The International Schools Review Forum

Hello there, I am a Canadian school counsellor and certified teacher. I have permission to take a leave for one school year in 2016/17 from my full time continuing contract in my school district. I have ten years experience counselling children K-12.
My question is, what schools offer one year contracts? Anyone out there who has had a good 1 yr contract?
Thanks,

Counselme,

Very few international schools offer one year contracts. The cost of recruiting, flying the person to country, shipping and relocation allowances make it cost prohibitive. The only one year contracts I have heard about were for people filling maternity leaves or late resignations. These types of openings generally come up in the spring or even summer.

Counselme,

Put yourself in the international school's position. When a school hires someone, they prefer that they stay a minimum of two years and preferably more (say five to eight).

Hiring a counselor for one year only makes no sense in that model. Nor does the fact that the first year you are working your way through the year, through the new system, through the new kids - and then you never get a chance to use what you learned at that school again.

Better is to try a one year teacher exchange with a counselor in another country, such as Australia or the UK, who also works in the state system.

Even then, for you it will be a real eye opener. Having taught in a UK government school before, it was totally different in so many ways.

Good luck with your search!

A one year contract doesn't do you any favours either. It takes 4-6 months to acclimate to your new school, city, country etc at the beginning of a contract and then 6 months planning your repatriation back to Canada. You would probably end up with the Christmas holiday to really sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour. The exchange idea is a good one.

Thanks to all.
If I can't work two years, I can't, so have to work with what I can do. Yes I do understand the plight of the students and the admin. Ideally, two or more years would be most desirable for me, too as well as the students and admin, but I have to work within my perimeters set out by my local school district who need me back and have generously offered a year's absence.

What I am looking for here is not "think of the kids and admin.," which I already have and understand, but working with my reality and seeking opportunities and advice from those who have managed to be successful at securing a one year contract, despite the dirth of two year requirements. I don't want to work in a white dominion but rather a foreign culture to me, so an exchange to a similar country is not that appealing to me and I have looked at doing that later in life. I am looking for a country that is not English speaking or if it is, is much different to Aus., Canada, US and UK which I have already visited.
It sounds like there are possibilities at the latter part of the hiring system when someone hands in a late notice and good schools are okay with the one year contract at that time.
If there is anyone who has worked one year with a suitable contract, do let me know how that came about and anything else you can suggest to me. That's what I am seeking here. Hope there are some experienced one year contractors out there who can understand my situation.

Key words: "and good schools are okay with the one year contract at that time"

More likely you would not consider the school at a late hiring "good". The odds are very against it, but not to say it doesn't happen.

Here's my next question - "what's your fallback plan?"

Is your board ok with you coming back on very short notice? Will you have to take a year off without pay?

Lots to think about - not to say there aren't good schools with sudden openings, and for your sake, I hope there are.

Good luck with the one year job hunt!

I worked an Initial one year contract for my first year at my current school. I was already in country though and a position of need for the school and it was late in the recruiting period. It was because I was needed that the school gave me the option. I lost a few bits from the contract (mainly a shipping allowance) but I ended up signing on for a second year anyway.

Look for countries that are way off the beaten track - ones that are going to be hard.

Be prepared to go anywhere.

Be prepared to wait till April to be offered a one year contract

Be up front about the difficulty in signing on for two years.

The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen is a Canadian school affiliated with the New Brunswick Department of Education. They offer one year contracts and have a blooming guidance department.

Some schools in Kuwait offer 1 year contracts. I had one and most if us left after 1 year!

QSI schools are listed as 1 year contracts on Search Associates.

A lot of second tier schools in Mexico offer one-year contracts. Most of these are closer to bilingual schools than actual international schools, but would provide a decent enough place to get out of the country for a year.

I concur with Chilagringa. Latin America, smaller schools will offer 1 year contracts. Low pay, interesting experience. Dominican Republic and Honduras come to mind as places I have seen schools advertise one-years. Most likely, you would be the sole counselor for K-12 and need to be reasonably fluent in Spanish to be hired.

Best wishes on your search -I think it's an admirable plan and if you keep your expectations of pay low and location flexible, you will probably find something. Also, some schools do end up posting positions very late, between May-July. I have seen quite a few positions pop up on TIE during the spring/summer. They may be more desperate and open to offering a one-year.

Thanks for all the comments and support.
I'd love to go to most places in Latin America! Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish, but I am happy to counsel K-12. I have provided service for all grades and would rather like that.
I will take a look at the QSI schools, as suggested. Thanks. Looks like there are going to be a number of schools.

Hello there Shadowjack. I have been enjoying your posts throughout these blogs. Sorry for the delay in returning your inquiry. My board has agreed to the one year off for sure, but once I'm off, I would need to stay off unless they didn't get a replacement, which is very unlikely. I am confident that I can get work at least in my own country in outlying areas should I be unsuccessful internationally. I fell encouraged on the blog that something will come up, but likely last minute or maybe not if it is a smaller school.
Tat ta for now :)

Thanks for the update, counselme. The flip side of the coin is have you thought of what you will do if you DON"T want to return after the year? LOL

It just gets in your blood, that's what it is :-)

There is a school currently advertising in South Korea with a one-year contract. Accommodation etc paid.