I doubt my new job will exist in autumn. I got the position through Search, and as soon as I get confirmation that my new job contract is cancelled, I suppose I will be able to reactive my Search profile. But I can't do anything until I receive word for certain. There is no good Plan B and I will probably wait in place in my current country if I can't move in August to a new job. There should be more unfilled or sudden vacancies than usual this year, I think. I hope.

Heliotrope wrote:
> Some countries that are closed aren't closed to expats with a proper work
> visa, assuming you do a 14 day quarantine upon arrival. And in some of
> those, the school can still arrange work visa for new hires just like
> before, thus allowing you to enter once that has been sorted.
> Best to contact the school about this, if you haven't already. It might not
> be as bad as you think. Or it might be of course, but asking won't hurt
> you.

The country is not issuing visas for foreigners right now, and their embassies are not processing visas. The school is aware of this, of course. All they will tell me is that they are 'continuing to plan for our new recruits arrivals'. This is deliberately vague and they aren't saying anything about what happens if the new teachers can't get into the country in August.

It isn't as if I can reactivate on Search and start looking for something more certain. The uncertainty is killing me here.

I have a new contract for August, and the border is now closed. This is not China or the Middle East. Up until the lockdowns, it seemed a good school and package. I know from a contact there that the school is in a better financial situation than most, and is truly non-profit. But I can't begin the process leading to getting there until lockdown and restrictions ease.

Which scenario is most likely if new teachers are unable to arrive for an August start?

a. the school will work with the teacher to get them there, maybe a month later. The teacher won't be paid until arrival, but their job will be safe.

b. the school will cancel the contract at the last minute.

c. the school will work with the teacher to get them there eventually. The teacher will be paid in August because the teacher is expected to begin teaching remotely.

d. some other scenario

I'm really scared. I accepted a (dream) post for 2020/21 well before we were hearing much about the .. Now the country where I am supposed to be going is closed to foreigners and is not processing visas. I know the school actually needs me, or someone for the role, but am feeling more and more disheartened.

In a case like this, the only course of action seems to be to watch the days tick by, hoping that I won't receive the message that my new contract is cancelled. All the while, I know that I'm not likely to find something else so late in the season if my new job disappears.

It is terrible to be trying to make a Plan B.

Could any admin post what they are saying among themselves, but not telling their staff yet? I'm interested in all speculation and any predictions. I know you can't tell your staff anything until it is confirmed because you don't really know for sure yet, but I'm interested in what you actually expect could happen, based on what you know now.

Admin, what are your honest feelings and predictions? Should those of us with new jobs lined up for August plan on being unemployed? Do you think your school will go under? Do you foresee laying off staff you already have? Are you postponing interviews for new hires now, or are you expecting that some of the people you have recently hired for next year will not actually be able to come? If you can give your country or at least region, that would be great.

What country is this, shawanda?

metooedu wrote:
> You are literally making the #notallmen argument. You do realize that?
>
>
> https://medium.com/@KirstyStricklan/why ... 57e244f7a1
>
>
> https://www.bustle.com/articles/171595- ... versations
>
>
> https://time.com/79357/not-all-men-a-br ... -argument/

Your argument is illogical, and you struggle with reading comprehension. People like you are dangerous.

I'm done here.

metooedu wrote:
> > You really are quite
> > sexist, aren't you?
>
> I have repeatedly referred to the abuse of power. The person in power here is a man.
> The person not in power is a woman. And, due to misogyny, women are blamed for most
> sexual misconduct. This is not sexist to point out.

No, you have repeatedly emphasised that the OP is likely to be exploited BECAUSE she is a woman and BECAUSE he is a man. Here's one example: 'As a woman, YOU will bear the full costs of anything that goes bad and not him.' Stop making sweeping generalisations that indicate (all/most) men are likely to be predators/users. It isn't fair and it isn't true, and your bitterness and aggression are not a good look here. The chances are he is a good person who truly likes her in some way.

Would you be OK with a man advising another man that 'YOU will bear the full costs of anything that goes bad and not her'? I doubt it.

