So today is the 18th August 2011 and the day after Indonesian Independance day. Yesterday I went with three of the teachers, Mike, Katie and Emma to the Snow Bay water park at Taman Mini. It's my second trip there but since we had use of an EF car, the sun was shining and two thirds of the population are fasting so it would be quiet, it seemed the ideal destination.
It was a great day out culminating in a wide range of sunburns and sushi at Sushi Naga in BSD which is always good (that'll be the sushi, not the sunburn)
Today is back to normal though but what is normal?
Well, I usually arrive at work between 9 and 10. This depends on if I have to drop my laundry off which today I did so today I arrived at 9.45.
I should put in the perspective that teaching doesn't start until 2pm for kindergarten aged 'Small Stars' and 3pm for regular classes and goes on until 9pm Monday to Friday. Saturday is a 9am start and a 1.30pm finish. My contract also insists I work 40 hours a week so anything over that is down to me I guess.
Anyone who knows me, knows I throw myself into my work 100% and here is no different. With teacher shortages the last three weeks I have been doing 52 hour weeks with up to 23 hours of contact teaching. But what I can say is that while it's been tough juggling teaching with administration, it's also been fun. I'm not quite sure the teachers would agree because if I do more teaching hours, the less time I have to observe them and do developmental workshops, but they've been a stoic bunch and I'm proud of them.
But back to a normal day.....
When I arrive the first thing I do is make a pot of strong coffee. On my first day as acting DoS here back in January, the first thing I did was to buy a coffee machine. It's used by the other staff and whilst in the UK I tend to drink alot of tea, due to the sweetness of the milk in Indonesia I prefer to drink coffee here as I take it black.
While waiting for the coffee to brew I'll usually sit and scan the pages of the daily edition of the Jakarta Post, an English Language newspaper delivered every morning. Once the coffee is made I'll read a couple of stories in more detail and today's is the ongoing problem of Nazaruddin.
This guy Nazaruddin is a wanted criminal who has just been extradited from Columbia. His crime? Corruption, and on a pretty big scale at that too. So why my interest in this story? Well in the west I genuinely believe our governments are corrupt but are better at covering their tracks. Occasionally someone will take the fall at the end of a Machiavellian style plot and we never find out the true circumstances.
Here in Indonesia it's different. The country has had a problem for decades with corruption but they are openly trying to do something about it. In the form of anti corruption committees and high profile trials. But somehow the taint of corruption always seems to reappear.
In this case it is the revelation that 6 high ranking lawmakers visited Nazaruddin in his cell. Off the record. They sought no open permission to do this and there is no record of the details of the conversation. Maybe it was just a case of a bunch of old friends catching up on the state of the Premiership without Cesc Fabregas.....or maybe not. Whilst there is no record of the conversation, there was somehow tv footage of the lawmakers negotiating their entrance to the detention centre. I'm sure the fact that Nazaruddin had openly spoken about key colleagues also being involved in his corruption had nothing to do with this visit.
As morning rituals go, this story is akin to watching a 3 year old boy driving a car....funny to start with but you know it won't end well.
After that it's onto the details of the day. I plan any meetings I have to have, update my diary of the previous days events and add in upcoming events and then it's lesson planning. That I can do most of this before anyone else arrives gives me some peace and tranquility and then allows me to make myself available for any issues the teachers may have once they begin to arrive.
Lunch is usually taken at about midday and is often nasi goreng (fried rice) from the local food stall. in between teaching I may do some student placement interviews or I may observe the teachers teaching to offer them suggestion, feedback and encouragement and at the end of the day I may grab some food from a restaurant or go to the supermarket and cook for myself.
So that's pretty much my day......now, what did I do with Emma's evaluation sheet......
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Stealth Mugs
I have said before that as a guest in Indonesia i will do my best to respect the laws and customs of the country. However, sometimes after a hard day at work what you really want is an ice cold beer.
But where to get said beverage during the holy month of Ramadan? 99% of the shops remove it from their shelves, the local bar "Barrels" in Sumeracon Mall is selling only mineral water and even the "Happy Puppy Karaoke" establishment next door to EF Gading Serpong has closed for the month.
Now I could travel into Jalan Jaxa or Kemang in Jakarta but when I have to teach 3 hours of IELTS (international exam preparation) at 9am tomorrow and when all I want is one beer, help comes in a somewhat unique form.
