I interviewed with them a few years ago and I really was impressed with both the professionalism of the admin and the academic level of the school. I can't remember the particulars of the salary structure, but I recall after crunching the numbers that at the end of the year I would just be a little above breaking even (factoring in some limited travel and a football match or two). I also think I would have had to find my own flat and in no way would I be living anywhere close to the school as it is located in St. John's Wood--Google a property search in the area and you'll see what I mean. Ultimately I was not offered the job, but had it gone the other way I would have most likely accepted despite the limited income. Why? Because it's London!!

A few things to consider when looking at the statistics you've cited. First, keep in mind that while history has the largest group of candidates for Group 3, it is also a subject that is required for most students for graduation purposes in the United States. Given the fact that the IB has expanded significantly in the US, those numbers are a bit skewed when you compare them to international schools. That said, history is still a very popular subject and is found in most international schools, but unlike US schools that may have six to eight teachers teaching multiple sections of history, many international schools may have only small number of history instructors who may teach a few sections of history and an additional social science or two--therefore, demand for them may not be as great as your statistics may indicate. For example, I know one teacher at a smaller international school who teaches the entire 9-12 Social Studies curriculum. As long as she doesn't leave, that school does not have to go looking for a high school history teacher.

A second factor may be the "global mindedness" of social studies teachers in general. I really don't know how much stock to put in this, but I've been to a few job fairs and always hear about social studies teachers being "a dime a dozen" because of the "global nature" of the courses they teach. In other words, since they teach about the world they're more apt to go out and see the world. Again, I don't know how much of this is actually true, but it "feels true" when all one sees at job fairs are social studies teachers. Of course, a greater number of social studies candidates means more competition for jobs.

As to your second query, I think your background in economics will make you a very strong candidate since both Econ and Business Studies seem to be growing subjects within the IB. I also think students who are more math oriented or who struggle with the English language are more attracted to the theory, graphing, and measurement found in Econ rather than the emphasis on essay writing inherent in history. I think your second cert area should be history since it still remains a core subject in most international schools--that, in combination with economics, ought to make you very competitive.

You did not specify if you had any actual teaching experience, IB or otherwise. This is also a huge factor in your regards to employability. Recruiters, at least at first, tend to interview those with IB experience over those who do not However, IMHO and all things being equal, go for the history cert to combine with your economics cert.

Hi Oldman,

I was responding to your question when my Internet connection went down. When I was able to get back on I saw that Shadowjack beat me to the punch! :)

I think Shadowjack is spot on in terms of size of school. More populated schools require more teachers and usually can offer more variety in their curricula. Sometimes schools will have an "IB school within a school" where some students are in the DP while others take the school diploma track, although I am not sure how common this is in the IS world.

Your best best is to go on the individual school websites to check if their curriculum is posted. If so, you'll be able to see if they offer other courses in addition to the DP. Hope this helps!

I second doubtful's request for information. It's been a while since I've been in the job market. Are personal online sites that critical in securing an international teaching job, or is emailing your resume and cover letter sufficient? Do you get a sense that international schools like prefer websites and are they safe? Thanks for any info!

Do most international/bilingual schools offer enough PD to allow for renewal of its teacher's state teaching licenses? Since most schools seem to want a valid teaching license I would hope they do, but I thought I'd ask all of you who have experience. I think my state is every five years--are there other states out there with longer renewal periods? I think it would be nice not to have to worry about qualifying for renewal so often while living overseas.

I am interested in international teaching and I have a six year old daughter who is in a TAG program at her public school (which she loves). Have any parents had issues with an academically motivated son/daughter in a new international or bilingual school? Do international/bilingual schools typically have accelerated programs in elementary school for those students who made need them? Any help on this issue would be great!

