Job Discussion Forums

[MTelmar]

Hello everyone!
I finally have my account, so I thought I'd post my burning question.
(btw, I've been reading the forums for what seems like forever - thank you all for all the great tips, advice, and debates, and more than a fair share of laughs!)

I have been hired by CfBT for a position of Partnership Teacher in UAE. I will be going to the town of Madinat Zayed, about 2 hours from Abu Dhabi, on the way to the Liwa Oasis (which is about 30-45 minutes further down the road). There is very very little on this town anywhere online. CfBT personnel did tell me it's rather traditional, and boring as *insert bad word here* - there's basically nothing to do and nothing expat-wise. That's fine with me, as I really like the job, and it's not like I'm a party animal here in the US anyways .

But, I would really like to find out a little more about the town - this is CfBT's second year, so I'm hoping some of the teachers from last year might belong to the forum (I did find an old thread, but the person decided not to take the job). Or, alternatively, maybe some of you UAE-ers have been to it/driven through it/ran away from it, and would be willing to share?

Also, does anyone have any experience working for CfBT? They have been really nice and professional through the whole process (save a snag or two), but we all know things in courtship and marriage are not quite the same, if you get my drift.

Any tips/help/experiences anyone is willing to share will be greatly appreciated... and please do forgive my rambling/grammar/typing - I'm on the last few minutes of awake time.


EDIT: sorry, I just remembered the second part of the burning question: 'winter' nights in the desert? I gather that it gets chilly in Al Ain, but is the same true for the edge of the Empty Quarter? TIA

[grand fromage]

I don't have any information about the company you will be working for but have some knowledge of MZ. I worked there for 10 weeks teaching principals from the area for a government university.

Like you heard, the town is nothing to speak of. It is very small (actually
longer than wider) and has very few services one would find in bigger cities. There are a few Arabic (and only Arabic is spoken there so you will learn the language fast ) restaurants, one fastfood chicken place,
a medium supermarket (stocked mostly for the local market so no western stuff), and a modern gas station with a small store. The closest watering hole would be the Liwa Hotel which is a 45-minute drive. Abu Dhabi, almost 2 hours away, is your closest major town.

If you can overlook those isses, it has its charm compared to the fast-paced larger cities. The people are very friendly and traditional. I am sure you will be able to experience the lacal culture (or cultures) much easier than elsewhere in the UAE.

As for the cold, it will not be a major issue if you have experienced any form of N.A. winter before. A simple space heater will solve that problem.

My biggest worry about working there would be dealing with the local school students. The local students there are probably more difficult to deal with as most of the local population there is very rich. I actually toured a model school for boys there which has an arcade that would put many commercial ones to shame. It also had a couple of pool tables and a state of the art gym with a sauna-I kid you not. The use of these facilities was actually incorporated into the daily schedule. As I was just a guest there, I did not dare to ask the very proud hosting principal about the pedagogical reasoning for the arcade.

If my experience working in the public schools is anything to go by (worked for an elementary school for a semester while on loan from my university), it is a big luck of the draw. The teachers are usually non-gulf Arabs. They will probably be suspicious of you as they are never sure of the day or hour when they'll be fired. The MOE tends to fire them without any warning so it is understandable they are a bit on the edge. As such, you will be a direct threat to their job as you might actually be there to replace him eventually.

The principals, lately the vice-principals and other higher positions are now in the hands of the Emiratis. This is usually a good thing as they are not worried about their jobs and will not see you as a threat. The flip side though is they are not usually hired for their credentials. This makes the daily operations quite chaotic most of the time.

I would investigate the company that will sponsor and send you into the schools as much as possible. Their support (or lack of it) will determine if your experience will be a positive one. Also find out who you will ultimately answer to. If it is the school principals, it may be too much to handle as they will probably try to use you for as many activities and events as possible. This might even mean coming after school to do remedial work without additional compensation. If your company guarantees a maximum number of contact hours, make sure they will support you in it. If not, the principals will think they own you.

Good luck deciding. If you're into camping and offroading, you'll love it. If not, you might want to have a plan B handy in case the small-town-blues get to you .

