Job Discussion Forums

[I Rub Ruchi]

I have a job offer with IPA and would like to know about the class size and how long the summer vacation might last.

I was told that I would have 45 days off in the summer-Does this mean nine calendar days or nine working days?

Your information is appreciated.

Thanks.

[Imdramayu]

I worked at IPA for one year. It was an excellent introduction to teaching in the Gulf. It was a stepping stone to where I am now. But the students are pretty rough and the admin is not too supportive of their teachers.

Your questions? Class sizes are big...makes it difficult for actual learning to happen....difficult to teach. I recall class sizes being from 20 to 24.

I don't understand your confusion over the summer holidays. It is 45 days.

[I Rub Ruchi]

I guess I was sleepy when I asked the question.

What I should have asked was: Does 45 days off mean 45 working days, which is the same as nine weeks? Or is does 45 days off mean 6 or 7 weeks?

Sorry about the confusing post.

[johnslat]

Dear I Rub Ruchi.
Forty-five days off means forty-five days off - not just "working days", but a total of 45 days.
I used to work for the IPA (for nineteen years.)
Regards,
John

[I Rub Ruchi]

Thanks for the information.

[cmp45]

This year we still only get the 45 days. However, as of 2009 the summer vacation will be extended to 60 days for all teachers.

They have also dealt with the class sizes and admin agreed no more than 25 students for the next term. We shall see. This past year we were getting upwards to 35 students, but by mid way into the term that usually dropped down to between 20-25 students.

baedaebok:
You may not have had a great experience with the students at IPA;however, I have been with IPA for 5 years and would not characterize any of the students as rough. Some may be lazy, but in my experience I have not had any rough students.

Also not very clear about your statement about admin support....seems off base as well. Teachers get supported well enough by admin regarding students and course work in my view.

Perhaps people just have different points of view, expectations and abilities regarding issues with students and admin.

[I Rub Ruchi]

I had an interview two gentlemen from IPA and they were humble polite. They were both inspirational and I could see they knew what they were doing when they directed their questions.

[McBrainiac]

I resigned for personal reasons after 1 year, but I still feel it is a good place to work. I'd say go for it, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to work in the KSA and you will find that most are far worse.

[Imdramayu]

cmp45, things may have changed since I was there. There may be more admin support for teachers now. I hope things are getting better. For example, I hope that admin will listen to teachers and (1) not blame them for wayward or cheating students & (2) improve the curriculum and materials selection. We were using Side By Side, Basics in Listening, and Keep Writing. The 1st bk (SBS) didn't suit these students at all. The last book is OK, but not the best for these students needs. Also, I hope there is a better orientation to introduce new teachers to teaching at IPA.

I've met different teachers who describe IPA students from angels to devils. It does depend on your expectations, classroom management skills, and point of view.

[johnslat]

As I mentioned, I worked for the IPA for nineteen years, For five of those years, I was the Co-ordinator of the English Language Center.
Of course, it's been five years now since I left in 2003, so changes may will have taken place since then. But change in the Kingdom, when it happens at all, is almost always a very slow process.
During my time there, class size was one of those issues that kept coming up. At one time, we went as high as thirty students. Administrators, especially those at the higher levels who are often clueless about what goes on or needs to go on in a classroom, are always much more focused on numbers (quantity) rather than quality. The first General Director, Dr. Taweel, was good about that, though. During his tenure, the numbers stayed pretty low - you'd usually start off with maybe 20 or 22 in a class, and, after the inevitable attrition, you'd end up with about 16 or 17 students. After Taweel, there was, briefly, another General Director (whose name I can't recall) who was "number-orientated." In the thankfully short time he was in charge, the numbers crept up to 30 or more in a class. The teachers and the Language Center Director, however, kept pressuring him to lower the class sizes. When he left, Dr, Shagawi took over, and, after meeting with all the Language Center staff, he was finally convinced that classes should begin with no more than 25 students, maximum (which meant that after a three week "shake-down", you'd usually end up with between 20 to 22 students). And that's how it was when I left.
But I think that the tug-of-war between higher administration and the ones in the trenches is inevitable and must occur almost everywhere (I have it even in the New Mexico State Penitentiary, where I now work.) Admin, in my experience is ALWAYS focused on numbers, to the exclusion of quality.
At the IPA, however, one of the things I liked was that, most of the time, the lower administration would stay out of your way and just let you do your job. There was very little interference, and, on those rare occasions that there was, if the interference was going to be detrimental, the administration could be reasoned with and often talked out of a proposed bad change.
And, while there was very occasionally, some "pressure" applied to "adjust" grades (wasta, after all, cannot be totally done away with), if a teacher took a stand (as I did on a few occasions), he wouldn't have to change a grade (of course, then the Director might change it instead, but I always figured: It's their ballpark, so they get to make - and change- the rules.)
As far as curricula and materials go, well, we went through a number of changes, especially when a new Language Center Director would take over. I've always liked Azar, and we used her series for a while, but then I've always considered any textbook to be nothing more than a "take-off" point anyway, so it didn't really matter that much to me which ones we used.
Regarding orientation of new teachers, that was one of the areas that I focused on when I was the Co-ordinator. I compiled a handout that covered everything I could think of to provide info to new teachers about working at the IPA and living in the Kingdom. I have no idea if it (or a revised edition) is still being used.
As regards the students, I thought they were mostly quite good, Oh, there were always a few "lazy" ones, but "rough" ones???? Not during my time there. In fact, I had some really bright ones. And when you compare IPA students to most of the other students in the Kingdom (especially the "military" ones), I think they are a cut above (or maybe two or thee cuts above) the average,
The single housing when I was there was admittedly not palatial - a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and a bedroom. But I had no complaints about it, and while I'm not into interior design, some of the teachers made their bachelor pads into extremely inviting places.
All in all, I'd say the IPA is a good place to work in the Kingdom. In fact, I think the IPA and KFUPM are probably two of the best places.
But then, any such judgment is always going to be subjective. However, I certainly wouldn't have stayed for as long as I did unless I had really liked my work environment - for after all, that's about all there is in the Kingdom. If you're unhappy where you work, there's little else to compensate for that.
Regards,
John

[Imdramayu]

John, well said. By the way, thanks for the lend of the washing machine when I was at IPA. To use this as a launching pad, IPA teachers did help each other and share materials which is more than at other teaching assignments I've had.

I don't know which general director I was working under but class sizes were higher. All I remember about him was he was very late to the annual IPA Social Committee picnic so many of us had to leave. I admit I lean too much on the classroom textbook so I put great (too much value) on the "correct" textbook choice.