Job Discussion Forums

[kiefer]

Anyway,
Too few students. They may have over hired.

[holbrook]

Wow, sooo much need for gossip! Does anyone care what's going on here because they want a job, or are concerned about the students, or is it all just fodder for criticism, laughs and I told you so's?

To tell the truth, like many new places in this part of the world, many of the systems that should have been up and running are only now just getting off the ground. There are issues of course. Thankfully, we have a good spirit of camaraderie (fueled by better than average pay), so we are rolling with the punches and getting things done. We also have some pretty good academic administrators who actually listen to staff, take on their suggestions and do their best to incorporate them into the curriculum/policies that we are all writing (also rare in this part of the world).

Despite many of the problems with working in a new school, it is great to be in a place where you can really have so much input on the whole system, from materials writing, to curriculum planning and policy formation. You can't get that at the HCT! At least here no one is stuffing some ridiculous, irrelevant curriculum down your throat or threatening to fire you if you don't join enough committees.

Honestly, things are going better than expected. The biggest wrinkle has really been official paperwork. As a new school, with a new HR department, things haven't gone so well with quick and efficient processing of paperwork relating to visas and the such. But thankfully they have so far always managed to pay everyone their first salary on time. By next year most of the HR, technology, policy and materials issues should all be worked out.

I hope this has quenched your thirst for gossip, although I'm sure it was not negative enough to please everyone. I'll try harder next time

Cheers,

Holbrook

[holbrook]

Kiefer,

Actually, ECAE has under-hired teachers rather than over-hired, as we have more students than originally expected. It was a pleasant surprise to all of us here. Predicting first year enrollments is quite difficult. We even managed to get some male students for the B.ed program. Imagine that, Emirati males studying to be teachers. I personally didn't think they would be able to get any.

Holbrook

[adorabilly]

Holbrook.

Great to hear from you.

When ECAE was brought up, I was wondering when you would come on and let us know how it was going.

I have kept out of the disucsion because I have nothing to add, not being there on the ground.

I have been wondering if it was going well, or if it was a chinese fire drill. (remember we chose HCT instead of ECAE, mainly because we would be making about the same (with the education allowances being lower and the costs being higher in abu dhabi))

I'm glad to get someone on here who is actually on scene.

How has it been?

[Manny2]

Holbrook very glad to hear things are going well at ECAE, however, my one concern for the place is that given the number of ex HCT staff ( including yourself I believe) especially management, by all accounts at least 4/5 moved from ADWC, that there is a danger it will simply follow that model , while not initially, it will happen. Before long as the systems get in place you will have PEP's, and/ or "threatening to fire you if you don't join enough committees".

The IAT is a good example, while we can say it was different as it was in some respects a spin off from the HCT the problems arose due to the number of ex HCT who moved there, and with them they brought all their bureaucracy and BS. It too by all accounts had a very good first year where staff felt greatly empowered and there was despite a great lack of facilities a sence of comraderie- sadly it did not last.

But I wish you well and hope ECAE proves me wrong.

[hafniumite]

I thought ECAE had an agreement with some outfit in Singapore and assumed they would be importing most of their curriculum from there. If, as holbrook seems to suggest, all teachers are playing a major role in the development and writing of material, what is the place back in Singapore being paid to do? Is this yet another case of a developed country taking money from the Gulf and running...

[anyway]

[adorabilly]

considering the thread did delve off topic and a few people were blasting the place w/out first hand knowledge I think holbrook was right in calling those to task.

My wife and I were offered positions there, but we turned them down (mainly for the smaller educational allowances and the higher costs of abu dhabi compared to RAK).

Holbrook isn't a shill, and doesn't do pr for folks. When we had questions about RAK womens college he answered them spot on, with good information, the pros and the cons.

maybe, just maybe, he is on the ground at that institution, he is putting in the hours, and he decided to give some first hand information about the situation there.

So instead of attacking him, maybe you can ask for more information. It sounded like a really good offer to us and one we would have taken if the educational allowance was higher for families. i know many oter folks in the same situation, who took positions there for higher pay (sometimes a LOT higher).

I'm glad we finally have someone on the ground floor there who is willing to talk about the school.

[kiefer]

I could be wrong. Often am. Good luck and best regards to all new ECAE faculty. Get back to us in 6 months.

[anyway]

Aww, c'mon. An attack? Really? It wasn't that bad, was it? I mean, an attack would be 'sounds like you're king of the dung hill', right? And I did ask him for more information regarding the committee work.

