ABU DHABI // A professional development regime that is “second to none” helped a newly-arrived American cope with life and work at a boys’ school in the Western Region.
“John” said his first year was quite challenging, mainly because his pupils were, for the first time, learning core classes entirely in English as part of the New School Model.
But he was able to meet the challenges, he said, thanks to the training offered by the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the support of his principal.
“We had about two weeks of training before we hit the ground at the school,” John said. “The professional development has been second to none. I speak really highly of what we’ve had and, you know, I guess a lot of people can talk negatively about it but I think that’s their own shortcomings.
“I think Adec has done an excellent job providing the curriculum for the teachers and the students and matching it to the students’ abilities.”
John’s only gripe was being stationed in the Western Region for his two-year contract, when most of his colleagues ended up in Abu Dhabi.
But even this worked out in his favour, he said.
“I don’t have a lot of opportunity for shopping and for going out and socialising with my friends who all stayed in the city. On the other hand, I was able to save a lot more money being out here. It’s had its pros and cons.”
Working as a teacher in the UAE is nothing like “Danielle” imagined it would be.
“With everything in the UAE, it was very, very confusing at first and still is,” said Danielle, a South African who completed her first year here as a Grade 3 teacher in an American curriculum private school.
Before arriving, she said, she expected to be teaching a classroom of disciplined pupils who were well-behaved and courteous in accordance with Islamic traditions and morals.
“I’ve never had kids speak to me the way they do and I teach eight-year-olds, mind you,” she said.
Danielle, in her 20s, worked as a teacher in rural South Africa where class sizes were large, resources scarce and the potential for danger high.
She looked forward to working in the UAE’s progressive and safe society, but said the work culture and lack of support from administrators and parents dampened her enthusiasm.
“A lot of the time they mistreat us. I think because they know we’re expat and we come from a foreign country, they see us as their nanny because the nanny also comes from a foreign country and she is expected to do everything for them,” said Danielle.
“It’s not what I expected at all. I expected that as a teacher, I would have full control of my classroom.
“I just expected to have more authority as a teacher. I didn’t expect when I came here that teachers are watched more by management than the kids are.”
Australian teacher “Thomas” said the private school for which he worked did not offer any sort of induction training, which led to problems.
“We have had teachers coming to school in see-through blouses and tops where the undergarments and bare skin are clearly visible,” Thomas said.
And he said there was no clear instruction on how to handle special education needs pupils.
“There seems to be a culture of hiding a child’s obvious learning difficulties as the subject is seen as too sensitive to broach with the parents and so we have dyslexic students and other special needs students being left behind because no one will address the matter,” Thomas said.
He and Danielle said they planned to leave the country at the end of their contracts.
rpennington@thenational.ae
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sweet%20Tooth
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BLACKBERRY
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.