Job Discussion Forums

[clandestino]

Would be interested to know peoples thoughts

[denise]

I'm curious as to how much focus is "too much." Experience is as relevant as (or, depending on who you ask, more relevant than) qualifications or any other factor. Generally, the more the better.

d

[QatarChic]

Of course experience is relevant- I've met some teachers here in the Gulf who've done an MA in TEFL etc but put them in a classroom and they don't know where to start.....frankly I think experience is something you DEFINITELY need and as denise said the more the better.

[scot47]

More experience the better. The ones to avoid hiring are the ones who do not like being with students ! I know quite a number like that. The ones who want to escape from the classroom into admin.

Of course I am prejudiced, as an aged wrinkly with VAST experience.

[saral]

I absolutely agree. The more experience, the better as long as they actually like the students. The experienced burn-out cases are a worry but that's a different story.

[bje]

[clandestino]

Hmm interesting to hear your thoughts. I suppose I probably didnt phrase the question very well. I'll try and keep my post as short as possible.

Experience surely is just one factor amongst a whole host of others which should be considered when looking for someone. My own opinion that while experience is important, it is a slightly crude mechanism to find the best teachers which excludes a lot of top teachers. I am sure that there are more intelligent ways (searching questions, more expansive application procedures, even psychometric tests etc etc) that could find teachers.

Anyway, I think its an interesting, relevant question!

[veiledsentiments]

The topic of what makes a good teacher - and the relationship of this to education and experience - has been discussed repeatedly over the years here with no definitive answer ever being reached. Those of us who have been around for many years all know examples of good (and bad) teachers from all over the spectrum of experience/education combinations. I don't think that 'too much' of either is really the problem.

If forced to hire a new teacher for my imaginary department with only two CVs on my desk, I would choose a teacher with extensive related experience but limited education related degrees before I would choose a young MA-TEFL-holding graduate with only a year or so of experience. But I would do it knowing that I could be making a mistake.

VS

[Cleopatra]

Like VS, if forced to choose between a candidate with strong experience and poor qualifications, or one with poor experience and good qualifications, I would go for the former. However, experience - even relevant experience - does not neccessarily a good teacher make either.

The reality of the situation is that recruiting, especially in this part of the world, is a little hit and miss, no matter how carefully you peruse the CV or interrogate them at interview. Especially in a place like the Gulf, hard to define 'personality factors' can be at least as important as qualifications or experience. And of course it's not always easy to even get an inkling of a person's 'real' self when they are on their best behaviour for an interview - particularly if that interview is conducted by phone. Not only that, but it can be hard for teachers to tell how they will adapt to both professional and personal life in the Gulf until they've been here at least a few months.

[Takahiwai]

Of course, in all too many places, the potential employer focuses on experience (lack of) in order to pay the minimum possible

[sheikh radlinrol]

[Griff-James]

I have two years experience teaching refugees English and four at University teaching Law.

Will the University teaching be taken into account?

[veiledsentiments]

It depends on the employer how it would be considered. The better employers will not consider it because it is completely unrelated to academic English teaching (mostly writing).

Normally teaching refugees is just conversation, so it too is not related to 90% of the teaching in the Gulf.

So, you could probably get a job, but it would be with one of the marginal employers for the lower pay. If you can take it for 2-3 years, that would make your CV look more appealing to the better employers.

VS

[Griff-James]

"Normally teaching refugees is just conversation, so it too is not related to 90% of the teaching in the Gulf. "

I teach a range spanning upper elementary to advanced.

The upper elementary were refugees.

However, the advanced learners tend to be Doctors, general students and business people and the demands were much higher.

Thanks for replying, VS.

[veiledsentiments]

But it still tends to be focused on conversation, not reading and writing as Academic English tends to be.

VS