Job Discussion Forums

[srp]

I've been reading conflicting views on how realistic it is for americans and other non-EU people to be able to get jobs in spain. Two ideas that I'd like to hear people's opinions on are 1) teaching through government jobs, and 2) teaching in american/ international schools. I don't really know much about either one of these, but if anyone knows anything about how they work, what the differences are between these teaching jobs and teaching through a normal English program, or the prospects in these jobs for americans, i would like to hear what you have to say. Thanks.

ps- I am getting ready to graduate college in the US (with a major in biology and minor in spanish), and I am planning on going abroad for a year or 2 after graduating in May. My Spanish is decent, but I am not yet fluent.

[spiral78]

International schools don't necessarily offer English classes. They teach regular courses in English. If you have teaching credentials for biology, you might find a post in that field. They basically seek teachers of core subjects, preferably with experience.

[OzBurn]

International schools do not always require teacher certification (the majority do, but certainly not all). With a major in biology, you are likely to be in relatively high demand compared to other fields (e.g. history or literature), but without any teaching experience or experience overseas, you are unlikely to find a position in an elite school.

If you are serious about this (and most people are not), the best thing to do would be to try to find a job in a stateside private school and pursue certification while doing so. In many states it is possible for private school teachers to get alternative certification with little or no classwork. You can also get alternative certification from that US government without getting a degree in education. In two or three years, if you did good work and secured solid recommendations, you would be a serious candidate for a private international school. The best thing overall would be to get an MA in biology, get certified as a teacher, and get experience teaching in a private (independent) school.

Right-wing Christians have their own net of schools, and if you are ready to go forth and lie to your students about the age of the earth and other matters whose presentation is dictated by the content of the sacred texts of that religion, I suspect you would find a job quite easily in one of them.

[CharlesTESOL]

Regarding teaching at an international school, a key thing would be to apply far enough in advance, since obtaining a permit can take quite a bit of time. Many of these schools use recruiters, for example:

http://www.iss.edu/edustaff/edustafffaqs.html

http://www.cois.org/Recruitment/CIS%20Teacher%20Placement%20Newsletter.htm

Check Google, Yahoo, etc. for more recruiters.

You could also try applying directly to schools. The Web Site of the US. Embassy in Spain has a list of International Schools in Spain:

http://www.embusa.es/edu/listen.html

Good luck,