I've taught in the IB Diploma Programme for a number of years now, and I'm not aware of any "certification" process. I think what you are inquiring about is in regards to formal IB training in a particular subject (English, Biology, History, TOK, etc.). According to the IBO, a teacher must have formal IB training in order to teach within the program. Training in IB subjects can be found in various locations around the world (check their website for dates and locations), but it is my understanding and experience that the only way one may obtain training is through his/her respective IB schools. In other words, one may not simply "sign up" and get training; rather, IB schools register trainees.

Of course, this creates a massive Catch-22. You want to teach in an IB school but do not have formal training (but desire it); IB schools want candidates with previous IB training rather than sending you for training.

A frustrating situation to be sure, however, you may want to consider those international schools that have the IB but have positions available that are not IB related. You work there for a year or two in a non-IB classroom and express your interest to the administration--ask them to send you to training. In reality, it behooves an IB school to send as many staff members as possible for training, even if not all teachers are teaching IB classes. Suppose an IB English teacher becomes ill or in some way incapacitated and he/she is the only trained IB English teacher in the school. This places tremendous pressure on the school since it will not have anyone to fill the position and remain in compliance with the IBO (and understand the exam process in the DP).

My experience has mainly been with the DP. I am not sure if PYP or MYP training can be obtained individually and without school request. Anyone else have info on this?

Have any of you brought up negatives you've read on ISR during a face to face interview (or even Skype) for clarification? There are few schools I'm looking at, but after reading the reviews for some of them, I feel almost foolish to not bring up problems discussed in the reviews should I get an interview. Is this an appropriate thing to do? Do you sort of mask the ideas that you obtained the info from ISR and instead say "Some people at the fair has said this about your school......?" Does referencing ISR bring about any red flags from a school? I would think the school would assume that you've read the ISR reviews anyway......Would love some feedback on this one!

Some really interesting discussions on this topic and I for one really appreciate all of the advice and information. I've been in the states for the last ten years since teaching overseas, and both my wife and I are completely gobsmacked by NCLB and the testing requirements therein. So much emphasis on teaching to the test and very little, if any, emphasis on creativity. We have friends that teach in private schools and they simply shake their heads when we tell them of all the "state mandates" and "requirements" that come down the pike. I have one colleague who teaches calculus to underclassmen (high achievers, these) but must stop instruction once a day to perform mandated practice for the state exam that focuses on beginning Algebra......

As for money, yes---it plays a huge part in our decision to return overseas. I don't think there is anything wrong with that nor should anyone ever apologize for that particular line of reasoning. Like many of you, I've worked extremely hard in my profession; I have advanced degrees, national board certification, and taught AP/IB classes as well as classes that couldn't spell AP or IB. I attend conferences and workshops over the summer related to my subject and mentor new teachers for a program in my district. I do and have all of this, yet cannot afford a home in my region (at least, not one where I don't have to put bars on the window). Therefore, what both my wife and I see in international education is much more of a free market, where those teachers that can demonstrate mastery of subject and skills will be compensated for their hard work and level of dedication; compare this to public ed where a guy who has more years experience but never takes home work or stays past the bell will ALWAYS make more than someone with less experience but stays late for clubs and tutoring and grades essays into the wee hours of the night! In this economy all we have seen in my state are cuts, cuts, and more cuts. No raises in years and insurance premiums going up and up. My wife and I, if we are lucky, might save 3-5K per year as we are debt free. When you compare this the possibility of saving 20, 30, 40, even 50(!)K per year while living well and debt free AND having some teaching flexibility outside NCLB AND seeing our child grow in an international environment AND experience a new culture.....I'm just not seeing a down-side to international teaching in comparison our current situation (other than the fact that portion sizes are smaller and I may have to watch football at 4 in the morning).

I do think that it will take more responsibility on our part to invest our money wisely and definitely for the long-term. And while state pensions are typically safe, they are not untouchable--many retired teachers are desperately trying to get back in the system since as their pensions have lost tremendous value with the downturn in the economy.

