2017 Fair Diaries?

Trojan
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Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:09 am
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2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by Trojan »

Hello all,

In the past, fair diaries have been one of the most helpful, interesting threads posted on these forums, especially to those that are new to international teaching or are looking during this high season.

Anyone care to let us know what their experience is like in London right now, for example? Of course, you can scrub your diary of all personally identifying characteristics if need be.

Thanks in advance!
CountingCarbons
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:01 am

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by CountingCarbons »

London starts today/tomorrow. I'm going to try to do a diary, but it's going to be a whirlwind flying in from the States after work, hop off the plane and heading in to the fair. Lots to do in a very short amount of time!
shawanda
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:47 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by shawanda »

I don't usually kiss and tell but I will if I ever get to London (my flight has a five hour delay)...
reisgio
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:17 am

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by reisgio »

I'm at Search London right now. What can I say? More disappointed than ever in the 'globally-minded' and 'boundary-pushing' international school community made up of entrenched white men or feminazi harridans who proudly discriminate in hiring based on gender, national background, or family status. How progressive! No wonder education is made up of so many Trump-hating leftists. It's the only field that structures and sustains itself as the exact opposite of a meritocracy. Stop complaining that education pays so little. It pays so little because most in 'education' are worth so little and could not make it in any field but modern education. Only college professors may be more worthless for society. Even so, I've had three interviews before sign ups and have three more scheduled today at schools that seem genuinely interested in student success and breaking the restrictive mold of present-day international education. I will only interview with the contrarians. "Top" schools in Asia, Europe, and Africa put little love letters in my folder, but after getting one look at them, I say no thank you. I know they want me not for my talents but more for the superficial boxes I check or my cost relative to more expensive candidates. I am more than happy to stay in my current school because I won't consider trading down; yet, sadly, most schools here present no value added that would prompt me to leave.

Otherwise, lots of pretty and perky youngins ready and eager to sign two-year contracts in order to feel good about themselves without even wondering if making a life choice about where one lives and works for at least two years probably isn't the best thing to do with a gun to your head over a 24 hour period.

Associates are as unhelpful as ever, with my assigned fair counselor simply nodding (not even smiling) as I asked her questions. Her response? "That's interesting." Not as interesting as how you siphon money off of poor teachers and call it a career honey. Gez and his family are all here making sure to make things far more complicated than they should be. All is right in the world...More later.
joe30
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:10 am

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by joe30 »

Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't teach, teach abroad.
global_nomad
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:12 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by global_nomad »

reisgio wrote:
> I'm at Search London right now. What can I say? More disappointed than ever
> in the 'globally-minded' and 'boundary-pushing' international school
> community made up of entrenched white men or feminazi harridans who proudly
> discriminate in hiring based on gender, national background, or family
> status. How progressive! No wonder education is made up of so many
> Trump-hating leftists. It's the only field that structures and sustains
> itself as the exact opposite of a meritocracy. Stop complaining that
> education pays so little. It pays so little because most in 'education' are
> worth so little and could not make it in any field but modern education.
> Only college professors may be more worthless for society. Even so, I've
> had three interviews before sign ups and have three more scheduled today at
> schools that seem genuinely interested in student success and breaking the
> restrictive mold of present-day international education. I will only
> interview with the contrarians. "Top" schools in Asia, Europe,
> and Africa put little love letters in my folder, but after getting one look
> at them, I say no thank you. I know they want me not for my talents but
> more for the superficial boxes I check or my cost relative to more
> expensive candidates. I am more than happy to stay in my current school
> because I won't consider trading down; yet, sadly, most schools here
> present no value added that would prompt me to leave.
>
> Otherwise, lots of pretty and perky youngins ready and eager to sign
> two-year contracts in order to feel good about themselves without even
> wondering if making a life choice about where one lives and works for at
> least two years probably isn't the best thing to do with a gun to your head
> over a 24 hour period.
>
> Associates are as unhelpful as ever, with my assigned fair counselor simply
> nodding (not even smiling) as I asked her questions. Her response?
> "That's interesting." Not as interesting as how you siphon money
> off of poor teachers and call it a career honey. Gez and his family are all
> here making sure to make things far more complicated than they should be.
> All is right in the world...More later.