I think the tone of Holbrook's post speaks for itself. Too much pompous slagging off on those less fortunate (apparently less caring nay-saying gossipers) for me. Right amusing it was. Especially the bit about the camaraderie fueled by salary. Ah, the giddy committees! For someone who seems averse to negativity, Holbrook sure didn't seem to mind it when speaking of HCT either. He who laughs last, eh?

Let's see, what did we learn from the PR double speak? That ECAE has started out in typical Gulf fashion (honestly!). The well-paid staff are being punched and rolled, all the while maintaining a jocular mood and getting the job done - which is - paperwork. The admins are listening and nodding. Sometime in the near future all departments (no mention of teaching staff) will be right as rain. If that isn't pure public relations copy, I am Frank Zappa.

I hasten to point out that I did wish Holbrook well. It sounded to me as if they were trying to convince themselves!! So - NOW if Holbrook wishes to take offense, then I can understand why.

[veiledsentiments]

Goodness... why are we all getting so defensive? Actually nobody blasted the place, but merely ridiculed the website... which deserves it. Holbrook has been around this board for a long time and has always given good advice and information. His criticism of HCT is not wrong... it is a bureaucratic place that never met a committee that it didn't want to duplicate.

But the fact is that good management leaves HCT for the same reason that many good teachers leave... because while it is not a horrible place to work, it can be higher pressure than many like. So, let's hope that things do stay positive and everyone keeps working together to make it a great place to work in the future. Do keep us informed Holbrook...

As to starting the year with too few teachers, I thought that was a Gulf rule. I don't think I ever worked anywhere in the Gulf where we didn't need another teacher or two in September. The Ministry always seemed to find another 50 students that they weren't expecting... and the 50 others that they didn't take will land on the private college doorsteps.

What about the curriculum Holbrook? Did they really decide to import the materials from Singapore? That just sounded too bizarre when we heard about that... Did common sense prevail?

VS

[eha]

'Goodness... why are we all getting so defensive?'

Could it be something in the water? It's a response that's horribly familiar to those of us who've tried many times to open up debate on issues that need discussion, but have been repeatedly silenced by this very knee-jerk defensiveness. Anything that doesn't fit with the prevailing wisdom is labeled 'negative'; anyone who doesn't give in to the first onslaught of ad hominem abuse is trashed -- well, in ways you wouldn't expect in an 'educated' environment!

[holbrook]

Wow, what a short turn around time on the responces to my post. I guess the vultures really were circling overhead. Actually, I am not all that bothered by them. I just find it interesting because I have been around here a lot and I know the feeling. If I was not working here I would probably be doing the same. Especially, if I was a bit eager to change jobs or was a bit regrettful that I didn't take the plunge and move over and out to a better paying gig. My comments about the gossip-hungry posters in my earlier post were a bit tongue and cheek. I appreciate those who recognized this and came to my defense.

Of course there are problems like anywhere else, but honestly, for now we are all just down to business and things are going well. As many claim, over time megalomaniacs might infiltrate the management and turn things around here. Thankfully, that is not the case as present.

As for answers to some specific questions:

Yes, there are some former HCT admin people here. I believe they are happy enough to be free of that system and are genuinely excited and enthusiastic about doing things differently here. Maybe the system will squash these attempts. But, so far so good.

Yes, there was a curriculum from Singapore. As can be expected, this curriculum need a lot of targeted to fine tuning in order to better target it to our students needs. As a new school we had no idea what level our students would be. We didn't even know how many would even apply let alone take a seat. Now that we have a better idea, we can better adapt those materials and create our own.

As for the development of materials: I've found most teachers to be happy teaching with materials that they and their peers have developed and which specifically target the needs of their students. Thankfully, this hasn't developed into a "committee craze" as I seen in other institutions. Nobody is getting special treatment or extra time out of class or anything like that. We truly are working in autonomous teams. I know from experience that the issue of release time for development work often leads to cronyism and bitter feeling among staff.

Of course, the nay-sayers are right and this could all change. Maybe we are just in the happy beginning period where everyone gets along and everyone is treated like a professional. As one poster pointed out, only time will tell.

Happy picking!

[Iamherebecause]

[veiledsentiments]

Happy Honeymoon holbrook!! may it last through the contract and beyond...

As to the committee thing... What's in a name? I think it is just another example of education adopting the terminology and some of the techniques of 'business.' But, is there a better word for a group of people assigned to a particular task within an organization? My problem with committees was when they were obsessed with talking and talking and talking, but never really doing much of anything but eating up your time.

VS