Sell Me on Kuwait
I worked at UAS from 2006-2010 and had a good enough experience that I'm considering applying there next yr. If you are dealing with their recruiter here in the States get everything in writing and save all your emails, they cleared up any "misunderstandings" quickly. I'm happy to answer more questions, fire away.
I don't have much to offer except that I spoke with someone who currently works in Kuwait, and this person would be happy to accept a position with UAS. I interviewed with them and didn't have a great feeling about the recruiter, but that is a very personal thing and is different for everyone.
Are you interviewing with other schools in Kuwait? I've done a ridiculous amount of research and interviewed with several schools there. I may be able to offer an outside opinion based on what I've learned.
Good luck!
Are you interviewing with other schools in Kuwait? I've done a ridiculous amount of research and interviewed with several schools there. I may be able to offer an outside opinion based on what I've learned.
Good luck!
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intlskipper
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:29 pm
- Location: Cairo
I am interviewing with the stateside recruiter....which doesn't make me all that happy, but oh well. I was planning to ask if I am offered if I can also meet with the elem principal before accepting, just to get a feel. It is so odd that somewhere who doesnt even work at the school, who therefore doesn't really know what it is like, does the hiring. Very odd.
Right now I'm just interviewing with UAS, but I might have an interview lined up with Al Bayan soon. It's a potential. I've been in contact with the elem principal there.
Bigsky: Grade fixing? Behavior support? Were you there as a single/married teacher? Do you know what the housing is like for couples?
A friend of mine just recently went to Kuwait and set up interviews with all of the schools....UAS, AIS, Creative, ASK, etc, but not BBS and she told me that her favorite and the place she got the best feeling from was UAS. She got offers from all of the schools but ended up turning them all down because she decided that Kuwait wasn't for her. But she did say that one of the biggest complaints was that the housing becomes like a dorm and there is so much drama. Is there an option to live outside of the housing? Would you choose finding your own place over living in the school housing?
Do you have any other advice for dealing with the recruiter, other than getting it all in writing? I did read on the reviews that he will promise you the world to get you to accept the position. Seems odd. But, hey, maybe I'll use that to my advantage. hahaha
Right now I'm just interviewing with UAS, but I might have an interview lined up with Al Bayan soon. It's a potential. I've been in contact with the elem principal there.
Bigsky: Grade fixing? Behavior support? Were you there as a single/married teacher? Do you know what the housing is like for couples?
A friend of mine just recently went to Kuwait and set up interviews with all of the schools....UAS, AIS, Creative, ASK, etc, but not BBS and she told me that her favorite and the place she got the best feeling from was UAS. She got offers from all of the schools but ended up turning them all down because she decided that Kuwait wasn't for her. But she did say that one of the biggest complaints was that the housing becomes like a dorm and there is so much drama. Is there an option to live outside of the housing? Would you choose finding your own place over living in the school housing?
Do you have any other advice for dealing with the recruiter, other than getting it all in writing? I did read on the reviews that he will promise you the world to get you to accept the position. Seems odd. But, hey, maybe I'll use that to my advantage. hahaha
Intlskipper, I haven't lived in that particular "dorm," but can speak from having lived in close quarters with colleagues for many years. You have to be firm in not feeling like you have to include everyone in your life--don't feel obligated to invite all your colleague/neighbors to dinner, or a ., or a night out. Yes, there may be some petulance or hurt feelings for that, but it's their problem, not yours (unless you're the one feeling petulant).
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
[quote="heyteach"]Intlskipper, I haven't lived in that particular "dorm," but can speak from having lived in close quarters with colleagues for many years. You have to be firm in not feeling like you have to include everyone in your life--don't feel obligated to invite all your colleague/neighbors to dinner, or a ., or a night out. Yes, there may be some petulance or hurt feelings for that, but it's their problem, not yours (unless you're the one feeling petulant).[/quote]
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There is some truth to that. You do not owe anyone anything,
On the other hand, that type of attitude can easily lead to bullying and it only takes one cancerous individual to ruin an overseas posting for an individual or group that is consistently excluded from social events.
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There is some truth to that. You do not owe anyone anything,
On the other hand, that type of attitude can easily lead to bullying and it only takes one cancerous individual to ruin an overseas posting for an individual or group that is consistently excluded from social events.
Intlskipper, lots to share, I'll try to get all questions covered. :D
Grade fixing: Not as far as I know, just keep good documentation for backup when dealing with the parents with "inflated" grade expectations. I used my own grading program to provide progress reports on a regular basis to be proactive.
