Job Discussion Forums

[metsgirl720]

Hello All,

I have been reading through all the posts for a while now and I am in the process of applying for a job teaching the primary grades with teachaway. By the time I start next fall I will have 6years experience and two MEds. one in teaching, learning, and leadership and the other as a reading specialist. I also have an ESL endorsement on my teaching license. I have read that most people want to work at the university level. Is there a reason for this? I love working with young kids and really don't like adults to much. Also what would be a fair salary for my education? Any advice would be great! Thanks.

[Gerund]

[Ka-CHING!]

Gerund's post is a little, uh, direct, but there's a valid point to researching an area before applying for a job. The primary education system in the UAE is in a state of flux, to put it mildly.

[jdl]

metsgirl720,

The simple answer is that instructing at the University/college is easier (less work load and greater independence), usually pays well and does not require teaching credentials/certification.

You seem to have had some 'in the trenches' experience in primary/elementary education and your education and training is very impressive. You seem to be on a career path in public education which is exciting, requires hard work and is extremely rewarding professionally.

If you were to work at a college or university you could cut your contact time by 1/2, your prep time down to zero and take that much needed paid vacation you have wished for during your six years of teaching. Believe me with your background in teaching reading and school experience you are over qualified to teach at the university/college and will experience a 'time warp effect' which will be your greatest adjustment. Having said this, teaching at the university/college level is valuable to one's career because it does look good on a resume, but more importantly, the position itself allows you a great deal of time to reflect and consolidate your previous experience and integrate it into a larger schema a la Piaget. The time at the university can be a time for personal research, study and reflection which will most surely provide more depth and integration to your thinking as a teacher. It is also provides you the time to solve any one of those interesting mysteries of primary teaching that you had always wanted to resolve but could not find the 'thinking time' to do so in the hub bub and flurry of public education.

I would certainly encourage you to teach adults for a time to round out your educational experience and provide you with a broader educational perspective. This experience will serve you well as you explore language learning/teaching. Indeed, you will be teaching adults in any case at some point in your career as a workshop leader, professional development specialist or administrator and at some time you will have to understand the adult learner.

Think of teaching at the university/college as your sabbatical.

Learn, study and have fun!

P.S. Are you really intent on the UAE? Try/research Salalah, Oman for a truly unique experience!

[usa_in_gulf]

jdl

Your comments and advice are "right on the money"!

[helenl]

One of the generalizations one can make in the GCC is that 20+ year olds have the maturity level of 13 year olds. Extrapolate that downwards in the K-12 situation.

Children here are seen as a blessing (as they are worldwide) - however, culturally, many can be seen to do no wrong, or they receive no discipline whatsoever, being left to expat Asian maids who let the kids do what they will because otherwise the maid will lose her cushy 16 - 18 hour a day, 6/7 day week job at about USD250-300/month.

While the college level child is often not a treat in the classroom, in most reputable tertiary institutions there are consequences for poor performance and bad behaviour (not as stringent often as in the West - and often requiring a huge paper trail for the teacher to produce - but it can and has had an effect on the general attitude and performance - at least in my 10 years in the Gulf. It is much different now than in 2000. It has a long way to go as well.)

IMHO if you have managerial and parental support at any level - the children perform better and are generally just happier. However, if either or both fail to provide that support, you can be royally screwed over by one or both parties. Documentation is the key and knowing when you're beaten is the other. You always have the option to leave. Give yourself that choice and know when you've reached your limit.

[metsgirl720]

[Eisenhorn]

[Gerund]

[15yearsinQ8]

there have been a few good posts recently covering the 'k-12 or uni.?' teaching debate for those fortunate to be able and willing to straddle both worlds

from someone who's been to both, i'd say, comparing k-12 to uni. in the middle east:
- teaching at uni. is more mindless, autopilot crap (in the usa, absolutely not)
- k-12 means you have to be more aware of objectives, curicullum , etc everyday
read, as a teacher , k-12 is more demanding and yet more stimulating on a daily basis - i never felt i had true autonomy as a uni. teacher in the ME.

- teaching uni. and k-12 can both have clingly students (but hey, that's why most of us teach right?) the difference being at the uni. level, students bring their uni. level problems to you. if you're more for the adolescent (and I don't mean that in a bad way) issues then the 'miss, do youlike my new bag?, i paid 500usd for it.' reality, then what's the pay difference betweeen k-12 and uni. then. arab kids can be a little weird but arab adults are truly bizarre

- re behavior, i'd say generally a primary school teacher can modify classroom behovior easier than a uni. teacher can because uni. students can run to various adminstrators and complain.
so the semester can be more rewarding at k-12 although it will have its stresses

- re pay, with your masters, your pay can be around 50% more at uni level - less than that initially i'd say and uni. does blast you with an initial moving allowance but then again at uni. level you won't always get free housing ..... it's really on a case by case basis.

what you do have is flexibility - allowing yourself to flip from uni to k-12 offering job security

most people who read and post on dave's don't have the credentials to straddle both worlds, wouldn't want to either

[metsgirl720]

thanks so much for all the advice. JDL, I think in many manys you are right about teaching at the university level and rounding out my experience. It really is very hard making decisions, when you don't get to experience and see first hand what each teaching area has to offer. I have applied for three different jobs with HCT and have already made it pass the pre-screening, which I thought was pretty fase..a few hours. Is that normal for a job at the HCT? Any advice will be great about working for the HCT and yes I know I will be reviewing old posts. Once again thanks for all your replies. Oh yeah Gerund, actually working in the inner city def has bad days, I love it, never a dull moment, full of challenges, and lots of rewards...thanks for your imput, it is those responses that really make me think about and question what I want to do.

[Iamherebecause]