[quote="JISAlum"]On my site I have a page each for both my wife's and my CV. I also have download links to .pdf copies. I've also included additional information pertaining to my job and project I've worked on, a short bio of my kids, as well as a Contact form and our email/skype info.

I registered a domain for us ($7.50 per year) and got a cheap hosting plan ($12.95 per year).

I put our URL on my resume that I send to schools, as well as any email I send as well.

We're also working on a YouTube movie to insert into our page as well.

It's an easy way to give someone an interesting and broad understanding of who you are.[/quote]

I have done almost the same as you. Even our five year old daughter has her own web page. I also have a class website and blog. All this is posted at the top of my resume.

I attach a PDF file with a joint cover letter (me and spouse), followed by our resumes and recent written references. I cut and paste the cover letter and use that (slightly adjusted) as the body of the email. I then title the email "Elementary Teaching Couple Application'

I don't know if it works. I sent out 50 odd resumes and got two interviews andsome interest from a couple of others that didn't go anywhere. We're both new to teaching, let alone international teaching, so I should be glad we got any bites at all.

I usually cut and paste about two thirds of my covering letter into the email, then add a couple of lines.

I have a job, so it must of worked (or I might have got the job inspite of this, who knows).

I live on the outskirts of Cairo and I have watched the demonstrations on the TV like everyone else. Nothing's happened where I live. It's actually a bit dull :-( . I wouldn't be too concerned about issues in Egypt, inspite of the coverage on the TV. The demos are in a relatively small area. Schools close on election days and I'm pretty sure we'll be closed for a couple of days after Mubarak is sentenced. Our school also has an evacuation plan if everything kicks off again. It's not fail proof, but it's somewhat reassuring to know that we won't be abandoned.

I contacted several teachers at my current school before interviewing (although, I was pretty sure I was going to get an interview). Some ignored me, some replied. Some I had multiple emails from and the conversation went on long after I got hired.

I would take this route again, but obviously, when I started emailing, my questions were somewhat generic, until I got a feel for the person and whether they were going to open up.

Ha, the A4 formatting had never occurred to me. Good point.

My wife and I send joint cover letters, followed by my resume, then my wife's, then everything else requested. We started off with a joint cover plus individual letters, but I found it was just too much info and the PDF was just too long.

A single cover letter seems to work, and makes you look like a team.

We're in a similar situation, although from Canada. We just bought an extra insurance policy to cover us worldwide. We think the local policy is quite adequate, but in the event of some traumatic or longterm illness we would like to return to Canada. We chose a policy with a high deductible, because, as mentioned, the local policy is adequate and the real reason for the second policy is to protect us financially.

Do a search on google for "expat health insurance coverage the guardian". This article is mostly aimed at Brit expats, but many of the companies mentioned would probably be able to supply policies to us citizens.

More Buddy Holly than Elvis, I would have thought.

I had a couple of bites from schools I probably wouldn't work in earlier this year. I also had interest from a fairly decent school in Southeast Asia. It didn't work out, but the principal said he would be interested in receiving my resume the next time I'm looking. I have no post-grad experience, other than substitute work, so I was quite happy with the response.

I liked the fact that I could attach a video to my TIE resume and also link it to my teaching website. It gave me a bit of room to be creative.

I've never used Search, but once my first contract is done (starting in August), I'll probably sign up for Search and renew my subscription to TIE as well. I think it's worth the money.

Anappleaday wrote,

"EVERY school has its issues, but I guess it wouldn't be as dreadful[u]in[/u] these",

Whereas I think you read it as,

"EVERY school has its issues, but I guess it wouldn't be as dreadful [u]as[/u] these"

[quote="ichiro"]The first three schools you mention are very highly respected. So maybe you are the dreadful part of the equation?[/quote]

I think he misread 'in' as 'as'.

I vote for PMs too.

I'm pretty sure you can't get a K-12 teaching certificate in Canada with only a Masters. You need a B.Ed. or PDP. You might be able to do that in the US, but not in Canada. A Masters (in the case of teachers) is taken after five years of bachelor level course.

You also can't get a teaching qualification in the UK with a M.Ed. (as far as I know). Of course, if it had the PGCE component in it, then you could, but the vital, obligatory component is the attainment of a PGCE, not a Masters.

A PGCE or B.Ed. is required in order to teach. This is the program that gives you the basic know-how of how to teach. Masters degrees are specialisations, such as Special Ed, Info Tech, Counselling, leadership/admin programs. None of these are stand alone programs that would allow you to gain a teaching certificate. They are extensions to your bachelor level teaching qualifications.

This may not be the case in the US, but as far as I know, that isn't the case in the UK or Canada. I would be happy to be corrected.

[quote]To get straight to the point to even get in the door in an international school you need a Bachelors degree and a government teaching credential [/quote]
.
An M.Ed. from the UK or Canada won't get you a teaching credential in either of those countries. In the UK you need a PGCE and in Canada either a B.Ed. or PDP.

[quote]I've been pretty lucky that my Ed Theory courses have been fairly engaging, with the exception of a few here and there.[/quote]
One of the least engaging wasn't run by a Brent Davis in the Scarfe lecture hall, was it?

Just asking :-)