Housing: I was single when I started at UAS, then married half way through. The flats are small and "dorm"esque and you and your husband would be expected to live in the same size as a single teacher. Married teaching couples used to be provided a nice large flat, downside being that it was in Salwa (15-20 min away), not Hawalli (right across the street from the school), therefore requiring you to own a car for transport to school. I'm not sure what they're providing now. There is no housing allowance and they do not give you the option of renting somewhere else. If you wanted to rent on your own in the area you would need to spend around 200-300KD for something decent and newer (which in this area I would recommend!) This would definitely take a chunk out of your salary. In regards to privacy we just made sure to keep a definite line between work and personal which involved our circle of friends. We even got together with our neighbors on that floor and created a "quiet" floor which was respected by others in the building. So there are definitely ways to make things more comfortable.
UAS Recruiter: What you've heard it true, he will promise the sun and the moon, so I cannot stress enough, get it all in writing and save all your correspondence. This is usually enough for things to be honored if there is a question later on.
Elementary principal: She actually is a personal friend of mine, but with that aside, she is definitely a big improvement over the principals that I had while I was there. She is very supportive and will go to bat for you when dealing with difficult parents. I never thought I'd consider going back, but with her leading the elem. I'll be applying next year. She has been with the school for a long time and is very straightforward with what can be expected when dealing with upper management.
Al-Bayan: I did not teach there, but had several friends who did. Overall they were happy there. It seemed like they offered a better package, PD, and housing, but also had a higher workload than UAS. For what it is worth, I myself would apply there if I didn't have kids.
Lastly, and I think, most importantly, you need to make sure with the recruiter that your husband will be able to get a visa. Kuwait has wacky rules regarding wives not being able to sponsor their husbands. It seems that in 2011 there was a exception rule passed allowing teaching wives to sponsor their husbands, but... that might only apply to Arab teachers through the Ministry of Teaching. There also seems to be some kind of family visa, but I'm not at all sure what that entails. For your sanity and wallet do NOT let them talk you into having him come on a visit visa... this means that later he will have to go out of country (Bahrain, Dubai?) every three month to re-enter on a new visa. This is usually at your cost and also denies him the ability to have a Kuwait ID, open a bank account, have access to local medical, etc.
Hmmm... that ended up being a lot! Hope it's helpful. Happy to answer any more questions that you have or that come up.
Again, for what it's worth, I greatly enjoyed my time with UAS. There were the usual growing pains and dealing with the "inshallah" environment, but coming from Cairo, you know how this area of the world works. I'm looking to come back next year if that's any indication. :D
Grade fixing: Not as far as I know, just keep good documentation for backup when dealing with the parents with "inflated" grade expectations. I used my own grading program to provide progress reports on a regular basis to be proactive.
Housing: I was single when I started at UAS, then married half way through. The flats are small and "dorm"esque and you and your husband would be expected to live in the same size as a single teacher. Married teaching couples used to be provided a nice large flat, downside being that it was in Salwa (15-20 min away), not Hawalli (right across the street from the school), therefore requiring you to own a car for transport to school. I'm not sure what they're providing now. There is no housing allowance and they do not give you the option of renting somewhere else. If you wanted to rent on your own in the area you would need to spend around 200-300KD for something decent and newer (which in this area I would recommend!) This would definitely take a chunk out of your salary. In regards to privacy we just made sure to keep a definite line between work and personal which involved our circle of friends. We even got together with our neighbors on that floor and created a "quiet" floor which was respected by others in the building. So there are definitely ways to make things more comfortable.
UAS Recruiter: What you've heard it true, he will promise the sun and the moon, so I cannot stress enough, get it all in writing and save all your correspondence. This is usually enough for things to be honored if there is a question later on.
Elementary principal: She actually is a personal friend of mine, but with that aside, she is definitely a big improvement over the principals that I had while I was there. She is very supportive and will go to bat for you when dealing with difficult parents. I never thought I'd consider going back, but with her leading the elem. I'll be applying next year. She has been with the school for a long time and is very straightforward with what can be expected when dealing with upper management.
Al-Bayan: I did not teach there, but had several friends who did. Overall they were happy there. It seemed like they offered a better package, PD, and housing, but also had a higher workload than UAS. For what it is worth, I myself would apply there if I didn't have kids.
Lastly, and I think, most importantly, you need to make sure with the recruiter that your husband will be able to get a visa. Kuwait has wacky rules regarding wives not being able to sponsor their husbands. It seems that in 2011 there was a exception rule passed allowing teaching wives to sponsor their husbands, but... that might only apply to Arab teachers through the Ministry of Teaching. There also seems to be some kind of family visa, but I'm not at all sure what that entails. For your sanity and wallet do NOT let them talk you into having him come on a visit visa... this means that later he will have to go out of country (Bahrain, Dubai?) every three month to re-enter on a new visa. This is usually at your cost and also denies him the ability to have a Kuwait ID, open a bank account, have access to local medical, etc.
