Job Discussion Forums

[kvinnan86]

Okay, where do I start? There's so much to say! My name is Amy, and I'm 22 years old. I have taken a few college classes, but have yet to complete a certificate or a degree. I've always wanted to travel. I took a trip to Mexico in 2005, and went to places that were further outside of the touristy realm. It made me think that an even better way to understand and learn from/about a culture was to live in it. Not just be on the outside looking in.

Late last year, I got the idea to learn Russian (on a whim; the last language I did this with was Swedish, and my studies in that continue). I looked for courses at my local college, but they didn't have anything listed for the winter or summer semesters for Russian 1. Early this year, I checked again, and saw that they will be offering the course this fall. With plans to register for it when the time comes, I decided to start now, on my own, to get ahead of the class a bit. (I worry/worried that I wouldn't do well otherwise).

I made some friends from Russia online, and the more I learned from them, the more I wanted to go to Russia. I decided the best way to do that would be to live there for awhile, and learn by immersion. I thought it would also be great to give back to the community as an English teacher, and decide once and for all if teaching really is the right career path for me (better to know before spending thousands of dollars and 3.5+ years in college, or spending 2,000-3,000 on a CELTA).

I began scouring the internet for information on teaching in Russia, and stumbled across Svezhy Veter, an agency that arranges teachers for a school (junior high/high school, and adult night classes) in Izhevsk. After extensive reading, exchanging e-mails with the folks at SV, and speaking at length on the phone with another woman who had taught there (through them), I've decided to go ahead and do it.

I'm going to stay for at least 10 weeks, but might stay longer if the school finds my performance is satisfactory, and I'm enjoying my time in Russia. I will work, and also take Russian langauge classes.

I've also considered spending the 10 weeks in Izhevsk, and then going to St. Petersburg to look for a more long-term (and paying) teaching job, because I have spent a lot of time reading about the McSchools here, and plan to avoid them. I've also read here that many schools in Russia that need English teachers are not online, or are at least not posting online, and that many don't require a CELTA or experience, but having one or the other is a plus. Why St. Petersburg? Because I have a friend there (whom I met online), and it would be nice to know SOMEONE in a city that size.

I can't get a CELTA before I go, but I plan to read MANY books on teaching techniques, constructing lesson plans, and even brush up on my English grammar before I go, to be as prepared as possible; for free. Every dime of my savings is going toward this; it could quite possibly be the one of the most important things I've ever done, and will no doubt change my life forever.

My husband and daughter will stay behind in the USA while I do this. If I decide to stay on a more long-term basis, I plan for them to join me, and for my husband to teach (he's 3 years into a BA in education) as well. That being said, I come to my first question. What sort of childcare arrangements are there in Russia (the St. Petersburg area in particular), and how much does it cost per hour?

Thank you!
Amy

[Glenski]

I think your first concern should be whether you are even qualified for a work visa, especially if you don't have a bachelor's degree.

[denise]

One thing that stood out for me in your post was your comment that you wanted to get some experience teaching BEFORE you decide whether or not to get a degree or a CELTA. Unfortunately, without those basic entry-level qualifications, you're not likely to get the best jobs, so your initial experience might not be the best--which of course would, as you said, affect your decision as to whether or not to pursue this further. And 10 weeks is such a short time--it really takes at least a semester, if not a full academic year, for things to settle in--lesson-planning becomes fairly routine, and when you repeat a class the second semester you can see for yourself how you have changed/grown. You're not likely to see those changes in 10 weeks--again affecting your decision to stay in the field. If you end up moving on to St, Petersburg, hopefully you will have a bit more time to learn and reflect on the job.

Sorry--I know your only actual question was about childcare (about which I know absolutely nothing...), but I think there are a lot of other issues that you raised in your post.

d

[spiral78]

I'm with Denise - at this point, neither you nor your husband are qualified for even basic newbie level positions (most newbie teachers have both BA and TEFL certification) and are likely to be scraping the bottom of the barrel. An entry-level job requiring ONLY BA and TEFL cert will not support a teacher plus child.

I am afraid you're being unrealistic at this point.

[naturegirl321]

Ok, first off, I think that it's great what you want to do. I'm trying to do the same, relocate with my husband. I'm 26, but I have 6 yeras experience and an MA if I ever pass the thesis.

Russia, might be doable, if you both worked, you could make ends meet, but since you have a child, that complicates things. I don't know about childcare, try positng on the Russia forum, but things will be much more expensive

About the recruting agency, do you have to pay for it?

The little I know about St. Peterburg is that it's SUPER expensive. My friend was in MOscow and paid, "only" 1500 usd for rent.

[dirimini]

I lived in Piter in 2004, and paid $450 for an apartment in the center. Mind you, it was far, far from luxurious (slanting floors, furniture that shook if you looked at it the wrong way, 1970s-era fridge, etc.), and a 6-floor walk-up, but it was in a great location.

