Tag: Dubai

The Role of Teachers as Researchers in Student Success

As a principal focused on improving student learning I was heartened by the recent presentations at the Dubai International Education Conference recently held at Al Ghurair University, Dubai. With the key message that the teacher is the centre of improving student attainment, the various keynote and concurrent presentations offered insight into the effective impact of the role of the “Teacher as researcher.”

As a principal focused on improving student learning I was heartened by the recent presentations at the Dubai International Education Conference recently held at Al Ghurair University, Dubai. With the key message that the teacher is the centre of improving student attainment, the various keynote and concurrent presentations offered insight into the effective impact of the role of the “Teacher as researcher.”

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The teacher as researcher can be distinguished from their colleagues as they attempt to better understand their TEACHing practice and how it impacts upon their students. In researching the relationship between teaching and learning the teacher researcher actively contributes to the conversation of what makes a difference to student learning. This is an evidenced based process and involves reflective inquiry, working in collaboration with other teachers, their students, parents and the community.

Interpreting real time data, analysing the data and them making informed decisions based upon this information is pivotal to improving the school outcomes. The challenge is ensuring that all schools improve. However, as shared by Professor David Lynch (Southern Cross University):

“It is interesting to note that the latest figures released by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (Dubai’s education authority) show that the number of private schools in Dubai will reach 250 by the year 2020 or 16 per year. There are currently 169 private schools in Dubai as of last year, but this number will increase by almost 50% in the next six years to accommodate the projected 50% increase in student population from the current 243,000 level to 366,000 by 2020 or by 24,000 per year. One of the big challenges for the UAE is to prepare or engage enough teachers to meet this demand profile.”

With the rapid increase in the number of schools in Dubai to meet the increasing demand and the KHDA prescribed inspection process identifying what makes an “outstanding school” on what constitutes an outstanding school will continue to create much debate. To help foster the dialogue perhaps our latest publication “Creating the Outstanding School” will help.

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Driving in Dubai

No matter how much someone tells you how a particular experience will be, it is not until you experience first hand that you ‘really’ understand. This was my experience with driving in Dubai.

Firstly I had to contend with the left hand drive phenomenon. It felt not only like I was driving a sidecar motorbike but also I felt like the car was going to topple over. Years of looking right, then left, then right again is a bad habit to overcome. Mark Treadwell, international guru on how the brain learns, says we can retrain our brain but I’m not sure he has driven in Dubai for a while.

The second phenomenon is the unexplained ability of the Dubai traffic to fit four lanes of traffic into three. A 15 km route to work in the morning takes around 25 minutes however, the return journey in the afternoon can take up to hour and a half.

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If there is a silver lining it might just be found in my pocket. Or more precisely in the savings. My first tank of petrol (66 litres) only cost me the equivalent of $33.00 Australian dollars.

The First Moments in a New Country

Arriving in Dubai sharpens your senses. Everything feels new, fast, and slightly unreal. For me, Dubai International Airport was the gateway to a life I had been preparing for. Within minutes, I realised this city meets you at full volume.

Arriving in Dubai starts at the airport

Dubai Airport does not ease you in. It drops you into movement, light, and people heading in every direction. You step off the plane and join a crowd that already knows where it is going. You do not. That contrast is part of the experience.

The sound of many languages

One of the first things you notice is the noise. It is not just announcements and suitcase wheels. It is the mix of languages around you, spoken with speed and confidence.

Families, solo travellers, and work crews all move through the same space. People jostle, apologise, and adjust course without stopping. It feels busy, but it also feels normal for a place built on constant arrivals.

The pace through customs and immigration

Customs and immigration can feel like a test of patience. You queue, shuffle forward, check your documents, then do it again. In the middle of it, you are carrying more than luggage. You are carrying expectations, nerves, and a long list of tasks for later.

When you are new, keep it simple. Stay calm, follow the signs, and focus on the next step only.

The first shock is the heat

Once you are through security and out into open air, the temperature changes everything. Arriving in Dubai in mid-August means high 30s is normal. What catches you off guard is feeling that heat at 4.30am.

