Topic - Teaching in UAE- Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Sharjah/Ajman

Hints about Teaching in Dubai

Online Teaching Application:

Requirements in Teaching to Different Schools in Dubai:
•UAE and Dubai schools especially better paying schools; basically hire teachers which are significant ones.
•American schools in Dubai more likely limit to US and Canadian qualified teachers and/or North American who are products of American schools in Dubai.
•British schools more likely hire teachers with UK PGCE qualification. Post graduate Certificate of Education can only be obtained by studying in UK. Though, there are some international PGCE courses in Dubai but still UK-based PGCE program best guarantees a teacher to be qualified for QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) for you to teach in British schools.
•Otherwise, if you teach in Dubai without significant qualification, there are still schools accepting teachers but salaries, compensation, working conditions, place, etc. are more likely unpleasant.

Be careful with scams. It is easier and more comfortable for anyone who wishes to apply for Dubai through internet; however, there are lots of scams online. They opt to take your money away. Basically, you will know if you are scammed because they will immediately send you information about your application which seems to be true then ask you to send money for your visa processing and other expenses related to your application. Beware of them. A genuine website or a genuine agency will not ask to send money for your application. Be careful to websites ending in .tk. It is questionable. Check out their websites or the company registration’s validity in Dubai.

If you are a teacher and still you are willing to send money for your teaching application, you could maybe send half of the amount - to be fair for both of you.

Some Usual Teaching Problems in Dubai:
•While there are some schools in Dubai which are not so amiable to work for; long hours of teaching, students behavioral problems and the admin itself- is a problem to foreign teachers. However, there are also some good schools in Dubai which are very pleasant to teach like non-profit and embassy schools. Students are well-trained and disciplined, so won’t have or at least just a little problem with them.
•You should read carefully before signing any contracts. When you have agreed something verbally, it must be in the contract or else less expect it to happen.
•Check out for salary increments. Some schools do not increase salary to teachers irrespective to their extra qualifications or years of service to school.
•When your boss is loading much work on you or work that is not your job, in some profit schools, you can actually say “yes” to them but just ignore it. Just simply do your specific job excellently.

Some Teaching Training Schools in Dubai: Or you can search for more training centers.
•Sunderland University PGCE in Dubai
•Universal Empire Institute in Dubai
•Dubai Education City
•Exeter University in Dubai
•Notting Hill College in Dubai

Working Schedules in Dubai:
•School days begin about 0730 or 0800 and finished around 1430 or 1500 with lunch break.
•Working week is Sunday to Thursday with early finish on Thursday and there will be plenty of holidays to expect.
•Teaching work includes lesson preparation, meeting, parent evenings, extracurricular activities, sports days, etc.

Dress Codes in Dubai Schools:
•UAE is an Islam country; however, dress codes are tolerable.
•Men wear collars with ties and trousers but jackets are not required.
•Women wear usually ankle length skirts with long sleeves tops, especially in a more conservative schools but head coverings are not required. During Ramadan, they are wearing more conservative dresses.
•School teacher do not require wearing suits and some schools already starting to implement uniforms for teachers in Dubai.
•Schools in Sharjah are more conservative when it comes to dress codes because the place itself has a Decency law, where men should not wear shorts in public and women should cover their arms and legs.

Teaching Salaries and Packages:
•Salary ranges 3500-10000 dhs per month for government schools and 4000-20,000 dhs for private schools.
•IB, UK or US curriculum pay the highest. There are some range 10,000 to 15,000 dhs per month with packages.
•For Indian schools 3500-8000 dhs per month and Asian schools similar to UK curriculum.

Most of the teaching jobs in Dubai come with accommodation included and this is certainly attractive because housing rental in Dubai is exceptionally expensive.
Most overseas teachers are offered accommodation, medical, return flights once a year, or some with transport and utilities allowances.
If schools only offer accommodation allowance instead of accommodation, most likely you will find difficulties in finding rental properties and is expensive. You will likely cover 50% of your rental cost. However, when rent is not included a teacher’s salary offer will usually be generous enough to ensure their living standards are good.
Local contract teachers are usually not offered accommodation.

How to find Teaching Jobs in Dubai:
•Firstly, you can use the internet to guide your search for vacancies and submit your resumes and applications to the recruitment agencies through internet.
•You approach directly to school you are interested to apply. Phone them and inquire for the hiring. Submit application letters addressing to the respective director’s name of the school.

Do you want to teach in Dubai, UAE’s academic center?

Let’s take a peek at the system and the prospects.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gone a long way as a nation since the unification in 1971 of the seven emirates, reported as six initially by some references, with Ras al-Khaimah, as the seventh addition.

A teacher in a Dubai public or private school would normally teach students in her History and Geography classes the composition of the United Arab Emirates: that Dubai is originally Dubayy; the capital, Abu Dhabi, spelled as Aby Zaby; Fujairah as Al Fujayrah; Umm al-Qaiwain as Umm al Qatwayn; Sharjah as Ash Sharigah; and the last, Ras al-Khaimah.

