Job Discussion Forums

SUGAMAMA45 · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 4

Hello Everyone,
I have been hired to teach in the Abu-Dhabi public schools and I am just finishing the school year in the states. I am a veteran teacher, so you can only imagine the amount of teaching materials I have acculumated over the years.
My issue is trying to figure out what to bring. What things would be helpful or should I just leave them?

Do they have good teaching supply stores in UAE?

Thanks for any advice!

pwrgrl · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Posts: 6

What position were you hired for? Are you part of the new teacher's discussion board on Facebook?

Zoot · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 408

Do you know what grade you'll be teaching? That will be the best guide as to what to bring along with you.

SUGAMAMA45 · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 4

I will be teaching 1st grade. And yes I will be apart of the new teachers that they hired this year.
Are you?

Zoot · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 408

Then any resources you have for pre-KG or KG1 will be suitable. Most of the children you teach will be having contact with English for the first time.

chanchanhae · Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 72 Location: Kenya

No need to bring anything.

Make sure you relocate to the UAE with a positive attitude and arm yourself with a lot of patience towards BS. On papers, they make you feel that you will be teaching scientists or nuclear experts and on the ground, you will be babysitting and trying to implement the student behaviour policy.

Good luck!

traveller57 · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 8:23 am Post subject:

Sorry to hijack the thread but I was wondering what teaching materials if any should HCT teachers teaching foundation English bring along? If you are teaching there now what did you bring, or rather what do you regret not bringing?

Zoot · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 408

HCT has wads of its own stuff!

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I'd say if you have some favorite stuff, bring it along. But, HCT has lots of materials... and so do your fellow teachers.

VS

SUGAMAMA45 · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 4

chanchanhae · Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 72 Location: Kenya

Don't get me wrong! UAE students are wwwwwwwaaaaaayyy better than those you described in the US inner cities.

You won't face the same problems, however what will kill a teacher is the lack of intrinsic motication, hence, they do not want to learn, period. Nothing excites them in the classroom as they see you as a Middle Class servant and will do whatever it takes to highjack your topics.

Hope it helps,

SUGAMAMA45 · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 4

chanchanhae · Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 72 Location: Kenya

' Are all the students there like that? Even the young ones? It has been my experience that young children are thrill to learn, (kindergarten-3) until something or someone spoils it for them. Or is this something that they have been taught? Are they taught by parents to treat you like a servant?
By the way, have you worked in the Abu-Dhabi public schools recently? If so, what kinds of curriculum, teaching materials, teaching resources do the provide?

Of course, there are exceptions and the majority of them simply do not want to learn including the small ones. Why? There is no character education in the UAE, kids are spoiled by their maids and drivers outside school. In a ballpark figure, it is cultural rather than educational. On the other hand, the government has been spending loads o cash concerning the reforms since 1999, results: Check PISA or TIMMS results and we talk.

What I meant by servant is more comparative rather than descriptive. In their own eyes, teachers are educated servants because they make good wages. Deeply, they still regard us as servants. Don't know if you got the point????

ADEC came up with a new curricula: English, Math & Science specifically and basically bought it off the Aussies brothers. Then, they modified it a bit while they try to show their autonomy. The curriculum standards are unsuitable for their levels, however school were told to implement them and hire native English speakers to teach. This is all good and amazing, however a school which does not have students who crave for learning is a failing one no matter what you do. Check again 2007 PISA results where the UAE participatd, and you will figure out. Their counterparts, in Japan, Korea and Singapore eat rice 3 times a day, don't have maids or drivers, and the list goes on and rank top 3 all the time.

I don't want to sound negative at all, but I believe that I am sharing info with you from a very realistic point of you and I am telling you things that in the interview, those sales representatives will never tell you. However, teaching at government school is very lucrative and in my opinion, do your best, beef up your account and move on.

pwrgrl · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Posts: 6

Sugamama, join the new ADEC teachers in the teachaway forum on Facebook....you will be surrounded by a lot of very enthusiastic, positive teachers who are more than willing to share materials when we get there! (yes, I am a new hire, too...slated to go on August 10th)

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9072&post=39651&uid=13573950721#topic_top