It is not a gentle warmth. It hits you in the face and chest. Your body reacts before your mind catches up. In that moment, you understand that daily life here requires planning, not just enthusiasm.

How to respond in the first hour

Heat changes how you move and how you think. Take it seriously from day one.

  • Drink water before you feel thirsty.

  • Dress for comfort, not appearance.

  • Move slowly until your body adjusts.

  • Plan outdoor tasks early morning or late evening.

These are small actions, but they reduce stress quickly.

A simple plan for your first 24 hours

Arriving in Dubai can feel like a blur. A short plan helps you land well.

Start with basics, not big goals

Your first day is not the day to explore everything. It is the day to set yourself up.

  • Sort a local SIM or roaming plan.

  • Confirm your transport to accommodation.

  • Find food you can eat easily.

  • Shower, rest, and reset your body clock.

Once those basics are done, your head clears and your confidence rises.

Keep your curiosity, but pace it

This is a land that needs exploring. You will want to see it all, quickly. Try not to rush. Exploration is better when you can notice details, not just tick off places.

Arriving in Dubai is the start of learning a new rhythm. Give yourself time to find it.

A final thought on first impressions

First impressions are not the full story, but they matter. The airport, the crowd, and the heat all teach you something about the city. They remind you that change is physical, not just emotional.

Arriving in Dubai can feel intense, but it can also feel full of possibility. Keep your eyes open, take the next step, and let the place reveal itself over time.

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Arriving in Dubai

My arrival into Dubai has been quite a whirlwind with many of the great hallmarks of “misadventure”, beginning with the initial packing of bags and deciding what to bring. Being a reflective fellow I thoughtfully laid out my clothes on the bed and was feeling confident that I had covered all bases. I then began to ponder about my new life overseas. Can this suitcase of clothes define my future? Given that I was moving overseas, was this all I needed to live my new life?

packing pageWith a suitcase that weighed 27.8 kgs I embarked on the journey to Dubai. Having noted my seat was close to an exit, giving me more leg room, I was feeling confident about the 15 hour flight. Until the young couple with their 15 month old baby came and sat next to me. I took a closer look around and saw that I was sitting in the middle of a number of couples with their babies. With flight attendants scurrying around finding bassinets to hang on the wall and parents wielding large bags of baby gear, it was at that point I felt the rising panic and I wasn’t disappointed. The little one used his lungs to awaken his colleagues around me. And that continued well into the flight.

Having survived the flight and profound lack of sleep, albeit a little battled scarred, I was fortunate to be collected from the airport and taken to my accommodation. Besides the fact that for me, everyone was driving on the other side of the road, the sudden braking and accelerating that continued for the next 20 minutes as the car fought with other cars for positions in the lanes, certainly ensured the sleep deprivation was instantly cast aside. I was totally awake. (For the record, my first driving experience when I was behind the wheel is a story for another time).

The initial experiences of getting to Dubai was extremely interesting but, by necessity, needed to take back seat when focusing on the reason I was here. My first few days at school made the initial trip all worthwhile beginning with the induction of new staff.

IMG_0187 Continue reading “Arriving in Dubai”

Transition Week

A positive part of being appointed as principal of a new school is not only the opportunity to build upon your current experience but also to learn new skills.

How you approach your new role will have lasting effects on your leadership influence. Reading the school culture incorrectly could put you on the back foot and inhibit the quality of your decision making.

For me, a necessary beginning point is to visit the new school. There is nothing more important than meeting the people you are going to work with, taking the opportunity to immerse yourself into the culture of the school and getting an intuitive feel for how things operate. Visiting the school allows you to begin to ‘get a handle’ on school logistics.

My recent “Transition Week” at dar al Marefa offered the unique opportunity to begin my leadership journey at the school on the right foot. While everyone will have a few tips for the new principal, after having had a few principal appointments over the years, I find the following four insights useful in shaping how you should approach your new appointment:

1. Understanding History. Beginning with previous school improvement plans a new principal can digest the thinking that has shaped the school to be what it is today. To make effective decisions, the new leader needs to know why things are the way they are. Take time to understand the traditions, celebrations and why things run the way they do.

