Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
May 20th 2020, 8:45 pm
#1
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Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
Hi. My Italian partner would like to move back to her native Catania and I am considering the employment options for myself. I am a recently qualified primary (elementary) school teacher. Previous to this I worked as an artist / art teacher / art studio manager (so not flush with cash
I am wondering what are the employment options for me in Catania? I think the nearest International primary school is in Palermo so a bit far to commute (assuming that I would be lucky enough to land a job there). I know there is an American school in Sigonella but as far as I can ascertain they only employ US citizens. I also have a Celta tefl qualification so I could look for English teaching work but I think it is very poorly paid. I wonder are there any opportunities to work as a private tutor to children of expats in Catania? Seeing as there is no international school there? Or I thought about setting up kids art/English lessons? I don't speak Italian so I would be only starting to learn it once there. My partner has an apartment there so our accommodation is looked after. She will be job hunting too but she has some options in that regard. I'm Irish by the way. Apologies for piggy backing on your British Expat forum but it seemed to be the most up to date that I could find. Many thanks in advance for any advice, suggestions or remarks. I have enjoyed reading many of your exploits in Sicily
I am wondering what are the employment options for me in Catania? I think the nearest International primary school is in Palermo so a bit far to commute (assuming that I would be lucky enough to land a job there). I know there is an American school in Sigonella but as far as I can ascertain they only employ US citizens. I also have a Celta tefl qualification so I could look for English teaching work but I think it is very poorly paid. I wonder are there any opportunities to work as a private tutor to children of expats in Catania? Seeing as there is no international school there? Or I thought about setting up kids art/English lessons? I don't speak Italian so I would be only starting to learn it once there. My partner has an apartment there so our accommodation is looked after. She will be job hunting too but she has some options in that regard. I'm Irish by the way. Apologies for piggy backing on your British Expat forum but it seemed to be the most up to date that I could find. Many thanks in advance for any advice, suggestions or remarks. I have enjoyed reading many of your exploits in Sicily
Last edited by urbanachiever; May 20th 2020 at 8:55 pm.
May 20th 2020, 9:49 pm
#2
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
Disgraceful you should piggyback here….
I really don’t think you have too much going for you in terms of employment…. But you have accommodation and I think that takes you a long way. If you are both prepared to do any work there is a good chance you will find something, and if not I assume you can return? It’s a wonderful country and all, and everyone, should at some stage try something different! Good luck in whatever you end up doing.
I really don’t think you have too much going for you in terms of employment…. But you have accommodation and I think that takes you a long way. If you are both prepared to do any work there is a good chance you will find something, and if not I assume you can return? It’s a wonderful country and all, and everyone, should at some stage try something different! Good luck in whatever you end up doing.
May 21st 2020, 4:53 am
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
Catania is not the best place as far as employment prospects are concerned. If youwant to teach in state schools you will need to do a type of PGCE year in Italy to get the qulalification even if you already have one in the UK. Language teaching is poorly paid unless you can land a PON or something funded by Europe - obviously you know noone and will be last on the list. Your onlyoption is to find something in tourism which requires English, or teach impoverished students at the university English. Bear in mind that would you consider poorly paid is a good wage in Sicily. Very few people turn their noses up at 600/800 euros a month. As a teacher in a language school you'll get between 8 and 10 euros an hour.
May 21st 2020, 6:59 am
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
I took a document along to be translated and the office told me that they were always looking for native English speakers to teach in companies. The students already spoke English but needed to improve pronunciation and fluency. They werent looking for qualifications or Italian.
May 21st 2020, 8:56 am
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
Thank you all for your replies. Yes, I am happy to accept that wages will be lower. Having worked in the arts for 15 years I'm used to surviving on minimum wage. On my visits to Sicily I have found the pace of life to be quite hurried and stressful. My partner is extremely security conscious. When she moved in with me here in Ireland it was demanded that I get double locks for the doors etc etc. When I am in Sicily I am made to feel like one has to be very careful. Lock everything down. Nobody in her family walk anywhere and driving is so aggressive. Kids don't go outside much. It's just not what I pictured before visiting Sicily. Then there is the rubbish. The area outside Catania where her family live could be so beautiful but every laneway is strewn with rubbish. When I asked her about this it was as if she was completely oblivious to it. It was like she has learned to see beyond it or else she was unwilling to discuss it for reasons of pride - I didn't pursue it. I think it would get to me though.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can appreciate all the wonderful things Sicily has to offer in stunning landscapes, architecture, food, history and a wonderful people. I suppose it's up to the individual to make the best of it. And as someone said above, I can always move on if it doesn't fit.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can appreciate all the wonderful things Sicily has to offer in stunning landscapes, architecture, food, history and a wonderful people. I suppose it's up to the individual to make the best of it. And as someone said above, I can always move on if it doesn't fit.
