All teaching jobs with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) require in-person interviews. Interviews take about 30-45 minutes and will be with a representative from ADEC traveling from the UAE to the various interview locations. It's important to perform well during these interviews as it's the ADEC representatives who will decide whether or not to issue a letter of offer to you. During the interview for your teaching job in Abu Dhabi, be prepared to be concrete and to the point. For instance, if you have a resume that claims you have "proven experience in classroom management" be prepared to offer up said proof and come with real examples. If you claim to have "increased graduation rates of students" make sure to have numbers handy.
Interviews are held several times a year in cities all over the world. ADEC representatives will travel to these cities and host interviews, usually in a hotel with conference facilities. Cities are announced as ADEC plans their travel, and the precise venue is usually announced after the city. Make sure to keep in touch with your placement coordinator for date and location, as dates and even cities may be subject to change!
Below you'll find the interview locations and dates:
Interview Location | Interview Dates |
North America | |
Chicago, IL, United States | |
Denver, CO, United States | |
Houston, TX, United States | |
New York, NY, United States | July 14 to 18, 2013 |
Seattle, WA, United States | |
Toronto, ON, Canada | July 14 to 18, 2013 |
Europe | |
London, United Kingdom | July 27 and 28, 2013 |
Dublin, Ireland | July 27 and 28, 2013 |
Middle East | |
Abu Dhabi City, AD, United Arab Emirates | |
Asia | |
Beijing, China | To be announced |
When you're going for your interview, it's time to shine and show the Abu Dhabi Education Council you have what it takes to be a successful teacher in the Abu Dhabi public school system. It's your chance at selling yourself and landing a great job - and we at Footprints want you to succeed. To that end, here are a few tips to help you ace your interview:
- Brush up on outcome based education - they will ask about this.
- Familiarize yourself with the history of ADEC.
- Familiarize yourself with the history and culture of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
- Familiarize yourself with Islamic culture and its customs.
- Dress professionally: for men a suit and tie, for woman business attire.
- Come with a positive attitude: be optimistic yet realistic.
- Speak clearly and succinctly - remember, the interviewers will be assessing you on your spoken language as this is particularly important for second language speakers. Avoid the use of slang or abbreviations.
- Focus on student-centered learning and relationship building as these are critical to your success as a teacher in Abu Dhabi.
- Don't say that you have nothing to improve on in your teaching - nobody is perfect and we can all do better.
- Make sure to have solid examples based on past experience - say what you've done, not what you would do.
- Know your behaviour management strategies.
- Know how to assess your students, both formally and informally.
- Know what rigour looks like.
- Know your theory of second language learning.
From all of us here at Footprints: Good luck!