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International school jobs in China
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jtomstone



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:26 am    Post subject: International school jobs in China Reply with quote

I graduated with a BEd in 2010 in the primary/junior division (from a Canadian university in Ontario). When I finished, I went overseas to teach in South Korea. My first year I worked at a private school with elementary students. Currently I am working at a public middle school. I'm teaching EFL.

What are my chances of getting a job teaching at the elementary level in an international school in China? Would any international school consider hiring me?

Would it be best to go back to Canada and get 2 years of experience?

Has anyone made the transition from ESL to teaching at an International school?
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ecubyrd



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 172

PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For the top tier (ie..'true') international schools in China you'll most likely need licensure and a couple of years experience teaching in your home country to be considered.

There are international-type schools that those requirements won't necessarily be needed for that you might consider if you don't have those qualifications. Mine is one of those schools. I was licensed back home and had a few years teaching experience in the US (as well as many in the ps system in Korea), but there are several other NETs at my school that don't have the same background.
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xzbakbook



Joined: 08 Dec 2008
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 4:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right..it depends if it is an International school or an "International division" . International divisions are not International schools and usually have lower standards for what they need.
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twilothunder



Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 5:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There continues to be some confusion on here of what an international school is. Here is the most commonly accepted definition...

a. Transferability of the student's education across international schools.
b. A moving population (higher than in state schools or public schools).
c. Multinational and multilingual student body
d. An international curriculum.( e.g. IB - DP, MYP, PYP)
e. International accreditation (e.g. CIS, IBO, North Eastern ASC, Weston Ass. of Schools).
f. A transient and multinational teacher population.
g. Non-selective student enrollment.
h. Usually English or bilingual as the language of instruction

If by 'true' you mean an international school like Dulwich or Harrow with mostly white European and American students then just say "an international school like Dulwich or Harrow with mostly white European and American students".
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it'snotmyfault



Joined: 14 May 2012
Posts: 527

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

twilothunder wrote:
There continues to be some confusion on here of what an international school is. Here is the most commonly accepted definition...

a. Transferability of the student's education across international schools.
b. A moving population (higher than in state schools or public schools).
c. Multinational and multilingual student body
d. An international curriculum.( e.g. IB - DP, MYP, PYP)
e. International accreditation (e.g. CIS, IBO, North Eastern ASC, Weston Ass. of Schools).
f. A transient and multinational teacher population.
g. Non-selective student enrollment.
h. Usually English or bilingual as the language of instruction


Nice cut and paste from Wikipedia there.. Laughing
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cut and paste or not, it is the definition I would use.
The important question is whether your 2+ years at an international school in PRC is seen as genuine teaching experience by employers in your home country.
Consider what the international school experience looks like at exit time.
A good question: 'Where are former teachers now?'
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ecubyrd



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 172

PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

twilothunder wrote:
There continues to be some confusion on here of what an international school is. Here is the most commonly accepted definition...

a. Transferability of the student's education across international schools.
b. A moving population (higher than in state schools or public schools).
c. Multinational and multilingual student body
d. An international curriculum.( e.g. IB - DP, MYP, PYP)
e. International accreditation (e.g. CIS, IBO, North Eastern ASC, Weston Ass. of Schools).
f. A transient and multinational teacher population.
g. Non-selective student enrollment.
h. Usually English or bilingual as the language of instruction

If by 'true' you mean an international school like Dulwich or Harrow with mostly white European and American students then just say "an international school like Dulwich or Harrow with mostly white European and American students".


Not sure who you are rerferring to being confused about what an international school is. I'm certainly not. Thanks for posting up that wiki cut and paste for those who may be, however.

My school is more like what xzbakbook stated (international division) and hence don't call ourselves an international school.
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chinatimes



Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478

PostPosted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What about "foreign language school"? Is that the same as an "international division" or is it something else?
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jtomstone



Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to get a job at an International school that teaches the Canadian curriculum (which varies from province to province). In my case, I'm familiar with the Ontario curriculum, though I'm not sure other schools accredited in other provinces would accept me.

Nevertheless, has anyone made the transition of EFL to international school teaching? Would any school hire me? Or should I forget about it and find something back home?

I might consider a school that's not a "true" international school, but how is the pay and benefits?
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMHO anyone with the accreditations and experience to teach at an international school would not need work in EFL beforehand.
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GreatApe



Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 582
Location: South of Heaven and East of Nowhere

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach at an International School which has a Main School section (primary, junior high and high school students) AND an International Section (junior high and high school students). The school where I work covers the Wiki definition that was posted from A to H. We need to be careful about counting or discounting schools based on generalities rather than the specifics of the school's actual credentials and their accreditation (or lack thereof).

The school where I work has a Main School Section of roughly 4,000 students and an International Section of 120 students. The International Section of our school MAKES our school an International School!