I have mentioned Salsa, the food court near our school before and it was to here that Emma, Katie the new Irish teacher (she's from Ireland, not teaching Irish) Oli and I went to our favourite food and beer seller "Amie's"
"Three Bintangs please Ari" was the speculative request (Oli's fasting so he's decided this means no beer either) to which we were told "it'll have to be Heineken cans and we serve them in coffee mugs so no-one knows, is that ok?"
Well, no problem there then, we thought so asked for the menus as well.
Now here comes my favourite part of the experience........the beer duly arrived in said coffee mugs, but what was the pattern on the mugs?? yep, you've guessed it...."Heineken".....I promise, you couldn't make this stuff up!
But where to get said beverage during the holy month of Ramadan? 99% of the shops remove it from their shelves, the local bar "Barrels" in Sumeracon Mall is selling only mineral water and even the "Happy Puppy Karaoke" establishment next door to EF Gading Serpong has closed for the month.
Now I could travel into Jalan Jaxa or Kemang in Jakarta but when I have to teach 3 hours of IELTS (international exam preparation) at 9am tomorrow and when all I want is one beer, help comes in a somewhat unique form.
I have mentioned Salsa, the food court near our school before and it was to here that Emma, Katie the new Irish teacher (she's from Ireland, not teaching Irish) Oli and I went to our favourite food and beer seller "Amie's"
"Three Bintangs please Ari" was the speculative request (Oli's fasting so he's decided this means no beer either) to which we were told "it'll have to be Heineken cans and we serve them in coffee mugs so no-one knows, is that ok?"
Well, no problem there then, we thought so asked for the menus as well.
Now here comes my favourite part of the experience........the beer duly arrived in said coffee mugs, but what was the pattern on the mugs?? yep, you've guessed it...."Heineken".....I promise, you couldn't make this stuff up!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Smiling in the face of adversity......not always easy
Writing this blog is cathartic, in the sense that once you get stuff "off your chest" (idiom) and "out in the open" (further idiom), it can allow you to open your mind to what's really worth focusing on.
As a Director of Studies, your day is filled with challenges both small and at times seemingly mountainous. Today was the challenge of resolving the ongoing situation of getting my motorbike, or 'Everest' to follow the idiom.
As I have mentioned in a previous entry, six months ago I put my faith in a Dutch-Indonesian guy called Mike. This faith was (mis)placed based on my casual friendship with Mike and his girlfriend Lyn. As you may imagine from the title of this entry, all did not go well and 6 months later I'm still without said motorbike as well as the two million rupiah down payment.
Now I know you're going to say that I probably deserve it. But should living, and aspiring to continue living, in a different country, stop you from making friends and then taking those friends at face value when they offer to help? Well hindsight is one of those gifts that I may have been at the back of the queue for when handed out but I believe that you have to trust people a little. Relatively, two million rupiah equates to about 140.00 pounds so it isn't going to break the bank but obviously there's still the principle of getting it back.
So, what to do next. Well, the idea of spreading the payments over a year seemed sensible. Having only a few months back forked out 30 million to sort out my house and knowing that my parents are also coming to stay for a month in August and still needing some bits for the house before they arrived, the thought of a down payment and then spreading the cost, where I wouldn't really notice the monthly amount appealed even more. Enlisting the help of the Marketing Co-ordinator Yosef and Nina the Centre Manager to leapfrog the hurdle of intensive Bahasa Indonesian language, it transpired that I could indeed accomplish all of this in my own name.
A representative from the Dealership came and completed the forms and took away my inflated deposit of Rp3.75 million with promises that following a successful examination by the leasing chap (a guy comes round and looks at your house to make sure you live there, I kid you not), said bike would be delivered tomorrow 21st July. The following day came the next adversity, the down payment had just risen to 30% of the bike's cost but this would be reflected in the monthly payments and by doing this it was 100% guaranteed the bike would be delivered on the 21st July. So off I trotted to the bank to withdraw more cash.
The house inspector guy came out the same day and left saying that all he needed now were copies of my last three months bank statements. This morning I deviated from my normal route to work to collect the statements from my local branch of Permata (who I've banked with for two and a half years). Dropping them with Yosef at work I was then asked if I had a "Family Card" like other Indonesians. Yep, here comes the next bit of adversity. All of those previous promises were based on being able to produce an identity card which as a Brit we don't possess. But, don't worry Mr Daron/Mr John (this is the problem of including your middle name on anything here, it baffles people as to what to call you) said the guys from the dealership, we can get a letter from the guy who is the unelected head of the area you live in, that you've never met, who wouldn't know you from Adam, to confirm I do indeed live at the address I've actually been living at for the last 6 months............and it will only cost me a further Rp500,000 and a wait of up to a further two weeks.
