Job Discussion Forums

[Trey]

My wife and I are considering teaching overseas either this summer or the following. We have no idea where to start and just want some basic information and to know that we are qualified. Below is a brief overview of our info / caveats:

Married
1 child (4YO) which we would like to bring.
Both certified to teach English and Special Education.
Both 29+ years old

Edit-We are both U.S. citizens.

I have begun reading all the stickies and am gaining knowledge but thought I could save some time by requesting just the basics.

Any info / advice would be great!

Thanks,
Trey

[Glenski]

Start by realizing where Americans can get/not get work visas. Most of Europe is off-limits. What other places have the least bit of interest to you? Look at the respective forums.

If "certified" means you have teaching licenses to teach English and Special Ed, consider international schools, but you will usually need 2 years of experience in your home country for those jobs.

And, special ed may be a problem for foreigners to teach. Think about the language barrier, for one.

[spiral78]

To clarify: you say that you want to teach 'this summer' (or next). Do you mean that you want to teach only during summer months, or are you available for the (far more common) 1 year contract somewhere?

It makes quite a difference if you are seeking something short-term or long-term. If short-term, expect to spend money rather than to make it.

[naturegirl321]

If you{re qualified teachers, you should be able to get jobs at intl schools, but jobs are for the school year or even two. It'llbe harder to find work for just the summer.

[mimi_intheworld]

For summer work, you're looking at English camps (mostly). US teachers' summer breaks usually come in under the Schengen visa time limit (which is 90 days, I think) - which means it may be possible for you to find a summer job in Europe, Western or Eastern.

As EVERYONE will tell you, Europe isn't a place to go if you're hoping to save money. But if you're going to try something new and get out of town for the summer while earning a few pennies, you could to it. Maybe.

SE Asia is excellent for short-term English camp or just a short-term placement. I did English camps in Thailand, for example...but that was a million (or, you know, a dozen) years ago.

Actually, looking for summer work is how I found my year-long placement at a UK comprehensive school. So there ARE options. During my search I started at http://www.teachabroad.com/, a sort of catch-all website for short- and long-term work and volunteer opportunities. My suggestion is do a little research on areas you'd like to go and how much money you'll have to travel to and set up at your destination. If you're just looking for summer work, the whole world is (more or less) open to you.

[Glenski]

Aside from visa hassles for such short-term work, you may also want to consider how much money it'll take just to set yourselves up vs. how much you may actually recover. It might not be worth it financially.

And, if you bring a child that age, consider how they will be schooled or taken care of during the day.

[Trey]

Thanks for all the great replies.

We are definitely open to 1+ year stints. The biggest issue would be ensuring the safest place for our daughter. Money isn't really an issue at all. Our total monthly bills are around 1,300 dollars and that would drop drastically after taking out gas, cable, etc.

As far as location, we are open to almost any ideas that fit the above criteria.

Thanks again,
Trey

[Glenski]

Money is not an issue? Come to Japan and it may very well be for setup, as I indicated earlier. You might have to lay down 5 times a month's rent just to move in, and there will be nothing in the apartment, from furniture to appliances to light fixtures (unless you opt for an employer-sponsored place, with secondhand furnishings and space about the size of a bread box). And, let's not forget airfare.

[Denizen]

Since you mentioned a year may be possible, you might want to consider teaching in Japan at someplace like Interac or Omni (for example only), who will help provide you with an apartment along with a salary. You'll likely need to make that year commitment. Run through the International job lists on this site, then do a search of posts about the school that you're considering, in case there might be some warning signs worthy of heeding.

Good luck!

[tttompatz]