LOL! MORE PLEASE, Reisgio! Love your perspective!
shawanda
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:47 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by shawanda »

I have had just a wretched time. After rejecting two offers made before the fair, I came in trying to turn over a new leaf. So much for that. Today I had distinction of being asked to an interview at 3pm. While waiting, I overheard the recruiter offer the job to someone else. When that someone else left the room, the recruiter looked at me like he had seen a ghost and said, "I emailed you that the position was no longer available." I was polite and said, I didn't get the email, and when I went back to my room, no email was received. LYING BASTARD. I am going to go throw up, but I will write more about this horror show when I come up for air.
reisgio
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:17 am

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by reisgio »

I have been trying to get all my thoughts out about this year's London fair, but nothing longform or narrative is coming together right, so I am drawing inspiration below from long lost forum member ffmary, who wrote something similar two years ago. Below those I create a few of my own. I will try to cobble more together soon.

Best and Worst of London Fair 2017:

Best Looking Recruiter Male: No such thing
Best Looking Recruiter Female: Let's just say that ascending to the thrown at ASM (as it does in any place of work) does just the opposite for the looks.
Worst Food: Chocolate bars from AAS Moscow (Why? Just, why?)
Worst School with Best Presentation: I so very much want to tell but that would be review information, which is not allowed on public forum
Worst Experience: Getting an invitation to interview at a school in Caracas
Best Experience: Staying at Bailey's instead of Gloucester
Best Associate: Oxymoron
Worst Associate: Richest Associate
Best Interview locations: the Bar - recruiter drinking while interviewing is wonderful
Worst Feeling: Realizing that the job you dreamed of for years just went to a 25-year-old because she married to the school's new middle school principal
Best No-Show: UAE schools, oh no, wait, they were there, but they all just blended together for being absolutely mediocre in every way imaginable
Worst Behavior: Recruiters lying to your face and doing a bad to wonderful job doing so
Best Moment: Skipping Gez's candidate orientation

and a few more of my own creation:

Spotted: More spouses piggy-backing on their partner's recruiting business trip to get a free shopping trip in London
Noted: The Italian schools' recruiters seeming to be even more of a mess than usual
Hated: The folders; everyone knows how to use email
Discovered: I could make more as an escort for the for the night in London than I would make in a semester of teaching in Riga
fine dude
Posts: 651
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:12 pm
Location: SE Asia

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by fine dude »

@reisgio
Where is this dream school of yours? Just curious about the country..
bobbydylan84
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Oct 30, 2016 7:55 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by bobbydylan84 »

I was there for a total of one hour . Seemed like an insurance salesmen conference , utterly toxic. A self righteous group of mostly white privilege career teachers looking to teach the elites and maintain neo feudal economics. Good luck to all candidates but I'll take a rain check.
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

bobbydylan84 wrote:
> I was there for a total of one hour . Seemed like an insurance salesmen conference
> , utterly toxic. A self righteous group of mostly white privilege career teachers
> looking to teach the elites and maintain neo feudal economics. Good luck to all
> candidates but I'll take a rain check.
===============
So you weren't invited then?
b12r
Posts: 79
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:47 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by b12r »

I feel like fairs are pretty much straight forward. They are going to be pretty fierce as far as teachers "battling" for vacancies and such. Some teachers being "fake" to one another and some people hiring being a little shady but isn't that sort of the flow with these? I have not ever been to one but that is the gist I get from reading fair diary's and reviews on this forum in the past.

Every teacher puts on their best face at these things I assume.
global_nomad
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 12:12 pm

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by global_nomad »

bobbydylan84 wrote:
> A self righteous group of mostly white
> privilege career teachers looking to teach the elites and maintain neo
> feudal economics.

What an ignorant statement with racist overtones, Dylan! Says a lot about you. I get it you're disappointed but hardly fair to throw shade at 1 particular race of people!
shadylane
Posts: 133
Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2013 7:11 am
Location: SE Asia

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by shadylane »

Is being a career teacher supposed to be an insult?
fine dude
Posts: 651
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:12 pm
Location: SE Asia

Re: 2017 Fair Diaries?

Post by fine dude »

The bottomline is, nobody owes you a thing. You create your opportunities and make the best out of it. Folks who hardly get any PD suddenly 'wake up' after an interview or a job fair and start complaining that the odds are stacked against them. Then, there are those with no certification or expired credentials who demand a level playing field. I say, work your rear off and show what an awesome teacher you can be. Not easy, but will take years of planning and diligence.
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