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Now ye're talking - to a teacher in Dubai

Boards.ie: Niamh

Our next guest is an Irish teacher currently working in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She is here to answer questions about teaching in the UAE and the differences between teaching there and in Ireland.
Given that moving to the Middle East for a few years is something a number of Irish people do in various careers, I'm sure there will be lots of questions.

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Boards.ie: Niamh

A big thanks to everyone for all of the questions and to our OP for the answers, this has been interesting but time to close it up!

If you would like to apply to do an AMA yourself, please contact me or fill in the form here. I'd love to hear from you

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Agent Smith wrote: »

Do you have a bedside locker?

whats in your bedside locker?

Do you find you speak to family more, now you're living abroad? I spoke more to my sister when she emigrated then when she lived here

When I lived in Ireland, I still lived with my parents, so I technically talk to them less now that I did. I definitely find that I talk to my brother more now, and that we actually have a better relationship than when we lived in the same country!

Agent Smith

Do you have a bedside locker?

whats in your bedside locker?

Do you find you speak to family more, now you're living abroad? I spoke more to my sister when she emigrated then when she lived here

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

What's the price of a tray of cans, how much is a bottle of branded vodka?

Depends where you get it

If you're in Dubai, and you don't have an alcohol license, then you'd ring the "milkman" for it, but he'd be a bit more expensive.
I tend to stock up when I arrive in Duty Free in Dubai Airport arrivals. There's usually a 3for2, or some other promotion on, which helps.
3 litres of Smirnoff was the equivalent of €42 in the airport, and a tray of 24 cans of Heineken was about €26.

Atlantic Dawn

What's the price of a tray of cans, how much is a bottle of branded vodka?

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Again not worth the money to live in such a country.

People complaining about Ireland and talking about Dubai, forget the freedoms, identity and lifestyle they enjoy here.
As for equality, forget it. People march in the streets for that here.

Personally you couldnt pay me to give up that freedom.

I couldn't live in a Muslim state.

6.5 K is a comical amount considering the sacrifice of your very existence.

I've never felt like I've lost any of my freedom over here. You've seen me say that in pretty much every reply I've put into this thread. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be saying it.
I was down at the pub watching the All Ireland Final this evening after work. There was anything but a lack of identity and lifestyle there, I can assure you!

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

SirChenjin wrote: »

Very interesting AMA, thanks for doing it.
I haven't a question at the moment, everything I wanted to ask has been asked, and answered.

Thank you!

SirChenjin

Very interesting AMA, thanks for doing it.
I haven't a question at the moment, everything I wanted to ask has been asked, and answered.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Does the cultural difference not bother you at all ? So many aspects that are off topic, like, sexual preferences and basic freedoms we enjoy in Ireland are lost, hard to see how these are worth any upside.

If there was an outragous reward , you could go with it. But you have shown , it is not the case for all over there.

I hear , it is hard to pull certain kids up on bad behaviouir , because of their status ?

I've already discussed the first part of your question in previous posts, so you'll forgive me if I don't want to have to type it all out again.

I'm not quite sure what you mean about status?
I don't let the kids I teach away with anything, and I have no problem with getting in touch with parents if the situation requires it. My tutor group know that I expect them to show manners and respect to everyone, and that I have no problem with pulling them up on their behaviour if I hear they've been acting otherwise.
Most of the teachers I work with are the same.
We all want the kids we teach to leave school as kind and well mannered people.
My school has a behaviour monitoring system, so we can keep an eye on our tutor groups behaviour in different classes. There's an escalation policy in place for if there are students consistently misbehaving, starting with going on report, and ending (in the rare case) in expulsion.

Some of the kid's parents don't help matters, and some of them are absolutely great. You can be either unlucky or lucky with them.
I've had meetings with parents about their child bullying another student, and I've had them shouting at me that I shouldn't be allowed to teach, that I don't care about the kids I teach, that I play favourites, that they're going to get me fired.... The list goes on! Some people would rather blame anyone except themselves and their kids when it comes to their child's bad behaviour. The parents in question weren't local or Arab (not that it matters).
As the saying goes - they didn't lick it up off the floor!

