NQT interested in teaching abroad (Abu Dhabi etc)

Megatitan

At the end of this year I will be a fully qualified secondary school science teacher. I am not too keen on working in Ireland straight away and also I feel it would be tough to secure jobs. The reasons for me seeking work in the middle east is as follows:

• I am young and should travel when I'm not tied down.
• The job conditions for NQT's in Ireland aren't very appealing.
• There are a lack of posts available and the competition is too high for those that will be.
• Gaining experience abroad is good and I may be able to save some decent money.

What I am asking for is help in relation to working in UAE,Abu Dhabi etc. Is it possible to secure work whilst completing my degree?
Is it hard to secure work?
I have done sixteen weeks teaching practice in total and that will be my full amount of teaching weeks done by May. Is this enough experience ?
Will they accept it as relevant experience?
I am qualified in secondary teaching but would I be able to work in primary schools over there?
Which jobs are the best paid/conditions etc?
When does the academic year start over there?

Sorry for these questions but I am really considering this idea and I feel I may be late as it is in relation to applying.

Thanks in advance.

Wicklowleaid

Hey I notice your subject is Science same as my own. There is quiet a number of positions often advertised for Physics and Maths teachers also lots of opening in the Uk but I notice you say you want to travel. Don't forget also about your 300 hours experience and 12 workshops for teaching council registration. I would check out educationposts.ie perhaps and look at advertisements as they arise Im sure the recruitment companies can answer your queries best also look out for the working abroad expos good luck and let us know how you get on!

forgetfulme

hey megatitan,

I am in the same boat, the closer i get to finishing the dip the more my thoughts are turning to teaching outside of Ireland. Have you made any progress?

ProfanityURL

Before moving to the middle east you should consider the differences in culture that you would have to adapt to. It is different depending on which country you choose, for example Dubai television networks don't show the Flintstones, but Abu Dhabi do...

forgetfulme

Ive lived abroad before for a couple of years so Id be more excited than nervous for a culture shock! Just dont really know where in the world would be the best place to start as a NQT....or where would want me!

mel84

Hiya! U shud think about getting ur hours done for the teaching council- if u do ur induction year in the UK u get a mentor who supports u for ur first year! If u do it this way, u are exempt from the workshops in Ireland which is brilliant and u also get ur 300 hours done for the teaching council! Well worth ding it for ur first year cuz u will be fully qualified then if u decide to go to Dubai or wherever and u will get paid more I hav taught in England an recommend it! Pm me if u hav any questions about it

rainbowtrout

mel84 wrote: »

Hiya! U shud think about getting ur hours done for the teaching council- if u do ur induction year in the UK u get a mentor who supports u for ur first year! If u do it this way, u are exempt from the workshops in Ireland which is brilliant and u also get ur 300 hours done for the teaching council! Well worth ding it for ur first year cuz u will be fully qualified then if u decide to go to Dubai or wherever and u will get paid more I hav taught in England an recommend it! Pm me if u hav any questions about it

Can you repeat that in English rather than text speak, my eyes are bleeding.

mel84

What is that meant to mean?!

Tom Dunne

mel84 wrote: »

What is that meant to mean?!

It means there is a certain etiquette when posting on this site. Writing in txt speak makes your posts very difficult to read and drags the tone of the site down.

Please do not use text speak when posting.

forgetfulme

Hi Mel84,

Cheers for the reply. I have given it a good bit of thought and I know it sounds crazy but I ruled out England out because I figured if I am going to have leave this country I want to go somewhere completely different! Make it a proper adventure, as far as I can tell from the teaching council once your working in a recognised school and the principal signs off on it you will get covered for your 300 hours....


Anyone know anything about teaching in Singapore??

TowlieMcD

I know no one has posted on this for a while but I thought I'd revive it rather than create a new thread with the same questions!

Just like to hear about the chances of NQT getting jobs in Middle East. I know people are recommending getting the hours done for the teaching council first or going to England to do it to avoid the workshops but I've noticed that no one really answered the OP's questions!

Would love to hear some advice or opinions from anyone currently teaching out there, for example in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, and how they got working over there?(I've heard of TeachAway being good? )
At the end of the coming year I will be in the same boat as the OP in that I'll be a newly qualified Post-Primary Science teacher.

Any information is appreciated!
Cheers!

wombleer

hey,

working abroad is a great way to get experience, but it does have its certain pitfalls. In your first year you need to complete 300hours before you get full registration. In countries outside the EU these hours tend to not count as they are not monitored by an EU council for education.

I spent 2 years working in Switzerland and only when I started working in the UK did my hours mean anything. I would recommend moving away as there are no jobs opening up at home. But be careful where you go. As for the UK agencies are the best way to secure work, but they will try to put you into any school that is available and tell you its a great up and coming school!!

Just do your research and it should be fine. If you have any questions just let me know.

Hunter gatherer

I see that this is an old thread but my issue is with the 300 hours. I have recently qualified and tried to clarify with the Teaching Council what countries or schools they recognise in terms of gaining PQE.

They were vague in their answer and said it was reviewed on a case by case basis.

wombleer

Hey,

The country should be in the EEA. It's so the hours can be verified by some sort of government agency. Otherwise it can be difficult to prove that they were done properly.

The uk is the easiest option, the likes of Dubai may not qualify you as the private international schools can have class sizes that are not big enough.