So, someone please tell me that I am misguided or erroneous in my logic so I can stop reading these boards, stop being thinking about winter job fairs, stop reading the school reviews, and instead begin focusing my attention on my upcoming classes that begin in two weeks! : )

Thanks so much for the responses. I have noticed that a number of schools have pre-K classes which would be perfect for our situation. We may be a bit confined to choose only those schools which offer tuition reimbursement or significant tuition discount, however. Tuition at these schools can have a huge effect on a family's ability to save which is one of the reasons (albeit not the only one) why we are considering overseas teaching. I hope that most schools do offer tuition reimbursement for faculty member's children. Otherwise we would have to take the hit financially or find some other school in the area that may have an English program--not a tempting offer....

Do those of you who are teaching overseas have any opinions as to the best age for children in making the move? We are a teaching couple with a two year-old son. Might it be more advantageous for us to wait until he is of kindergarten age so he can attend school with us, or have many of you been able to find decent daycare or pre-K services at your posts?

I have read a lot of comments (mainly negative) regarding schools that are "for profit." This may seem like a silly question, but how does one know if a school is a "for profit" school? Would one find this posted on a school's website or might a director state this in an interview if asked? Since private schools are in fact businesses, don't most rely on profits to operate in the first place?

I am a long time reader of this forum but a first time poster. I've noticed that a lot of the discussions tend to focus around schools outside Western Europe. I don't read a lot of posts about schools in Paris, London, Brussels, or Berlin. It makes me wonder if problems/issues don't really exist there, or if they do, they simply aren't posted here. However, I digress...

I guess I have a curious question--perhaps it might be a paradox. If, for example, the more generous the package leads to a higher quality of teacher/instruction (as a previous post suggests, with mixed responses), how does one explain the overall excellent quality of Western European schools? I have been out of the international circuit for about eight years now, but my wife (who is also a teacher) and I are thinking strongly about returning in a year or two. When I went through the Search job fair eight years ago I had a number of interviews with Western European schools, but there packages were so financially weak, I could not honestly consider any of their offers (the salary did not even cover my student loans, so I would have defaulted if I would have accepted a contract).

I ended up taking a job at a South American school with a fairly strong package, but I've always wondered about those Western European schools. My wife is just about finished with Ed school, we are debt free (yeah, baby) and we have a two year-old son, and as we ponder the places we might be able to live, should we even consider Western Europe? We are strongly interested in Italy (OK, some might argue this is Southern Europe not Western Europe) and France but could we honestly live there and plan out our retirement and save for our son's college education? And more importantly, if not us, then who are the people taking these jobs? My only guess is that they have no debts and no dependents, unless of course the financial packages in these countries have changed (but judging by the posts, they haven't).

Which brings me to my original question (I said I was a first time poster--I promise I'll be more brief in later posts!)--if, for example, I am a director at a top rated international school in Paris, I probably have some very influential parents who have high expectations for their children (i.e. IB and AP passing rates are very important). Therefore, I will want to attract the most powerful and influential international teachers out there. However, if I am offering them peanuts compared to Asian and Middle Eastern schools, am I really attracting the best teachers out there? When I was at the job fair eight years ago, I noticed a number of single teachers who were looking to travel overseas to "find themselves and have an adventure" as opposed to making a serious career choice. Many of them did not have much teaching experience, but they could afford to take the paltry sums offered by Western European schools. I noticed that many of the more experienced, stable teaching couples did not take offers by European schools for the very same reasons I could not--they simply do not pay enough to make a solid living on in order to raise a child and plan for retirement (or in my case, pay off student loans). Are these schools short-changing themselves due to their desirable locations, or, is money not as important as some of us think it is?

Of course, generalizations abound in a post such as this, so I apologize to those single teachers without dependents and without loans who are serious teachers who do amazing jobs (and there are many of you--probably teaching in Western Europe) ...however, how do European schools compete for the best teachers if they don't pay much?