Istanbul Hi, after two months of searching for work in sever...

Hi Dawn,
I am an American woman married to a Turk and living in Turkey but not in Istanbul so I cannot tell you which schools to avoid.

I CAN tell you that living in Turkey is very inexpensive but perhaps rentals in Istanbul are on the more expensive side.

Public Schools or universities do not hire Foreign Teachers as far as I know and I have been teaching here for four years. Private schools are eager for native speakers and for a pre-K to 12 private school you could receive andywhere from 950 Euros per month to 1,200 dollars. Universities pay far more.

Young Turkish children are a real handful. They are not encouraged to have much discipline and when their English Teacher comes into class they think it is time to act up and terrorise him or her. The Turkish teachers handle this by shouting loudly at the students. This is not MY idea of classroom management at all but the children seem to be used to that sort of treatment.
Another one or two ideas:
There is a lot of debate right now about Moslem Headscarves being allowed in Universities. I am not Moslem but always wear ankle length skirts and loose tunics with long sleeves as well as a long, loose scarf around my neck. In the heat I simply wear lighter-weight fabrics. Modesty is important in Turkey even though Turkish women do not always follow the above guidelines. I have had problems however, being harrassed for sex on the street no matter the time of day nor the area of the city. There is a large poplulation of women from East Europe countries who emigrate herre with the precise intention of offering themselves for sale. So, often, you will be asked for such services. Thus I reccommend the modest attire.
I have no idea about what you eat but there are no prepared foods available here. All meals must be cooked ´from scratch´ which makes it difficult for a hard-working teacher to deal with. Most schools and universities offer free meals at lunchtime. For breakfast or dinner it´s up to you.
I generally cook at the weekend and freeze portions that I can reheat. Turks do not eat frozen foods.
Turkish wives spend their time at home cooking all day and so the cuisine that has developed here ensures that long cooking times are necessary.
Turkish women are also very jealous and possessive. İt is the rare woman who will befriend you sincerely. I have been stabbed in the back by female administrators who had no international experiences and so do be cautious about your dealings with such women.

Istanbul is a large and dangerous city outside of the City Centre where tourists tend to go. The presence of the Tourist Polis is one factor that keeps you safe. Other parts of Istanbul however can be very dangerous for a woman on her own. Never go out after dark unless you have a friend with you. And it is better that that friend or group of friends includes a man. For some reason everywhere I have gone or anything I have tried to do on my own has been very difficult. My Turkish female friends tell me the same thing.
Istanbul is the only place in Turkey with a sense of International culture but even so, it is pretty tame when compared with other international cities.
The capital of Ankara is very safe but incredibly boring and has no culture or beauty to recommend it.
Izmir, the third largest city is even more boring - if that is possible - and is a difficult place to find friends. But the climate is heavenly. Not too many places to work, however...

If you have any more questions I would be happy to help you.
Good Luck!
Zaharr Manevi

Dear Zaharr,

Thanks very much for such a detailed reply and feedback. I appreciate your time. Actually then, I guess it is private schools that I am to be introduced to via a recruiter. Thanks for the info about the little ones. I have indicated my preference for high school.

Sorry to hear about the dangers of Istanbul outside the tourist zones. I will keep that in mind. I have also considered Izmir for the climate and the sea, but we will see what, if anything, the recruiter finds for me. I am not a nightlife person, so as long as nature and some old architecture to gawk at on the weekends is around, I am happy.

Do tell, where are you living in Turkey? I spent six weeks there this summer and visited many parts.

Cheers and thanks!
Dawn

Hi again, Dawn,

I have noticed some scouts for private K-12 schools in Istanbul recently. You need to know that they hire only in February and March for the following academic year which is now September, 2008.

Universities beign hiring in March or April and may even continue up to June.
Normally, Turkish teachers are hired for the High Schools as they are preparing a very havy academic load of Grammar for University Entance Exams.
Try a university. They always need Conversation teachers and wlecome Native Speakers. Sometimes, you may be the only Native Speaker on the Staff!

I live in Ankara but have spent long periods of time in Istanbul with both Turks and Ex-pats. The Beyoglu area between Taxim Square and Tunelli is International and even has some old Christian Churces and Synagogues.

