Job Discussion Forums

[SeaveeBlue]

Hello all. I am new to this board. I would like to ask a few questions.

I am curious about how other people pack to move overseas. How many suitcases do you bring? Do you confine yourself to the items that will fit in standard, allowable checked baggage on airlines?

Does anyone regularly ship things by crate or pay extra for shipping extra items?


I am an artist and I really want to pack up an extra "art trunk" to bring my art supplies with me if I go abroad. I don't think I would like to live without them for an extended period. I am aware that I could buy new things once moved, but that would be very inconvenient. I hate to say it, but I do have "favorite" things. Plus, having to hunt down everything I might need would not really encourage me to keep up the hobby. I think I could pack the most important materials into a trunk and leave room to store completed projects. I could use the trunk as a work station once settled.

Do the experienced travelers around think that this would end up causing me significant headache and expense?


Thank you in advance for any input.

[nomad soul]

I recall these related threads:

Have you or would you buy your own classroom materials? (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=984635&)
How do you move your stuff from one city/country to another? (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=97374&)

[SeaveeBlue]

I Thank you. I appreciate the link. I tried a search before but it kept giving me errors. I just tried a search again and this time it worked. I will try to avoid asking questions without a search in the future. I know it is a bit annoying.

[SeaveeBlue]

The links helped some. I see that some people do ship things from location to location by post and as extra baggage. It looks like it is possible.

It looks like it may cost more to ship than to just buy new stuff. I guess the only real way to answer my question is to think about how much it is worth to me.

Maybe I should just get a new hobby every time I move. I bet there are all kinds of interesting new arts to learn.

Has anyone out there tried learning new arts/crafts while traveling?

[nomad soul]

Where do you plan to go for your first teaching job?

[SeaveeBlue]

I am not 100% sure. I am almost done with the school year here in Florida (I teach high school). I am creating a new portfolio focused on working abroad. I will start sending out applications and resumes as soon as I get the portfolio updated. I have been reading these forums and evaluating my options. I am leaning towards Thailand or China, but I am not going to limit myself to only those places. I am researching and reading to find the places that suit me.

[nomad soul]

You're posting on the newbie forum, so I assume you presently don't teach ESL. What age group are you interested in teaching? High schoolers in an international school environment? Or adults in a language school or university? By the way, I'm curious... What do you mean by "portfolio?"

[SeaveeBlue]

I am interested in teaching high school or adults. I think I would prefer to teach adults. I have not done that in quite a while. I enjoy teaching high school as well so I would be open to either.

I currently teach at a public high school in Florida. I have a BA, 300 ESOL hours (ESL), 300 hours in specialized Reading instruction, multiple state certifications (English, Special Ed, Reading, Social Sciences) and 9 years teaching experience with experience in curriculum development. I have 18 graduate credit hours. Unfortunately, I ran out of money before finishing my MA.

I have taught ESOL and Intensive Reading, Writing and Language Arts here in the United States. I have not taught ESL abroad. I am aware that the experiences are quite different but I hope that the basic skills are the same.

My professional portfolio is a compilation of documents, materials and data that showcase my career. I have a hard copy and CD version which I am currently updating. I am revising content and reformatting as needed to suit current technology. The portfolio can be sent with standard resume, cover letter and application to provide a more in-depth look at my career. I used the portfolio to get my current job several years ago. I try to keep it updated because it is very useful anytime I need to promote myself.

The practice is not uncommon but it is not necessarily expected either. I know many teachers who do not have a professional portfolio. Most of the administrators I know have favored the use of a portfolio. I am quite certain that having one is largely responsible for my current job. The interviewers responded to it very well.

One of the biggest benefits of the portfolio comes during an interview. Assuming I have anticipated questions well, I can flip to the portfolio (manually or online) to give visuals and examples to support my responses. For instance, if an interviewer wants to know about my curriculum development experience, I have a page that describes it and provides links to examples and other related evidence.

I am presuming that this will be an advantage when applying for jobs abroad. If nothing else, it allows me to quickly access anything an employer might ask for.

[nomad soul]

[SeaveeBlue]

I understand and appreciate your advice. I will certainly research students for any school I apply for.

My portfolio does contain video samples of teaching though I think I may update that to something more recent and more relevant. I don't think they will be particularly impressed by watching my senior class acting out Beowulf. I should probably make a video of more direct instruction.

I can understand why the whole portfolio may not be useful overseas. Your points make sense. They won't understand the educational jargon from the US. I will update mine anyway because it is something I would do even if I were not planning a career change. It is easier to maintain a relevant portfolio than it is to make a new one from scratch. It is as much for my convenience as for future employers. It is nice to have whatever information I might need all in one place.

