Job Discussion Forums

[freeda]

Hello! I'll just give you the bare bones here... let me know what more you need to know.

~Planning for 8-10 years from now, once our kids (youngest is 11) are grown.
~Hubby is retired military = free international flights (no fear of getting "stuck" someplace) and base privileges.
~His retirement income is enough to maintain our home here. (No fear of having nowhere to come home to.)
~I am getting my Bachelor's degree in elementary education from an American university, and should have a few years teaching under my belt by then.
~We are both young-ish (now 30 and 38 ), in reasonably good health, white, and middle-of-the-road attractive.

I want to live somewhere where

~People smile. (So no Korea, right?)
~I won't be molested on the street. (Goodbye India.)
~There's stuff to do - not drinking and bars, that's not our scene. We like rock climbing, cultural sight-seeing, and other activities like that. We're kind of self-contained home-bodies. Obviously we're married so the dating/sexpat scene isn't an issue for us.
~NOT in a city, but with reasonable access to a city. We like a quiet, slow pace of life, and hate traffic.
~Reasonable access to a military base for medical services.

My questions are

~I plan on taking the CELTA in-country just prior to when we'd want to move. Are any other certifications recommended for degreed teachers? I don't really want to get my Master's.
~Hubby won't be teaching - he's a utilities guys (plumbing, electrician, heating/cooling). Will he have an opportunity for work, or will he be a house-husband?
~Will Thailand meet my criteria as listed above?
~What else can I do to prepare myself, professionally and educationally, to be ready and well-qualified in advance? I'm not against teaching ESL in the schools here for the experience, but if I want to do that I need to make sure to take the appropriate classes now.
~Is there even a base anywhere in/near Thailand?

Hubby and my sister have both been to Thailand. Hubby on a military affair, sister on vacation on the way back from school in NZ. He didn't get to see much of the country, but she just LOVED it. I have not been, but plan of having a vacation trip there to check it out ahead of time. Phukhet is looking VERY nice. I've talked to hubby and he's game.

I've been reading quite a bit in here, and appreciate everyone's input, good and bad. It's really helped me do a lot of preliminary work on narrowing down my destination.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ Hi freeda !


Welcome to Dave's.


Your plans sound totally great;

there's no harm in thinking ahead.

With a BEd & CELTA, you'll have no problem.


In fact you could consider applying at an

International School with those credentials.


If you can manage it - while doing your BEd,

I'd strongly suggest state teacher certification !!!

A BEd, CELTA & state teacher certification are meal tickets

to the better jobs at the better schools worldwide.


It's the ideal set of qualifications, in my humble opinion.


If you decide to teach at a more generic Thai school,

you'll earn between 30,000 and 40,000 Baht per month

(give or take 5K) and you'll get along just fine on that.

Combined with retirement income from the USA,

I'd say you guys will be REALLY comfortable.


re: US military bases


Other than a military advisory group in Bangkok

there aren't any US military bases in Thailand,

but medical services are generally top-notch.


For specific info about Phuket,

try tedkarma's Phuket Delight.


For information of a general nature,

try The Master Index Thailand !








Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[Ajarn Miguk]

I wouldn't discount Korea so quickly given your particular situation. There are bases there and all the things that come with them for active and retired military and dependants. Also, Koreans have been known to smile and you could have a very good life there depending on where you choose to live and teach. I would suggest you spend some time on the Korean Job Forum and ask your questions there. My guess is you will find others there whose situations are very close to your own.

[White_Elephant]

Hello Kent,

I just wanted to say your --< The Master Index Thailand >-- is PURE GOLD!!! Two thumbs up from me! I used it regularly while I was in Thailand for a month.

If anyone is really serious about living/working in Thailand, I suggest you use that index and get over to Thailand for at least a month to check it out for yourself. Please don't rely solely on message boards for your pre-opinions of the country. Just pack your bags and GO check it out first hand.

Before I went to Thailand, I wasn't sure I would like it (based on published reports of danger, sex slavery etc.). When I arrived in Thailand, I kept an open mind and I ended up having the time of my life, especially Bangkok! For others, Thailand is not for them.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ From one elephant lover to another, thank you very much !












Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[White_Elephant]

[freeda]

Thank you very much for the input! Thailand is going to be our first space-A trip. My main concern with having bases nearby is for the availability of free flights, but if we have to compromise on that, we will. I get the feeling I'm going to get much better at geography while I'm researching this!

I have talked to hubby about Korea... he's a little hesitant given the political situation right now, but who knows what will happen in the next 10 years?

It's good to know his skills are valuable elsewhere! He's a hard worker, and I wouldn't want him to die of boredom, but I know he can't teach - doesn't have the patience for it.

Hopefully this will serve as good motivation while I'm plugging through my next couple of years of school.

The International school gig sounds good. I'll search the forums for more on the topic before I bug y'all with questions.

Edited to add: We're American so I can't teach in the EU, right? Does that apply to International Schools as well? Also brought up (by my hubby) was Department of Defense schools...

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

^ Hi freeda


International Schools play by

a completely different set of rules.


They tend to recruit their teachers from abroad

or through 'members only' job fairs (see links below)

and they will sponsor your visa paperwork & a work permit

if they decide they want to hire you, and that applies

to Asia, Europe or anywhere else for that matter.


If you decide to pursue a gig at one of the international schools,

be sure to get your state teaching certification mentioned above,

and then give some serious consideration to joining one of these:


http://www.iss.edu/index.html (International Schools Services / USA)

http://www.cois.org/ (CIS / Council of International Schools / UK)

http://www.search-associates.com/ (Search-Associates.com)

http://www.higheredjobs.com/ (Higher Education Jobs)

http://www.uni.edu/placement/overseas/ (UNI)

http://www.joyjobs.com/ (JoyJobs.com)

http://tieonline.com/ (TIE Online)




link:


U.S. State Dept's Office
of Overseas Schools









Thailand teaching and travel resources available here :::: The Master Index Thailand ::::

[Deicide]

Koreans do smile and can be downright friendly sometimes...and the food is good and cheap...that said you can pretty much forget Korea...Korea is the waste pit of Asia and it attracts the worst scum in terms of foreigners, drug addicts and miscreants posing as teachers...I mean I thought had issues with my 'shit I'm 28 and don't know what sort of career I want'...90% of Anglophones here are alcoholics and 50% have serious drug addictions...cocaine, meth, even heroin...they come to Korea to get lost in substances and escape from reality...lying, cheating and stealing are norms here...any way...just don't come if you don't have to...I am so out of here by next year...it just ain't funny...it's ridiculously not funny...
good luck

[freeda]

My state certifications will be valid in Arizona and Michigan, so I've got that covered.

Is there a separate board for International schools?

[isanity]

[White_Elephant]