Hi everyone,
I am just starting this whole process, and wow, there's a lot of information out there! I am looking to start teaching overseas for the 2012-2013 school year. I currently teach 1st grade in Marietta, Ga., and I'm about about to start my 7th year as a teacher.
I have seen a lot of negative feedback on here about ISS (more positive stuff about Search Associates), but I see that ISS is having a recruitment fair in Atlanta in December, and that's where I live. If I go with Search Associates and want to attend a fair, I'll probably have to wait until Feb and go to San Fran.
I'd like some opinions on whether or not it is worth paying the ISS fee and attending the fair in my hometown, or if I'd be better off going with Search Associates and traveling to the fair. Is it better to do one earlier rather than later?
Also- does anyone know if a lot of the same schools attend fairs with all the different agencies, or are they totally different groups of schools?
Another thing I've seen mentioned on here is Tier 1, 2, and 3 schools. How do I find out what category a school falls into?
Thank you!!!!
ISS Job Fair (and other questions :)
Hi there. I also debated about going with ISS or Search when I decided to go overseas. I finally decided to go with Search & was happy I did. I had been teaching 9 years, went to a job fair in February & ended up at a Tier 1 school in Asia for my first placement. I know for a fact that my school hired several people from both ISS & Search, some of whom were first time overseas teachers. I am now at a second international school, that I also got with the help of Search. My second school also hired from Search & ISS.
I do think you should know going in that competition is stiff for elementary positions. I have been fortunate enough to teach science & have not had trouble finding positions, however I have met several people at the job fairs that were there for the 2nd or 3rd time, trying to get an elementary job. As much as I hate to recommend doing so, you should do something to give yourself an edge, like create a website with some videos of you teaching a lesson etc.
International teaching has long been a competitive market, but I think it has become even more competitive with teachers in the US losing jobs & looking fro work overseas. Best of luck!
I do think you should know going in that competition is stiff for elementary positions. I have been fortunate enough to teach science & have not had trouble finding positions, however I have met several people at the job fairs that were there for the 2nd or 3rd time, trying to get an elementary job. As much as I hate to recommend doing so, you should do something to give yourself an edge, like create a website with some videos of you teaching a lesson etc.
International teaching has long been a competitive market, but I think it has become even more competitive with teachers in the US losing jobs & looking fro work overseas. Best of luck!
KR,
If you're interested in South America, AASSA has its recruiting fair in Atlanta in late November/early December. http://www.aassa.com/
As discussed on the other forum here, I think people are just too preoccupied with "tiers." It's a completely subjective rating, and what may be one person's 1 might be someone else's 2. A lot of the ratings look at the salary and package and whether it's IB or not, but for me a school's admin and students are what really make it a pleasure. And, of course, the location should be one you will be able to enjoy after hours.
For me, I look at the school's non- or for-profit status, housing (having to share would knock it off my list), and the city/country themselves. This last search, I wanted a warm climate, preferably at or near sea level, preferably on a coast, and preferably near good diving; luckily, I got all that!
If you're interested in South America, AASSA has its recruiting fair in Atlanta in late November/early December. http://www.aassa.com/
As discussed on the other forum here, I think people are just too preoccupied with "tiers." It's a completely subjective rating, and what may be one person's 1 might be someone else's 2. A lot of the ratings look at the salary and package and whether it's IB or not, but for me a school's admin and students are what really make it a pleasure. And, of course, the location should be one you will be able to enjoy after hours.
For me, I look at the school's non- or for-profit status, housing (having to share would knock it off my list), and the city/country themselves. This last search, I wanted a warm climate, preferably at or near sea level, preferably on a coast, and preferably near good diving; luckily, I got all that!
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Zsejanko
With your 7 years experience, you will have an advantage over other candidates in the running who may be quite new in the international teaching world. Also, don't worry so much about the definitions and terms of " Tier 1, 2, 3 " schools. These are not set definitions or terms....but merely used to denote whether a school is ideal to work for or not. There are no formal databases with categories, classifying each school as Tier 1, 2 or 3. And even if there was, EVERYONE'S credentials, wishes and desires as a teacher are different from one another's....where one may fare out better in a " Tier 2 " school than a " Tier 1 " school or vice versa. A lot of teachers naturally tend to gravitate towards a " Tier 1 " school ( mainly bc the salary and benefits package are high ) but there is also a lot more stress, pressure, expectations set which can make any dedicated teacher " burned out ". Or one can go into a " Tier 2 " school and get less of a salary and benefits package, but have a wonderful teaching experience and shine because of it. " Tier 2 " schools are not so bad as described by most people...and even then, everyone's idea of a " Tier 1 " or " Tier 2 " school can differ from one another's.