FixdePitchmark

Does the cultural difference not bother you at all ? So many aspects that are off topic, like, sexual preferences and basic freedoms we enjoy in Ireland are lost, hard to see how these are worth any upside.

If there was an outragous reward , you could go with it. But you have shown , it is not the case for all over there.

I hear , it is hard to pull certain kids up on bad behaviouir , because of their status ?

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

recedite wrote: »

I'm not asking you personally whether you are male or female, but is it possible for a woman to walk home at night, or does she need a male chaperone? (I'm thinking for cultural reasons, more than for safety reasons)

I think a lot of Irish people are under the illusion that the money in Dubai must be ridiculously good in order to make up for the oppression and the general lack of craic. Would it be fair to say its actually a good lifestyle over there, maybe even more enjoyable than living in Ireland for many people, if they were taking home the same money in both places?

No, a woman doesn't need a chaperone to walk home at night, it's safe to walk on your own. Depending on where you're coming from though, you might need to get a taxi, just for the distance!

Yes, I think a lot of people have that perception, but Dubai is actually great craic! I think, for the most part, that the lifestyle is pretty good over here.
For a lot of people, the only thing that's really missing, is our family and friends from back home.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

emilymemily wrote: »

Hi thanks for the informative posts.
Is there adult education in Dubai? like a second chance education system that we have here in Ireland? Do many Irish teachers teach in this area?
Also, is there special needs education in Dubai or the middle east in general? if so, does it extend to education for special needs adults like in Ireland and the UK?

Hi, you're welcome!

As far as I'm aware, there isn't any adult education system here. You have school, and university, and that's it.
I've touched on SEND in one of my last posts so you'll find most of the info above.
There are a few special needs schools over here, but they are predominantly aimed at children under 18. Some schools have a special needs units within the school, if that makes sense?

Also, people with special needs over her are called "People of Determination" or "Determined Ones", which I think is quite sweet.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Sure they do, you just need to seek them out in Dubai. Lots of billionaire clubs in Dubai. You should join one, never know your luck.

Hahahaha, that'll be the day... they'd not let me through the door!

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

The Black Oil wrote: »

How is it for students with autism, dyslexia, etc? Do they get much support or is that under-developed?

A lot of it depends on the child's parents. In some cultures, having a child who is perceived to have any sort of "abnormalities" is still an issue, and getting the parents of those children to engage with us can be difficult. If they refuse to allow the SENDo conduct a screening for whatever we think might be a difficulty for the child (Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc.), then unfortunately we cannot continue. I had a few children that I flagged to the SENDo last year, that took several months to get anything done for them, because their parents didn't want to believe that anything was "wrong" with their child. They eventually came around and started working with the SENDo instead of against them, but it took some time to convince them.
I can't speak for the ministry run schools, but the international schools all have SEND departments. The one in my school does absolutely trojan work.
Once the SEND department in a school can get an official diagnosis, we can put supports in place for the kids, as required. The children most in need of support will usually have at least a part time LSA. Each child that has been diagnosed will have an ILP/IEP which gives us a better idea of any adjustments we might have go make in class for them.
Depending on their needs, the children more in need of support will be taken out of some classes to attend a smaller support group.

I have to say though, the children in their classes are absolutely brilliant with their autistic classmates. The majority are very protective of them, and make sure to keep them included in everything.

recedite

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA wrote: »

I feel a lot safer walking in Dubai by myself, or getting a taxi on my own, after a few drinks, or late at night, than I would back in Dublin, if that helps?

I'm not asking you personally whether you are male or female, but is it possible for a woman to walk home at night, or does she need a male chaperone? (I'm thinking for cultural reasons, more than for safety reasons)

I think a lot of Irish people are under the illusion that the money in Dubai must be ridiculously good in order to make up for the oppression and the general lack of craic. Would it be fair to say its actually a good lifestyle over there, maybe even more enjoyable than living in Ireland for many people, if they were taking home the same money in both places?

emilymemily

Hi thanks for the informative posts.
Is there adult education in Dubai? like a second chance education system that we have here in Ireland? Do many Irish teachers teach in this area?
Also, is there special needs education in Dubai or the middle east in general? if so, does it extend to education for special needs adults like in Ireland and the UK?