Although Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, Dubai is the largest, very cosmopolitan and very rich in cultural diversity. It boasts of the most number of tourists, investors and foreign labor among these. Of the total UAE population of nearly 5 million, 1.4 percent is accounted for by students. The UAE government requires its young population to pursue the nine-year law-mandated education at the very least. Education was given impetus immediately upon the unification of the emirates and the importance given to education has been rising over the five decades, as of late with a literacy target of 80 percent.

During the first three decades, there were but a few students just as there were a few teachers. The nine-year schooling requirement was not effectively enforced. Government in the last two decades gave education a shot in the arm, especially with the influx of expatriates and other types of foreign nationals in the UAE, notably in Dubai. As a matter of fact, Dubai population has grown to be more like a melting pot of foreign nationals with only about a quarter locals. The imperative to provide educational opportunities with diverse options and higher standards caught the attention of government, owners of educational systems abroad who wanted part of the pie, as well as Emiratis who saw the lucrative potentials of putting up schools.

Public schools are, however, maintained, side by side with private schools. Public schools are typically the domain of native teachers, Emiratis who teach in Arabic, except for Mathematics and Science, subjects that are taught in English. About 60 percent or a little less of the student population is lodged in these public institutions where education from basic to secondary to tertiary education is offered for free. The government’s direction as far as the public education system is concerned is the enhancement of the core of native teachers, for these to saturate up to 90 percent of the entire public schools system come 2020. These local teachers are envisioned to undergo special training to enhance their teaching skills and make them level up to their expat counterparts. But the arena for teachers wanting to explore the opportunities of their chosen profession in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE is still vast, with the private schools comprising 40 percent or more of total student population. Dubai, however, is where the bulk of these opportunities are found.

Dubai’s Teaching Opportunities
One of the premium courses offered in Dubai universities and colleges is Information and Communications Technology. English learning is top priority while the Arabic language is maintained as the official medium of instruction. Thus, there is a wealth of opportunities for English teachers, although some employers prefer teachers who are native English speakers. Otherwise, passing the TOEFL, TOEIC, TOESL and other English Proficiency Certifications along with other standard English teacher credentials such as completion of a four-year degree for elementary and secondary school teacher applicant and post-graduate degrees for those wishing to teach in Dubai colleges and universities normally suffice. Knowledge of the Arabic language will always be a plus factor. It will also make application success chances greater and life much easier for aspiring teachers who are not Emiratis. Most of the schools in Dubai require relevant working experience: teaching experience of two years or more in the field or subject applied for.

For the educational system’s Engineering and Technology Departments, faculty augmentation focus will increasingly veer towards Information Technology, Electronics and Telecommunications. Of course, there will also be a niche for Biotechnology and these longer-staying tertiary subjects: the three divisions of Engineering (Civil, Mechanical and Chemical Engineering); as well as Management and Commerce subjects. Secondary education requirements include the core subjects, with concentration on Science subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Physics); Mathematics and Statistics. There are now and then also requirements for faculty members for the co-curricular requirements and other categories such as counseling and coordination, and those that are vocational in nature.

Those applying as teachers of vocational courses should be ready to demonstrate their competence in their declared areas of expertise when asked to. They must exude confidence during the interview and possible online demonstration and should be good at explaining step-by-step instructions during demonstrations. It is not enough that one knows how to do one thing. Being a prospective vocational teacher requires the ability to effectively communicate procedural instructions with a working troubleshooting knowhow.
Music, arts and sports teachers are also very much in demand in Dubai but applicants must have the talents and skills for these and must be adept in giving instructions, insights and pointers, as well as in giving skills tests.

Prospective School Employers and Job Information Sources
The range of schools to apply to in Dubai is immense. Both public and private schools have opened their door doors to expat teachers. There are also individual professionals and families who require English teachers as personal tutors. The affluent ones among these generally require that only native speakers apply. But, do not be disheartened; those who are not as restrictive would get impressed by English certifications and high marks in relevant tests.

International schools in Dubai generally follow either British or American curriculum. Having taught in schools with this standard is an advantage and a requirement for top-caliber international schools in Dubai.

Zayed University and Higher Colleges has a current posting of job opportunities in the Engineering and Arts Departments, respectively, and both prefer doctoral degrees.

It is important to have advance information on intake schedules of schools applied to. In Dubai, with the policy of diversity and liberalism, school calendars are not of one mold, so a prospective teacher must exercise due diligence in finding out the type of curriculum followed, if not, the class schedule itself. You will have an idea of class schedule by knowing the curriculum a school follows. Those that adhere to British and American curriculums open classes in the month of August and close in June. Those that follow UAE curriculum have a May intake that runs through July.

Kindergarten classes last for only a few hours and increase as students reach their fourth grade onwards.
At these levels, a typical day at school starts as early as 7:30 am.