2. Get to know your staff and school community. In the early stages, (commonly know as the honeymoon period), it is imperative to develop positive relationships with each member of the community. Don’t forget spending time in classrooms and the playground to get to know the students.

3. Get Learning. Discovering what you don’t know is a key task in the early days. Locating the paperwork should be an initial goal. Reading the paperwork is the next! Items from parent handbooks to teacher appraisal processes to curriculum expectations help to establish an understanding of the school and most importantly, the culture.

4. Gather relevant information to design a short term action plan. While the school may have an action plan, as a new leader you bring a new ‘vision’ to the school and, after listening and learning, you will begin to craft your own views on what ‘needs to be done’. Developing your own action plan will help to connect the dots and and allow you to focus on short achievable goals.

Everyone approaches their new appointment differently. Whatever action you take it is most important that the new leader enjoys coming to work each day. My transition week at dar al Marefa Private School was exciting  and immensely interesting. Many people to meet, many things to take in! From any aspect my new appointment is going to be challenging and loaded with learning opportunity. I have no doubt I will enjoy coming to work each day.

Announcing Your Resignation

Resigning as principal is often more confronting than applying for the job in the first place. After months of quiet deliberation, once the new appointment is accepted, you’re suddenly faced with the difficult task of telling your community. The news often comes as a shock. For many, it’s the first they’ve heard that you were even considering a move.

Some are happy. Some are disappointed. Some are happy for you, but sad for the school. Others begin to reflect on what leadership change might mean for them. And some want to know what’s wrong. Why would you want to leave them?

I found this moment deeply personal. I had poured everything into the school, leading from the front, supporting from the side, and walking behind. Telling my staff that I was leaving to take up a position overseas was not easy.

There are layers to the resignation process. Once my appointment and start date were confirmed, I followed Stephen Covey’s principle of “beginning with the end in mind.” That end was the day I flew out to join my new school.

From there, I worked backwards.

Four weeks before my last day, I set a final date to submit my resignation. That gave me time to plan how and when to inform my team and the broader community. Simple in theory but far more emotional in practice.

Sharing the news with staff was daunting. Our years together had been filled with professional growth and genuine relationships. I had seen colleagues flourish in their roles and navigate personal milestones. I took the time to prepare a short resignation speech, enough to share the news and express my thanks.

It helped me honour the moment.

The next challenge is speaking to the students at the farewell assembly. But that’s a story for another day.

Learning About Expat Life

Once I came to the decision to to accept a principalship at an international school I began to read through the various Expat forums. This, to me, was an important leisure time activity. After registering with http://www.expatforum.com/  I began to read all about the escapades of those that have gone before me. I wasn’t only interested in the adventures but more  about the practicalities. As a husband and father it was important for me to develop some insight into relevant family matters like the cost of living (see the Numbeo site or Expatistan site) and issues surrounding moving (or in my case leaving) the family. Various personal blogs, not only about living in Dubai but also other countries, helped garner information.

A key information site for me was Living in Dubai. This site offered a great overview for the naive would be Dubai resident. From accommodation to eating out to purchasing a mobile phone ,this site provided a number of elements one needs to consider when moving. It was from this site that I would then ‘google’ for further information. Another important jewel for understanding life in and moving to Dubai was Expatwoman. While written by women for women, a lot of the information shared still applies to men as well.

One site leads to another which leads to another. Before long you end up with not only a plethora of information but at times, conflicting answers. It is wise to discern the information as many sites offer personal opinions that are immersed in facts.

Probably, for me anyway, the best site I visited frequently was called Definitely Dubai. This site offered everything you need to know about both visiting and living in Dubai. It provide me with a springboard of actions needed to prepare for living permanently abroad.

No doubt there are many more gems out there to assist people in being more informed about moving into an Expat life.

Fascinated By the Dubai Mindset

Having had a few nibbles on the job front I was excited by the prospect of a head of school position in Dubai. Notwithstanding the opportunity of working (and learning) in a K-12 school in an international setting, living and experiencing another culture  is appealing.

However, having not lived overseas and only travelled internationally for short work related activities, my lived experience in this area is relatively thin (it is a daunting prospect choosing a new place to live).