BorneTobyWilde

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA wrote: »

No, I do not wine and dine with billionaires. They do not even exist on the same planet as the rest of us!

That's an interesting one. I wouldn't say "never", but it's just not something I see in my future. If I were to marry a local, he'd have to be someone that has the same values and general outlook on life as me.

Sure they do, you just need to seek them out in Dubai. Lots of billionaire clubs in Dubai. You should join one, never know your luck.

Wanderer78

The Black Oil wrote: »

How is it for students with autism, dyslexia, etc? Do they get much support or is that under-developed?

I was actually meaning to ask this, having both diagnosis myself

The Black Oil

How is it for students with autism, dyslexia, etc? Do they get much support or is that under-developed?

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Wanderer78 wrote: »

To some degree, it's understandable why people don't like teachers and many public sector workers, with the deunisation of our work force, and increasing worker insecurity across both public and private sectors, we really need to stop this from advancing, we cannot continue to shaft our younger generations. Best of luck op, very interesting discussion

Thank you!
I agree that the younger generations (myself included) cannot continue to be shafted, and hopefully someone with the power to change that will also realise this soon, although this is unlikely to happen. The government are more than happy for the public sector to be demonised. It means that we won't get much support from the wider public when we go looking for pretty basic improvements for ourselves, which suits them just fine.

There is a still a bit of a perception of teachers walking straight out of university, and into a secure 'job for life'. This has not been the case for a long, long time. Best case scenario, it's at least 3 years before you're made permanent, if you're lucky enough to be kept on in the same school from day one. There are a lot of teachers who are nearly 10 years into their teaching careers, who are still not permanent.
Job security in teaching just doesn't exist anymore. It's one of the (many) reasons why teachers are either going abroad, or leaving the profession altogether.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Horusire wrote: »

I am a public sector worker. Already been shafted by the previous generation in terms of pension and conditions. Still haven't ever felt that anyone hated me for my profession.

OP do you feel that people have exaggerated how much money there is to be made in the middle east? I have several friends out foreign and wrongly assumed they were making a lot more then 2300 a week. I've heard rumours of 1000 a week to work in hotels etc.

I think that years ago, when it was harder to get people to to move to the Middle East, the wages were higher. However, now that more people want to come over, the wages are being lowered.
I think there's also a bit of a perception that because this part of the Middle East is extremely wealthy, that everyone here is on extremely high wages.
I don't know of anyone who'd earn €1000 a week over here, except for maybe the Principals, if we stick with just the teaching profession.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Horusire wrote: »

Well this AMA deteriorated quickly. People really do hate teachers for some reason.

Best of luck OP. You know your worth and arnt sitting around moaning like most others around here. I applaud that

Thank you. Much appreciated!

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Can’t find the link to the story now, I think it was the both TUI and ASTI.
They were, once again, demanding that ‘new’ teachers get the same pay/allowances as ‘old’ teachers even though they were the ones who agreed to shaft you and peers.

I have kids, now in secondary school. I agree with you on the over and above work most teachers carry out but then you have the useless teachers who don’t even bother showing up to take class. Yet there is absolutely nothing we as parents or the school management can do about it and they know it. How many totally useless/unsuitable teachers have the Teaching Council expelled in the last decade?

I found the article you were talking about on the ASTI website, thanks for the heads up.

I can understand why the older teachers shafted the rest of us, even if I absolutely do not like the fact that they did. If you were told that you either had to take a pay cut so that everyone was earning the same lower wage, or that you could keep your current rate of pay, but the newbie's coming in would be getting a pay cut, would you take the cut? Because I honestly couldn't say 100% that I would. The teachers on the old scale are certainly better off then anyone in the new scale, but even they're not going to be retiring to the Bahamas on what they make!

