Are you a new teacher who just graduated and can't find a job? Or just fed up with being more of a policeman and test-prep coach than teacher? It's October, and it's that time of year. If you have ever thought of teaching internationally, NOW is the time to start making your move. Read on for some helpful hints...
What are the qualifications? - You need a Bachelor's or Master's degree and a valid teaching certificate from your state. It's best if you have 2 years experience under your belt--many schools require this, but some will hire without. And you'd better have a very strong sense of adventure--you're going to need it! Living in any foreign country is *very* different from having enjoyed it once on holiday.
How do I go about finding the schools? There are many agencies that put on large recruiting fairs for international schools. The fairs begin in January, in locations as diverse as Bangkok, London, Cambridge, Mass, and San Francisco. Here are some of the major players in the recruitment centers:
SEARCH Associates- http://www.search-associates.com/ ( this is one I have used)
ISS (International Schools Services) - http://www.iss.edu/
CIS (Council of International Schools) - http://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=1
Also, the University of Northern Iowa hosts a recruitment center. I have never been, but have heard of newer teachers having success here. The schools attending tend to be some of the smaller ones, but I've heard of young teachers with no experience having success here.
Contact schools directly: In recent years, more and more teachers are being hired by contacting schools directly and having skype interviews. This is especially effective if you have a high demand certificate area, such as High School Science or Math, or have something that makes you a bit unique (such as male elementary teachers or extensive coaching experience.) You can find out about schools by reading some of the international schools blogsites, such as:
TIE Online (The International Educator): http://www.tieonline.com/ TIE also posts job vacancy listings of international schools.
Joy Jobs http://www.joyjobs.com/ is another great site with lots of information about how to get an international teaching job. Both of these are pay sites but have good information.
International Schools Review: http://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/ This is a site where international teachers review the schools they have worked in. In recent years there have been more and more "international" schools cropping up. International in name only, they hire native English speakers to teach local students. There are some quite good ones, and there are others with plenty of horror stories from unsuspecting faculty who made it out alive. This site is handy for checking out the reputation of a school before accepting a job, but do take the reviews with a grain of salt. Many disgruntled teachers with an axe to grind post on there, but when *every* post is bad, you definitely get the idea to steer clear.
Going to the recruitment fair: As I mentioned, October is the time to get your paperwork in. You will fill out all sorts of dossiers; you must have references from several sources including a parent of a child you have taught. You will be assigned to a counselor who will keep track of your candidacy and email you throughout the process. The recruitment process is not cheap: expenses include the $200 sign-up fee, travel to and accommodation at the job fairs. The fairs are usually held at 4-5 star hotels; you do not have to stay there if you want to cut expenses, but it is nice to have a room on site to freshen up, and many contacts are often made just using the elevators, going to breakfast, etc. The fairs are highly competetive and you are not guaranteed a job--many teachers walk away from the job fairs empty-handed, but you do make good contacts and if you persevere can usually find something. If you accept a job, there is a fee that is a percentage of your salary, but the schools usually pay this.
A couple of more general tips from my own experience: It's probably hardest to get hired in this order: 1) A couple where only 1 partner is a teacher 2)a single elementary teacher (these jobs are often held for spouses of hard to fill positions, such as HS Math or Science) 3) the job fairs are always overfilled with people who love to travel and learn about other cultures--the history/humanities teachers. Since I am in the second and third categories, I've found it helps to attend one of the later (February) job fairs, such as Cambridge or San Francisco, when they have already hired the Math/Sci positions and are no longer "holding" easier to fill positions for spouses. (Maybe we should all marry HS math or science teachers??) The earlier fairs seem to be better for teaching couples, because it becomes like a giant puzzle trying to match up all the teachers with available positions.
Another general rule of thumb: Go into the job fair with an open mind and a willingness to go anywhere. The job you had your heart set on may be filled by the time of the fair; a country you may have never considered may be a wonderful choice. Generally, the more challenging the location, the greater the pay and benefits. European schools tend to be among the lowest paying (in terms of salary/perks) vs. cost of living because everyone wants to go there. Most European schools do not offer free housing; most Asian schools do. And in Europe you have to pay taxes after two years, significantly reducing your salary.
Finally, remember the schools don't hire you because you love to travel--we all do. You get hired because you are an outstanding teacher who works hard and has something to offer the community. It's a high energy environment; we generally wear many hats in international schools. As a friend of mine says, "we work hard, and then we play hard". And you should be very adaptable--if you get flustered when you've lost water in your apartment for a few days, or have no electricity once or twice a week, or can't learn to "make do" without your favorite food products, or can't pare down your possessions to what will fit into less than a small U-haul, it may not be for you. But if the idea of walking out your front door and finding yourself in another world, where even a trip to the grocery store is an adventure, it just may be the most rewarding thing you've ever done. It's not for everyone, but I love it.
