Teaching in Dubai: What you should know
As soon as a teacher starts work in Dubai’s private schools, they become an international teacher.
Of course, many of those teachers have been ‘international’ for years but Dubai is also a favourite first destination for teachers looking to move and work abroad. Many teachers come straight from the UK, Ireland, India, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan – to name just a few of the most common sources.
The schools are international because the staff are usually a very diverse international mix. So are the students and their parents. We think there are five big things to look out for and expect.
There is not a single approach to anything! One size never fits all
You are likely to have come from a country and context where there is a substantial body of common teaching and school practices. Well, you may be lucky, and you could find yourself in a school that works pretty much the same way as they do at home but be prepared. The other schools in town can be very, very different. Different in fee levels and teacher payments. Different in assumptions about what makes a good teacher and a good lesson. Different in age ranges, size, teachers’ national backgrounds, facilities, curriculum, accreditations, assessments and qualifications. Even in your own school, you will soon find novelty. It could be in HR practices and teacher rewards. It is very likely to be in annual inspection. It almost certainly will be in governance and parental relationships. To teach in Dubai is to understand the meaning of the word, ‘diversity’.
Parents will tell you what they think and what they want
You will meet parents from so many different countries. Their expectations about everyday life are incredibly different, so be ready for every possible difference in their expectations of you as a teacher. Some days, you will feel like every possible stereotype you have heard is true. You’ll meet Straight-talkers to the point that you think they are just rude. Easy-goers who you can’t decipher. Others who are Emotional and Volatile, or Interfering and Nit-picky, Warm and Supportive, and some who are Polite yet Distant. Imagine trying to negotiate a homework policy that everyone likes? You cannot. You have to go with what the school policy says and make it work the best way you can. But there are two things that we emphasise because it helps to err on the right side: expect every parent to want you to know their child extremely well; and expect every parent to be very demanding about your abilities, your character and your quality as a teacher. Never, ever drop your guard. Welcome to professional responsibility that will feel like it might even be 24/7.
Inspection counts – this is the only place we know with annual external inspections
The private schools of Dubai have had annual inspections since 2008/09. Inspection teams are assembled from expats living in the region and from consultants flown in from around the world. They work systematically, applying a handbook and rules to arrive at their judgments and ratings. The updated school report is published annually for all parents to see. These unique arrangements have consequences. You need to know the inspection framework and understand how it addresses matters such as the core subjects (Arabic and Islamic Studies, maths, science and English), teaching and learning progression, cross-curricular issues and student welfare, and leadership and management. Expect your school’s leaders to be fixated on their annual rating. Expect to have more visits than you may be used to, through the year, as your senior team checks for classroom quality. Welcome to a world that is all about transparency and accountability.
Less educational infrastructure than you may be used to
Over 95 per cent of the world’s schooling takes place in government schools, not private schools. Dubai is the absolute trailblazer for the reverse approach and, at this point in its development, the wider eco-system for schools is a little under-developed. There are no strong teacher unions or associations to fight your corner or provide professional courses. School Principals get together where they feel comfortable – or where their school chain brings them together – but there is always a risk of some professional isolation, which you should fight. The onus is largely on you as an individual, and with the teams round you, to get together, to get involved, to share where you can and to build more of an eco-system. Consider this your personal challenge and you will help Dubai grow even faster into an educational wonderland.
Dubai is so much fun. It doesn’t get better than this!
The truth is that here, you can grow personally and professionally like nowhere else. Sometimes, the way the school is managed will test you. Or the inspection approach will frustrate you. Or the parents will surprise you. You may not find the city everything you expect or need. Yes, it is hot for most of the year. But you have to take your hat off to the people who have built this place. The environment is stunning, the infrastructure remarkable, the leisure opportunities endless. It is a safe and very friendly city. Full of youth, innovation, respect and variety. As with anywhere, you will largely get out what you put in. There are many of us who have lived in Dubai for years and even decades. The educational experience you get as you wrestle to understand and appreciate the teaching of Arabic, and to work on your skills with English as an additional language, is so valuable.
Take time to learn about the culture and history of this part of the world. Take time to travel around. Take time to get to know some of the remarkable, family-run, powerful lower-cost schools of Northern Dubai because they’ll shock you with how good their outcomes are.
If you want to continue learning all your life, this is a great place to come and enhance your life and your career.
