Modern English School - Egypt

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higgsboson
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am

Modern English School - Egypt

Post by higgsboson »

I just read the latest negative review on MES - Egypt and once again from a tired and disgruntled teacher.
I taught for a year at MES and I loved it! The place was a complete zoo and ripe for a good long dawdle.

I was amazed how so many of the other teachers went home sad, exhausted and broken.
I thought it was one of the world's best places to work. Over the course of a year, I did absolutely nothing and get on great with the students. The owner was a sweet old lady from Jordan and she paid her teachers an excellent salary plus benefits and all she really wanted was for the teachers to keep the kids happy, which was easy enough.

I think so many international school teachers take themselves and their career so seriously that miss out on just how much fun and how financially rewarding a school like MES can be.
jakegittes

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by jakegittes »

Higgs, I envy your approach. I wish I could find some alternative to the low-margin rat race most of us are running.

I can only imagine you get away with what you do because of what you teach. My best guess is you teach something like physics, chemistry, or higher level math. By your own admission you have had a slew of short-term assignments (<2 years) at some truly bad schools. Even if you have a knack for finding bad schools that pay well, you still have to find another such school to hire you when you're done doing over your previous place, and that will only happen if you have something rare to offer.

I suppose it's my fault for being a dummy who can only teach English and social studies. In my case, I'm not sure if I'd find the easy life at some questionable school in the middle east or northern China. After all, schools like that don't really need me to teach at all. I'd just be a white face, and there is always a prettier or cheaper white face around the corner. This may be less true at my so-called "good" school, but here I must work like a dog to justify my existence.

I agree with your general thesis, though. First-tier schools have more in common with their third-tier and ESL counterparts than anyone likes to think. Keeping your head down and grades up will often lead to happy clients.
Micky
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:03 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by Micky »

A post like that is a disgrace to the career of teaching.
higgsboson
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by higgsboson »

Micky Moralized: A post like that is a disgrace to the career of teaching."

Why is it a disgrace? I got on well with the students, the parents and the owner. The principal liked me because I wasn't forever complaining about behavior or sending students to the office. My fellow teachers seemed the only ones with a problem because "school-wide discipline" policies weren't being followed. Who cares! MES is providing a service to, as all know, wealthy Egyptians and they expect a certain kind of service that I was happy to provide.

Maybe Micky is just a damn communist.
higgsboson
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by higgsboson »

I hate Mondays! I especially hate to teach on Mondays!

So I gave each of my first period students a brown paper bag and told them to go outside, walk around campus and fill that brown paper bag up with random shit. Trusting as you'd expect kids to be, they are out there now filling up their brown paper bags and no doubt totally believing that there is a point to the activity. I'm not quite sure what the point will be but I'll make something up - just as soon as I get a cup of coffee and steal a donut out of the faculty fridge.
EllieSLP
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 11:45 pm

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by EllieSLP »

LOL. At the end of the day, if your employer is happy with what you do and you're happy, then who am I or others to judge?
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by shadowjack »

Because EllieSLP, when I get his students next year and they know jack about the subject area, but lots about filling paper bags with "quality stuff", I will have to let his students know how badly he ripped them off.
higgsboson
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by higgsboson »

I frequently hear ShadowJack's type of comment: its not fair for ShadowJack, its not fair for the student, its not fair to society.

Yesterday though the kids came back with their brown paper bags fill of junk. They were flushed and happy and it was like a mini-outing for them. They all agreed on how much they enjoyed my class and compared me favorably to other teachers. I encouraged them in that comparison and let them know how I just loved to gives As to my students. I gave them a stapler and told them to put their names on their bags and staple them shut. Then when they left, I threw the paper bags away. Tomorrow I will tell them they all 100% on the paper bag project.

They had a good time, I got to do nothing and everybody was happy.
lifeisnotsobad
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 3:37 pm

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by lifeisnotsobad »

If it smells like a troll, sounds like a troll and looks like a troll…there is a pretty good chance its Higgsbottom!
higgsboson
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by higgsboson »

Lifesucks said: "If it smells like a troll, sounds like a troll and looks like a troll…there is a pretty good chance its Higgsbottom!"

I thought trolls just made things up - I'm honestly sharing some tried and true techniques that can get a fellow through a career with as little effort as possible.

Today, for example, I came in early and changed times on as many of the clocks as I could. The idea is simple - set your clock 5 minutes ahead and then you get an extra 5 minutes of free time. The trick though is randomly setting all clocks either 5 minutes ahead or 5 minutes behind. Then students aren't saying "why is Mr. so and so's clock always 5 minutes fast?" That would bring admin out of their rat-holes. Instead, by fucking up the time on ALL clocks, students will say "why are ALL the clocks wrong in this school!"
lifeisnotsobad
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 3:37 pm

Re: Modern English School - Egypt

Post by lifeisnotsobad »

If it smells like a troll, sounds like a troll and looks like a troll…there is a pretty good chance its Higgsbottom!
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