On the January 23 after several months of consideration, prayer, and being given the "okay" from my husband and child, I finally decided to apply for a teaching position with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in the United Arab Emirates through Teach Away, Inc. I uploaded my application with the photo above and a few minutes after uploading the application, an automated email arrived verifying the application was received.
A brief three days later, I learned I was an applicant under consideration, and I was asked to complete a more in depth application. "Wow, I never expected to hear from Teach Away so soon," I thought. The following day a phone interview was set up for the 31st of January. This process was really on a roll. The day after the pre-screening interview over the phone, I was invited to an in person interview with the date to be advised.
During the phone interview, I learned some of what Teach Away meant about needing to be "flexible." While waiting for the interview, I needed to decide whether or not my family and I would allow unknown people in a unknown country assign the city where we would be living, the school I would be working in, and my specific teaching assignment. Teaching in a first grade classroom again or the thought of teaching kindergarten has not been in my plans. I thoroughly enjoy going into K-5 classrooms as an ESOL teacher, however actually being a K teacher has not entered my mind. The message I got was a loud and clear, "Yes, you can do it."
With much anticipation, the interview took place on February 29, and I felt all went well. I was interviewed by several Teach Away and ADEC representatives. As I left the interview, I was told it would be 4-6 weeks before I would hear whether or not an offer would be made (Originally, I thought it was suppose to take a week to hear back). The waiting was excruciating at times...and not helpful for getting a good night's sleep.
Week four rolls around and I am checking my phone constantly throughout the day for some notification. Fadi kept saying, "You know it will take the whole six weeks." Like that was going to stop me obsessing and checking my phone. The end of week four was spring break, and we drove to Hilton Head Island. About an hour outside HHI, I checked my phone after not having reception on I16 for awhile and there was the email I had waited exactly 5 weeks for. "Congratulations ADEC has offered you a teaching position..." I quietly shouted, "We're going to Abu Dhabi!
