The International Schools Review Forum

Hello all,

My boyfriend and I are both trained teachers with 4 years teaching experience each. For the last few years (4 for him/3 for me), we have been teaching at an international division of a local Chinese high school here in Shanghai, each of us earning leadership roles in our departments (him - history, me - elementary). While we've enjoyed our time here, and the school improves each year, there is still a lack of resources, accountability, etc. Our long-term goal is to teach internationally, and we've realized that we are not longer being pushed professionally where we are. Through some unfortunate circumstances, we missed several of the big fairs and can't afford to go to London or the ones in the US. We've sent out dozens of applications, but the offers we received were from less reputable schools for less pay. The best opportunity I've received, career-wise, is a potential TA position at a top-tier school in Shanghai (much lower pay, but great benefits & could eventually lead to a teaching position). Though several friends have turned their noses up at being a TA, I recognize that, at this point in my career, humility and hard work can only lead to good things, and, hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere.

As the end of the school year draws closer, I'm afraid our standards are getting lower and our options are becoming fewer. So, my question is this: do we stay in Shanghai and hope that me starting out at the very bottom will translate into positions at this school for both of us in the future? Or, do we go back to teach in the US for a few years, beef up our credentials a bit more, and try our hand at the job fairs again in a few years? Any advice is appreciated!

Going back to the US could be a complete non-starter unless you are assured of jobs there, and it's a depressing market in most places.
Working as a TA is not a good idea. Very few TAs ever get the chance to become a teacher - you simply won't be building on the skills that good schools require teachers to have. With no opportunity to showcase those skills, how would a school build the trust in you they need? If you got very lucky and had a cooperating teacher who was fully on board, who let you co-plan and really take the lead, that would be great, but it's all out of your control. And the longer you stay as a TA, the less chance that any school will put you back on the teacher-track. Your teaching skills could actually deteriorate as a TA, if you don't have the responsibility and opportunities that come with being a teacher. Besides, what would your husband do? No TA positions in History departments.
I see your best chance as staying where you are for one more year, and doing whatever it takes to get to a major job fair in January/February. Bangkok could be an economical option for you, and there's lots of access there to good schools. Present yourselves as consummate professionals, wear the suits, flash the CVs, share great references, talk the talk. With 4/5 years international experience in a challenging environment, there will be plenty of schools willing to look at you.

We're a bit concerned about this too. At some point we need to break into a truly international school. We're moving to a school with an international division in Shanghai in August. We had interviews with other, bigger, better schools in China, but weren't offered positions. We are hoping that after a couple of years at this school we'll be able to get into a better school, possibly still in Shanghai. It is defintely a concern. We'll go to Search next time around.

To clarify, if I went the TA route for the next school year, my boyfriend would stay in his current position.

First year teacher here (so what do I know really)?
Here's my take on it-- how many people honest to god want to spend the rest of their life abroad? Away from family? Etc Not many. So you're in luck

Build connections.
Buddy up with your principal, deliver wicked lessons when inspectors come in (if your school has inspectors (then again, shouldn't you always be delivering awesome lessons? =O)). Edit, prune, and redit your CV. Make sure it is polished. Pay a professional to look it over for you.

I am a firm believer that connections get you hired, CV's only get you noticed (but then again, what do I know?) Yes: take person's advice above, make sure you make the recruiting fare! Handout your resume to EVERY single school. Photo copy your CV 50+ times.

When at the fare ask questions. Show keen interest, don't just drop your resume, and move to the next booth (cause the recruiter will see you wondering about). If he asks: can you teach Math?" You smile and say: ABSOLUTELY! IF she asks: are you willing to do A,B,C, and D? you say "yes!" "Can you coach boxing?" YES FOR SURE, I LOVE Boxing... Once you get home (after the job fare) I would suggest educating yourself about " Math, A,B,C, D, and boxing."

Perks (for the resume...):
Get IB certified
Have some sort of Volunteer work with kids on your CV
Write down your PD on your resume
Can you speak Chinese (or can you speak the language of the place where you are hoping to work)? If so, mention it, but be clear that you WILL NOT use it in the classroom (shows you have assimilated well into the culture)!

Ultimately, You need to do things that make you stick out from the crowd (now I can't share ALL my tips on here, cause I want a job in a tier 1 too (once I put my time in, of course) =P).

But I think it boils down to three things really: connections, pleasing CV, and a keen (raw) interest in a position. I think employers can tell if someone doesn't TRULY want the job. Anyways, I hope my tips help, but like I said, whatta I know (first year here)!

Be well, and good luck!
?????

I work at a big Shanghai School and we have had TA's break the barrier and be hired on as teachers. Is it easy or happen all the time, no, but it does happen, yes it does.

