Job Discussion Forums

[jaeverine]

Hello everyone,

Any advice that anyone can give on the following will be highly appreciated as I am just beginning my overseas teaching search and know little more then I can find by reading these forums and what I read on Joyjobs.com.

I am a 46 year old male, native English speaker (US born / raised) who retired 6 years ago as the president of a multinational corporation. I have over a decade of international travel experience and have also lived on and off, mostly 3 month at a time, in Hong Kong.

Since my retirement, I have gone back to school and attained a Masters of Education, Elementary Ed (4.0 GPA) and a Teaching Certification from the state of Arizona (Elementary Ed) with a Reading Specialist Endorsement. I have no formal teaching experience outside of my student teaching. I have exemplary student teaching appraisals and very good letters of reference.

Given the above, I would like to know the following:

Is there a possibility of my securing a teaching position abroad in an international school teaching at the primary level, given that I do not have two years of teaching experience in the states?

I am not interested in teaching at a �private language school�
I am not particular as to the region I teach in as long as it is �safe� and the living conditions are tolerable. That being said, the only exception would be the Middle East. My first choice would be Japan.

Thank you in advance for any constructive answers to the above.

[Gordon]

I would think you would have no problem getting a decent int'l school position somewhere, probably even in Japan.

[tedkarma]

Generally speaking, the full-fledged international schools will require at least two years of previous teaching experience and certification from your home country/province/state.

www.ISS.edu sets a standard for placement and you can find their requirements at:

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

ISS is the largest international school placement organization and most American curriculum "real" international schools will recruit through their fairs and database.

In many countries there are pseudo-international schools that market themselves as "international schools" but really aren't. They tend to be bilingual programs - with much lower standards. If you wanted to get started at that level - no problem. But - it may preclude your entrance into the first tier schools at a later date. But, with your qualifications - the transition might be easier than for others.

If at all possible, it might well be worth doing the two years in public school there before heading overseas. The wages, benefits, time off, etc. will be significantly different.

But . . . I can certainly understand your eagerness to get going!

From the ISS qualifications page:

The Candidates
Teachers, administrators, and other educational specialists are actively sought for positions in American and international schools abroad. To assure both candidates and recruiters a superior service, ISS uses the following criteria in the selection of ISS candidates:

Teachers and Specialists

* The minimum educational requirement is a four-year bachelor's degree.
* At least two years of current, successful, full-time elementary or secondary school experience is required.
* An advanced degree for specialist, guidance counselor, and department head positions is required.
* Certification is not required by ISS, however, most schools served by ISS DO require certification.
* Teaching teams (or teaching/administrative teams) are welcomed.
* Most schools do not consider candidates with more than two nonteaching dependents. The rule of thumb is often one dependent per full-time contract.
* Initial contracts are typically for two years. Round-trip transportation, at the beginning and end of the contractual period, is usually provided for staff members and their families. This varies among schools.
* Candidates should be willing to consider at least two large geographic areas (e.g. continents) for placement.

Hope that helps!

[jaeverine]

Thank you both very much for all the help, it is very much appreciated!!

I will go and take a look at the ISS website right now.

It is necessary to join a "placement organization" like ISS inorder to get a position in an internation school? Also, must one go to a job fair to get a position in an internation school?

Thank you again for both of your help!!

[tedkarma]

Job fairs tend to be how the first tier "real" international schools recruit.

If you apply directly to some int'l schools they will direct you to ISS - or a similar organization. Some will take a direct application. It is probably worth the cost of joining ISS. Just my opinion though.

There are other options - search for "The International Educator" and other similar websites to find other options.

Tucson is my home town, and UofA my alma mater - so - welcome Arizonan!

[jaeverine]

Hi Ted....

Thank you very much for the info. Spent quite a bit of time checking out the ISS website last night. Seems to be worth the "investment" as I am only looking to find a psoition in a "real" international school.

hehe Lake Havasu City is my current home town. Got my Masters thru NAU but they have a campus here in town.
Sorry to tell you, I believe your team lost yesterday....
You sure moved from Hot to Hot with humidity! Had an office in Bangkok so know how humid it can be!! 102 here today, by the way.....

[tedkarma]

I gave up on UofA football longggggg ago. But, do still root for the BasketCats.

I am back on Phuket full time - so a bit cooler here than BKK. Very nice this time of year - rainy and overcast - so much cooler than the sunny season.

Good luck on your job search, hold out for what you want. You don't fit into the same box as everyone else - so look for a special niche for yourself and you may find yourself very happy!

[jaeverine]

Thanks again Ted!

I can imagine it would be difficult to follow any US college sports even with satalite there... Sorry to say, I do not follow the BasketCats.

I never made it over to Phuket but have heard, over and over, how pretty it is there. Do they have the crowds they have in Bangkok?

Thanks for the luck. I plan on doing just as you suggest. I will do my research and do everything in my power to get the type of position I am looking for.

One more question though, if you do not mind???
I have been reading that the housing provided by the schools can be a bit "disappointing"? Would you mind commenting on your experiences?

Thanks again!

[tedkarma]

Housing can be a very mixed bag. But, the "real" international schools will most likely provide you with good Western-style housing. Most of the bad stories you hear about housing are from people working in language schools - and particularly in Korea.

I work a different circuit than you would. Most of my experience has been at the university/college level - where my housing varied according to the school and country. There was not a consistent pattern. Sometimes great, sometimes lousy, sometimes not provided at all. Sometimes great and lousy at the same school even.

Re: sports - I have pretty good satellite TV where I am right now. If you have decent broadband Internet, you can subscribe to most university and pro sports and often get the games live.

Enjoy!

[JZer]