May 21st 2020, 12:41 pm
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
It's worth considering online teaching, especially English as a Foreign Language. There's lots of different competitors, but the demand for English is high. Some websites want you to work on contract, but I prefer being freelance and working on a semi self-employed basis. I use a website that takes a percentage of the fees the students pay in return for doing all the marketing and advertising and admin work. You're never going to make millions, but there are upsides in the sense that you have a lot more control over when you work, who you work with, etc. Most importantly for me, it allows me to teach in the way that I choose. You're free of all the education bureaucracy! Also it will allow you to declare yourself as self-employed and therefore you can register with the Italian health service - in return you have to pay tax of course (which is fair enough) but the tax isn't too bad as long as you don't earn too much. Obviously you'll need to consider the internet connection, but a decent 4G signal is enough for Skype and Zoom nowadays.
The Italian attitude to rubbish can be quite interesting. I realise I'm generalising but it seems to me that there's a lot of awareness of the issue and the damage it causes globally, but not so much on their own doorstep. They create these luxurious areas outside bars next to areas that are a bit of a wasteland. Always seems odd to me. As you say, it is almost as if they don't see it. Not sure it's pride, it's more like a deliberate example of not seeing. There are a number of negative things about every place. I think one needs to accept that perhaps it won't change completely, or perhaps not very quickly - after all the strength of tradition in Italy is actually one of the upsides of the country. But on an individual level perhaps you could help yourself to cope by starting some sort of art/environment project involving upcycling and education about the environment?
The Italian attitude to rubbish can be quite interesting. I realise I'm generalising but it seems to me that there's a lot of awareness of the issue and the damage it causes globally, but not so much on their own doorstep. They create these luxurious areas outside bars next to areas that are a bit of a wasteland. Always seems odd to me. As you say, it is almost as if they don't see it. Not sure it's pride, it's more like a deliberate example of not seeing. There are a number of negative things about every place. I think one needs to accept that perhaps it won't change completely, or perhaps not very quickly - after all the strength of tradition in Italy is actually one of the upsides of the country. But on an individual level perhaps you could help yourself to cope by starting some sort of art/environment project involving upcycling and education about the environment?
May 21st 2020, 3:50 pm
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
It's worth considering online teaching, especially English as a Foreign Language. There's lots of different competitors, but the demand for English is high. Some websites want you to work on contract, but I prefer being freelance and working on a semi self-employed basis. I use a website that takes a percentage of the fees the students pay in return for doing all the marketing and advertising and admin work. You're never going to make millions, but there are upsides in the sense that you have a lot more control over when you work, who you work with, etc. Most importantly for me, it allows me to teach in the way that I choose. You're free of all the education bureaucracy! Also it will allow you to declare yourself as self-employed and therefore you can register with the Italian health service - in return you have to pay tax of course (which is fair enough) but the tax isn't too bad as long as you don't earn too much. Obviously you'll need to consider the internet connection, but a decent 4G signal is enough for Skype and Zoom nowadays.
The Italian attitude to rubbish can be quite interesting. I realise I'm generalising but it seems to me that there's a lot of awareness of the issue and the damage it causes globally, but not so much on their own doorstep. They create these luxurious areas outside bars next to areas that are a bit of a wasteland. Always seems odd to me. As you say, it is almost as if they don't see it. Not sure it's pride, it's more like a deliberate example of not seeing. There are a number of negative things about every place. I think one needs to accept that perhaps it won't change completely, or perhaps not very quickly - after all the strength of tradition in Italy is actually one of the upsides of the country. But on an individual level perhaps you could help yourself to cope by starting some sort of art/environment project involving upcycling and education about the environment?
The Italian attitude to rubbish can be quite interesting. I realise I'm generalising but it seems to me that there's a lot of awareness of the issue and the damage it causes globally, but not so much on their own doorstep. They create these luxurious areas outside bars next to areas that are a bit of a wasteland. Always seems odd to me. As you say, it is almost as if they don't see it. Not sure it's pride, it's more like a deliberate example of not seeing. There are a number of negative things about every place. I think one needs to accept that perhaps it won't change completely, or perhaps not very quickly - after all the strength of tradition in Italy is actually one of the upsides of the country. But on an individual level perhaps you could help yourself to cope by starting some sort of art/environment project involving upcycling and education about the environment?
Our comune operates a good waste disposal system but even so there is a lot of stuff on the roadsides.
RAI3 reports fly tipping nearly every evening to discourage the culprits.
May 21st 2020, 7:27 pm
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Re: Catania, Sicily. Teaching?
Another problem in Sicily. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-it...-idUKKBN22X1W9