[MTelmar]

Thank you so much for your response - that is infinitely more information than I've gotten on MZ so far!

I won't actually be working with students, save for some 'demonstration' lessons - I'll be training their teachers to implement the new curriculum/teaching methods (stuff like lesson planning, classroom management, teaching techniques, assessment, etc - sort of a move from textbook-centered to student-centered teaching). I'm actually working for CfBT, and respond directly to them - schools are considered 'clients'. In theory, the principal would have no authority over me, but seeing how theory and real life are two different things, and I have no desire to make my experience there a miserable one, I plan to treat the principal as an equal 'boss' - with all respect a principal of a school should receive.

I'll be at a girls' school - I'll let you know if they have an arcade too!

Oh, if you're still around, maybe you can answer a few more questions for me:
- shoes: for some reason, everyone keeps avoiding this question! In a town like MZ, would open-toed sandals be appropriate for work? I'm not talking Birkenstocks and flip-flops, but nice slip-on sandals, with a little heel and open toes?
- exercise/walking: I'm an avid walker; would I be able to continue to walk in the evenings (about 5 miles daily), or would people think I were insane? I'd be dressed appropriately, of course - not in a sports bra and shorts
- food: with a smallish, local market, would a vegetarian (no fish or poultry) be able to find things other than beans, rice, fruits/veggies, or are tofu/seitan/tvp/soymilk etc something I'd have to stock up on in AD? Ok, this question might be above and beyond what even locals would know

Thank you so much again!

[veiledsentiments]

There was discussion of an HCT branch opening there. Did it? That would suggest a few other expats around.

I am always mystified by the sandals question. I never wore anything but for the many years I was in the Gulf, and I never heard any discussion of it whatsoever. We all just wore them. (as do 100% of the men and many of the women)

Are you used to extremely hot weather? I can't imagine walking 5 miles appropriately clothed when it is over 35 (90-100+ which is most of the year and well into the night). I always lived in cities, so walking only got bemused stares - and I walked in basically the same clothing that I worked in... so to speak. In rural areas, this can be more problematic for women. I would work into it gradually until the locals get used to you... and it would be best if you walked with another woman especially at the beginning. And yes... they will think you insane...

I doubt that you will find any soy products out there... not exactly part of the local cuisine. Another excuse for regular forays to Abu Dhabi...

As to those winter nights... with the high ceilings and stone walls of the construction, I got very cold inside. So I always had a couple sweatsuits to wear around the house in the evenings. I normally lived on the water, so the extremes are not as wide as out in the desert. A small space heater or two is needed for 2-3 months at least.

Good Luck!! I fear that you may encounter some opposition from some of these teachers... especially if you are significantly younger than them. Many of the older established teachers will fight you every step of the way I fear. Just be ready... often the ones who are the sweetest to your face will be the ones working hardest behind the scenes to trip you up. If this is your first foray in the Middle East education, this can be a mine field...

VS

[MTelmar]

[WD40]

MD has some great teachers (Arab) as I went to a TESOL Arabia mini conference last semester. The teachers there (the Boys Model School) were not head in the sand types and the fact that most of the teachers from the region attended (there were over a 200) and they were open to new methods and ideas bodes well for you in your job. There is a tendancy for Arab and Emirati bashing as it is easy to scapegoat Arab teachers for all the ills of poor teaching and make westerners out as pure saints. It is my experience that western teachers are equally at fault when comes to being resistent to change especially the ones at Universities who may have long resumes, and careers spanning decades and because of this have stopped learning. Go into the job with an open mind and heart and you will not be treated as some posters suggest with suspicion and contempt. MD is growing and will over time build up a strong community with more things to do. If it does not exist, start yourself.

[veiledsentiments]

Hi MT,

I fear that they are expecting you to be the masochist here.

I was hoping someone like Grand Fromage would show up with the real skinny on the place. I've never even been to that part of the UAE. Maybe one of the HCT people will drop by and let us know about the tofu situation.