Why can't you assume the best of people until they prove otherwise? I feel sorry for you.

metooedu wrote:
> You are using situations with happy endings to ignore the fact that many of
> these situations don't go well.
>
> As a former IS teacher, I am very familiar with IS and the needs of an
> expat community. I understand your arguments, but they can be used to
> gaslight women when they have a negative experience. I've worked in this
> field several years now and while you know of many examples that worked out
> fine, I know of many examples where it didn't. An issue of sexual
> harassment/assault gets written off as an "interpersonal problem"
> and a relationship gone bad between two people when in reality the woman
> suffers enormous career and mental health consequences and the man escapes
> unharmed.
>
> I'm sorry you take issue with my himpathy language. But, I stand by the
> fact that you appeared to center your concerns on what the director will
> feel and not on what she will feel, and she is the person at greatest risk
> here. He holds all the cards.
>
> I realize that expat IS communities are small and many teachers use it to
> hook up with one another and (sometimes) try and find love. But, I also
> know that some really bad behaviors get swept under the rug because of the
> acceptance of these "romances." I am not arguing that all
> romantic relationships must be stopped, but I stand by the
> inappropriateness of a person in a position of power (Director, Supervisor,
> Department Head) going out with a subordinate.

> You are using situations with happy endings to ignore the fact that many of
> these situations don't go well.

No, I'm not.

I understand your arguments, but they can be used to
> gaslight women when they have a negative experience. AND I'm sorry you take issue with my himpathy language.

I said NOTHING about gender in my reply: why are you turning this into a men vs. women thing? His/her genders are irrelevant here. My advice would be the same if they were both women or both men. You seem very aggressive and determined to make this into a "metoo" concern. It really isn't at this point, and most likely won't turn into that. You seem to be trying to force this into the argument you are determined to have.

I stand by the
> fact that you appeared to center your concerns on what the director will
> feel

No, I'm not 'centering my concerns' on the director's feelings. My concerns ARE based on 1. concern for the OP, who did indicate she is interested in taking up the man's offer to socialise, should he offer again. I was urging her to think carefully about how an ill-thought post might appear to the other ., and 2. the feelings of two human beings.

I've worked in this
> field several years now and while you know of many examples that worked out
> fine, I know of many examples where it didn't. An issue of sexual
> harassment/assault gets written off as an "interpersonal problem"
> and a relationship gone bad between two people when in reality the woman
> suffers enormous career and mental health consequences and the man escapes
> unharmed.

1. You are no longer an IS teacher and I'm still working. Don't presume that you have more experience than I do, or try to discount my experience as less significant than your own. 2. I think it is horrific to imply that this person has nefarious intents, and that it is likely that his overture (we don't know if it was romantic!) would result in 'an issue of sexual harrassment/assault." You do realise that many, many people ask out other people for lunch, social activities, dates, etc. and the majority of these overtures don't result in sexual harrassment or assault. 3. Again, why are you trying to make this about gender at all? You really are quite sexist, aren't you?

metooedu wrote:
> > A LOT of people read these forums. If he does, he'll recognize it. Yes, it is
> her
> > "prerogative to ask advice from whomever she wants", but that doesn't
> mean
> > everyone is going to view her posting here the same way. A thing might be your
> > prerogative, but that doesn't mean your colleagues and supervisor have to view
> it as
> > professional.
>
> So...do I understand this correctly? Your biggest fear is that the director or others
> will read this and dislike her because she has posted this anonymously on a public
> forum? Thus making HER indiscreet??? You don't think the biggest fear here is that a
> person in a position of power is asking out his subordinate? That's a lot of
> himpathy. Power dynamics are coercive and his behavior is totally inappropriate, not
> only to this woman but to the other women that work in his school. I would hope if he
> reads this forum he would get a good slap in the face and knock it off.
>
> However, I do think it's possible he won't learn that lesson and instead will just
> shun her now and treat her terribly. So, if there really is a serious threat to her
> for having posted here, then this thread should definitely be deleted. If anyone
> wants to start a new thread about general MeToo issues in international schools (with
> no details of specific cases), I am in favor of doing that instead!

Sorry, I don't think his actions were out of line. He asked her to a social event where there would be many people present. I do think you need to consider the context, which is that many of us work in far-flung places where we don't speak the local language, and school/expat communities are small. I have been friendly with people who happened to be admin in the past for these reasons, and there was nothing unprofessional about it. Assuming that he has romantic intentions isn't quite fair at this point, I don't think. Perhaps she looks lonely. Perhaps he wants to ensure that she feels comfortable/not isolated in their community so that she can feel comfortable and supported and happy. Maybe he thinks she'll gel with some of his friends, maybe one of them shares an interest with her. Things work differently in expat communities, and I don't think it is fair to judge this man based on the details we know. This has nothing to do with gender, by the way, and I resent the "himpathy" comment.