The complete surprise and amazement of everyone in the room that I didn't leap from my chair and enthusiastically shake everyone's hands for their lopsided attempt at extortion was obvious by the slack-jawed expressions.
The speed with which I suggested that the best thing to do was to return my money took the two dealership guys (I guess there were now two of them if backhanders were being handed out) by surprise and they seemed completely confused as they exited the office without any acknowledgement to their departure.
The upshot? Back to square two. Not square 1 as I'm still awaiting the return of the original 2 million deposit..... You never know.
And finally back to the title of this entry. How do you smile in the face of this adversity? Well, it's Indonesia and you don't sweat the small stuff and realistically, this is small stuff. Something will work out, it always does. You just need to find the particular method to make it happen!
As a Director of Studies, your day is filled with challenges both small and at times seemingly mountainous. Today was the challenge of resolving the ongoing situation of getting my motorbike, or 'Everest' to follow the idiom.
As I have mentioned in a previous entry, six months ago I put my faith in a Dutch-Indonesian guy called Mike. This faith was (mis)placed based on my casual friendship with Mike and his girlfriend Lyn. As you may imagine from the title of this entry, all did not go well and 6 months later I'm still without said motorbike as well as the two million rupiah down payment.
Now I know you're going to say that I probably deserve it. But should living, and aspiring to continue living, in a different country, stop you from making friends and then taking those friends at face value when they offer to help? Well hindsight is one of those gifts that I may have been at the back of the queue for when handed out but I believe that you have to trust people a little. Relatively, two million rupiah equates to about 140.00 pounds so it isn't going to break the bank but obviously there's still the principle of getting it back.
So, what to do next. Well, the idea of spreading the payments over a year seemed sensible. Having only a few months back forked out 30 million to sort out my house and knowing that my parents are also coming to stay for a month in August and still needing some bits for the house before they arrived, the thought of a down payment and then spreading the cost, where I wouldn't really notice the monthly amount appealed even more. Enlisting the help of the Marketing Co-ordinator Yosef and Nina the Centre Manager to leapfrog the hurdle of intensive Bahasa Indonesian language, it transpired that I could indeed accomplish all of this in my own name.
A representative from the Dealership came and completed the forms and took away my inflated deposit of Rp3.75 million with promises that following a successful examination by the leasing chap (a guy comes round and looks at your house to make sure you live there, I kid you not), said bike would be delivered tomorrow 21st July. The following day came the next adversity, the down payment had just risen to 30% of the bike's cost but this would be reflected in the monthly payments and by doing this it was 100% guaranteed the bike would be delivered on the 21st July. So off I trotted to the bank to withdraw more cash.
The house inspector guy came out the same day and left saying that all he needed now were copies of my last three months bank statements. This morning I deviated from my normal route to work to collect the statements from my local branch of Permata (who I've banked with for two and a half years). Dropping them with Yosef at work I was then asked if I had a "Family Card" like other Indonesians. Yep, here comes the next bit of adversity. All of those previous promises were based on being able to produce an identity card which as a Brit we don't possess. But, don't worry Mr Daron/Mr John (this is the problem of including your middle name on anything here, it baffles people as to what to call you) said the guys from the dealership, we can get a letter from the guy who is the unelected head of the area you live in, that you've never met, who wouldn't know you from Adam, to confirm I do indeed live at the address I've actually been living at for the last 6 months............and it will only cost me a further Rp500,000 and a wait of up to a further two weeks.
The complete surprise and amazement of everyone in the room that I didn't leap from my chair and enthusiastically shake everyone's hands for their lopsided attempt at extortion was obvious by the slack-jawed expressions.
The speed with which I suggested that the best thing to do was to return my money took the two dealership guys (I guess there were now two of them if backhanders were being handed out) by surprise and they seemed completely confused as they exited the office without any acknowledgement to their departure.
The upshot? Back to square two. Not square 1 as I'm still awaiting the return of the original 2 million deposit..... You never know.
And finally back to the title of this entry. How do you smile in the face of this adversity? Well, it's Indonesia and you don't sweat the small stuff and realistically, this is small stuff. Something will work out, it always does. You just need to find the particular method to make it happen!