Good that you are thinking of dress codes. This is a rural area, so best to err on the conservative side. I've posted a few specific hints on this around the board, but let me know if you need any more info.

As to the sandal question, it comes up so often both here and on the Lonely Planet site that it seems that many think that it is improper to show toes in the Middle East. But I have to say that I had never seen so many bare toes in my life as I did when teaching men in Oman. It rather took me awhile to get used to it. Likely because we are more used to seeing women than men wearing sandals.

VS

[MTelmar]

[grand fromage]

The info I gave you was of course about my experiences in boys schools, so you will have to adjust it for your context.

Oh, if you're still around, maybe you can answer a few more questions for me:
- shoes: for some reason, everyone keeps avoiding this question! In a town like MZ, would open-toed sandals be appropriate for work? I'm not talking Birkenstocks and flip-flops, but nice slip-on sandals, with a little heel and open toes?

As V.S. mentioned, you'll see lots of open toes. I am not sure how it applies to women though as their ibayas are in the way of answering this question.

- exercise/walking: I'm an avid walker; would I be able to continue to walk in the evenings (about 5 miles daily), or would people think I were insane? I'd be dressed appropriately, of course - not in a sports bra and shorts

Again, you may want to be careful and not walk alone at all as this is a very small town with almost no women in sight. In my brief time spent there, I saw a few nurses walking around the medical center during the day. I saw NO WOMEN outside while driving through at night.
- food: with a smallish, local market, would a vegetarian (no fish or poultry) be able to find things other than beans, rice, fruits/veggies, or are tofu/seitan/tvp/soymilk etc something I'd have to stock up on in AD? Ok, this question might be above and beyond what even locals would know

Not sure really. I suspect there must be Indian or Pakistani restaurants serving vegeterian dishes. They might even deliver.

Thank you so much again!

[MTelmar]

ah, merci beaucoup, Monsieur Grand Fromage!

I didn't realize abayas go all the way down, but that just gave me an idea - since it's basically impossible to buy anything non-form fitting in Cali (I think they think just because you're small, you want things tight?), everything I'm buying for work is several sizes too large, and hence, entirely too long. So, I just won't have my pants hemmed, letting them cover my shoes - problem solved!

The 'several sizes too big' also solves the problem of bringing warm clothes for those cold nights - I can just wear 2,3,4 pairs of pants at the same time!

OK, I think it's time for me to call it a night - I'm starting to get silly!

[veiledsentiments]

Do you have time to use catalogs or internet shopping? There are plenty of places that sell appropriate clothing. You might want to check with the employer whether they allow you to wear pants (trousers for our British readers). I never wore them because it is too danged hot for most of the year - all skirts... all the time. And this is from someone who hadn't worn a skirt in the 10 years before she went overseas and hasn't worn one since she returned to the US.

I think GF's major problem with not knowing women's footwear is not the abaya, but the fact that he sees so few women at all.

Hey GF... do they have an Indian tailors out there?

VS

[veiledsentiments]

[MTelmar]

[veiledsentiments]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'abaya-style dresses.' Just to explain, the abaya is the black covering over their clothing. Normally the Arab women are less casual than we are. All the women will likely have long sleeves, skirts to the floor, and a high neckline - dresses, suits... likely very fashionable. If you were teaching college level, like HCT or ZU, they are more flamboyant in the cities and amble cleavage was often shown. They also sometimes wore pant suits. When I was there, shoulder pads were all the rage and some of them looked a bit like members of the NFL. Rarely did any of the women wear the local style dress... with the embroidery around the neckline and sleeves (is that what you meant?). You may see more of it out there than in the cities. I had some for lounging around the house.

But, I do think that the broomstick style skirts would be considered less casual than slacks... have you checked whether they are even allowed? The skirts are the perfect length and weight for the climate. I had about 20 of them!! The 3/4 length sleeves are also perfect and I used to have so much trouble finding them. I have the same narrow shoulders, long arms problem... though nowadays the long sleeves are ridiculous and maybe your finger tips show.

As to shoes, take a few pair of comfortable sandals and a couple pair of closed shoes.

VS

[MTelmar]