That being said, I know two happy marriages made up of teacher + admin, and both met and began dating while one spouse was technically the line manager of the other. I still don't see anything wrong with this if everyone professionally.

Heliotrope wrote:
> shopaholic wrote:
> > Really? If I were him reading this, I would be concerned that she is likely to
> > discuss (aspects of) our relationship with a lot of people, both online and in
> person
> > at school. That would bother me, and not because I would be planning to do
> something
> > sinister. The successful relationships within tiny international school
> community
> > circles seem to be the ones in which both partners are discrete enough to keep
> the
> > core of their relationship private, just for them. The ones that implode, with
> > results that tend to involve a lot of people, are the ones in which one partner
> is
> > indiscrete and gossips a lot so that everyone around them knows what is going
> on.
> > That's what I've seen, anyway.
>
> She's asking for advice here, anonymously, so that's pretty discreet.
> Plus, there's not a (romantic) relationship to discuss yet.
> If I were him, reading this wouldn't worry me at all, on the contrary. It's
> definitely better than her asking advice from her colleagues, which actually also
> wouldn't worry me tbh as it's her prerogative to ask advice from whomever she wants.

A LOT of people read these forums. If he does, he'll recognize it. Yes, it is her "prerogative to ask advice from whomever she wants", but that doesn't mean everyone is going to view her posting here the same way. A thing might be your prerogative, but that doesn't mean your colleagues and supervisor have to view it as professional.

If someone asks you out and you say no/plan to say no, it's pretty shabby to blab about it in any context in which it could get back to them or begin to circulate among colleagues, I think. There are anonymous forums unrelated to international schools where she could get truly anonymous advice guaranteed not to be linked back to her/him/their school.

Heliotrope wrote:
> shopaholic wrote:
> > The thing that would concern me most right now is: does he read this forum?
> > Plenty of people I know do. For a lot of reasons connected to this, I
> > suggest you have the post deleted.
>
> Why?
> That would be quite perfect actually. He would know she finds him smart and
> attractive, and that in most any other situation she would have said yes. But also
> that she has reservations because she works for him.
> If I were him reading this, I'd have a nice little ego-boost, but would also know not
> to pursue her further.
> She says nothing that makes her look bad in any way, quite the opposite I'd say.

Really? If I were him reading this, I would be concerned that she is likely to discuss (aspects of) our relationship with a lot of people, both online and in person at school. That would bother me, and not because I would be planning to do something sinister. The successful relationships within tiny international school community circles seem to be the ones in which both partners are discrete enough to keep the core of their relationship private, just for them. The ones that implode, with results that tend to involve a lot of people, are the ones in which one partner is indiscrete and gossips a lot so that everyone around them knows what is going on. That's what I've seen, anyway.

The thing that would concern me most right now is: does he read this forum? Plenty of people I know do. For a lot of reasons connected to this, I suggest you have the post deleted.

sid wrote:
> Can you define "help" with a little more detail?
> If the teacher is asked to do the typing (or the dictating) for a student's
> assessment, that's bad.
> If the teacher is asked to give formative feedback that suggests where the
> student needs to pull up their socks, that's generally good. Unless it
> reaches the level of "in paragraph two, write this instead of
> that".
> I'm currently working with a teacher who is of the mindset that "good
> IB teaching" means that the teacher hands out a task sheet to 6th
> graders, tells them it's due in 2 weeks, and sits back to watch and see
> what happens. In her mind, since the IB wants students to learn
> independence, this is a required approach. This teacher is quite upset that
> she has been asked to interact with the students throughout, provide
> formative feedback along the way, teach relevant lessons or mini-lessons,
> etc etc etc. I do think that she thinks that she has been asked to assist
> the students in cheating.

"Unless it reaches the level of "in paragraph two, write this instead of
that". Yes, this is what it is, except more: not just 'paragraph two', but all paragraphs. And no, I am not like the teacher you describe.

So what would you advise doing if you found yourself in that situation?