Job Discussion Forums

[I dream of teaching]

I am a Canadian Teacher looking to teach abroad. I will be travelling with my husband, who is in International Business and our 10 year old daughter. I am wondering if anyone has experience or advice about teaching abroad with a family in tow.

[Gordon]

I have been living in Japan for a little over 4 years now. I am married and have 2 kids with another on the way. Yes, it is possible to teach overseas with a family. You didn't mention your qualifications, that is a big factor as you will need more than the usual minimum level salary.
Another consideration is whether or not your family also wants to live overseas. It will be toughest on your daughter. Has she been abroad before? What will your husband be doing? What country do you want to live in? Will you homeschool or put your daughter in a public school. An int'l school may be unaffordable unless you are working in the school.

Just a few things to consider.
Ask if you have any more specific questions.

[I dream of teaching]

Thank you for the positive and realistic feedback! I hold my B.A and my B.ed, I also have many years experince teaching and have a strong professional resume. I hope to get work that can support my family, however, my husband is in International Business and would be the primary earner. As we are a Spanish speaking family, we are looking to travel to South America for my husbands career. From then, who knows! We travel frequently as a family and my daughter is eager to move (so she says ) She is fluent in english, spanish and french and looks forward to using her language skills. Any advice on schools etc.. in, or out, of South America would be appreciated!

[Justin Trullinger]

International schools in Ecuador might suit you.


Best,

Justin

[Gordon]

Yes, look for an international school to work in. Your daughter can go to the same school as you. Do a search for ISS for a list of int'l schools.

[I dream of teaching]

Thank you both for your replies. Has anyone had experience working in south/Central america with a child in tow?? Any information, advice or correspondance would be much apprecited!
Thanks, C

[MELEE]

I have two two year olds, but my husband and children are Mexican so its a little different I didn't uproot anybody to come here. We have had a couple of other teachers with kids before. From the information you've given us, you see to assume that your husband will be able to work in "international business" anywhere. Does he have his own company? Does he work for a company that will be transferring him there? If not, it is not the case that he will just be able to work in Business in Mexico. If a Mexican company wants to hire a foriegner except in certain pre-established fields, such as English teaching, the Mexican company will have to prove that they have searched for a qualified Mexican and found no one who could do this job and there for are hiring a foriegner. That's tricky and most companies aren't interested in going to such effort. Now maybe there is something we don't know here, you're message was brief. I can only go on the information I have.

Now on to other issues. If your husband is the main bread winner, you will probably want to work part time, so you have time for your daughter. The typical full time hours in Mexico are like 9-2 and 4-7, not leaving a lot of time for quality time. As other's have suggested an international school or a highbrow private bilingual school might be the best bet, they'd probably give you an 8-1 straight through schedule instead of a spit shift and maybe waive your daughter's tuition.

You will probably want to limit your search to larger cities, because of your daughter. In addition to education considerations, you have to think about medical facilities available. Many EFL teachers, myself included in my younger days, are rather cavalier with their health, travelling to the far corners of the world with no medical coverage. But even if you have great insurance, what good does it do if there are no medical facilities withing several hours travel of your location. In addition to your overal all health, when travelling to Central America you should be aware of your blood type. I live in a prodomitately indiginous area of southern Mexico and my blood type is A-. Last year I had to post pone a minor surgery for 7 months because I was not able to locate a potencial blood donor in case there were complications. In the US, 1 in 16 people have A-, here the local hospital keeps lists of people who are not O+ in case they need a donor, they now have one A- name on that list, mine. Luckily my daughter's got their dad's O+, if they hadn't I think I would have been crippled with fear each time I put them in the car.

[I dream of teaching]

thank you, Melee for all of your advice. My husband ALREADY works in an international business firm that is looking to relocate him to Cenrtal America since my husband is from El Salvador. We are not a twenty-something couple simply looking to travel. We are a mature couple looking to move back to my husbands home and I am a teacher seeking employment because no matter where I am, I love to teach!

[Sgt Killjoy]

I would stay away from too many TEFL sites and focus on the international school scene which is very different from TEFL. Hiring for these programs are done in the US and Canada and you would be a shoo in. Instead of subsisting on TEFL wages, you can have a large enough of a salary to insulate your daughter from some of the culture shock.

Depending on your daughter, it could a tough adjustment or an easy adjustment. In general, it will be tough for your daughter adjusting to culture shock, but not as hard as others since she comes from a bi-cultural family. I say go for it, but make sure you pay special attention to your daughter's needs.

[I dream of teaching]

Thank you for your advice! I agree about the International schools and have decided that is the route I will take. I am also concerned about the culture shock my daughter will experience and would welcome any advice on easing the transition for her.

[jr1965]

I Dream of Teaching:

My husband, daughter, and I moved from California to Spain almost 2 years ago when our daughter was 8 (my husband is from Madrid). She spoke passable Spanish at the time, though the adjustment was still a challenge for her at first--primarily because she was in a new school, having to make new friends, missing family & friends back in the States, etc. Before we moved, my daughter also said she was happy about making the move (she�d been here several times visiting her grandparents before we relocated), but let�s face it: they really have no idea (like many adults, you just don�t know what it�s going to be all about until you�re actually living there). So, what I�m trying to say is (as others have noted): be prepared for the emotions your child may go through. Everyone here (teachers, neighbors, family) were great, but we all go through a period of adjustment. I�m glad to hear that you�re thinking of putting your daughter in an international school. We put ours in a bilingual Montessori program here and overall, it was a good choice, I think (though it does cost money for sure...but it�s worth it!). She�s getting a good education in both Spanish and English, and just as important, the environment is a good one: lovely teachers, supportive staff, good kids, and there�s also a mix of children who come from international backgrounds (other Euro countries, Latin America). That was a big plus for our daughter when she started; it made her feel less �different� and the children at the school were interested in meeting someone from another country. As I say, it will be two years for us this Dec. It was an adjustment at first, but with time and the right environment, I�m sure your daughter will do wonderfully.

Good luck to you!

P.S. In terms of easing the transition on those days when the girl is missing things �back home�, we let our daughter ring her friends for 10-15 minutes. She keeps in touch via email and still writes letters to 2 of her friends back in the States (they write to her, too, and she loves getting the mail). Let your daughter talk about the things she misses; look at photos. Then go somewhere new in the city where you�re living and take photos. Have an adventure. (E)mail the photos to relatives or friends back where you come from. Remind your daughter that she now has TWO places that are her home. The biggest thing, I found, though, is that once the child makes new friends, this really eases the transition. That will take time, but it will come.

[I dream of teaching]

J.R.1965, Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts with me...I really appreciate it!