For simplicity's sake, in my case, at this very final moment of hiring season, I actually had to decide between a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 school! At first, it should be an easy decision right? Well, I dawdled with the decision ( while laying out the pros and cons ) bc I know that if I go with a Tier 1 school, I will have a lot of expectations set on me. The package and salary was of course too good to pass up, but I know that I am in for some serious work this coming September. It's also a Tier 1 school in Japan, where the work ethic culture is very strict ( despite the fact that most of the administrators and teachers are foreign hires.....it's just that most of the parents are Japanese, half Japanese and mostly from the corporate / professional / diplomatic groups...thus the pressure will be high ). I have a feeling that the Tier 2 school would provide me a much better teaching experience in Europe, with a laid back lifestyle....but at this point in my life, I am looking towards building my international teaching career in Asia. So as you can see from my example, it's not a matter of whether one has a better package or not ( bc if it was, then I wouldn't have dawdled and squirmed with the decision for over 2 weeks! )...but where the job can lead me, particular to MY direction and goals.
As far as job fairs go, I guess you can call me "old-fashioned". I tend to do the direct e-mail because I know that I have something in my CV that attracts the Heads and Directors. I start on November and December and usually receive formal offers by the mid week of January or last week. If I am not happy with any of the offers, the offers trickle down, but by May - July, I receive a great deal of offers from Tier 1 schools included. Many people claim that all the good schools go to ISS and Search...which I don't doubt...but there are also some amazing schools ( Tier 1, I suppose, in terms of this forum's defn) that DON'T attend fairs simply bc no one in their staff wants to leave! When they do hire, it's usually outside the fairs ( through direct e-mail contact ) bc why on earth would a head want to pay and attend a fair, to hire only 1 - 2 positions in his or her outstanding school when there's a line up of people, banging at the doors? ).
I have attended one fair before and although I got many offers, I still found my contract on my own. But like I said, I may be one of the few because of certain factors that I have on my CV.
For simplicity's sake, in my case, at this very final moment of hiring season, I actually had to decide between a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 school! At first, it should be an easy decision right? Well, I dawdled with the decision ( while laying out the pros and cons ) bc I know that if I go with a Tier 1 school, I will have a lot of expectations set on me. The package and salary was of course too good to pass up, but I know that I am in for some serious work this coming September. It's also a Tier 1 school in Japan, where the work ethic culture is very strict ( despite the fact that most of the administrators and teachers are foreign hires.....it's just that most of the parents are Japanese, half Japanese and mostly from the corporate / professional / diplomatic groups...thus the pressure will be high ). I have a feeling that the Tier 2 school would provide me a much better teaching experience in Europe, with a laid back lifestyle....but at this point in my life, I am looking towards building my international teaching career in Asia. So as you can see from my example, it's not a matter of whether one has a better package or not ( bc if it was, then I wouldn't have dawdled and squirmed with the decision for over 2 weeks! )...but where the job can lead me, particular to MY direction and goals.
As far as job fairs go, I guess you can call me "old-fashioned". I tend to do the direct e-mail because I know that I have something in my CV that attracts the Heads and Directors. I start on November and December and usually receive formal offers by the mid week of January or last week. If I am not happy with any of the offers, the offers trickle down, but by May - July, I receive a great deal of offers from Tier 1 schools included. Many people claim that all the good schools go to ISS and Search...which I don't doubt...but there are also some amazing schools ( Tier 1, I suppose, in terms of this forum's defn) that DON'T attend fairs simply bc no one in their staff wants to leave! When they do hire, it's usually outside the fairs ( through direct e-mail contact ) bc why on earth would a head want to pay and attend a fair, to hire only 1 - 2 positions in his or her outstanding school when there's a line up of people, banging at the doors? ).
I have attended one fair before and although I got many offers, I still found my contract on my own. But like I said, I may be one of the few because of certain factors that I have on my CV.