The International Schools Review Forum

Hello,

My husband and I are both 50 and want to teach internationally (prefer Europe)-what are our chances? We both have Master's degrees and decades of experience. I am certified K-6, my husband is certified K-12 art and also has his master's in counseling. We have one dependent (12 y/o boy).
Are we over-aged?

Thanks!
Joan

At 50, age shouldn't really be a factor for you. Most admin seem to want a nice balance of maturity/experience and youthful energy (not that there isn't crossover of course) and your age should not be an issue for visas etc most places in the world. My wife and I are a few years older and have never had a problem.

One dependent for two teachers is also not a hindrance at all. The only real limiting factor will be finding your joint areas of expertise open at the same school at the same time. K-6 positions will be relatively common but Art positions will be fairly rare. Counseling would be a high needs/hard to fill area, but he would need actual experience in the job to attract the interest of the better/more desirable schools and locations.

So, your best options IMHO:

Plan A: Get signed up with Search Associates (or other recruiter) and pursue elementary/Art positions at a desirable school/location.

Plan B: Also keep an eye open for jobs matching your areas in the same city that would be a doable commute (very possible in places like Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok etc).

Plan C: If your husband has a real interest in counseling, consider taking positions at a newer, less desirable school/location as a stepping stone to future/better schools. I don't know whether this would appeal at a later stage of his life/career, but many teachers make the shift to admin later in life so it would not be unheard of.

Plan D: Look for one position at a great school/location with the plan for the other spouse to get picked up at a later date at another school in the city, or even at the same school at a later date.

Feel free to ask any more specific questions or PM me. Good luck.

You will find this blog very helpful. It should answer all your questions.

Ben @ ISR

http://internationalschoolsreviewdiscus ... d-over-50/

Others may know more - but I can definitely say that 50 IS NOT TOO LATE to start teaching overseas. As mentioned before, schools like a good mix of experience from older teachers and enthusiasm from younger teachers.

I will say that there is starting to be quite a lot of competition for Elementary positions and your experience will be a hinderance and advantage. It will be a hinderance as you will be more expensive than employing a younger teacher, but you will more likely be picked up by a non-profit school which looks more for the right fit and experience than for-profit schools "might do".

Non-profit schools are normally seen as the better schools to work for - but it really depends on the school. As such - it's important to do your research when making your final decision. Also - if your husband has some experience in counselling then this may make you much more employable as a couple. Some jobs like Physics, Mathematics, Special Ed, Tech Integration and to some degree Counselling are in demand so some schools will employ these positions first and not even advertise jobs such as Elementary, English or Humanities to get that specialist teacher.

Joining up to Search Associates or the like is a good idea - but I'd do it soon as schools are employing now!

Also remember that what I mentioned above is just my opinion - so some people may disagree so take it as a grain of salt.

Thank you so much for your replies and thoughtful advice. I am very encouraged because my husband has experience in counseling. We are aiming for school year 2016-17 and plan on signing up with Search and/or ISS in the summer.

One word of warning - if you have your heart set on Europe, you might not find what you are after. Europe is a very competitive spot for teachers and the good schools tend to have a bucket load of applications. My advice would be to broaden your horizons - what do you have against Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul, etc? LOL

Just my two cents,

shad

Building on what shadow jack mentioned, it is quite hard to save money in Europe which may become more important as you get closer to retirement. Some of the major Asian cities are fantastic places to live and have great savings potential.

Do however note that some schools in Asia have even more people applying for them then those in Europe, but there are many more tier 2 schools where you can get a start. I guess it's important to realise that you probably won't get into the best schools from the beginning - but it is possible.

We will definitely keep our options open. Asia is our second choice.

We are in the same position only my husband is a science teacher. We are trying to keep all options open. Our dependent is the age same as yours. Good luck we may cross paths at a fair!

Aloha threeplustwo,
Let's keep in touch! We are planning on starting our international teaching experience SY 2016-17. How about you?

Joan

Don't waste your time with ISS. Several teachers I know of in their fifties signed on with ISS and got nothing and decided it was age discrimination.

@joanveronica Yes let's stay in touch! I tried to email you directly but no luck!

@threeplustwo

I think ISR Admin will be restoring the PM function soon :)