If I remember correctly, those pay cuts were made under the FEMPI legislation, during the crash. They were only ever supposed to be temporary. It's hard not to be more than a bit resentful toward the government, when they've declared the crash over, and voted to give themselves a 5K pay rise, yet they still won't engage in any sort of meaningful discussions around pay for teachers.

I think there is one main misconception with the pay/allowances debate, and the government certainly aren't rushing to clarify it for the general public.
The "new" teachers of the last nearly 10 years, who were shafted, are not looking to be put onto the same wage as a teacher who has been serving for 20 years. What we're looking for is to be put on the same scale system as the old teachers are on.
So if point 1 of the old scale when the older teachers were starting out was X, that's what the newer teachers are looking for. We just want to start on X and work our way up the scale over our careers. We do not want to start out on X-5, and be constantly at a disadvantage as we go up the newer (lower paid) scale. No newer teacher is suggesting that we should immediately be earning the same wage as a teacher who's been teaching for the last 20 years, the second we get our first teaching job after qualifying. We just want to be treated equally in terms of pay, and have the opportunity to go up the same scale over our careers.
I hope that makes sense?

There are teachers in schools that are not suited to teaching. I won't pretend that they don't exist. We know they exist. However, in my 14 years years of school (primary & secondary), I only ever had one 'bad' teacher, and even they taught me something valuable - that this was the exact opposite of what I want to be as a teacher. I have never forgotten them, as they're my reminder of what not to do.

I also remember my other teachers really fondly - my maths teacher who went above and beyond for me, and never gave up on me, even though I was pretty useless at the subject. My history teacher who knew her subject so well, that she never so much as looked at the textbook in the two years I had her. My music teachers who instilled such a deep love for the subject in me, that I could never imagine doing anything else.
The good ones outweigh the bad ones 1,000,000 to 1, but a lot of people tend to focus on that 1, and tar and feather the rest of us with that 1.

I've worked with teachers that are definitely not suited to teaching, and it is incredibly frustrating, both for me as a teacher, and for the students who are taught by them. Should they be put on a probationary period to improve, and then be removed if they don't? Absolutely! At the end of the day, we as teachers want the absolute best for the kids we teach.

BUT (and this is an issue that needs to be carefully examined), that teacher has gone through at least 3 years in the same school in order to be made permanent. Firstly, in those 3 years, how has nobody in the school noticed that they're a 'bad' teacher, when it would have been easier to remove them from the job? Secondly, you cannot walk into a permanent teaching job in Ireland. There are many, many teachers who've been teaching for 6 or 7 years +, that still are not permanent. It is incredibly difficult to be made permanent, and it's only getting harder these days. There would need to be a change surrounding CID's (permanency contracts) to make removing these 'bad' teachers easier, but depending on how that would be legislated for, you're leaving the door open for the government to essentially get rid of permanent teaching contracts. Which they would do in a heartbeat, since non-permanent teachers have much less 'entitlements' surrounding pensions etc. than permanent teachers do. It'd also leave the 'good' teachers in a constant state of limbo. It's stressful enough not knowing if you're going to have a job from one year to the next, when you're not permanent, but having to go through your entire career without any sense of job security would be the final nail in the coffin of the teaching profession.

I am in favour of teachers who have been consistently (and that is key) proven to be unsuited to teaching, and have had the chance to improve (but failed to do so), being removed, but it has to be done in a way that still safeguards the 'good' teachers from being screwed over by the government.

I don't know how many teachers the Teaching Council has expelled. They're not in the habit of giving us much information about anything really. I can understand why the UK scrapped their Teaching Council.

If there is a real and genuine concern/complaint about a teacher's fitness to practice, then there is a complaints procedure, which starts with the Principal of the school, and, eventually, ends up with the Teaching Council, should the matter require it. If a genuine concern about a teacher is made, the principal and the board of management are legally obliged to investigate it.

I know I've rambled a bit, but I hope I got my point across!

Boards.ie: Niamh

Can I remind users that in the AMA forum you must be a) civil and respectful to the OP and b) on topic with a question.
I've handed out a couple of warnings there and will be handing out more if necessary.

