Job Discussion Forums

[misteradventure]

Hi all.

I notice the recent posting of a position for Speak With Me, Ostrava.

Any information about them (good AND bad) is welcome, as their website is fairly vanilla.

And about the town, too. Is pollution really bad?

Thanks!

[artpunk31]

I am wondering about Ostrava and speak with me as well.

anyway, if i find anything i'll post it. and would appreciate if you wouldn't mind doing the same. the city website is quite nice, but who knows.
http://www.ostrava-city.cz/iw/

thanks!

[misteradventure]

I got an application (CV isn't good enough for the interview?)

They also want me to complete a written interview, which includes a sample lesson plan. I've read these are unfashionable these days.

They didn't know what a CELTA was.

They want 40 hours a week, at least 5 of which is misc. admin. stuff, I'm told. No target starting date.

No mention of wages, curriculum, etc.

This post has been viewed 45 times. I'd love to hear some opinions on this. All of you lurkers, speak up!

[spiral78]

Ok - I'm one of your 'lurkers.' I haven't tried to contribute because I don't know the school and haven't been to Ostrava. You're going to have to snag some one of what is likely a VERY small audience with direct info.

However, I can give you a few general bits of info that apply to your questions and may be somewhat useful.

I've a friend who lived in the Ostrava area for four years. He says it is quite polluted (still), though better than in the past - the highlight, for him, was the social/entertainment opps, which he found really great.

If you're applying from abroad, I can see why they want a written interview including lesson plan. Are your ideas about teaching/learning within the same range on the scale as theirs? However, not knowing what CELTA is doesn't speak well for their knowledge of the field, does it?

And what in the world do 40 hours per week mean? I would seriously want to know how many of these are teaching hours (20-25 per week is the norm, and quite enough!) and whether they are factoring in travel time and lesson prep. Also, I'd want details regarding this misc. admin stuff. What exactly does this entail?

There are some small schools these days that are trying to get teachers on an official freelance basis, by requiring them to apply for a zivnotensky list. If this happens to be the case with this particular school, I'd steer clear. This puts you unreasonably at risk, unless your Czech language skills are strong enough so that you can be entirely aware of what's going on at all times.

Ultimately, the best advice is this:
In Europe generally, and the Czech Rep specifically, it is FAR THE BEST to do your job hunt from INSIDE THE COUNTRY.
There are lots of newbie teachers here on the ground, and most reputable schools prefer to see a job candidate standing in their offices, looking professional, CV in hand, ready to impress them and their valuable clients. In the past, schools were often burned by hirees from abroad who either didn't show up or, when they did, proved to have misrepresented themselves in some way.

Unless you are applying for specialist positions requiring specific quals and experience, or for schools in very remote areas, it's just not the norm for good schools to hire from abroad.

C'mon over.