Hmmm... that ended up being a lot! Hope it's helpful. Happy to answer any more questions that you have or that come up.
Again, for what it's worth, I greatly enjoyed my time with UAS. There were the usual growing pains and dealing with the "inshallah" environment, but coming from Cairo, you know how this area of the world works. I'm looking to come back next year if that's any indication. :D
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intlskipper
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:29 pm
- Location: Cairo
Thanks for all the info!
That's good to hear. I just had my interview tonight.
He didn't promise me the sun and the moon. Actually he was pretty straightforward with me. Maybe it's because I am a teacher in the ME already so I know what to expect and no when I'm being bullshitted? Who knows. I actually quite enjoyed our interview and he was very friendly with me. But, we haven't gotten to the contract stage, so we will see what happens then.
He did tell me we would have single accommodation. They wont cover my husband's flight or health insurance.
About the visa, he told me that at first he will need to be on a tourist visa while we wait on my residence visa. But he said once I have my residence, I will then be able to sponsor him. But if it takes a while, then he may need to do the border hop. I however didn't realize this would mean he wouldn't have access to health care....I don't care about the bank account as he doesn't have one here because we only get "payroll" accounts and I therefore cant add it.
I'll admit, the dorm life doesn't sound appealing. But I guess that could be an obstacle we tackle once we get there. I think its hard to imagine that life when we are so independent here. We live far from the school, but its good because we live our own lives. It would be a lifestyle change, but so be it.
I'm glad you mentioned the principal. The recruiter said she has been there something like 22yrs? It's good to hear that she is someone great to work with!
Good to hear about the grades. I do that already also as I deal with Egyptian parents. I have one parent who likes to question every single grade I give her son. And he has the best grades in my class. But every time I give him a 3 (we grade 1-4), she is asking me why he didn't get a 4 and "don't you think he deserves a 4?" he is so wonderful and fabulous and a genius. Don't you think he should get a 4?!? ....umm lady if I thought that, I would have given him one! Haha. But yah, I know what that's like.
Anyway, he said he would offer me the position. But he wanted to look at my BA transcripts and make sure they would be approved by the ministry. I finished my BA in one year because I took an overload of credits and did summer classes, plus I had an AA going in. But he thought it was odd that I finished my BA in one year and wanted to clear it with the ministry? But I also have an MA too.....he just didnt like that I was an over achiever I guess. lol. Idk, so we will see what happens.
That's good to hear. I just had my interview tonight.
He didn't promise me the sun and the moon. Actually he was pretty straightforward with me. Maybe it's because I am a teacher in the ME already so I know what to expect and no when I'm being bullshitted? Who knows. I actually quite enjoyed our interview and he was very friendly with me. But, we haven't gotten to the contract stage, so we will see what happens then.
He did tell me we would have single accommodation. They wont cover my husband's flight or health insurance.
About the visa, he told me that at first he will need to be on a tourist visa while we wait on my residence visa. But he said once I have my residence, I will then be able to sponsor him. But if it takes a while, then he may need to do the border hop. I however didn't realize this would mean he wouldn't have access to health care....I don't care about the bank account as he doesn't have one here because we only get "payroll" accounts and I therefore cant add it.
I'll admit, the dorm life doesn't sound appealing. But I guess that could be an obstacle we tackle once we get there. I think its hard to imagine that life when we are so independent here. We live far from the school, but its good because we live our own lives. It would be a lifestyle change, but so be it.
I'm glad you mentioned the principal. The recruiter said she has been there something like 22yrs? It's good to hear that she is someone great to work with!
Good to hear about the grades. I do that already also as I deal with Egyptian parents. I have one parent who likes to question every single grade I give her son. And he has the best grades in my class. But every time I give him a 3 (we grade 1-4), she is asking me why he didn't get a 4 and "don't you think he deserves a 4?" he is so wonderful and fabulous and a genius. Don't you think he should get a 4?!? ....umm lady if I thought that, I would have given him one! Haha. But yah, I know what that's like.
Anyway, he said he would offer me the position. But he wanted to look at my BA transcripts and make sure they would be approved by the ministry. I finished my BA in one year because I took an overload of credits and did summer classes, plus I had an AA going in. But he thought it was odd that I finished my BA in one year and wanted to clear it with the ministry? But I also have an MA too.....he just didnt like that I was an over achiever I guess. lol. Idk, so we will see what happens.
Glad to hear your interview went well!
