Teach Middle East Magazine September 2014 Issue 1 Vol. 2 | Page 24

Inside The Staffroom

IN THE STAFFROOM…WAYS TO WIN
OVER YOUR NEW COLLEAGUES

I

t is the start of the new school year
and, for some educators it is also
the beginning of work in a new
school. The challenges of being
in the classroom may become more
intense when you are in a new country
with a different culture. Most educators
are able to make new acquaintances
with ease, while others might need
a little nudge in the right direction,
especially when it comes to winning
over new colleagues. The following
tips could make your transition into a
UAE staffroom a bit easier.
Cultural Gifts: Most expatriate
educators tend to have little trinkets
and items that remind them of their
home country. Share aspects of your
culture by bringing gifts to your new
school and colleagues. These can be
CDs or DVDs with cultural practices
such as appropriate music recordings
or music videos of traditional dances,
cooking videos, photographs of
the landscape, souvenir items
and more. Local educators have
the advantage of being in their
home country, which makes
offering
up cultural
gifts
e v e n

easier. This kind of gift will easily start
the dialogue on culture so you will
learn about your new home as well.
Before you know it, you will be getting
invitations to local events and perhaps
planning a few of your own.
Resource Sharing: Educators are
always looking out for new ideas and
resources to improve their lessons.
Be open about the resources that you
have and share the materials and links
so your colleagues can also benefit.
When you are kind with your resources,
your colleagues won’t think twice about
sharing theirs with you. In fact, it could
lead to you making lasting friendships
instead of mere acquaintances at your
new school.
Team Player: It’s your first week at
your new school and already, one of
your colleagues needs someone to
cover his/her class…what do you
do? If you have a free session,
take the opportunity to cover
it! Focus on the bridges that
you are building by being a
team player. As
the
school term

progresses, there will be days when
you will need assistance. A cheerful
disposition and eagerness to aid
colleagues when they are in need will
result in gaining favour.
The Native Language: The native
language of the UAE is Arabic. This
means that a number of your Emirati
and Arab colleagues as well as many
of your students will speak very little or
perhaps no English. Take the time to
learn key vocabulary words so as to be
able to communicate with them. Once
they realise that you are interested
in learning the language, they will be
thrilled to help you with learning even
more vocabulary. You will definitely
impress them, if on your first day you
are able to greet them in Arabic.
A Listening Ear: There are many
little challenges that add up during the
first trimester of the school year. You
may find yourself in a position where
a frustrated colleague simply needs
to talk about what he/she is going
through. If you have the wherewithal
to do so, just listen. Be positive with
the comments that you make and if
possible, find a creative way to cheer
that person up. If not, don’t be
dismissive, but instead pass it on
to someone who may be able to
lend an ear.
We hope these tips help you
as you start this new and
exciting journey. There
will be some days that
are seemingly perfect and
other days when you
will need the support
of your colleagues in
getting the job done.
Make your new
connections count!

22

September 2014

Class Time