What are the qualifications? - You need a Bachelor's or Master's degree and a valid teaching certificate from your state. It's best if you have 2 years experience under your belt--many schools require this, but some will hire without. And you'd better have a very strong sense of adventure--you're going to need it! Living in any foreign country is *very* different from having enjoyed it once on holiday.
How do I go about finding the schools? There are many agencies that put on large recruiting fairs for international schools. The fairs begin in January, in locations as diverse as Bangkok, London, Cambridge, Mass, and San Francisco. Here are some of the major players in the recruitment centers:
SEARCH Associates- http://www.search-associates.com/ ( this is one I have used)
ISS (International Schools Services) - http://www.iss.edu/
CIS (Council of International Schools) - http://www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=1
Also, the University of Northern Iowa hosts a recruitment center. I have never been, but have heard of newer teachers having success here. The schools attending tend to be some of the smaller ones, but I've heard of young teachers with no experience having success here.
Contact schools directly: In recent years, more and more teachers are being hired by contacting schools directly and having skype interviews. This is especially effective if you have a high demand certificate area, such as High School Science or Math, or have something that makes you a bit unique (such as male elementary teachers or extensive coaching experience.) You can find out about schools by reading some of the international schools blogsites, such as:
TIE Online (The International Educator): http://www.tieonline.com/ TIE also posts job vacancy listings of international schools.
Joy Jobs http://www.joyjobs.com/ is another great site with lots of information about how to get an international teaching job. Both of these are pay sites but have good information.
International Schools Review: http://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/ This is a site where international teachers review the schools they have worked in. In recent years there have been more and more "international" schools cropping up. International in name only, they hire native English speakers to teach local students. There are some quite good ones, and there are others with plenty of horror stories from unsuspecting faculty who made it out alive. This site is handy for checking out the reputation of a school before accepting a job, but do take the reviews with a grain of salt. Many disgruntled teachers with an axe to grind post on there, but when *every* post is bad, you definitely get the idea to steer clear.
Going to the recruitment fair: As I mentioned, October is the time to get your paperwork in. You will fill out all sorts of dossiers; you must have references from several sources including a parent of a child you have taught. You will be assigned to a counselor who will keep track of your candidacy and email you throughout the process. The recruitment process is not cheap: expenses include the $200 sign-up fee, travel to and accommodation at the job fairs. The fairs are usually held at 4-5 star hotels; you do not have to stay there if you want to cut expenses, but it is nice to have a room on site to freshen up, and many contacts are often made just using the elevators, going to breakfast, etc. The fairs are highly competetive and you are not guaranteed a job--many teachers walk away from the job fairs empty-handed, but you do make good contacts and if you persevere can usually find something. If you accept a job, there is a fee that is a percentage of your salary, but the schools usually pay this.
A couple of more general tips from my own experience: It's probably hardest to get hired in this order: 1) A couple where only 1 partner is a teacher 2)a single elementary teacher (these jobs are often held for spouses of hard to fill positions, such as HS Math or Science) 3) the job fairs are always overfilled with people who love to travel and learn about other cultures--the history/humanities teachers. Since I am in the second and third categories, I've found it helps to attend one of the later (February) job fairs, such as Cambridge or San Francisco, when they have already hired the Math/Sci positions and are no longer "holding" easier to fill positions for spouses. (Maybe we should all marry HS math or science teachers??) The earlier fairs seem to be better for teaching couples, because it becomes like a giant puzzle trying to match up all the teachers with available positions.
Another general rule of thumb: Go into the job fair with an open mind and a willingness to go anywhere. The job you had your heart set on may be filled by the time of the fair; a country you may have never considered may be a wonderful choice. Generally, the more challenging the location, the greater the pay and benefits. European schools tend to be among the lowest paying (in terms of salary/perks) vs. cost of living because everyone wants to go there. Most European schools do not offer free housing; most Asian schools do. And in Europe you have to pay taxes after two years, significantly reducing your salary.
Finally, remember the schools don't hire you because you love to travel--we all do. You get hired because you are an outstanding teacher who works hard and has something to offer the community. It's a high energy environment; we generally wear many hats in international schools. As a friend of mine says, "we work hard, and then we play hard". And you should be very adaptable--if you get flustered when you've lost water in your apartment for a few days, or have no electricity once or twice a week, or can't learn to "make do" without your favorite food products, or can't pare down your possessions to what will fit into less than a small U-haul, it may not be for you. But if the idea of walking out your front door and finding yourself in another world, where even a trip to the grocery store is an adventure, it just may be the most rewarding thing you've ever done. It's not for everyone, but I love it.
I see you get the same emails I do from random people. "Hey Cary, I ran into ... and her niece would like to teach overseas, can she email you?"! I have a similar page on my blog!
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