Teaching Abu Dhabi Style: How Do I Prepare for Back To School When I Don't Know My Teaching Assignment?? Part 1 Bulletin Boards

We all remember our 1st year of teaching in the UAE. Where will I teach? What is my grade level assignment? How do I prepare for the unknown? What supplies will I have? Shouldn't I be planning something by now? The only advice we seemed to receive was "be flexible." As a teacher of 20 years I always spent time over the summer researching curriculum, working on new units and manipulatives, and of course preparing my classroom. As I sat through trainings and empty days in the hotel, all I wanted to do was start preparing! But for what??? Having now taught in Abu Dhabi for the past 5 years I know there are a few things you can do to make your transition into your new position and classroom a little smoother.

So let's talk bulletin boards! Most classrooms will have bulletin boards inside and out that will need to be readied. The first step is thinking about general bulletin boards that would fit any grade in your cycle level. Some ideas that work well for the beginning of the year are a calendar, math tools, English alphabet, class rules, discipline, student introduction, amazing work, word/vocabulary wall, table/group numbers or names. You might choose 2 or 3 to prepare for before arriving. You can get them up quickly when you are placed so that is checked off your list and you can focus on learning about your school's expectations and curriculum during the 4 inservice days before school begins.

Most schools do not provide supplies for bulletin boards such as backing paper, border, or lettering so your first job is lining up these items. There are teacher stores and bookstores in both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Abu Dhabi: Teacher's Place Al Muroor Rd near Emirates Supermarket, Al Batra Bookshop MBZ City, The Bookshop 2 St. next to Centro Rotana, Bookshop Mushriff Mall, Bookstore Boutik Mall Al Reem Island
Al Ain: The Bookshop Library ِ مكتبة المكتبة (see Facebook page), Al Batra Bookshop kiosk in Hili Mall

On a tight budget and need to prepare? Here are some money saving tips.

Flat sheets and table cloths can make amazing background material for bulletin boards that can be found for a low price and hold up for several years. These can be found at Lulus, Daiso, Emirates Discount, Carrfour, Hamdan Center, and many of the discount dirham spots around the cities such as Dirham Tower, Dirham City, etc...

Use a local print shop for printing color copies. Most print shops charge 1 dirham for 1-2 pages of color printing. Many print shops have a company email so you are able to forward your printing needs with instructions and pick them up later. Finding a print shop close to home was one of the best money & time saving things I did my first year. Ask teachers in your area if they use a certain printer or know of any good ones.

Print only the bulletin board letters you need rather than purchasing colored sets. This allows you to choose different colors and fonts. I use powerpoint to create fun letters of various sizes & prints!

Choose alternative border materials such as crumpled tissue, student handprints, or wavy cut construction paper rather than store bought border.

Ask on Facebook if there are veteran teachers who have extras to share.

Find printable bulletin board materials online for a lower price. Many items can be found for free on Teachers Pay Teachers or Teachers Notebook if you put in a search and choose free.

I also offer different English & Arabic translated sets such as a calendar, number line, discipline set, free ADEC sight word sets for grades 1-5, and classroom labels in my Teachers Notebook shop. These products will help you with classroom environment observations when admin will be looking for both English and Arabic labels and vocabulary throughout the learning environment.