Friday, July 15, 2011
A funny thing happened on the way to the launderette......
Proof that nothing in Indonesia should be taken at face value was confirmed recently by this particular incident.
A live in maid is not exactly compulsory here but it is extremely normal. Paid the equivalent of about 70 pounds a month, the maid usually has a room in the house and her (although sometimes it's a his) duties entail cleaning and laundry with a possibility of shopping thrown in too.
We have two teachers houses here in Gading Serpong and up until recently we had a young maid based in the main house. She cleaned the two teachers houses on a day to day basis and also did the laundry. I attached myself to this rota by having her visit my house once a week to clean and took my laundry to the main house to have it done.
2 weeks ago, the maid left.
Now, I live on my own and my house is easy enough to clean, but laundry and ironing I have always considered to be time I'll never get back and that there are more worthwhile things I can do with that time. So, it was with this particular philosophy that I looked around for someone to do it.
As luck would have it, there was a sign saying "laundry" outside a house two doors away from my house.
I ventured into the driveway one day to enquire and was met by a sweet old Indonesian lady. Using my limited Bahasa Indonesian, I asked if she could do my laundry for me to which I was met with the reply of "EH-EH"
This wasn't the response I was expecting so proceeded to re-request my laundry needs. The woman appeared to understand but yet again said "EH-EH" this time followed buy a further sucession of "EH-EH"'.
It was at this point I realised that the poor old dear had some sort of speech impediment or some such disability, but her frantic nodding made me return to my house to collect the stack of clothes that had built up. I left her my name and address and my phone number and left to a cheerful chorus of "EH-EH"s.
3 days later I went back to check on the status of the laundry and was met by a middle aged woman called Veronica who, it turned out, was the sister of the lady I'd first met.
Veronica looked worried, never a good sign and especially when your worldly clothes posessions are at stake.
Very calmly, Veronica apologised for her sisters enthusiasm at being able to do my laundry and immediately I wondered why. There was a perfectly good sign saying "Laundry" outside the house and EH-EH, as she will always affectionately be known to me as had completed a very formal printed out laundry request form.
The next part didn't take me quite by surprise as it would have done when I was newly arrived in Indonesia. Veronica explained that their laundry was an agency for dry cleaning and that all the clothes are sent away to be dry cleaned at a cost of RP5,000 per item. I was now looking at a bill of over RP200,000 for what should have cost less than RP50,000...................and then she handed me back my laundry bag containing my dirty underwear and tea towels.
On the plus side, Veronica did direct me to a place called "Nina's" in the next street where the sign saying "Laundry" evidently meant they could do day to day laundry.
The moral? It always pays to ask...............
A live in maid is not exactly compulsory here but it is extremely normal. Paid the equivalent of about 70 pounds a month, the maid usually has a room in the house and her (although sometimes it's a his) duties entail cleaning and laundry with a possibility of shopping thrown in too.
We have two teachers houses here in Gading Serpong and up until recently we had a young maid based in the main house. She cleaned the two teachers houses on a day to day basis and also did the laundry. I attached myself to this rota by having her visit my house once a week to clean and took my laundry to the main house to have it done.
2 weeks ago, the maid left.
Now, I live on my own and my house is easy enough to clean, but laundry and ironing I have always considered to be time I'll never get back and that there are more worthwhile things I can do with that time. So, it was with this particular philosophy that I looked around for someone to do it.
As luck would have it, there was a sign saying "laundry" outside a house two doors away from my house.
I ventured into the driveway one day to enquire and was met by a sweet old Indonesian lady. Using my limited Bahasa Indonesian, I asked if she could do my laundry for me to which I was met with the reply of "EH-EH"
This wasn't the response I was expecting so proceeded to re-request my laundry needs. The woman appeared to understand but yet again said "EH-EH" this time followed buy a further sucession of "EH-EH"'.
It was at this point I realised that the poor old dear had some sort of speech impediment or some such disability, but her frantic nodding made me return to my house to collect the stack of clothes that had built up. I left her my name and address and my phone number and left to a cheerful chorus of "EH-EH"s.
3 days later I went back to check on the status of the laundry and was met by a middle aged woman called Veronica who, it turned out, was the sister of the lady I'd first met.
Veronica looked worried, never a good sign and especially when your worldly clothes posessions are at stake.
