over. I thought i gave it my best shot. Will i ever know what happened? No.

Is it better to be a reflective or a boastful teacher?

Thanks again for your tips.

[veiledsentiments]

Welcome to the very large group of EFL teachers who didn't make it past this step. Better luck with the next try...

VS

[dmb]

I've just got back from the tea garden and my friend told me a story. He,like me, was informed of an institution that was looking for teachers(one of the highest paid in Istanbul) I never followed it up. he did. Anyway an interview was set up but before the interview he met up with the initial contact who 'coached' him the correct answers for the interview. In the end he cancelled the interview because he didn't want to work at a place that did recruitment like this. He felt the atmosphere would be way too clique.

Does this happen in the Gulf- coaching for interviews?

[veiledsentiments]

I've certainly never heard of it... anywhere actually...

VS

[Gordon]

Miles, what did you find so difficult about the interview? How was it bizarre?

[younggeorge]

Miles: Yours is not the first HCT interview to prompt the word "bizarre".

If you're still looking for a job around February next year and still kinterested in the UAE, give ZU a try. I think you'll find a our interviewing style more to your liking.

[miles_trethewey]

Hi all, it's me again. It's taken me a few days to get over it, but a colleage of mine has taken the interview three times and was fortunate to get through this time. He knew people there, i didn't. And another colleage sent me a text 'who wants to live in the desert anyway'

I will give it another shot in 6 months time, but i might even look up ZU.

Reflecting on the interview, there were probably so many things that could have gone wrong. In general, i don't normally feel good about my lessons as i'm always thinking what i did wrong. One of the questions was to talk about a lesson that you really felt great about. But a question that i thought was odd was 'if i come into your classroom what would i see?'

I also have a way of dealing with questions in an indirect way- that's my spoken discourse- give background and then answer the question.

I had also spent a few hours on their website and asked them some questions about their independent learning week, and i also mentioned that i had done research in the area of learner autonomy. They did ask me about how i motivated my students. Motivation is a tough one so there are no right answers and sometimes research on motivation is culturally sensitive.

Another question was to think about something innovative i have done? And another one was to talk about a successful team project i've worked on.

That's all for now.

[younggeorge]

[Bindair Dundat]

[younggeorge]

[veiledsentiments]

[quote="younggeorgeBut you'd be surprised how quickly interviewers develop BS-detection skills.[/quote]

Does that come under the heading 'takes one to know one?'

VS

[younggeorge]