You may get fresh postings from recruitment agencies’ websites and links to international job opportunities that leap out of practically every popular website. These days, the internet is easily the most predominant source of job leads which even provides ready and convenient application access. Applying for jobs through the internet has become the thing of today for jobseekers and will certainly gain yet more following in the years to come. Teaching positions are no exceptions. These are posted in URLs that are too many to count. In certain cases, even salary offers are cited. There are, for instance, posted teaching job opportunities that pay 2,000 US Dollars and those that pay as much as 3,000 US Dollars. Some, however, state salaries in local currency, say, AED 150,000-300,000 or rates may have as wide a range as between 1,000 and 20,000 DHM. No matter how much you are offered as salary for teaching in a Dubai school, the good news is: Yes, Virginia, it is tax-free.

The salaries of teachers in Dubai vary, as to whether the school you apply to is a public school or a private school. For private schools, you would still have to take into consideration of the school category and reputation. Elite international schools tend to be the top payors. Their requirements are steep, however. Take Oxford School, for example: its requirement for its Academic Coordinator post is 8-10 years of relevant work experience.

It appears that teaching job opportunities in Dubai are very promising and that the demand for competent teachers is bound to further grow, with new educational institutions continually being added to Dubai’s school roster.

You actually have a lot of choices. Dubai has 88 public schools and over 130 private schools, and these numbers are still increasing, so there is a great chance to teach there. Go right ahead and check out internet job postings.

Other Hiring Considerations
Gender is a factor for supervisory positions in Dubai schools. The society is essentially still one that looks up to men to take key leadership positions, especially in traditional service areas such as education. Age may also be a factor. Age 45 is usually for more responsible positions such that of Academic Coordinator where, in one example, age range stipulated is 35-45. Health will be the next factor and this is something that cannot be eluded because of the required medical tests as a prerequisite for international employment.
Off to Dubai to Teach

Now, what must you psyche yourself about before you pack your bags for your Dubai teaching career? How must you prepare?

Think: many have spoken highly of Dubai as a haven for expats, yes, even female expats daring to live solo. Dubai is more than very civilized, in fact, just as was said earlier, it is very cosmopolitan, so imagine that as you’d soon walk the streets of Dubai, it might as well be like walking down the streets of Paris. And yes, you can decide on living almost next door to your office because in Dubai, there are apartment rentals available in the buildings where offices abound, schools included. If you must live some distance from the school, consider investing in a car (yesireee—it’s interest free to buy one on credit), but as you would daily drive up to your place of work, never forget to give allowance to potential traffic. Traffic? These days, yes, but not in the early 2000s. It’s not so bad, though.

Expect to find a lot of other expats in Dubai of many different nationalities: British, Americans, South Africans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Indians and Filipinos, among the most numerous. You see, you will feel at home in Dubai. It is one place where you will never stick out like a sore thumb and one where you will not be alienated.

Next, plan on your weekends. In Dubai, people work from Saturday to Thursday and Friday is that most-awaited day of rest. Offices and schools are closed on this day and people usually go out for their weekly trip to the park for a picnic, but only after feasting on grocery shopping in malls and supermarkets with eye-popping product showcases: Go easy as you would soon find out that you could really drown yourself in an avalanche of great cheese varieties and nuts, too. Go easy on the diet (and your budget). You don’t want your students to be teasing you for being oversized, do you? (You don’t want to be short of budget in a strange land, do you?)

For your vacations? You may go back home go for a yearly vacation during school breaks, as most schools allow this, but it might be better to go every other year, which is what others like you do. It will give you the chance to be acclimatized to Dubai lifestyle and culture, especially for your first year in that big city. (Actually, it will give you the chance to save up quickly for dear family back home.)

Ensure arrival in Dubai at least a week or two before classes start. You have to do apartment hunting, remember? You should get to Dubai armed with rental money, enough to pay for required deposits and advance payments. Surf the net for Dubai apartment choices before leaving your country so you would know what to expect: terms, budget, and destination choices as to where to go for apartment hunting, and the like.

As soon as you’re settled and comfy in your rented unit, decide on your weeklong wardrobe to wear to school. As you enter the school premises, look for the HRD Office and get that much-needed orientation from the Head of the Human Resources Department who is supposed to introduce you to the Dean or the Chancellor or the Principal or equivalent position.
Equally important is to prepare to teach your subject. You may come mentally prepared and raring to teach your assigned class, complete with the tools of the trade: lesson plan, relevant book/s, notebook/s, pens…eyeglasses, too?

Don’t miss to get the students’ roster and their class cards, if applicable.
And, the most important: Day 1 encounter with your students. Whoever, whatever they are, project confidence and a dignified but warm demeanor. Do not get intimidated especially by college bullies and hold your ground. You are a teacher, and a teacher is a person of solid authority and a great responsibility.
Oooops! By the way, did you get a chance back home to study a bit of the Arabic language? (Or upon your arrival in Dubai?) It will really come in handy, first during the applicant selection process (but you are already way past that), and then, in real-life face-to-face teacher : students setting day after day after day.

What do you say? Dubai, here I come?