So how do you begin to acquire the necessary information? Well, as one does, the extended use of Youtube became my window into a brave new world.

My first foray into Dubai was via the Strip the City episode where an explanation of how the city was built intrigued me. I was fascinated by the sheer scale of the thinking, creativity and engineering feats that I devoured the youtube videos for more information (some of my favourites are listed below).

There were many other helpful websites that allowed me to paint a picture of Dubai including:

Perusing the internet searching for tidbits highlights the power of personalised learning and the necessity for our schools to pursue opportunities for our learners to use technology. Living in a connected world with information at their fingertips, our children have the world at their feet (and so do we).

Researching the International School Sector

The hardest part of seeking your first international school leadership job is knowing where to start.

If you’re new to the international education scene, the search can be overwhelming. Different regions from Asia to the Middle East to the Americas offer different recruitment pathways. Without a clear direction, it’s easy to get lost. As the Cheshire Cat famously said in Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

Without clarity, hours of online searching may leave you right back where you began.

Step One: Know What You’re Looking For

Before clicking through job boards, ask yourself:

  • What do I want to get from this experience?
  • What type of school will support my values, style, and goals?
  • What cultural environment suits my family or personal circumstances?

Each international school is unique shaped by its leadership, ethos, student body, and parent community. Matching yourself to the right school matters just as much as landing the job itself.

Step Two: Use the Right Recruitment Platforms

Once I knew the type of school I was after, I narrowed my search. Below is a list of the most helpful platforms I used. Some require full applications, others just a CV. Some charge a fee, many don’t. In my experience, the free ones were often the most helpful.

Recommended Job Boards and Recruitment Agencies

Top tip: The agency that ultimately secured my role in Dubai was International Teachers Plus. Their support throughout the application and transition process was excellent.

Step Three: Research Before You Apply

When you find a potential role, go beyond the job ad. Learn about:

  • The school’s vision, culture, and leadership
  • Its student population and parent involvement
  • Staff structure and professional development opportunities
  • Current and future initiatives
  • The quality of communication and support

International job transitions are significant—for you and your family. Don’t just apply for a job. Choose a school that fits your values and aspirations.

Final Thought

Finding the right international role takes time, clarity, and a lot of research. But once you define what you want and use the right platforms, the path becomes clearer.

Happy hunting and may your next move be the right one.

Why I’m Leaving My Principalship for an International Role

After more than two decades as a school principal across three educational jurisdictions and two states in Australia, I’ve reached a personal and professional crossroads.

For the past ten years, I’ve had the privilege of leading a thriving school on the beautiful Mid North Coast of New South Wales. It’s a place I’ve poured my energy into, a place that has shaped me as much as I’ve shaped it.

The Plateau of Leadership

There’s a moment many leaders encounter: the plateau. When you’ve led long enough to know every corner of the school and every nuance of the community, routine can settle in. For some, it’s a signal to step aside and leave on a high before comfort replaces challenge.

For others, it’s a prompt to grow again.

The Personal Side of the Decision

As a lifelong learner, I’ve come to recognise a deeper need for challenge. That realisation hasn’t been easy. Like many who wrestle with major career decisions, my choice isn’t just about me. There’s a family to consider including children, mortgages, a spouse’s career, ageing parents, extended family, and friendships that anchor daily life.

When a school principal announces they’re leaving, people see only the surface. They ask, “What does this mean for us?” Fair question. But what often goes unseen are the long conversations, the weighing of costs and benefits, the hopes, fears, and practicalities that sit just below the surface like the iceberg beneath the waterline.

The Purpose of This Blog

With the full support of my family, I’ve decided to resign from my current principalship to take up an international leadership role in Dubai.

This blog will chronicle that transition, initially for my family, who will remain in Australia until our youngest completes the HSC in 2015. But it will also serve as a reflective outlet, a space to document the challenges, discoveries, and growth that come with stepping into the unknown.

Looking Ahead

I hope this space becomes more than a personal journal. Like other expat blogs I’ve followed, I hope it offers useful insight for educators, leaders, and anyone considering a leap into the next chapter.

Change is never simple. But growth rarely is.

What would it take for you to leave something successful in pursuit of something unknown? And if not now, when?

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