However, I'm sure prices have gone up in the last few years, and I only found this place by going through a Russian (and Russian-speaking) real estate agent; the prices that the for-exapts-only brokers wanted were two to three times higher for apartments further from the center. Of course, they were nicer, but still...

[dirimini]

I lived in Piter in 2004, and paid $450 for an apartment in the center. Mind you, it was far, far from luxurious (slanting floors, furniture that shook if you looked at it the wrong way, 1970s-era fridge, etc.), and a 6-floor walk-up, but it was in a great location.

However, I'm sure prices have gone up in the last few years, and I only found this place by going through a Russian (and Russian-speaking) real estate agent; the prices that the for-exapts-only brokers wanted were two to three times higher for apartments further from the center. Of course, they were nicer, but still...

[naturegirl321]

True, prices vary, still 450 is a lot to me, let alone 1500 .

[dirimini]

[kvinnan86]

To answer questions: as for childcare and such, that is something that is pretty far down only one of many possible paths, so I am getting ahead of myself...disregard.

I am going through Svezhy Veter, and yes, I have to pay an application fee, but that is not an issue for me, and all things considered, I don't think it is an exorbitant price for their services (placing me with a volunteer job, placing me with a host family, and keeping communication/helping before and during my stay).

Also, I must clarify; this is NOT a paying position. It is a volunteer job; with more emphasis on the aspect of cultural exchange. The agency says that experience is not necessary.

I've told everyone here (and in my family) that I'm thinking 10 weeks max, but that is not entirely true. I would really like to stay from January to May; the last part of the school year. I think that the day-to-day would be a great indicator of what I could expect in the classroom later on.

As for the seemingly dire need for credentials, I have read articles posted on/linked to this forum that have said it is NOT necessary to have credentials to start, and I have seen some school listings that only require experience. And what better experience to later put on your resume than volunteer work?

That being said, I'm not looking to be rolling in money in this position. If I wanted to make a ton of money, I wouldn't even think of being a teacher--one of the underpaid and under-appreciated--let alone in Russia. As for moving on to St. Petersburg, that would be entirely contingent on if I liked the feel of the city while visiting, if I were offered any sort of employment, help with getting the appropriate paperwork done (although I have also read here that teachers work without a work visa all the time, and it is generally overlooked), and the like.

Honestly Izhevsk is a big city to me; 650,000 people there, versus the 62,000-person population in the largest city I've ever called home. Another good reason to start out there rather than St. Petertsburg, or even Moscow.

As for my family coming to join me, that would only be a most-distant possibility, mostly because I don't like the idea of being offered a a year-long position, and not being with them; since I am only in the beginning stages of planning that branch of the "what if" tree, I haven't gotten too far into the details yet. But my journey to Izhevsk to volunteer; I have planned it to death.

If I am not accepted to the program (which my contact who used SV in the past thinks is highly unlikely, due to teacher-need in wintertime, and my obvious passion), I'm still going to Russia as a tourist, so either way, I'm going to see the country.

Lastly, I want to let all of you seasoned vets know that I am not going to do something so insulting to your work as to go over there completely unprepared for the classroom. Believe me, my quality of work is important to me, and while I may not have a degree, you can bet that by the time my plane leaves for Russia, I will have read dozens of books on teaching methods, lesson plans and so on...probably all things that college students earning their BA have to read, except without the tuition fees and the occasional lousy professor. I will even go as far as to find the book lists for those college teaching courses, and buy/borrow them on my own and read them.

****

Also, to answer the question as to why I'm doing this first, instead of after completing a degree or certificate: My learning style is not generally conducive to a classroom, and I find my studies outside of school to be much more in-depth and rewarding. The idea of wasting my time and money on math courses I will never need, PE classes I don't want, and a lot of the general requirements common in colleges is extremely irritating to me, and I look at it as a racket designed to cheat me out of my money. That being said, it's hard to hand over hundreds of dollars in tuition each semester, without even a glimpse of the end reward, knowing that you are being forced to take superfluous courses, because--above all else--a college is a business. And heaven forbid that you only take relevant coursework and save a few grand.

****

Sorry that turned into a novella. I hope it cleared up some confusion on my plans and motives behind them. Thank you all again for your feedback.

[spiral78]

Look, you're clearly determined and doing your homework - I'm not going to try to discourage you unduly. You may find some way to make it work.

But I will pick a bit on one statement in your post that I think highlights a current gap in your plans that you may want to consider later on:

what better experience to later put on your resume than volunteer work?

Well, training and experience that includes supervision of your classroom by a trained professional who provides feedback on your work...this is the key element of most entry-level training courses. That's the better experience for your CV.

[naturegirl321]