Very calmly, Veronica apologised for her sisters enthusiasm at being able to do my laundry and immediately I wondered why. There was a perfectly good sign saying "Laundry" outside the house and EH-EH, as she will always affectionately be known to me as had completed a very formal printed out laundry request form.
The next part didn't take me quite by surprise as it would have done when I was newly arrived in Indonesia. Veronica explained that their laundry was an agency for dry cleaning and that all the clothes are sent away to be dry cleaned at a cost of RP5,000 per item. I was now looking at a bill of over RP200,000 for what should have cost less than RP50,000...................and then she handed me back my laundry bag containing my dirty underwear and tea towels.
On the plus side, Veronica did direct me to a place called "Nina's" in the next street where the sign saying "Laundry" evidently meant they could do day to day laundry.
The moral? It always pays to ask...............
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Indonesian Public Holidays 2012
These are the public holidays in Indonesia next year....i think that makes 19 plus i'll get about 9 extra at Christmas next year ...UK, eat your heart out
January 1 (Sunday): New Year
January 23 (Monday): Chinese New Year
February 5 (Sunday): Prophet Muhammad’s birthday
March 23 (Friday): Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence
April 6 (Friday): Good FridayMay 6 (Sunday): Waisak
May 17 (Thursday): Jesus Christ’s Ascension Day
June 17 (Sunday): Muhammad’s Ascension Day (Isra Mi’raj)
August 17 (Friday): Independence Day
August 19-20 (Sunday-Monday): Idul Fitri
October 26 (Friday): Idul Adha, the Islamic Day of Sacrifice
November 5 (Monday): Islamic New Year
December 25 (Tuesday): Christmas
Additional Days Off (Cuti Bersama):
May 18 (Friday): Ascension Day
August 21-22 (Tuesday-Wednesday): Idul Fitri
November 16 (Friday): Islamic New Year
December 24 (Monday): Christmas
January 1 (Sunday): New Year
January 23 (Monday): Chinese New Year
February 5 (Sunday): Prophet Muhammad’s birthday
March 23 (Friday): Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence
April 6 (Friday): Good FridayMay 6 (Sunday): Waisak
May 17 (Thursday): Jesus Christ’s Ascension Day
June 17 (Sunday): Muhammad’s Ascension Day (Isra Mi’raj)
August 17 (Friday): Independence Day
August 19-20 (Sunday-Monday): Idul Fitri
October 26 (Friday): Idul Adha, the Islamic Day of Sacrifice
November 5 (Monday): Islamic New Year
December 25 (Tuesday): Christmas
Additional Days Off (Cuti Bersama):
May 18 (Friday): Ascension Day
August 21-22 (Tuesday-Wednesday): Idul Fitri
November 16 (Friday): Islamic New Year
December 24 (Monday): Christmas
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
You want to work in Paradise too?
There is a steady stream of people who decide, for one reason or another, to up-sticks and head for Jakarta. Some people do as I did and head for Asia and then consequently find themselves in Jakarta. Other people head for Jakarta or other parts of Indonesia specifically.
If you choose teaching, and teaching English, it usually means learning a new skill (more about that later). It allows you to then take that skill and potentially apply it anywhere that needs an English teacher. Depending on how the experience progresses, you may find yourself diversifying into other jobs. One thing I can pretty safely guarantee though is that the experience will change your life.
So, how to begin........
Well, assuming you aren't currently a teacher then you need to get some experience to become one. Most institutions are looking for some qualification that proves you understand what is involved in teaching either EFL (English as a Foreign Language) or ESL (English as a Second Language). If they're not interested in you having any teaching qualification, worry.
Many teachers take a TEFL course, the 't' stands for teaching. This is often through a company such as i-2-i (http://www.i-to-i.com/about-i2i/careers-with-i2i/) who offer both online and classroom based opportunities. I'm not familiar with this as it's not the route that I took somy advice is that you really do need to check what your future employer is looking for. So don't skimp on the research. Put another way, it may seem relatively easy to do an online course, but will the qualification get you a job? Or just onto an extended course for further qualifications?
I went down a slightly different road and took a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) with a company called International House based in Bangkok (http://www.ihbangkok.com/index.php). I really can't rate this highly enough. It was the toughest month of my life in some ways. It was also the most satisfying ( I should apologise to my ex-wife for that last sentence). What I have found since is that the Tefl courses seem fine but the CELTA is just so much more developed. I can only tell you how I felt at the time coming off the course. It was so in-depth and extremely focussed on lesson planning and delivery that I still adhere to it's formats over two years later.