I also lived in Izmir and worked at the top private K-12 school there. I was NOT welcomed by any of the females and no one spoke English even though the school boatsed an all-English program to the parents.
You will find this frequently in both prıvate elementary schools, universities and in ´Dersane´ the for-profit language schools that are basically the same the world over.
I also worked at a very posh private university and the foreign faculty consisted of over 100 teachers. The pay was good, the benefits were good but the administrators were five women who took instant dislike to me. They were also having a severe power struggle as to just who was supposed to do what. I have news that it has not changed.

I am extremely young for my age - both in looks and attitude although I am a very experienced and successful educator. My youthful looks instantly caused such unreasonable jealousy among my female colleagues that it took my breath away. I have discovered, however, that this is a fact of Turkish Life. The women here are so competitive that they will do anything - including lying through their teeth - to get rid of you if they take a dislike for you. And there are no warnings. It just ´happens´. My experience was NOT unique. I heard about other fine educators who had been given the door and actually watched other colleagues get similar treatment. I actually have an excellent CV and letters of reccommendation from former colleagues and administrators. I also had students that scored the highest in their level, who were taught their subject exclusively by me, yet these females lied about my fine perfomance to the male Rector.
It was unfathomable to me in the beginning but now I understand.
All one needs to do is be smart and pretty and if your boss is a woman, forget it.
How sorry I am to have to write those words!

I truly love my career and yet have found the Turkish Education experience so disheartening that I have deeply considered leaving my profession to do charity work in Third World countries in Healthcare.

I also consider myself a very courageous person. One MUST be, don´t you think, to travel the world and live in other cultures? Yet these several years of similar incidences have completely overwhelmed me.

Try Turkey if you love the Old Ruins and Architecture. The countryside, the villages, the Seas, all are magical and delightful. This is one of the oldest centres of culture in the world. Many say, it is the cradle of civilisation. And so there is much to see and to marvel at.
The Cuisine is wonderful and there is nothing finer than an Aegean or Mediterranean Diet of Cheese, olives, Olive oil and new-baked bread! The herbs, fruits and vegetables are delightful but only in their proper season. No foods are available out-of-season. But this is delightful too! They are sweet and delicious and one can note the passing of the seasons when one enters the market stalls.

The men are very kind in general, and so I cannot understand how they can tolerate the women around them.

I actually HAVE met dear, dear ladies with wide open hearts, but NEVER as a colleague.

My final words of advice are not to try and mingle with your colleagues but look elsewhere for friendships. Too sad, but true. So many people are ready to stab you in the back.

Enjoy the music and art and dance and maybe you will find the happiness which I never did.

I know these facts as I have made all the mistakes which I am cautioning you to avoid!

Hi Zaharr some of your experiences are very similar to mine and for similar reasons (I also look extremely young for my age but have a very extensive educational, travel, and career experience background). I have found this female jealousy problem in all eastern cultures I have lived in but more so in the cultures where men and women are less equal (including the Middle East). I am only new in Turkey but have already noticed some vengeful behaviour which is much more extreme and sudden than I had noticed in East Asia. And like you I am fed up with such experiences and anxious to complete my final degree so that I can practise in the Health field (also with charity work) as I have been aiming for all along.

Dear Ladies,
Due to an unexpected turn of events I have had to move to Istanbul myself! If you, Dawn, ever made it this far, perhaps we could get together and share some ideas and insights which could be beneficial for all of us! It would be wonderful to connect. This site prevents us from learning how to e-mail one another, therefore we must make another sort of arrangement. I can usually be found at the Starbucks across from the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua in Beyoglu on Sundays around noon. I hope that you can find me there sometime and we can meet and chat. There can never be enough support systems in place for female ex-pat teachers in this country. Lets get together and create our own.

Hi Dawn

I had a stint teaching in Turkey and to be honest the behaviour of some males is appalling- !!! They even fondled my ex in a very subtle way and giving strange looks. This was only two years ago.
As for Vietnam they are nice people but be careful in some places as to pickpocketing. In general I have not found any sexist attitude in Vietnam.