Job Discussion Forums

[chanchanhae]

Hello folks,

I am new on this board and it seems an amazing place where posters can help and get assistance from others.

For ZOOT and other experts in the UAE/ ADEC & international providers:

What is the difference between Partnership Teacher and Advisory Teacher? What is like working for Nord Anglia in schools?

Your help is highly appreciated!

Thank you

[Zoot]

Partnership and Advisory Roles are much the same dependent only on the employer. Nord Anglia are VERY good, have an excellent name as does Mosaica.

[Zoot]

The worthy PPP providers in the UAE are Mosaica, Nord Anglia, GEMS SIP, SSAT, Cognition. The MOE has its own project which will more than likely be phased out completely after one more year. The only PPPs to absolutely avoid are CfBT and Sabis. Both are bottom rung and scrambling to survive with CfBT seeming to have lost Al Ain altogether because of its lack of performance - not able to establish stability and no sustainability. ADEC is gradually taking over the MoE. ADEC also employs its own teaching staff through Teach Away.

[chanchanhae]

Thanks for all the info.

What does a Partnership Teacher do? If assigned to work with 2 departments, does he/she teach? Or advise?

ANY INPUT?

Thanks

[Camel Stick]

In Nord Anglia, 'Partnership Teacher' is a new job title. Previously, there were only 'Advisers'. With advising, the role included 'modelling' teaching techniques among other things. How much of that you do depends on the teachers you are working with. I haven't read the job description for 'Partnership Teacher' - it may be prudent to pin them down on whether you have your own classes or whether you team teach etc.

[ap4058]

Ask for the JD from the provider. The way I understand things are as Zoot pointed out, team teach, you teach show them how its done, then they do some, joint planning etc.. more hand on teaching then advising from the sideline.

[chanchanhae]

Thanks folks a lot.

In your experience in the UAE with these providers, is it fair for a candidate with a Master's of Education, a valid Teaching qualification besides an undergraduate degree and 10 years of teaching and leadership be appointed as a Partnership Teacher? Or could she land a higher job with these providers?

Thanks again,

[Zoot]

You would expect to land a managerial position with those qualifications and experience and with one of the best providers. Look out for Nord Anglia, Cognition and Mosaica - they're known to treat their staff well.

[Sunburnt Individual]

I would say it would be reasonable to expect a partnership teaching position from one of those providers with the possibility of something higher up. There are plenty of people here with better credentials than that who aren't in management positions. It will depend on who they promote from within, who else has applied, and who quits.

The providers specified by Zoot are the ones to work with. One thing to watch out for with Cognition though, is that they pay in New Zealand currency which is suffering as of late. As a result their salaries in local currency have really fallen.

[ap4058]

providers are only offering lead teacher role/managment positions to ex heads or very senior teachers with leadership, the rest are offered partnership teacher. You may get promoted once they see you in action only time will tell.

[chanchanhae]

[Sunburnt Individual]

What makes you think it's primarily a teaching position? When you say this, I'm assuming you mean teaching students, not other teachers.

A quick Google search of "partnership teacher" gives you this:
http://www.jobsabroad.com/listingsp3.cfm/listing/58756

Overall role: To support and raise the quality of teaching, learning and attainment of students throughout the school. Support the development and enhancement of the teaching practice of others in the school.

Nothing in there about teaching classrooms, either.

As someone who's worked through this system (with one of the less than savory providers) I can tell you from personal experience that it is almost ENTIRELY an advisory and mentoring role. The closest thing you'll get to actual classroom teaching is a model lesson unless something's changed in the last year.

You will be assigned to English, Maths, or Science and called a "Lead Teacher," "Advisory Teacher," "Partnership Teacher" or whatever new title they've come up with this month, as those are the subjects that are to be taught in English from now on. You will not have to work across departments unless you're in KG. KG is just, well, KG. They also have some people in roles equivalent to an adviser for principals, but if I'm not mistaken you have to apply for those jobs as such and not as a "partnership teacher." The people I know in such positions had 20+ years of principal experience in a western country, hence my statement earlier, and hence their enormous compensation package.

What will be expected of you in regards to duties is outlined in the link above but will largely depend on the competence of the teachers you are charged with advising and their general attitude towards the project. If you land in a school where the English ability is lacking, you're going to have to make progress on that front more than others just to break through the language barrier, for example.

That being said, Teachaway is recruiting for ADEC/MOE, so I'm not quite sure what's going on there. It seemed as though they were only recruiting and hiring TEACHERS for the ministry of education but the job description sounds like a PPP provider.

[ap4058]

From the sounds of things teachaway is hiring for both ADEC and PPP providers. Looking at teachway's website you find only ADEC posts, but looking around shows them to finding PPP posts?

Don't think they are leaving anything out!

[Zoot]

Teachanywhere is the CfBT recruiter and if you look at the website Sunburnt Individual provides the link to, you will see CfBT's objectives right through it. ADEC hires for itself through its own recruiter, Teach Away, and it used to use its website for direct applications although I've been told that's no longer the case. ADEC jobs are very secure as it is the primary employer under whom all the providers also work unlike CfBT which has a resoundingly bad reputation for retaining its staff and providing a support structure.

[chanchanhae]

Thanks ZOOT. CfBT is a brutal company to work for as stated by its ex-employees. The best evidence their ex-director J.R left and is working for ADEC now. This tells you a lot.