Hi Meli:
Thanks for sharing with me -- I was really wondering if I was getting into something way over my head coming to England to teach. Of course, I thought same, many years ago when offered a position in Bridgeport (Inner inner city) and still remembering feeling terrified of going,but I went and stayed for 5 years! At times it was also one of my most rewarding positions. It is true what you say about the kids being used to teachers leaving (same problem with inner city schools)and so not wanting to connect to that teacher.
Thank you again, after reading this post, I feel as if I can do this, just as I did with Bridgeport. Although, sometimes I care too much, But I wlays make every possible effort to encourage them(even with the smallest things)to boost their spirits and their self-steem. I have lost track of how many times I have said to that VERY stubborn student, who is not motivated no matter how great my lesson plan is, "I am nagging you because I care. Not because I take pleasure in being a annoying." Fortunately, when I say that, they believe me because my actions on a daily basis say "I care, I really, really care." |
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I must admit that after reading the above I feel quite anxious. We're in the process of uprooting the whole family to come and live and teach in the UK, in order to have more of a quality life and better opportunities for our daughters through better schooling!????? Surely the schools cannot all be that bad? And the violence? I was under the impression that you get that mainly in the bigger city schools and that the rural 'village schools' are still very safe, where good education is still a reality???? I know that you'll always get the 'difficult, challenging' child everywhere, even in independent schools, but the violence, stabbing and throwing around of furniture?
Next question is whether it really is a given mostly everywhere that overseas teachers are looked down upon and misused? I have a lot of friends who have been teaching there for 6+ years and only 2 of them have complained about behaviour and one of not being valued for being from here - South Africa. Any comments? |
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Hi there.
It's natural to be anxious. It helps you to prepare for the next worried new challenge, but don't get too .
I've been teaching here in Luton now 2 years. The school where I'm at now has primarily a lower middle class student population. A lot of the kids come from the local publically supported housing estate. There are better schools in town and within an easy bus ride of town, but I just don't teach there. I've only just now experience my first in class fight...and it was really nothing. There's a lot of mouthiness and class disruption...particularly in the first part of the first year I taught here. Possible reasons for this have been discussed elsewhere. My school still has general problems with low scale defiance...refusal to take off hats/hoods in the building, some graffiti and vandalism, back chat at staff,...you know, normal stuff that teenagers go through.
Before coming over here I was teaching is a fairly affluent suburban school just outside Cincinnati. While the curriculum at this US school was a lot more rigorous and indepth than what I am delivering here, there was more student on student and student on staff violence there than I've even heard of here. And we had the same kinds of defiance there as well.
Like I said, there are better schools available over here. If I had children of my own, I wouldn't send them to my school. I'd seek out one of the better schools or go private. But that's me.
I think you'll find that the schools which don't have problems with challenging student behaviour, also aren't having as much difficulty recruiting quality British teachers to staff the school. Hence, they'll be less likely to be looking to recruit "foreign" teachers.
As to whether or not overseas teachers are generally looked down upon and misused, I haven't had difficulties with the other staff. They have behaved extremely professionally. In fact, I've recently been offered additional responsibilities for developing our department's Physics programme and my inputs and suggestions are given due and appropriate consideration.
As for "abusive" behaviour from students, it started out as nearly intolerable but improved after I returned from the 1st Christmas vacation. It improved even more when I came back for the current school year. A particularly naughty youngster spread rummours this year that I was leaving before Easter break (revenge for confiscating his mobile phone) and there was a little upheavle amongst the behaviourly challenged. However, most of my students just wanted to be reassured that the rummour wasn't true. They want something and/or someone to believe in. The first 4 months over here was the really hard part...it almost seems like a distant memory for me now, though.
I do hope that helped some. |
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Dear Meli
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer so thoroughly. I really would like to meet you once we're there! I thought it couldn't be all that bad and feel more reassured, although still prepared as best I could from here for bad behaviour. As you say, I also just feel that these kids usually are just looking for a bit of stability and assurance that they are valued somehow by someone despite their worst behaviour. If only I will have the stamina and energy to stick it out!
Bye for now
Anmar
PS Would appreciate it if you could have a look at my other question under 'Many questions'. |
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