Hello! I have a question for you all regarding opportunities to work abroad - I have searched through this forum and found really helpful information, but I thought it would be valuable to get advice on my particular situation.
I am finishing up a graduate program in Secondary School Counseling this year. I registered with Search Associates to apply for school counseling jobs abroad next year. I'm aware that I do not have the 2+ years of experience, but I have spoken with my associate, Sally Gordon, about my past experience and she believes it will be sufficient to obtain a job. I have a lot of experience working with students, including a year spent teaching English in France, and also a year spent serving with AmeriCorps working with students at-risk of dropping out of high school.
My boyfriend has a BA in Journalism but has been working in health insurance for the past few years. He absolutely hates it and desperately wants a change in his life. He is strongly considering teaching, specifically a high school social studies teacher. He registered with Search Associates too as an intern. The only problem is, he does not have any teaching experience. Would you recommend that he begin a teaching certification program online to become more marketable, so interning abroad could be his student teaching? Would recruiters look more favorably on him if he is already enrolled in a program? Or do you think he would fare betting obtaining a TEFL/CELTA certification and teaching ESL for a year?
I apologize for the long post - I am just trying to collect as much information and perspectives as possible on working abroad, so any feedback you can provide would be incredibly appreciated!
Thank you :D
Stephanie
Question from a couple looking to teach abroad
-
lafillesteph
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:33 am
Stephanie,
You could possibly get something, but not BF. TEFL is worthless at an international school, but if you got a job somewhere perhaps he could find work teaching English at a language academy. Also, since you are not married, many (not all) international schools won't consider you a teaching couple. Sometimes it's for visa reasons, or school policy.
You could possibly get something, but not BF. TEFL is worthless at an international school, but if you got a job somewhere perhaps he could find work teaching English at a language academy. Also, since you are not married, many (not all) international schools won't consider you a teaching couple. Sometimes it's for visa reasons, or school policy.
-
shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
lafillesteph,
You are employable at all levels of international schools. Your BF is not. In fact, depending on where you go, your BF cannot be sponsored by you, which means no accompanying you unless he is your husband.
In terms of teaching qualifications, your husband should look at training programs he can do online with doing practicum at a school. I forget what the programs are, but one is out of Florida and the other out of California. Calipro is one forum poster who is taking such a program. However, it means he won't necessarily be working his first year in country with you.
If you sign up with Search, you can set up a search parameter to search for schools that hire teachers with trailing spouses or dependents.
Good luck!
You are employable at all levels of international schools. Your BF is not. In fact, depending on where you go, your BF cannot be sponsored by you, which means no accompanying you unless he is your husband.
In terms of teaching qualifications, your husband should look at training programs he can do online with doing practicum at a school. I forget what the programs are, but one is out of Florida and the other out of California. Calipro is one forum poster who is taking such a program. However, it means he won't necessarily be working his first year in country with you.
If you sign up with Search, you can set up a search parameter to search for schools that hire teachers with trailing spouses or dependents.
Good luck!
-
eion_padraig
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:18 pm
lafillesteph,
It's good to hear of new counselors thinking about heading overseas. It's not clear from what you posted if you have much experience with college counseling. Most school counseling programs I've heard of don't even cover it at all and those that do cover it only superficially, but at most international schools it's a fairly important focus for secondary school counselors. It's important to have a good handle on. The good counselors understand university admissions in several different countries. If that isn't an area you know much about, I think you'd improve your chances of being hired by a better school by learning as much as you can about it. You'll also be in a better position to work with students if you are hired.
I agree with the other posters about the issue with your boyfriend. If he was already a certified and experienced teacher, you could probably find some schools that would consider you as a couple. If you were married, you could find places that would sponsor a visa (though not necessarily a work visa). I think it will be tough for you to find a place that will consider you as a couple given the situation you laid out.
Depending on the country (Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand), he might be able to find English teaching jobs, but they will pay a fraction (1/2 to 1/5) of what international teachers make with worse benefits though they spend a lot less time teaching. Making the switch from teaching ESL to working at an international school can be tricky. The ESL experience is not valued much, and it can even work against people when they try to get jobs at international schools. But that may be a route he and you are wiling to take.
If you were married, he might be able to work as a substitute teacher or a teacher's aid, but that is a different trap to fall into. Neither is a sure fire way for him to be hired as a full-time teacher even if he was credentialed. Neither of those options pay that well either.
Good luck.
It's good to hear of new counselors thinking about heading overseas. It's not clear from what you posted if you have much experience with college counseling. Most school counseling programs I've heard of don't even cover it at all and those that do cover it only superficially, but at most international schools it's a fairly important focus for secondary school counselors. It's important to have a good handle on. The good counselors understand university admissions in several different countries. If that isn't an area you know much about, I think you'd improve your chances of being hired by a better school by learning as much as you can about it. You'll also be in a better position to work with students if you are hired.
I agree with the other posters about the issue with your boyfriend. If he was already a certified and experienced teacher, you could probably find some schools that would consider you as a couple. If you were married, you could find places that would sponsor a visa (though not necessarily a work visa). I think it will be tough for you to find a place that will consider you as a couple given the situation you laid out.
Depending on the country (Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand), he might be able to find English teaching jobs, but they will pay a fraction (1/2 to 1/5) of what international teachers make with worse benefits though they spend a lot less time teaching. Making the switch from teaching ESL to working at an international school can be tricky. The ESL experience is not valued much, and it can even work against people when they try to get jobs at international schools. But that may be a route he and you are wiling to take.
If you were married, he might be able to work as a substitute teacher or a teacher's aid, but that is a different trap to fall into. Neither is a sure fire way for him to be hired as a full-time teacher even if he was credentialed. Neither of those options pay that well either.
Good luck.