For Your Information
Top 10 Tips For Educators
Who Are New To The UAE
By Alona Ballard
Make friends
As expats, sometimes the friends we
make here in the UAE have to serve
as stand-ins for our family members.
At some point in time, you may need
someone to take you to the airport
before dawn, help you move, bring you
fresh clothes if you are hospitalised
or just be a shoulder to cry on. Find
people who share similar interests as
you and cultivate the relationships.
Don’t take it personally
While expat teachers take care to
make sure they don’t say anything
offensive to their Arab students
or colleagues, the same courtesy
isn’t always extended to you. Many
teachers can recall being called ‘too
fat,’ ‘too skinny’ or told they need to
change their makeup or hairstyle by
someone at their school. In addition,
your marital status and kids (or lack
thereof) may come up in a conversation
with someone whom you barely know.
Sometimes the commenter does not
know that what they’re saying could
be considered rude. Chalk it up to a
cultural difference.
Experience the culture
I have seen some teachers spend their
early days in the country getting their
only sustenance from American chain
restaurants that they feel comfortable..
What is the point of moving to a new
country only to eat what you could
get at home? That sentiment extends
to your activities too. The malls and
movie theatres are here for your
enjoyment, but so are camel festivals,
desert safaris and Bedouin camps.
Don’t complain
There are some people who seem
to find fault in everything from the
moment they wake until they go to
sleep at night. Don’t be like them. You
will find that many things in your school
are done differently in the UAE than in
your home country. Of course, this is
to be expected. There is no need to
constantly harp on it or find yourself
starting every sentence with, “but in
(insert home country here) we do it
this way…”
Be on your best behaviour
While the UAE is a very tolerant
country, there are laws in place that
are in accordance with the country’s
Islamic values. Teachers must be aware
of the kinds of behaviours, which are
deemed unlawful. Unlawful conduct
can lead to incarceration and/or even
deportation. Even though the teacher
community is large and diverse, poor
behaviour can reflect badly on all of us.
Learn a little Arabic
We teachers tend to be life long
learners as well, so why not pick up
a new language while you’re here? It
certainly will surprise and delight some
of your Arab colleagues. There are
many language groups (both formal
and informal) that you can easily find
that meet on a weekly basis.
Be flexible
Within the UAE teaching community,
many changes, both on micro and
macro levels are happening everyday.
Teachers often find that what they
were told yesterday holds no weight
today. Unexpected happenings are
part of the norm and the ability to
adapt and transition seamlessly will
win you favour.
Be careful on the roads
traffic safety, leading the government
to create several initiatives to help
curb the number of car accidents.
Be on the lookout for speeding cars
that flash their headlights behind you
to get you to shift lanes. Pedestrians
sometimes dart across busy highways.
Always wear your seatbelt and keep
your speed down.
Diet is important
In the UAE, carbohydrates and sweets
are at a surplus and a constant in the
diet of many. This and a community
that relies on motorized transportation
and staying in the A/C to beat the heat
can wreak havoc on your waistline.
Live within your means
The luxury lifestyle of some residents
of the UAE could make even the most
practical teacher crave a fancier car
or a designer bag. Don’t let ‘keeping
up’ keep you in debt. Enjoy spending
some of your hard earned cash, but
have a financial plan to ensure that
you will have a stable future. It’s not a
bad idea to seek out an expert in the
field who can show you where to best
invest your money and inform you of
what you could be held liable for in
taxes. Be careful when choosing a
financial advisor, as the industry is not
very well regulated here. It is better to
get personal recommendations in this
area and avoid the col