Job Discussion Forums

[mindbender22]

There is another side of this story that doesn't get told.
Our story--the permanent teachers at the community college,

We have had to deal with massive numbers of students who are generally extremely low level, do not have the luxury of spending five hours each day in Intensive English, often do not receive their books until just before midterms, or in some cases after midterms. The dean does not support the teachers, so even though we have a policy on absences, it is useless trying to enforce it because all the students are local, have their tuition paid, earn their diplomas no matter how they score on exams. The curriculum exists only on paper. Students constantly go straight to the dean whenever they feel we are abusing them by making attempts to establish order, discipline and standards, and since they are always right and we risk losing our jobs without being given the chance to defend ourselves, for the sake of our families and salary, we have no other choice but to overlook policies and push the students through no matter what the scores are or even if they have bothered to attend class on the rare occasion.

Now we have to contend with faculty on temporary loan from the university who may be good teachers but we had hoped when they came that they would report back to their superiors the dreadful conditions we face.

Their director is now our director, she's a local with dubious credentials (no surprise there) who got the job through wasta and not achievement and despite initial promises that we were finally going to receive support, conditions have only worsened.

Our curriculum has supposedly been revised and many of us felt like help was on the way. when so far, all that's happened is the temporary faculty quickly learned to go along with the substandard policies, keep quiet about the lack of support, come on this discussion board and complain about how hard they have it. They only have to bide their time. After they're gone, we'll still be here--overworked, under funded and looked down upon because it was only the luck of the draw that we were assigned here.

So what's up with all this nonsense about change and raising standards?

We are growing and we do desperately need to, at the very least, double the faculty. The pay is nothing to brag about. So if you have a typical gulf mindset of "shut up, take the money and play along" and you are offered a job here, this is the place for you

Why don't we leave if we don't like it? We are not ESL cowboys, we have families and our children can't be uprooted just because we refuse to play along.

[veiledsentiments]

My sources have told me similar stories, mindbender.

I am curious about one thing. You said that there are "permanent teachers." Does this mean that you don't have a contract, but a guaranteed job forever? I thought that was only for Emiratis.

VS

[mindbender22]

VS,
By permanent I mean regular contracted faculty assigned here as opposed to temporarily faculty.

Of course our jobs aren't permanent. Insist on not passing a student who has done no homework, failled every quiz, passed no exams, and I would be back on the market looking for work.

Only the temporarily assigned faculty can report back to the supervisor. We have been warned to never report to the supervisor or else. . .

The commuity college director has assembled a team of spies and backstabbers. I am sure some of our visitors are here to take names and make reports, so I do my best to avoid them. The few times I have tried to talk to them, they tell me things have gotten to be just as bad on the main campus, but I find that hard to believe.

By the way--have those on loan, those supposedly top notch teachers sent here to teach us how it's really done ever mentioned that they get in return for doing us a favour, a lighter course load of 15 hours while we teach 21 hours, regularly spread out on more than one campus throughout Sharjah? I spend as much time in my car as I do in my classroom.

If I weren't a woman, 15 years younger, had no family, I would not hesitate to go make real money teaching for the police or the military.

[veiledsentiments]

OK...

It sounds like the place has become rather a battleground... CC teachers vs UoS teachers... CC management vs UoS management... and all teachers vs all management.

I'd expect that there are teachers and management on all sides of this little turf war that need their jobs and don't want to disrupt their families.

It sounds like what is needed is an outside negotiator... not likely to happen, but I hope that things settle down. Just be careful that you are not posting from your employer's computers.

VS

[kiefer]

I don't know what mindbender is on about. The University of Sharjah teachers on temporary assignment mostly work evenings. The CC teachers mostly work days. How can there be conflict if we hardly see each other? That's been my experience anyway.

[veiledsentiments]

I don't mean fisticuffs keifer. Normally everyone is polite, and even friendly face-to-face...

It is just that under the surface tension of 'us against them' that tends to happen - especially if one side is worried about their jobs... ...while the other may not be thrilled with their new assignments. Add to that a perception among some that management favors one side or the other.

VS

[blackeyes]

Hi all,

As an instructor now teaching in CC, I confirm whatever mindbender has said so far.[/b]

[kiefer]

Have I mentioned that the University of Sharjah Community College is hiring? Got an MA? Have experience? Like to teach well motivated, older students? Then get your CV in now. Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Don't hesitate. Go for it.

[blackeyes]

Could you pleaseeeeeeeee define "well motivated"? And how many of these "well motivated" ones do you have in your classes? I have been here in UAE for 17 years. This is the first time i hear from a teacher that the students are motivated, if you can ever call them students.

[kiefer]

Well blackeyes, they do by and large come to class and bring books. So that qualifies them as students.

As for motivation:
They are motivated at times. Many ask questions in class.

They're concerned with attendance records. Yes, attendance records seems to energise them.

They are particulary animated and alive when visitng the computer lab and no different from other students in that venue with Internet access (they toggle between screens a lot--the assignment and whatever else interests them).

They stampede to the cafeteria during break--that's motivation, is it not?

At the end of the day, when dismissed from class, they are particulary eager to leave--but so am I and so are all students the world over as are most teachers.

For starters, I believe that defines motivated.

Oh, and they also seem motivated to earn their diplomas.

[veiledsentiments]

Admittedly I have never been at this college. But, as I understand it, it is a program for older and employed Emiratis who did not have a chance for a college education (age? low scores?). This is a chance for them to get one of those pieces of paper that are so esteemed in the Middle East and perhaps make more money at their job.

Having taught adults in this position in Egypt, Oman, and the US, they are certainly more motivated than the 18 year olds in the average foundations program - half of whom are there because their parents make them attend.

But, I do love kiefer's breakdown.

VS