I'm in the uk now if you have any questions just pm me.

Hunter gatherer

Form B says employment can be in a state recognised second-level school in any state.

However, it does seem like the UK would be the wisest option if you wanted to be certain the hours count.

I haven't heard of anyone who worked further afield and had those hours approved. Doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't happened, just I haven't met anyone who has.

Afroshack

Hunter gatherer wrote: »

I see that this is an old thread but my issue is with the 300 hours. I have recently qualified and tried to clarify with the Teaching Council what countries or schools they recognise in terms of gaining PQE.

They were vague in their answer and said it was reviewed on a case by case basis.

Have you considered looking at private expat schools in the Middle East? A lot of them are British schools catered to the children of English and American diplomats, so they would follow the British curriculum. You might be able to work and qualify in a UK school, but in a different area of the world if you get me.

Corkgirl18

Hi there, I'll be finishing up my degree in May of this year. I'm qualified to teach JC science and maths and Chemistry and would be fairly comfortable teaching physics too.
Obviously there are very little jobs around so was interested in going to the UK for my first year.

=How easy is it to get jobs there?
=Do they look more at your degree grade or your amount of experience or anything in particular?
=Is there any major differences between teaching in the UK and Ireland?
I've taught in both country schools and city schools. I'll have about 200 hours of teaching experience done by May.

If people who have experience in teaching in the UK could answer my questions I'd be really grateful

Afroshack

Corkgirl18 wrote: »

Hi there, I'll be finishing up my degree in May of this year. I'm qualified to teach JC science and maths and Chemistry and would be fairly comfortable teaching physics too.
Obviously there are very little jobs around so was interested in going to the UK for my first year.

=How easy is it to get jobs there?
=Do they look more at your degree grade or your amount of experience or anything in particular?
=Is there any major differences between teaching in the UK and Ireland?
I've taught in both country schools and city schools. I'll have about 200 hours of teaching experience done by May.

If people who have experience in teaching in the UK could answer my questions I'd be really grateful

Quite easy to get a job. In the job I am in now, all it took was a 15 minute interview and I got a phonecall three hours later. Some schools will ask you to teach a lesson over there to see if you are any good, but you can pm me for help with this It's a bit scary but great experience to see what your school is like before you accept the job.
They mainly just look for enthusiasm and a willingness to move/learn about the system over there. They don't mind a lack of experience, as all NQT's have to start somewhere!
There are quite a few differences. I'll try to keep it brief but you can pm me if you want more. For starters

• English schools do a lot more activity work and active learning. They always seem to be 'doing' something rather than listening to the teacher and taking notes. They get restless and impatient quicker and they need to be ''entertained'' a lot more. irish kids are more likely to ''get on with it'' whereas English kids need a bit more mollycoddling to get them engaged.r
• They love AFL - you need to be doing AFL acitivites every 15 minutes in lessons and it's a big part of the OFSTED criteria. You can get great AFL powerpoints on TES
• They test the kids a lot more, and collecting data is pretty important. In my subject they sit an assessment every 2-3 weeks and these need to be put into a computer and reports go home every 5 weeks. You better like marking
• Behaviour can be a nightmare in some schools. This is why the school-interview-lesson can be a blessing - you can meet the kids before you decide.
• The hours are longer with all the testing/marking/inputting data you have to do.
• English kids have targets they need to hit. For example, leaving primary school they might be on a 4a. After a year they need to from 4a-5c-5b-5a. Multiply that by 100 kids you might teach each day and it can add up the pressure.

Again, feel free to reply or PM me with more questions

Corkgirl18

Afroshack wrote: »

Quite easy to get a job. In the job I am in now, all it took was a 15 minute interview and I got a phonecall three hours later. Some schools will ask you to teach a lesson over there to see if you are any good, but you can pm me for help with this It's a bit scary but great experience to see what your school is like before you accept the job.
They mainly just look for enthusiasm and a willingness to move/learn about the system over there. They don't mind a lack of experience, as all NQT's have to start somewhere!
There are quite a few differences. I'll try to keep it brief but you can pm me if you want more. For starters

• English schools do a lot more activity work and active learning. They always seem to be 'doing' something rather than listening to the teacher and taking notes. They get restless and impatient quicker and they need to be ''entertained'' a lot more. irish kids are more likely to ''get on with it'' whereas English kids need a bit more mollycoddling to get them engaged.r
• They love AFL - you need to be doing AFL acitivites every 15 minutes in lessons and it's a big part of the OFSTED criteria. You can get great AFL powerpoints on TES
• They test the kids a lot more, and collecting data is pretty important. In my subject they sit an assessment every 2-3 weeks and these need to be put into a computer and reports go home every 5 weeks. You better like marking
• Behaviour can be a nightmare in some schools. This is why the school-interview-lesson can be a blessing - you can meet the kids before you decide.
• The hours are longer with all the testing/marking/inputting data you have to do.
• English kids have targets they need to hit. For example, leaving primary school they might be on a 4a. After a year they need to from 4a-5c-5b-5a. Multiply that by 100 kids you might teach each day and it can add up the pressure.

Again, feel free to reply or PM me with more questions

Thank you so so much for the feedback, I really really appreciate it. Its definitely something I'll look into further as I use AFL a lot in classes and I like a challenge. I'll PM you if I think of any further questions, thanks so much again