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA

recedite wrote: »

So just to be clear, homelessness problem solved, all immigrants work, no asylum seekers or welfare tourists, no junkies, drunks or beggars on the streets, yachts and Ferraris are as common as muck (or sand).
Sounds absolutely reprehensible and insular alright. Do you not miss O'Connell Street on a Saturday night?

All immigrants in Dubai have to have a means to support themselves, whether it's a job, a spouse who works, or an inheritance. If you/your family cannot support yourselves in Dubai, then you are sent back to your country of origin, so there's no homelessness.

As far as I'm aware, you cannot claim asylum in Dubai.
You cannot claim any form of welfare or support from the UAE government unless you're Emirati, or married to an Emirati.

There's no begging or junkies (that's not to say that drugs don't exist in Dubai, but there aren't people walking the streets of Dubai bombed out of their heads on stuff. Drugs are illegal, but there's rumours that the elite have access to them).
Anyone who gets drunk on a night out knows that they need to at least pretend to be sober when they leave the pub/club, and that they can't be fighting.

Funnily enough, I haven't actually seen many Ferraris, but I'm told they exist.
There are a lot of yachts down at the Marina in Dubai, of all sizes. They're nice to look at if you're walking by.

I'd never end up on O'Connell Street after a night out, but I get the point you're trying to make!

I feel a lot safer walking in Dubai by myself, or getting a taxi on my own, after a few drinks, or late at night, than I would back in Dublin, if that helps?

Horusire

I am a public sector worker. Already been shafted by the previous generation in terms of pension and conditions. Still haven't ever felt that anyone hated me for my profession.

OP do you feel that people have exaggerated how much money there is to be made in the middle east? I have several friends out foreign and wrongly assumed they were making a lot more then 2300 a week. I've heard rumours of 1000 a week to work in hotels etc.

Wanderer78

Horusire wrote: »

Well this AMA deteriorated quickly. People really do hate teachers for some reason.

Best of luck OP. You know your worth and arnt sitting around moaning like most others around here. I applaud that

To some degree, it's understandable why people don't like teachers and many public sector workers, with the deunisation of our work force, and increasing worker insecurity across both public and private sectors, we really need to stop this from advancing, we cannot continue to shaft our younger generations. Best of luck op, very interesting discussion

Horusire

Well this AMA deteriorated quickly. People really do hate teachers for some reason.

Best of luck OP. You know your worth and arnt sitting around moaning like most others around here. I applaud that

Whereisgalway

There’s plenty of teaching job in Ireland if your prepared to put in hard graft for a few years. Most new qualified teacher are so self entitled it’s putrid

cloudatlas

I'm a teacher in Dubai, AMA wrote: »

Right then.... We have this marvelous thing called free will. If you don't want to go to Dubai, then you'll be delighted to know that you don't have to. I have never been to Qatar, so I can't presume to speak for what things might be like over there. You make a lot of assertions about somewhere you've never been to.

Dubai is many things, but I think you might be a party of one in calling it "desolate and backward". It is most certainly not desolate, and as I have already said further back in the thread, it's actually very westernised.
Yes it is a bit conservative, but the younger generations coming up are certainly becoming more liberal. Being conservative isn't necessarily always a bad thing either. You are correct in your assertion that there is a lot of sand in Dubai. It was originally a desert, so this is to be expected. It also means that there are a lot of beaches to choose from, where you'll be surprised to know, people can wear as little or as much as they want.

Please could I ask you to ensure that you use correct grammar if you are going to rant again. It is more difficult to figure out what you're actually trying to give out about when you don't.

I really don't know what career I would choose, if I was not a teacher. It's what I've always wanted to be.

No need for the sarky and touchy reply. I'm just interested and this is a forum for asking questions and making assertions so they can be challenged. I'm writing on a forum not writing a business email either so your attempt to try and embarrass me is pathetic. I have no idea what pissed you off so much about my comment or why it was labelled a 'rant' but you obviously love your life and job there so good luck and I hope you stay there for many years to come.