[tttompatz]

To answer your query about your art trunk.
Find a job.
Get settled.
Ship it later.

Yes, it will be a bit expensive but jobs in China and Thailand (or elsewhere in E.Asia) are NOT the same as they are in the US (ESPECIALLY EFL jobs). It is easier to get it later than to try to figure out what do do with it when things go pear-shaped a month after you have landed in Asia.

Teaching uni classes are usually the poorest paid positions in Asia. The classroom hours are low but the wages are typically under $1000/month.

Teaching adults in East Asia USUALLY means working before and after work hours (6-9am and 6-10pm). Expect some ugly split shifts until you get established. Wages in China/Thailand would be in the $1200-1500 range.

Working in a high school (international) when recruited from abroad usually means decent remuneration. Look at the NET program in Hong Kong ($4000-5000), public school jobs in Taiwan ($3000+ benefits) or recruitment from sites like:
http://www.searchassociates.com/
http://www.tieonline.com/
http://www.tes.co.uk/jobs (pick a region of the planet and start looking),
http://www.ibo.org (find specific schools and apply directly - do not apply to the IBO.

If you want a job in China you should be looking now for a late summer start. Be careful and DO NOT take a job that doesn't get you a "Z" visa BEFORE you fly.

If you want a job in Thailand you are late. The new school year starts tomorrow across most of the country for Thai based schools/universities.
(properly, internationally accredited "International Schools" start in Sept but the recruiting is usually done in Dec-Feb.)

When you are ready, get a double entry tourist visa from the Thai consulate at home and do your job search on the ground and not from your living room in the States (unless you are going through one of the sites listed above).

The Bangkok job fair is held in January if you are serious about a decent job in E.Asia (not just Thailand).

Lastly, about your credentials.

Unless you are headed for a proper, international school they are virtually meaningless in terms of remuneration and job selection.

Jobs in Asia are about student retention, connections/networking, and lastly about performance in the classroom (beyond having students re-enroll).

This ain't Kansas (or Florida) there Toto. Welcome to "over the rainbow".

.

[SeaveeBlue]

Sorry that it took so long to reply to this. It is final exam time at school so I was a little swamped.

I appreciate your comments. I will consider them carefully.

I am not sure how I feel about going to Thailand without lining up a job ahead of time. I have been reading these boards and others and I understand that it is not an uncommon practice but it does make me more than a little nervous. I would hate to get there and end up not finding anything. I am especially concerned since (as you said) the new school year has already started. That is one of the reasons I have considered China as well. It seems that there are more positions that can be arranged in advance.

I have gotten very off-topic in this thread so I will try to start a new one on this topic. I want to read some previous discussion first so I don't drive people crazy with questions that have been answered many times before.

Again, I appreciate the time given to the response.

[Denim-Maniac]

I work alongside an artist in China.

She didnt ship any of her stuff here ... and when we first met early in 2010 I didnt know she had any artistic flair. She tried a Chinese art class for something to do, and went from there, building up a collection of tools and paints. And as she was painting so much she decided to open her own gallery. Rent and electric is something silly like $25 a month and she spends her weekends there (doesnt open during the week). Our adult students often spend the weekend there with her ... especially the more artistic of them.

When I travel I only travel with one piece of checked in baggage. My weight limit was 22 KG when I flew into China in April, and I still think I have more clothes than my colleagues (and am the snappiest dresser in my school too!). If an extra bag was/is cheap enough it would be worth taking the option, but generally most and many things can be bought locally quite easily and doing so might be cost effective.

Id second the information about the portfolio. My boss has pretty good English but would struggle to read more than a simple resume and cover letter. Ditto for during the interview ... he would probably ask 'How would you describe your teaching style?', but an answer like, 'supportive and fun with interesting material' would suffice.

This would be true for 99% of all EFL jobs in China.

[SeaveeBlue]

Thank you for the post. I am very glad to read about your friend. I never even considered the idea of sharing art with the students. I don't know why it didn't occur to me, but it should have.

I am not much of a painter myself. I do paint. It just isn't my focus. I prefer 3-d work. That is why I was considering bringing my stuff. I have assembled a fairly odd assortment of tools. I know one set of needle nose pliers looks much the same as another, but I swear mine is special! On the other hand, a fresh start could be a great thing. If art supplies are affordable and easily available, I should just buy what I want there.

[SeaveeBlue]

That is good interview advice as well. It is contrary to expectations in the US so I am glad you told me.