*Gotta watch file size

I am new to international teaching, but wife and I seem to have landed jobs for next Spetember already.

Our little PDF package goes like this;
Short cover about both of us and the fact we are a family
Longer individual cover letter each
A resume each followed by a list of references (email addresses / phone numbers)
Written references if required

You gotta watch file if you add more.

A couple of schools have contacted me through the resume bank, but not places I would want to work. I am certified but with little experience, so they were obviously struggling to find staff.

Where I come from in Canada putting photos or videos of your kids on a website without permission is a strict no-no. You just don't do it. However, I posted a similar question on TES a while back and although no one categorically said it's fine, they seemed less concerned about the privacy aspect. I guess it depends on the attitude in your country and also the policy of your school board / college of teachers. I would be looking there for specific policies.

Also, if I were to add a video to my website I think I'd be looking more at me talking about myself and education rather than a video of me teaching. I'm going to make it look like a compact interview session where I answer some of the current in vogue interview questions before they have a chance to ask me.

Thanks calciodirigore. That is a post that should be cut and paste for future reference.

Within those two groups are they in any particular order. Is the Pearl one the worst or did you just happen to type that last?

Most of them are local internationals, meaning they cater to the local elite not ex-pats.

My wife recently met someone who had worked at the Cairo school for a year. She seems to have enjoyed. She went there right out of her B.Ed.

I also have a word document with bits and pieces I have gleaned about Maple Leaf (some hard searching of forums and such). Email me if you want me to send it (I emailed you a while back, so you should have my email - if not write yours again).

I also started a thread on ISR a while back about Maple Leaf. I was briefly corresponding with someone who still works there. Do a search.

I am in a somewhat similar situation to yourself. I am currently a TOC with the VSB. If that means anything to you, you know where I live. You must be at the uni up the hill.

I qualified in 2009. My wife will qualify as a Kindergarten teacher in 2010, but doesn't want to start work until Jan 2011 (I want to start in Sept 2010). We have a four year old.

In the past four weeks I have sent out 50 resumes/cover letters (covering both of us). So far I've had one rejection, two emails from interested schools (schools I applied to) and one email from a school I
didn't apply too, but they found our resumes on www.tieonline.com .

I don't know what will come of them and we are also applying to places in Canada and the UK. I'm quite happy with the response we've got so far. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

If you want more info, post your email address and I'll keep you updated on where we are.

To my knowledge, their is only one other forum like this and that is TES. TES have one forum and no categories and it flows much better than this forum. It certainly has more posters than this forum and would have many more if they didn't have the ridiculous log-in procedure.

I believe splitting an already slow forum into multiple categories will just make it even slower (I've seen this happen on other forums).

When I come to the ISR forum I generally only click on forum 1, because the other one barely moves.

You just need one forum, a decent search function and email notification when someone posts. Being able to PM someone would also be helpful.

Given that both of these forums can move like treacle, I would have thought it better to combine the two into one to make it a bit more vibrant. It certainly doesn't need subdividing any more.

Didn't it used to be called YIEC (Yangon International Educare or something like that)?

There's been a lot of talk on another forum about teachers being let go after one year even though they signed two year contracts. I am trying to figure out why this is. I know Maple Leaf have 75 new teachers coming in September. Is it a case of, they haven't managed to recruit enough students, so they over estimated the number of teachers needed?

How were those who are leaving prematurally selected?

Where is the Foreign National School actually located? I note that some schools have Jinshitan or Kaifaqu in brackets after their names, but the Foreign National School doesn't. Does that mean it's actually in Dalian?

Onece again, thanks. Any info is greatfully received.

Thanks for the reply.

When you say most teachers' kids go to the Chinese elementary school are you refering to Kaifaqu Elementary or the Foreign National School? From what you have said I get the impression they are going to Kaifaqu and not the Foreign National School. I'm just wondering why that would be as the Foreign National school is the one taught in English and the one accredited by BC.

Also, as my daughter would be four when we arrive, would she go to the pre-school at the Foreign National School? As elementary generalists, I am assuming that is the school we would be teaching at.

Where is the Foreign National School in relation to Dalian and the other schools? I need a map!!

Thanks for the reply. I have many questions!!

That's good news about the preschool as my daughter will be one year shy of starting kindergarten.

If we are still in Dalian when my daughter starts school, would she be placed in the Maple Leaf Foreign Nationals School (K-7)? Do teacher's children get free places there?

Did you get accommodation provided on campus (I believe you have to pay for it)? If so, what was the standard of accommodation?

I believe some teachers take accommodation off campus. The website said this would cost about $600 a month for a two bedroom apartment. Would this seem about right?

I understand the starting salary is CAD$44,000. How much tax do you pay on that?

How much money (monthly) can you comfortably live on as a family of four? As we are two teachers with one child we would like to travel in the holidays and send home CAD$30,000 a year between us. Is this doable?

Of those who complain about the school, what is their most common gripe? Are they just complains you would get at any elementary school in Canada or are they specific to Maple Leaf?

I hope my volume of questions is reasonable. There maybe more to come!

Thanks in advance

I will graduate with a B.Ed. this summer, my wife will do the same next summer. We have a three year old daughter.

We are looking to move overseas fairly quickly, as there are few jobs here. I am wondering what the Maple Leaf schools are like? We will both be BC certified and have lived in China and Taiwan before as ESL teachers.

Any good or bad experiences? Would we be able to save? Would our daughter get a reasonable education?

Thanks in advance

holmes5668@hotmail.com