I am trying to remember how exactly the health care for family went. I had my twins while I was there and was able to put them on my insurance, I think I paid about 24KD a month each for them. I'm not sure how that would work for your husband without a Civil ID, but maybe the International Clinic would take his tourist visa a ID.
Sounds like you have a good handle on the grading issues. Kuwaiti parents usually have unrealistic expectations in regards to this and will try to be very persuasive.
One of the pros of the housing is that you are fairly close to most everything that you need. There is a bakala across the street and a jamiya at the corner streets. If you get a choice choose an upper level apt as the noise level from the streets is greatly decreased. Lots of fast food and local eateries around and a trip to Sultan Center (Arabic Safeway!) is about a 10 min taxi ride away. We used taxis all the time and they are super cheap once you know the price of how much it should really cost to get there.
Hope all works out! Just by understanding the culture and how things work over here means you've already won half the battle!
Please keep me posted :D
I am trying to remember how exactly the health care for family went. I had my twins while I was there and was able to put them on my insurance, I think I paid about 24KD a month each for them. I'm not sure how that would work for your husband without a Civil ID, but maybe the International Clinic would take his tourist visa a ID.
Sounds like you have a good handle on the grading issues. Kuwaiti parents usually have unrealistic expectations in regards to this and will try to be very persuasive.
One of the pros of the housing is that you are fairly close to most everything that you need. There is a bakala across the street and a jamiya at the corner streets. If you get a choice choose an upper level apt as the noise level from the streets is greatly decreased. Lots of fast food and local eateries around and a trip to Sultan Center (Arabic Safeway!) is about a 10 min taxi ride away. We used taxis all the time and they are super cheap once you know the price of how much it should really cost to get there.
Hope all works out! Just by understanding the culture and how things work over here means you've already won half the battle!
Please keep me posted :D
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intlskipper
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:29 pm
- Location: Cairo
Coach M, it was a Skype interview. I just sent in the app to the email that is listed on the employment page of the website. its an aol address. He got back to me really quickly, same day, and we set up an interview then and there for the following day.
<deleted some content in interest of anonymity> It essentially said....
I got at an offer at a great school that I am really excited about.....
So yay!!! We are moving to Kuwait. I will probably be here a lot more in the next few months asking questions about Kuwait.
I just want to say though, to others who are looking, it really pays to be patient and keep at the search, because eventually the school that was meant for you will fall in your lap. Teachers all around me at my school kept getting interviews and offers and I kept getting emails saying sorry, we're not interested in interviewing you or that one cancelled interview. But shortly after that, I got two interviews at two of the most sought after schools in Kuwait, and got both offers. It pays to be patient and don't lose your confidence. The school that is meant for you and that wants you will come along... I felt like I heard that so much around here, but really it turned out to be true.
<deleted some content in interest of anonymity> It essentially said....
I got at an offer at a great school that I am really excited about.....
So yay!!! We are moving to Kuwait. I will probably be here a lot more in the next few months asking questions about Kuwait.
I just want to say though, to others who are looking, it really pays to be patient and keep at the search, because eventually the school that was meant for you will fall in your lap. Teachers all around me at my school kept getting interviews and offers and I kept getting emails saying sorry, we're not interested in interviewing you or that one cancelled interview. But shortly after that, I got two interviews at two of the most sought after schools in Kuwait, and got both offers. It pays to be patient and don't lose your confidence. The school that is meant for you and that wants you will come along... I felt like I heard that so much around here, but really it turned out to be true.
Last edited by intlskipper on Fri Mar 01, 2013 2:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
[quote="intlskipper"]
I did end up getting the offer, but the day after that interview, I was able to land an interview at Al Bayan.....and was offered there too. I thought a lot about it and eventually decided to go with Al Bayan. They each had their pros and cons but eventually the cons for Al Bayan got dismissed in my head after talking to them more. Plus, UAS offered me a really low salary...at least for my opinion of what the salary should be in Kuwait. [/quote]
Congratulations. What will you be teaching?
I did end up getting the offer, but the day after that interview, I was able to land an interview at Al Bayan.....and was offered there too. I thought a lot about it and eventually decided to go with Al Bayan. They each had their pros and cons but eventually the cons for Al Bayan got dismissed in my head after talking to them more. Plus, UAS offered me a really low salary...at least for my opinion of what the salary should be in Kuwait. [/quote]
Congratulations. What will you be teaching?
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intlskipper
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:29 pm
- Location: Cairo
School for your children
I see this is a forum mostly by and for teachers. So many of your opinions about the quality of various schools are from an employee's perspective. If you were not teachers and money were of no concern, to which school would you send your children in Kuwait? I appreciate your insights.