Hey everyone. The subject line pretty much sums it up. I don't really know specifically how IS operate- is there such a thing as an international school counselor, or do they generally tend to leave counseling responsibilities to the teachers? Thanks in advance for filling me in. If there are any counselors out there, I'd love to hear how you like your job!

Hey everyone,
I know I want to break into the IS world, but I'm still working on figuring out exactly which subject area I am going to teach. I waver back and forth between HS English and HS Social Studies, but I worry that I will have an extremely difficult time finding a job in either.

What is the reality of the situation? Am I crazy to try and go into these less in-demand fields, or is it doable. My issue, of course, is that these are the two subjects I feel most passionate about, so I think I have to pursue one or the other either way.

The advantages I have are that I am young(26), single, and willing to work pretty much anywhere for a couple of years to pay my dues, whether that means podunk USA, rural China, the M.E., or whatever else.

Anyhow, any wisdom or advice on how to break into these fields would be greatly appreciated!

Hello everyone,
My immediate goal is to get the education and experience I need to teach elementary internationally. In 10-15 years or so, however, I hope to transition into an administrative role and eventually become the principal of a good international school. I'm wondering, for those of you who are currently administrators, how did you get to where you are today?
What kinds of experience/education should I be focusing on if I hope to one day become an administrator? I know I'm thinking very long term here, but I want to make sure my ducks are in a row from the beginning. Thank you very much!

Hey everyone, thank you so much for all of the sound advice. It is amazing to have a community to turn to with questions like these. The general consensus seems to be that I'll be ok with my online teaching certification, but that I may need to start off at a lower tier school to build my credentials. I'm still fairly young, so I'm perfectly okay with that. As for the masters, I will pursue it eventually if need be, but I won't worry about it for at least a couple years. Thanks again everyone!

As of now I am living and working as an English teacher in Korea, but I plan to take steps over the next couple of years to make the transition to international schools. I am hoping you will be willing to give me some feedback on my plan, as I still lack an understanding of what it takes to "make it" in the international school job market.

Next year, while in Korea, I will do the Teacher Ready program through the University of West Florida. Though much of this program is done online, there is also a significant field experience component. Coming out of that program I will be certified to teach in the state of Florida. I hope to land my first job in 2015. My questions for you are as follows-
-Will schools be turned off by the fact that my licensing courses came from an online program?
-I will have three years of ESL teaching experience under my belt, but no experience teaching back home in the States. Will my experience be considered relevant/sufficient by international schools?
-How important is it to have a masters degree in the international school job market? Can I get by without one, or should I definitely plan on getting one if I want to be competitive. I am willing to do what it takes to pursue this career path, but I would like to limit major expenses as much as I can.

And finally, more generally, is there anything you wish you had known when you were just getting started with the transition to working in international schools?

Thank you so much for your help! It is very much appreciated.