The International Section is based on the Edexcel IGCSE curriculum and we place students in foreign countries upon graduation. Students I taught last year are now attending high school and/or colleges in Canada, America, Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

Our student body is made-up of: Chinese, Koreans, Mexicans, Americans, Germans and Malaysian students. Our teaching staff is made-up of Filipinos, Malaysians, Chinese, Indians and an American.

As far as the transition from EFL to an International School is concerned, I can only speak about my own experience. I had my teaching credential from the U.S. and 12 years teaching experience when I first came to China three years ago. I initially worked for a Language Mill because I knew a fellow American who was a principal at a Language Center. He basically gave me my first opportunity to teach here. He was NOT a qualified teacher, but a businessman and overall the job was pretty much "run of the mill" (pun intended). It was NOT a great job, or even really that good, but it allowed me to transition from the U.S. to China comfortably and it allowed me to "settle in" and learn the ropes.

I did not know my American friend personally before I came to China. After about a year working at the language center, we left and worked together for an "English college" ... this was in a different province and also not the greatest job in the world. However, it was in a beautiful part of China, the job was NOT difficult and I had a wonderful time (for the most part) teaching at the school. The salary was very low (5,000 RMB a month) and the visa situation sucked (the school was not qualified to get me a Z visa).

Had the school been able to get me a Z visa, I might have stayed longer (I ended up working there for 14 months) because the students were older and the job was low pressure. Eventually, I got tired of bus rides to H.K., left the school, and moved back to Guangdong. I now teach at the International School I mentioned above and find it much better in many ways. However, it's no picnic ... I still work with administrators who are relatively clueless when it comes to actually teaching and running a decent, academic-oriented school. I still have some lazy students. I still teach with Chinese and Foreign teachers who allow the students to speak any language other than English (which makes my job difficult), and I am the only Native English speaker at my school ... the frustration level gets pretty high sometimes.

Overall, however, this job is night and day above the other two I have had, but that doesn't mean I won't continue to look for a different, "better" job. I get tired of teaching young kids and I want to get back to teaching older, more mature college students ... even though that's not necessarily "heaven" either. So much of teaching satisfaction really comes down to the quality of student you have and the quality of school you teach at ... that's true of teaching in ANY country.

Teaching EFL at a Language Mill taught me a lot of things and I don't regret it, but I'm also very glad I'm not still doing it at the present time. I have 3 years of experience teaching all age groups and levels in China ... I have the luxury of accepting or declining other job offers as I see fit. I won't take a step backwards, but simply changing jobs just to change does not mean you are improving anything. There's always a give and a take.

Anyway, that's my .02 RMB's worth. Anyone who might want more information can PM me if they want.

--GA
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

An 'International School' with only one native speaker?
and with 12 years experience as an accredited teacher in the US, you took a RMB5K per month gig with a school that didn't have the right to hire foreigners?
Sorry mate I just can't get that to add up.
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GreatApe



Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 582
Location: South of Heaven and East of Nowhere

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@ Non Sequitur
Quote:
An 'International School' with only one native speaker?


I assure you, that is the case Laughing ... although I certainly didn't know that when I first got here over a year ago. Regardless of how many Native English speakers there are (or aren't) at our school presently, we Invigilate A-Level examinations and IGCSE English tests. We also teach: Biology, Economics, Accounting, Business Studies and EAP classes. We are affiliated with a University in Oz, one in Canada, one in Britain and one in the states. The diploma our graduating students receive allows them to attend school in those foreign countries (and others).

What's more, just because our teachers are not Native English speakers does NOT mean they are not certified in their subject area as well as in the English language.

As for the 5,000 RMB per month gig ... it was in Yangshuo (maybe that will provide you with more context) and we originally went there under the guise of starting a New Business English school (which never completely materialized). It was basically a business deal with a Chinese owner/investor which never got very far off the ground. It was attached to the college I ended up teaching for full-time once the Business English deal fell through ... that college didn't have the required paperwork/license to get foreigners a Z visa (which is the case with many schools in Yangshuo), but I was told it "was not an issue" legally because it was Yangshuo. Obviously, that didn't set very well with me.

However, the number of teachers who come through there on a tourist visa (mainly backpacker "teachers") might surprise you if you have never been there or worked there. It happens all the time, and because it's an "Autonomous Region" many schools don't bother shelling out the money to be legal, accredited Z Visa providers when they're mostly going to hire teachers who teach there for 2 or 3 months and then move on.

Once I realized the Business English school wasn't going to happen; once I realized that I would most likely never be "legal" working there (the school assured me they were working on getting a Z Visa license for several months); once I got good and tired of the Sleeper Bus trips to H.K. and the broken promises ... I left.

--GA


Last edited by GreatApe on Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:52 am; edited 1 time in total
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GreatApe



Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 582
Location: South of Heaven and East of Nowhere

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

double-post.

--GA
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks
The entrepreneurial opportunity and location, put it into context.
Did not want to imply non-natives not competent, but most private (and not a few public) schools promote their wares with statements about how many native speakers they have from country x y and z.
But again that's in PRC proper.
Best
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