The International Schools Review Forum

P.E. jobs are not hard to find. I've found several through fairs, TIE and a contact.

I wasn't even certified in P.E. for my first three international schools. Just coaching/teaching experience and a K-8 multiple subject credential.

That is good to here.

Do Math and Science teachers get paid more than other subject teachers?

Or does it go on the school and your experience?

If you can do 6-12 math you dont need math 5-9. An international school is going to be concerned if you can teach higher level math, not lower. It would be unusual to have a departmentalized 5th grade math teacher. Not unheard of, but rare. Since your comfortable with 6-12 math, do that. Its going to be your best option in a high demand field.

Dont forget the cost of travel to the states to take those tests if your in S.Korea.

P.E. is pretty common actually. Its not like the states where you have to know someone practically to get a job. What can you coach? Football (soccer) is "THE" big sport. If you can get a coaches certification in it, and some coaching experience, that would make you much more marketable. Dont confuse just being "athletic" though with being able to teach P.E., especially if your teaching primary. there is a lot of pedagogy/methodology to it. Its not just throwing out some balls and letting the kids play.

In international schools math/science teachers dont usually get extra at schools with "open" compensation plans. Its almost always degree, and years of experience. You only get extra if you take on additional duties.
At school with "closed" compensation plans, where you negotiate your salary. if they really want you, or need you you can probably get more then say a primary school teacher, or humanities teacher.

I am nervous about attempting to re-teach myself Math 6-12! I can do it, as I have taken all those courses and made atleast B's but it was just what seems like an eternity ago! lol Florida does a nice job of laying out a nice detailed study guide for their tests which will help me out tons. I should be able to get the IS teacher that id be doing my field experience with to help me out if I needed it. TeacherReady already told me I could take the tests after I did my field experience which is a huge plus. Now I just need to see if I can take the Florida test over again if for some reason I dont pass it. It is only 80 questions and I assume I would have to score in the 80 percentile (64 right) which doesnt seem to hard.

Yea I am not much worried about any money issues as teaching ESL in Korea pays nicely. Id be able to save roughly 1k a month while I work and study for getting certified. So after about 10 months id prob leave back to the states to take the tests then go relax in Colombia or Brazil until the job fairs start.

Why stress yourself out? Do business for your initial certification, which will be far less stressful and after your fully certified add the 6-12 math test without the pressure?

I would also be sure to check with the teach ready program and ensure (in writing) that they will permit ESL teaching at a language school as your field experience (my experience is they wont accept it.)

That might not be a bad idea. Although I am just paranoid of getting certified in a non high needs subject area and then run the risk of not being able to land a job when I finish. Again prob over kill paranoia lol. I need to ask and see how adding certs work in the state of Florida.

The field experience I was talking about would not be done at a Language School. It would be done at a IS. So ideally I would work in the evening at a Language School and do my field experience during the day at an IS school.

You can have more then one certification, and it wouldnt be unusual for someone with a general business background to be proficient in several certification areas, including: business, economics, math, humanities, social studies, computers, IT/ITC, design technology, etc.

Thats going to be a very busy schedule, im sure your a better judge of what your capable of then anyone else, so do you really want to be doing all that and struggling with teaching math, a subject you admit your not that great in. What if you get your placement and its calculus? Can you prepare yourself enough to be comfortable with the material, create a lesson plan, demonstrate it, and answer questions, and work with students, without having to look in the teacher copy for the answer and saying to yourself "How did they do that?", all the while having another teacher or administrator observing you? I ask because if your in a business studies class discussing the difference between say advertising, and marketing or the effect of economic systems (capitalism, communism, etc) on international markets, or demonstrating double entry accounting, I would think even in planing a lesson your off to a far better start if you DONT have to learn it yourself first, and you will have a deeper knowledge base to draw on when asked questions, or having to re-teach.

I mean I have to study math as in it doesnt come natural for me but I made average to good grades in all my math classes even calculus in college. Only thing is I have completely forgot most of everything so I would just have to re-teach / familiarize myself with all the math again. The good thing with that is that I would have fresh memory of how I learned all the concepts ect.

I would def be busy ie studying math during the morning and day then working at night for like 10 months straight but hey gotta do what you gotta do.

But I might decide to go ahead with the Business K-12 first then do the Math after a few years. I would be banking on me willing to go almost anywhere to work starting out to help ease my mind about landing a job when I finish my certification program.

In japan I was good friends with a guy who was teaching ESOL 30 hours a week a a language school and working on his Masters at Temple for a J Uni position, it took him 4 years before he gave up and went to school full time. Then he finished in a year.

Just discovered there is TWO complete Florida Math 6-12 Study Guides one can purchase that goes over each competency with examples and includes practice tests! Eases my worries a ton!

I was thinking I was gonna have to purchase like 4-5 school text books and fish through them!

Now I can just purchase two that already have everything mapped out for me! That's awesome.

I was wondering is there any website that lists the International Schools for each country?

Also any must know websites for International Schools / Teaching in general? I have heard about Search.

I am in the process of making a personal guide for me to help me in this process, so all useful info / websites will be much appreciated!

Wow this thread has grown! It looks like you have things figured out for yourself.

I was hired at my school as an elementary teacher and didn't start the Teacher Ready program until February. So I'm doing my student teaching in my own classroom and having a certified teacher that I work with act as my supervisor. I'm curious why you don't do the same? There are a lot of third tier schools that hire non-certified teachers (the only places I've been able to work with up until now). My school even has IB and AP at the high school level, but usually they only let teachers who have been here for at least a year teach that. If you already have a job at a school you'll be able to make a decent salary at least.

Search international schools (insert country) on wikipedia, sometimes there is a big list. Here in China there are some magazines aimed at expats with lots of ads for foreigner-friendly schools. I'm sure Korea has the same, so try to find the website version. Expat forums are also a good source.

Don't worry too much about the workload. The course is not that demanding, I can usually get most of my assignments for the week finished in an afternoon over the weekend. I haven't started studying for the tests yet, but then I don't have to relearn a whole subject :)

I havent thought about attempting to get a job at a 3rd Tier school while im doing the program. Is there schools where I would be able to save 1k a month? That is roughly what I will be able to save in Korea plus a 2,500 USD severance. Also with no experience in an actually school id prob be over my head in a Elementary position! lol

Do you know how long we will have once we finish the program to take and pass the tests?

There are third tier schools in the ME and Asia that would hire you to teach business, economics, and maybe ESOL, where you could save 1K a month.

The American Community School at Beirut has an economics position, no certification required just a BA degree in the field and experience.

I would love to work in Beirut! Fascinating city.

Probably to late to get any position for the Fall now.

Its a recent vacancy and still available I understand.