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sab2197
Joined: 28 Apr 2015
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:32 am Post subject: Have You Worked at an International School? |
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Hello,
I know my questions are going to be very broad and maybe even vague, but I am in the early stages of researching international school gigs and am just trying to get a general idea of what it is like to work for one and some of the processes involved in finding a job with an international school.
First off, I have been teaching English in public elementary school in South Korea for a little over a year. I have enjoyed it and when I go back home, I want to start a teacher certification program with an endorsement in ESL to open up my teaching options both home and abroad. I understand that international schools teach a Western based curriculum and the student population is usually made up of the children of foreigners. This means that most likely, all of the students will speak English. My first question is are there even any ESL positions at international schools? I really enjoy teaching English and hope to continue to do this while experiencing life in another country.
If you have ever or currently work at an international school, can you tell me a bit about what it is like to work for one? What was the hiring process like? What types of teaching positions are most in demand? I know some of these answers may be depended upon the country. Like I stated before, I would like to continue down the ESL path and I would also like to work with elementary students. Also, do international schools hire teachers who are working towards a license? I found a neat program at a university fairly close to my hometown that would allow me to do most of my course work online with the exception of a few courses during the summer. I would also still need to observe and be observed by an educator with teaching credentials from a western country. Could I be a student teacher at an international school?
Thank you. I know my questions are kind of all over the place, but hopefully your comments will give me a better idea of what it means to teach at an international school. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:26 am Post subject: |
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Yet, not once did you mention what your current education is (degree level and specific major) nor your nationality (American?). 
Anyway, to teach at the elementary/primary level in the better western curriculum international schools abroad, you'd need a degree in education or early childhood education, plus licensure/certification as an ECE/primary teacher in addition to a couple of years of related teaching experience gained in your home country. |
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sab2197
Joined: 28 Apr 2015
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:17 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for your reply, nomad soul. Sorry, I did leave out that very important information!  I am from the U.S. and I have a B.A. in English. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:17 am Post subject: |
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| sab2197 wrote: |
| I am from the U.S. and I have a B.A. in English. |
If your goal is to teach English and Language Arts to native and near-native speakers in an IB or American curriculum school overseas, see http://teach.com/what/teachers-know/english-and-language-arts for a description and qualifications needed. I attended such a school as a US military dependent in Taiwan along with other English speaking elementary grade kids as a continuation of our US education. There was ESL tutoring available for those students who needed extra help but no dedicated ESL class or full time ESL teacher.
On the other hand, there are international schools that follow an American style of education; the learners are nationals and English is used for most classes. Qualifications for teaching ESL vary.
See Teach Away, Seek Teachers, Footprints, and the International Educator, which will give you an idea of qualifications for international schools. International Schools Review has a forum where you can ask questions to those teaching content and ESL. |
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sab2197
Joined: 28 Apr 2015
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:33 am Post subject: |
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| Great, nomad soul thank you so much for the websites. I really appreciate your help. These are some great places for me to start! |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 21 Oct 2010
Posts: 153
Location: Moving up the food chain!
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| Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 3:33 am Post subject: Re: Have You Worked at an International School? |
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| sab2197 wrote: |
Hello,
I want to start a teacher certification program with an endorsement in ESL to open up my teaching options both home and abroad. I understand that international schools teach a Western based curriculum and the student population is usually made up of the children of foreigners. This means that most likely, all of the students will speak English. My first question is are there even any ESL positions at international schools? I really enjoy teaching English and hope to continue to do this while experiencing life in another country.
If you have ever or currently work at an international school, can you tell me a bit about what it is like to work for one? What was the hiring process like? What types of teaching positions are most in demand? I know some of these answers may be depended upon the country. Like I stated before, I would like to continue down the ESL path and I would also like to work with elementary students. Also, do international schools hire teachers who are working towards a license? I found a neat program at a university fairly close to my hometown that would allow me to do most of my course work online with the exception of a few courses during the summer. I would also still need to observe and be observed by an educator with teaching credentials from a western country. Could I be a student teacher at an international school?
Thank you. I know my questions are kind of all over the place, but hopefully your comments will give me a better idea of what it means to teach at an international school. |
getting home-country certification is definitely a step in the right direction. as for all international school students speaking english - forget about that!! remember, international schools are set up for the children of businessmen, consulate workers, etc. and those people could be from germany, brazil, canada, syria... you get the idea!
at my international school, we had levelled english classes and a certified teacher specializing in ESL taught the students that were beginner/lower intermediate. we also had a couple ESL support staff that would come into the classroom and assist ESL kids during our lessons (or pull out assistance in their own classrooms with the students). there is absolutely a market for ESL teachers at international schools - i feel like there's probably a fair bit of competition for those positions though.
one thing to keep in mind is that if you went in to become a certified primary teacher, you would still be spending a large portion of your day on literacy and with varying levels of english ability, i'm sure you'd probably have a chance to do some ESL activities in your day. there's a lot of demand for primary teachers (especially those with experience in IB-PYP curriculum) and math/science high school teachers.
one of the teachers at my school took on a student teacher, but i don't really know how that happened. her husband worked at another international school in the city, but she couldn't do her practicum work there for obvious reasons. not sure how she connected with my coworker. it appears to be possible though! |
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sab2197
Joined: 28 Apr 2015
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Wow, thanks nomad-ish! Great insight on the international ESL market. This definitely gives me a better idea as to which credentials to pursue. Thanks again! |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 6:02 am Post subject: Re: Have You Worked at an International School? |
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I worked at an international school in Ecuador until recently. I quit to go back to university work. My school, like many international schools, don't hire certified teachers for ESL work. They either hire an ESL teacher locally as support staff, and on a support staff wage. Or, they hire a certified English language or literature teacher, and expect them to pick up the ESL work as well. Hiring a certified ESL teacher as an overseas hire would be an unnecessary expense.
Most in demand are maths and science, as they are everywhere in the world.
My school did occasionally take student teachers, it was a British school and they had an arrangement with the Institute of Education in London. You would need to check with wherever you are planning to study to see if they can offer something similar.
I can't help you with hiring. I took the job as a favour to a friend, so I didn't go through standard recruitment channels. |
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bdbarnett1
Joined: 27 Apr 2003
Posts: 178
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| The University of Northern Iowa (of the UNI job fair) frequently sends interns to Latin America, and many stay on as teachers. Not sure if they have a distance learning component for certification, but might be something to look into. |
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