So why Thailand? Well, Thailand has it's knockers (no pun intended) but International House are a reputable company and the CELTA is directly affiliated with Cambridge University so carries a prestige too. The second reason was that they offered a residential course in Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand which appealed enormously to me. I had absolutely no intention of staying and travelling in the sweatbox that is Bangkok, but Chiang Mai offered a different perspective.(The picture below is not the accommodation, rather it's the view across a serene, tranquil catfish lake, perfect for reflecting on your teaching practice or essay writing.)
The reasons for coming vary enormously too. It could be to work for a company, such as in the oil industry. It could be a gap year, or it could be as simple as needing a change. Whatever that reason, if you want to work your way around a new country, then teaching is a great choice for many reasons.
If you choose teaching, and teaching English, it usually means learning a new skill (more about that later). It allows you to then take that skill and potentially apply it anywhere that needs an English teacher. Depending on how the experience progresses, you may find yourself diversifying into other jobs. One thing I can pretty safely guarantee though is that the experience will change your life.
So, how to begin........
Well, assuming you aren't currently a teacher then you need to get some experience to become one. Most institutions are looking for some qualification that proves you understand what is involved in teaching either EFL (English as a Foreign Language) or ESL (English as a Second Language). If they're not interested in you having any teaching qualification, worry.
Many teachers take a TEFL course, the 't' stands for teaching. This is often through a company such as i-2-i (http://www.i-to-i.com/about-i2i/careers-with-i2i/) who offer both online and classroom based opportunities. I'm not familiar with this as it's not the route that I took somy advice is that you really do need to check what your future employer is looking for. So don't skimp on the research. Put another way, it may seem relatively easy to do an online course, but will the qualification get you a job? Or just onto an extended course for further qualifications?
I went down a slightly different road and took a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) with a company called International House based in Bangkok (http://www.ihbangkok.com/index.php). I really can't rate this highly enough. It was the toughest month of my life in some ways. It was also the most satisfying ( I should apologise to my ex-wife for that last sentence). What I have found since is that the Tefl courses seem fine but the CELTA is just so much more developed. I can only tell you how I felt at the time coming off the course. It was so in-depth and extremely focussed on lesson planning and delivery that I still adhere to it's formats over two years later.
So why Thailand? Well, Thailand has it's knockers (no pun intended) but International House are a reputable company and the CELTA is directly affiliated with Cambridge University so carries a prestige too. The second reason was that they offered a residential course in Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand which appealed enormously to me. I had absolutely no intention of staying and travelling in the sweatbox that is Bangkok, but Chiang Mai offered a different perspective.(The picture below is not the accommodation, rather it's the view across a serene, tranquil catfish lake, perfect for reflecting on your teaching practice or essay writing.)
This is the website for the residential course location http://www.nugentwaterside.com/ you don't book your accommodation, it comes as a package but this site shows better angles than my photos!
There is a maximum of twelve teaching students on the CELTA course and ages and experience vary enormously. below are some of my friends from the course.
The added benefit of taking the CELTA in Thailand was that with the classroom teaching practice, I taught non English speakers and in hindsight this was immense value when starting my first job.
The students are locals from Chiang Mai and are offered a structured English course for free, as long as they don't mind being guinnea pigs for the teaching students!
(above is the computer and research room and below is one of our training classrooms at Nugent Waterside)
The students are locals from Chiang Mai and are offered a structured English course for free, as long as they don't mind being guinnea pigs for the teaching students!
(above is the computer and research room and below is one of our training classrooms at Nugent Waterside)
"I've passed my TEFL/CELTA, what's next......"
Well next up is to apply for a job but who to apply to?
For me I'd settled on China or Indonsia in the first instance. China because I'm fascinated with the culture and Indonesia because I knew next to nothing about it. Why not Thailand? Well, the CELTA course had finished in February and the fact is that the State schools don't really recruit until May/June and financially I needed to be working.
My Uncle, who has a great deal of academic experience of China was at pains to suggest I didn't go there. Before anyone hyper-ventilates, this is my blog, with my experiences. I hear many good stories of experiences teaching in China. I have never worked there so really can't comment other than to point out that my Uncle didn't consider it to be the best move I could make. So it came to pass that I took up an offer with EF English First in Jakarta.