Full disclosure, I've seen it happen too, but only very rarely. Maybe twice in my career, and only for a couple of very special TAs who started as TAs, loved it, sought additional training and certification, proved themselves thoroughly, and made the breakthrough. All credit to them.
But my point isn't that it's impossible, it's that it's not a good path for an already certified teacher. This is not a case where a step back will yield big results later. It is a case where the OP should remain where she is, and bank on that to leverage a better position, using a fair to help her. Her chances are much better via that route, and she won't have to take the risks (and pay cut) associated with demoting herself to a TA.
If a school isn't willing to hire the OP now as a teacher, with several years of experience as a full teacher, what would the school see to change their minds, if she came to them as a TA for a couple of years? By its very nature, she would be doing less as a TA than she is doing now as a teacher. To me, this seems a ploy on the part of the school to get a fully trained teacher on the cheap. If she's not good enough for them now, she won't be good enough after a couple of years of TA work.
I've seen schools take advantage of young teachers like this before. Not this specific method, but various ways of getting good people for less than their worth, or for less than they're qualified for. It's good for the school, and sometimes it can even be good for the teacher - I myself did a couple years as a local hire, but I did it knowing what I was doing, and knowing that it was the only way I could get the experience I needed to move up the ladder. After a couple years, the school declined to switch me to recruited status, and we parted ways; I got myself a recruited position at a better school. They had had a pretty decent if young teacher for cheap for a couple years, and I had earned a living wage plus started my international career. We both benefited. But for this OP, I only see the benefit to the school.

Lot's of good advice here. I agree, don't go the TA route, no matter how good the school is.

Get ready for the job fairs next year, you'll be fine. You guys will do better than you think. BKK may not yield any immediate offers. I'd plan on BKK and then the first Search fair in the States. Start your Search profile now or over the summer. Make it sing. It should be the greatest collection of documents you've ever created.

If you don't feel like you are currently being challenged - start a PLC, and do an action research project.

It's too late, but I would have told you to also sign up for EARCOS. There are still some EARCOS weekend workshop PD events, where you can grow professionally and make more friends in the biz. I don't think it has been mentioned yet, but so many spots are filled at top schools through networking relationships.

Network. Nikkor is totally right. Do it at hiring fairs. Go to professional conferences ?EARCOS, ACAMIS, etc)and workshops even if you have to self-pay. I'm sure there are weekend workshops on occasion in Shanghai. Consider getting IB training if you haven' and meet folks during the training. Join accreditation teams for WASC. Become friends with international teachers and admin at good schools in Shanghai.

One other issue is that not all schools are going to see a dating couple as a teaching couple. Some will and some won't (or cannot). Did you see how Sid referred to your boyfriend as your husband? Small thing, but married couples generally get viewed as more stable (not necessarily true of course). I'm not suggesting you get married to find work, but it would surprise me if that could be a factor in some cases.

Also history and elementary as a combination are not high need fields. That makes it tough too.

Good luck.

megwii,

Are you members of Search? Did you sign up with TIEonline? Are you and your boyfriend certified teachers from a jurisdiction in the US, or simply TESL/CELTA/TOEFL?

If you are Search members, Search runs a fair in later June in Bethesday. That is a good chance. Otherwise, get your CVs on TIEonline and start looking for those recent job posts and jobs that need to be filled now.

Don't despair, but make sure you are expanding your net and if you have to go somewhere for less for a couple of years, go for it. Doing local Dipont stuff with Chinese HS is not valued as much, IMHO, as working at an "International" school.

Good luck!

There are a lot of smaller IS's in China that are highering even at the beginning of the school year. Many of them are ok, and very good to get into the next phase of your teaching careers. Albeit I personally greatly disliked my experience at Beanstalk In Beijing, they have a new director who is quite famous for turning things around, and friends in the elementary have expressed high praise. There are quite a few schools of similar caliber with similar employment practices. Look on the pay portion of this site, and then go to school sites, look on joyjobs (which at this point would be my starting point), tieonline post similar (and both of these are cheap). I went for a training in Beijing and walked away with 2 job offers, China is a mecca right now. Otherwise stick it out for another year and make the investment in going to Bangkok in January. I recommend ISS for your experience level, if you have an open mind you will find a great position next January.

Good luck.

Just to include a different perspective on the marriage thing- my boyfriend and I were hired to teach IB at a top school for our first international position and were offered two other positions at the Cambridge fair. Neither of us are in high-needs areas (English, ESOL, and Spanish). We are, however, top-notch teachers with several years of experience and excellent references. They were only interested in what we could contribute to their schools as a couple, regardless of marriage. We knew of at least two other non-married couples who were also hired at the same fair, and offered multiple positions.

I know that may not be the case in every situation, but I just wanted to emphasize that in my own experience, absolutely no school mentioned the non-married thing as a problem (we obviously avoided anything remotely Christian and most of the ME). Due to what other people have said in this forum, I was genuinely concerned it would be an issue before I attended the fair. At Cambridge, at least, it wasn't an issue at all.