scrubbedexpat091

I can't go to Australia on a WHV as I am indeed too old, I unfortunately came from a country where WH's are not as common or talked about, so by the time I knew they existed, I was too old...

Also correct on the US part, not to mention it would be financial suicide to move to a country without a healthcare system one can access without large sums of money.

Let me point out I went bankrupt in 2004 after failing to negotiate an agreement with a hospital I spent a week in that was fair and affordable. I wasn't even seriously ill, and the total bill was slightly over 30,000. 33,000 or so if I recall correctly, the hospital was pretty difficult to work with, and frankly, I just gave up and filed for protection under bankruptcy because their collection tactics were very aggressive.

Prior to that, I had no debt at the time, 100% of the bankruptcy was medical bills from that hospital stay, and oh I had insurance at the time, but the insurance company found every possible way to not pay, so even with insurance, its not a slam dunk the bills will be paid.

Now my girlfriend is fairly healthy, but does have a significant health issue that has her on disability (although she does work part-time when she is able) and she needs access to a doctor. If we were in the US, she would lose her disability benefits for one, and like I said, would be a financial drain on us from medical bills, and I don't know anyone in their right mind who would move to a country with health issues when said country (US) has a pay per use medical system.

If I were single, I'd consider it, but one also has to remember 2 things about the US:

1. Wages for lower level jobs tend to be a good chunk lower when compared to Canada.

2. Healthcare costs can easily be more then the higher taxes in Canada, and higher cost for goods. Not to mention there is virtually no safety net, and making 7 or 8/hr nowhere in the US is a wage you can live on, even with the lower costs of living in the US. My position in most of the US would pay between 7.25/hr to 9.00/hr depending on what city and state you are in. Pay in Canada is generally 11-15/hr depending on where you are, and how big the hotel is. Larger hotels pay more, smaller ones pay less.

Yes things cost less in the US to a Canadian, but living there on the lower wages you will earn, well its a different story.

The US is not the place you want to be if low income, its actually a rather unpleasant country to live in when in the lower income spectrum.

Despite the challenges, I am better off in Canada, and I enjoy living here, and I frankly see no net benefit in returning to the US, but there is net benefit to staying where I am.

At 20 I would have flown the coop so to speak, but at 35, stability is most important thing for me, and I have that now in BC, and I am not willing to give it up when I know full well moving will not be a net gain for me, I know the jobs I get at my current level, regardless of where they are, will not be any higher pay elsewhere for the most part, even at the height of the boom in Alberta, wages in my industry were not any higher then I make now, and looking at jobs in Edmonton for example, the pay there is not of any significance to justify spending the money to move.

Gozit

Ah thats the thing though - you work hard in uni then have an easier job in the end... Sounds like a "win" in the end to me anyways. And its only 4 years in the UK? It could take up to 6 here.


Exactly.

Yep. My teachers are usually out the door by 3:30 PM LATEST 4pm in exam/report card time.

Yeah he obviously has, my grandparents are retired teachers, they didn't do that, they spend their weekends + hols spending time with my dad and just relaxing.

The sports teams. Thats why he is staying so late after school. I never said I would run any sports teams/after school clubs.

bats

Your mum is pretty smart, she's talked you into studying for a degree by appealing to your lazy side.

Gozit

Mmm. She does know me well

The holidays for going home are also very appealing. Economically, Malta is not viable. Staying in Canada but having the opportunity to spend 3 months a year in Malta is.

Not many other jobs in Canada or the UK can compete with that sort of hols.

Shard

The maturity is coming along nicely, Gozo.

Gozit

Slowly but surely.

januarymix

Mediocrity is definitely the bastion of the majority, but where's the enjoyment in that?

If one wants to be a pretty crappy teacher, I can imagine that is indeed pretty 'easy', pending job performance reviews, and objective eyes. Satisfying? Probably not? Responsible? Definitely not. Ordinary? Sure.

As for cynicism, it's like a dredge pit of mud, trying to pull others in with its imagined self-protectionism, but is a pretty closed and sad life IMHO

beckiwoo

That is what will make you a better teacher, when you are prepared to participate in after school activities. As a supply teacher you probably won't have to.

It sounds like Siouxie's step-son works hard and is dedicated to his job where it's not just about standing in front of a class of kids and teaching (or setting them work and playing 'angry birds' on an iPad or whatever it was) it's about building confidence and relationships with the students. These are the teachers that get more respect, at least these were the teachers I respected when I was at school.

I never respected supply teachers, they were useless and never knew what they were doing or how to control a class and never around long enough. I used to have one in primary school that came in periodically and only ever did work with us (every time) on Beaufort scale (yawn!) - he also had that disgusting white stuff that some people get at the edge of their mouths

Oink

I never respected teachers who allowed their class to give supply/substitute teachers a hard time. The good teachers were the ones who had either an explicit or tacit understanding with the children how to behave respectfully towards guest teachers and to get on quietly with their outstanding work if none had been formally set.

SchnookoLoly

Disrespecting supply teachers is disgusting, IMO.

If a teacher is absent, s/he is supposed to leave a lesson plan with what is meant to be covered for the day. If the teacher either doesn't leave one or leaves a sh*t one, then what do you expect the supply to do? Make it up? They'll do the best they can, but the class should still respect the person who is in the room as they are the ones in charge.

Your complaint is that the supply "is never around long enough"... err... that's kind of the point?

scrubbedexpat091

Granted I went to school in California, and I am assuming supply teacher means substitute teacher here, but we always did work with a sub teacher, not always what we were learning with the teacher as the teacher or school would leave a different lesson plan for the sub, but the sub just did what the lesson plan left said to do, they were not there to completely change the lesson plan left.

Plus in California being a sub is pretty much essential to getting a permanent job, few if any teachers there make it into the profession without being a sub first to work their way into a permanent position.

Subs are also fully qualified teachers, and generally either young and new to the profession and not yet been hired to a permanent position, or older and semi-retired from the profession, but it was not and is not generally a position one seeks as permanent due to the inconsistent work and no stable income.

Siouxie

The same in Ontario (well, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board anyway) - just about the only way to get a more permanent job is to go on the supply list. My step-son knows people who trained at the same time as him who still haven't managed to get a permanent position - 8 years later.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle12542791/

beckiwoo

Erm yeah... Rubbish lesson plan...don't engage the class...can't control class = no respect

Bare in mind I did say this was primary education (5-12 years old)!!!! Your having a pop at me with regards to something that happened when I was a child and getting offended by it! Why?

Gozit

Well even if you are a "better" teacher, you don't need to run 4 sports teams. Help out if asked... I definitely wouldn't want to spend my whole day at the school whilst the other teachers go on out at 3.30, but I was slightly exaggerating when I said I "never" would run anything after school or to integrate with the school culture. And depending on the grade you teach, if you are good at teaching (I am always told I am when teaching computer issues; I could become a computer teacher at a high school level and it would be easy stuff for me.) , it isn't that hard to make up lesson plans and such.

Neither do I... Alot of them get on my nerves when they think they can come in and just run the place. No, we have our class rules and procedures, and what our teachers allows us to do or not do, and you aren't going to change that. Especially at the elementary level. At the H.S level, if I have a problem with a sub that's that bad, i'll leave the room.

bats

I don't recall my schools ever having supply teachers. On the rare occasions a teacher was sick we were given work to do and a prefect sat at the desk. But that was in olden tymes.