Aqaba International School in Jordan. EXTREME Teaching.

On first impression of Aqaba is one of a positive nature.

It is a city by the sea.

However after several weeks attitudes quickly change.

Aqaba International School is not a good teaching environment for foreign teachers.

The students don't respect foreign teachers and try very hard to make teachers leave or be terminated.

I was branded and called a "Back Stabber" by Grade 11 and 12 because I said that their lessons were being given in Arabic, when there is a 100% only English policy at the school.

In 2 months there was a turnover of 4 teachers as well as myself.

The classroom behavior is atrocious with no consequences for bad behavior.

Turn your back on a class to write on the board and the students are throwing things around the room changing seats, wrestling doing anything they can to avoid school work.

The bad behavior will escalate quickly from low level talking to high pitch yelling.

Students will often fight amongst themselves, they will also create unbelievable stories about teachers and management believes them.

Of courses when bad behavior is reported it is the teachers fault.

Resources are limited with students buying their own text books which are in short supply.

The staff room is a cluster of computers that are infected with viruses.

The photocopier sometimes works but you can only copy from down loading from a computer.

Sometimes the computers and projectors in the class rooms will work.

Lesson preparation requires a contingency plan just in case none of the hardware is working. Don’t rely on PPT’s.

My HOD organized meetings and then he would never turn up.

The principal and management staff are two faced and pretend to befriend you whilst they require you to complete work that they require.

In an instance terminate your contract with no notice. No salary and No Flight tickets. Expecting to be repaid for allowances such as housing rent and relocation payment.

Once your work permit is cancelled you have 14 days to leave the country which is impossible if you have no funds.

The principal and management staff show no empathy to the teacher or their family when they terminate your employment.

Although the salary package is quiet attractive. There is a payment of 25% tax for the first 6 month.

Cost of living in Aqaba is expensive.

Most people travel by Taxi which is 1JD. Most drivers smoke in their cars. Many will hassle foreign workers for more money and get abusive when extra money is refused.

The Arabic males pay Foreign Females in the city a lot of attention no matter how they are dressed. They stared at them, they call out to them in a derogatory manner, and taxi drivers try and befriend them. My wife commented “it is very scary to walk around alone, sometimes men will follow you”.

Aqaba International School is a very depressing place to work.

After 32 years of teaching 16 years as a college teacher and 16 years as a senior high school teacher of which 8 of those years has been in international schools.

Aqaba International School is the worst educational establishment I have ever been associated with.