Join the team at Renad Academy in Doha (RENAD) and experience the rewarding opportunity to teach abroad. Located near Education City in Doha, Qatar, RENAD believes that all children, including those highly impacted by Autism, are capable of learning when given the right environment and provided with the correct teaching strategies.
A member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, RENAD uses strategies known around the world as best practices and proven effective. On its website, the school says,
We view Autism as a fascinating and wonderful difference in how the world is experienced and how the brain functions by those impacted. We do not see it as a disability, a problem to be solved, or a disease to be cured. We enjoy interacting with and learning from people with Autism so that we can see the world, and possibly experience it, as they do. Renad Academy is a safe haven for all who enter and wish to be celebrated!
As Autism is a complex condition, with so much to be learned, RENAD stays abreast of research from around the world. Staff members discover the best way to learn about Autism is to spend time interacting and engaging with someone who is experiencing it.
RENAD currently enrolls 160 pre-K-12 students from Qatar and follows the U.S. Common Core. Two of the most common strategies for working with young children are Applied Behavioral Analysis and Structured TEACCH. RENAD also includes sensory integration methods, overseen by qualified Occupational Therapists, and a variety of communication therapies implemented by Speech-Language Pathologists. Common strategies incorporated as needed include Early Start Denver Model, Attention Autism, Social Stories, PECS and other AAC methods, and social-emotional well-being supports. A school psychologist oversees all behavioral assessments and planning. However, all staff receive training in all methods on an ongoing basis to ensure these practices are used with fidelity to provide reliable results. Nearly all teachers are international.
The school’s outstanding facilities include a library with resources in Arabic and English as well as classroom spaces with structured environments that enable students to develop a range of skills while being as independent as possible. At the Al Shaqab Equestrian Centre, students ride, feed, and groom the horses every week, activities that develop emotional and social skills and support sensory processing while also improving cognitive and language skills. Physical education sessions take place in the school hall, a space that has been adapted for structured sessions aided by the incorporation of visual supports. The Occupational Therapy Gym, supported by an occupational therapy therapist, features sensory equipment such as swings, trampolines, and therapy balls. There, students develop their fine motor skills, body awareness, social skills as well as improve their muscle strength, coordination, and balance. Outdoor play areas offer opportunities for not only imaginative play but also for the development of physical, social, cognitive, and problem-solving skills.
RENAD is proud of its Snoezelen Multi-Sensory Environment, a therapy which immerses the individual in a calming and stimulating atmosphere. Snoezelen rooms are purpose-built to stimulate many senses through lighting effects, color, sound, music, and smells. The tactile senses may be used to explore the combination of different materials on a wall, and the floor can be altered to engage the feeling of balance. Within the room is a Magic Carpet, an incredibly powerful tool that uses interactive projection to engage students in a variety of applications, ranging from relaxing sensory cause and effect games to in-depth learning and educational themes.
RENAD hires certified teachers, including newly certified candidates and married couples with a non-teaching spouse. Candidates must hold degrees in their subject area. As per government regulations, certified teachers up to the age of 60 may obtain a work visa.
Benefits include a non-taxed salary, a settling-in allowance, fully furnished housing with utilities, and annual airfare for the families of those teaching abroad. Tuition is free for dependents.
Additionally, a bonus of one month’s pay is awarded for every year of an international teacher’s fulfilled contract. Worldwide health insurance, including life and dental, is fully covered. Finally, there are local employment opportunities for non-teaching spouses.
To access Renad Academy’s profile on the Search Associates database, including a list of any vacancies, candidates can apply for membership by clicking here. Candidates already registered can easily access the school profile directly through their dashboards.
Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.
