Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

[cassava]

V.S.

I just love hot weather, especially when there is low humidity, which is the case in Kuwait. I would take Kuwait in August any day in exchange for Toronto, Calgary or Winnipeg in January. Anhow, to each his own, as they say. I do believe that the awful Canadian winter will eventually drive me away from my university job in Canada back to somewhere in the Middle East.

[veiledsentiments]

Personally I find both of them equally bad... which is why I spend the winters in the south and the summers back up north.

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

vancouver has nice winters, but let's get back to the points in hand

as a parent, i would be mad if the OP were my children's classroom teacher - no license, no experience teaching in school (presumably) , no classtoom management experience, no math/science etc
parents would pay 1500-2200 kd a year for an unqualified teacher
even if she learns quick and shows energy, she's grossly underqualified. principals who hire her would have to know she's a potential liability

pm me all who think her life is not dead end here.
professionally and personally.
suppose she finds a nice jordanian guy, can she take him back to canada? would they assimilate?
you know maybe i'm just wasting my time here - if she can't hack canada and prefers the hawalli dumps and meeting an arab guy, let her.
i just think her father meant her to go to canada and make a BETTER life than he had

and no don't think bedouns with acquire kuwaiti citizenship in one lump shot tomorrow
very slim that she might get kuwaiti citizenship

[monir_kuwait]

Wow 15yrs you so passionate and caring about Kuwait's children and their parents! I do have classroom experience. But, dont people start somewhere
In your Utopian world, will I starve, or will I be given a chance at starting a career
Im a he! Im not from Jordan, but I guess you will keep guessing...and...umm, regarding me getting citizenship...I wont confirm anything here...but who knows 15 yrs maybe we are much nearer to that than you may wish to think...who knows maybe I am a citizen already
naaaah
but i dont know how that has to do with my job outlook! and how my marriage life(personal) has anything to do with it. You seem to have tried to be insulting in a subtle way...suggesting I'll come to Kuwait ruin things, and in my failure find me a spouse (to perhaps make me feel better I guess!!) and run away with them to Canada.

I think you are the type who thinks they have figured out the world.

Im a fan of a burning sun...been in Kuwait in 2003 and again in 2004, and realised that my bronze-coloured spirit deserves that sun. lol

besides my level of experience, how on earth do you know that the parents will be mad if I'm their kids' teacher
and no I wont be living in Hawali (get over that too)...my family has a nice big house...and even if I wont live there, I promise you I wont get an apartment in Hawali...because it seems to concern you so much.
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[Rommel]

[veiledsentiments]

[Rommel]

[veiledsentiments]

Goodness Rommel... you must be such a pleasant person to have a conversation with... as long as the other person doesn't talk or have an opinion that doesn't agree 100% with yours. I fail to see anywhere that I was at all rude to you.

But, I must point out that Bedu does not mean stateless!! It is a word that describes perhaps the majority of Gulf residents ancestors - many a mere generation or two ago. If we wanted an English equivalent, it would be nomadic people. And the more traditional have never cared much about the nations that grew up around their tribe. Most have now been forced into semi-settled areas and are officially citizens of various Gulf countries - and are even the ruling family in places like Abu Dhabi. Kuwait has a rather unique situation. National borders have cut off a very large group of Bedu who have been left 'stateless.' A Kuwaiti bedoon will be considered a bedoon by other Kuwaitis whether he has another passport or not. I doubt that Monir is ashamed of that fact or his ancestry. But, anyone who has lived in Kuwait has seen demonstrated the attitudes of many Kuwaitis toward them. His Canadian passport would probably be more helpful to him in the rest of the Gulf than in Kuwait.

No matter what the MOE says, the best schools in the Gulf - including Kuwait - have their own requirements. Monir also mentioned that he was interested in the possibility of teaching in the rest of the Gulf. If so, he would be smart to ignore your rudeness and prepare himself as well as he can to have more choice with the better schools anywhere - not just in Kuwait. (He may even find that he wants to return to Canada some day.) The better schools with better management usually also come with higher standards than the minimum required by the MOE. Reality is that from the posts on this board (and friends who taught in them and left), a significant number of the international schools in Kuwait leave a great deal to be desired as places to work. In fact, way too many are deceitful and treat their teachers horrendously.

Monir... Rommel is happy near the bottom of the education scale and that is fine, but perhaps you may not wish to stay at the bottom with him for your whole career. As someone who is old enough to be your grandmother, I am thinking in the long term, not just the immediate chance of getting any job. That is my opinion, of course, and if Rommel had an ounce of manners, he would respect it.

VS

[cassava]

Monir:

I tend to agree with much of what VS has said. You and I know that Canada is far from being a bed of roses, that there are many unpleasant aspects to life here and that many "foreigners" often feel the strong urge to go back home, however one defines "home".

Nevertheless, you need to think long-term, especially in view of the fact that so many economies are experiencing severe difficulties. You should, in my view, arm yourself with as many formal, educational qualifications as possible while you are still in Canada. These are generally recognized worl-wide and will allow you the flexibility of movement that might later become imperative.

Remember that we have just had federal elections in Canada. I think that one can safely assume that the government, in view of the tottering economy, is going to start tightening the screws in all kinds of areas. Opportunities that presently exist are going to disappear; the chances for good jobs, already pretty tight now, are going to plunge.

I believe that, with proper planning, you can embrace your desire to return to sunny Kuwait while maintaining enough flexibility that, if things don't work out for you in Kuwait, you won't be caught flat-footed, cursing yourself for advantages that were neglected and opportunities that were missed.

In the final analysis, the choice is yours. Analyze, with the greatest care, all the pros and cons, then make your decision.

[Stephen Jones]

Munir seems to have reasonable qualifications for a job in EFL or in a school (though the better ones won't hire him until he has experience, and may well insist on valid teaching certification).

The short answer is to start applying and see. At the worst you'll be stuck in a crap job for a year but you'll get the crap job because the turnover rate is high. At an infamous military contract the turnover rate has stabilized at 50% from much higher figures previously; at the job I had in Kuwait the turnover at the end of the year was 90%, including both the headmistresses daughters.

At the same time don't put all your eggs in one basket. Cassava's advice of looking into getting a teaching certificate is a good one, as it will do wonders for you looking for more stable employment abroad (and although there is a very good reason there is a shortage of teachers in Alberta, like there is a shortage of everything else but snow and ice, a year or twos experience in Canada will do wonders for your future employability).

The important thing to realize is that all you have to do is take the opportunities that arise. Get a job in Kuwait, fine. If things don't work out after a year or two go back to Canada, get a teaching cert, and either go to Kuwait again or look further afield.

[Rommel]

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