I reccommended earlier that people should do their research carefully. I did not. I was partly so happy to get the job I'd applied for (I had also been offered a job in China) that I just kept anticipating putting the hard work into practice.
Not researching carefully enough usually, after having started the job, leads to cries of "what?" or "You want me to do what?" or "I'll be sharing a room with two goats and Grandma Probolingo?". I have been lucky. This comes from being placed in a great school with an academically excellent Director of Studies. But my advice to everyone is DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Have a list of what you want to know:-
location
salary
what ages will I be teaching
expectations of ability to follow your own interests outside work
accommodation
etc etc
This way in any interview, you will be prepared as much to ask questions, as to answer them.
If you're offered the job and time allows, I'd expect the Director of Sudies who you'll be working with to contact you and offer the opportunity to speak to or email current teachers. Another chance to ask pertinent questions. This along with the research you did earlier will ensure you don't arrive and immediately think "what the ......?"
In all likelihood you'll be taking on a one year contract. That may or may not be extended depending on your performance as much as your intention and any extension depends on what you want to do next. I know teachers and DoS's who have continued into their fourth years and beyond.
Finally. This is a job of work you are taking on. If your goal, as in the words of the immortal Artist Formerly Known as Prince, is to party like it's 1999, then don't do it. Do something else. Get into party planning or wedding organising. You're going to be responsible for impressionable minds. Of course you'll have plenty of chance to let your hair down but you're not on some kind of extended holiday. Better to hear this now than when you're struggling to get a reference for your third job in three months!
Life as a teacher is hard work but there's also fun too. My school is often organising day trips or overnights to different places. Going off on your own is also fun and there's always plenty of help and support to do this.
Good luck and feel free to comment here or ask for further help. I'm happy to oblige.
Well next up is to apply for a job but who to apply to?
For me I'd settled on China or Indonsia in the first instance. China because I'm fascinated with the culture and Indonesia because I knew next to nothing about it. Why not Thailand? Well, the CELTA course had finished in February and the fact is that the State schools don't really recruit until May/June and financially I needed to be working.
My Uncle, who has a great deal of academic experience of China was at pains to suggest I didn't go there. Before anyone hyper-ventilates, this is my blog, with my experiences. I hear many good stories of experiences teaching in China. I have never worked there so really can't comment other than to point out that my Uncle didn't consider it to be the best move I could make. So it came to pass that I took up an offer with EF English First in Jakarta.
I reccommended earlier that people should do their research carefully. I did not. I was partly so happy to get the job I'd applied for (I had also been offered a job in China) that I just kept anticipating putting the hard work into practice.
Not researching carefully enough usually, after having started the job, leads to cries of "what?" or "You want me to do what?" or "I'll be sharing a room with two goats and Grandma Probolingo?". I have been lucky. This comes from being placed in a great school with an academically excellent Director of Studies. But my advice to everyone is DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Have a list of what you want to know:-
location
salary
what ages will I be teaching
expectations of ability to follow your own interests outside work
accommodation
etc etc
This way in any interview, you will be prepared as much to ask questions, as to answer them.
If you're offered the job and time allows, I'd expect the Director of Sudies who you'll be working with to contact you and offer the opportunity to speak to or email current teachers. Another chance to ask pertinent questions. This along with the research you did earlier will ensure you don't arrive and immediately think "what the ......?"
In all likelihood you'll be taking on a one year contract. That may or may not be extended depending on your performance as much as your intention and any extension depends on what you want to do next. I know teachers and DoS's who have continued into their fourth years and beyond.
Finally. This is a job of work you are taking on. If your goal, as in the words of the immortal Artist Formerly Known as Prince, is to party like it's 1999, then don't do it. Do something else. Get into party planning or wedding organising. You're going to be responsible for impressionable minds. Of course you'll have plenty of chance to let your hair down but you're not on some kind of extended holiday. Better to hear this now than when you're struggling to get a reference for your third job in three months!
Life as a teacher is hard work but there's also fun too. My school is often organising day trips or overnights to different places. Going off on your own is also fun and there's always plenty of help and support to do this.
Good luck and feel free to comment here or ask for further help. I'm happy to oblige.
Monday, June 6, 2011
In Memory of Roisin Burke
On 31st May 2011, we said goodbye to Roisin Burke.
To those of us who knew her, she was always the life and soul of wherever she was, encouraging people to see the fun side of things. I believe this is how she will want to be remembered.
"Derek"
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