Search found 1150 matches

by Thames Pirate
Mon Jan 22, 2024 2:52 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Fair reports?
Replies: 1
Views: 2036

Fair reports?

Anyone want to share about any of the fairs thus far?

This used to be a more common thing. Any thoughts on Bangkok or London? How do these fairs feel now that Covid has moved a lot of recruiting online? Is it more common to do a lot of pre-interviews? The London fair used to start Thursday (last time I attended). This time, it was Friday. Is this because there are fewer candidates or fewer schools? Is it more wide open or more of a "meet in person" formality?

I am not looking. Just curious.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Jan 14, 2024 3:18 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Search Associates - white people only?
Replies: 18
Views: 13032

Re: Search Associates - white people only?

Yeah, this sounds like gatekeeping. It could be either racism or the one school thing, but most likely the combination--the latter being the ostensible reason to cover for the former.

I would contact the school directly and explain that you are interested in their school, but that Search wouldn't take a candidate only interested in one school. Don't be afraid to make a few phone calls and don't rely just on electronic communications.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Oct 01, 2023 3:29 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: How Desirable Am I
Replies: 6
Views: 22156

Re: How Desirable Am I

You could conceivably go anywhere from top tier to struggling to find something. It really depends. Certainly high school / upper level maths could be helpful (particularly IB experience), as could more international experience. On the flip side, coaching / AD, additional subjects, and hardship location are positives. So it could be that you land something at a "top" school or that you struggle to find something. It can absolutely mean anything.

I say apply to any school that looks interesting. There is no telling what internal factors are at play at any given school--new leadership with very specific and unusual requirements, internal applicants or spouses getting positions, a board's decision to strengthen the athletic program, attempts to integrate elementary and secondary schools, or visa requirements making hiring families tricky, etc. These can all increase or decrease your chances with no predictable pattern. Don't get cocky, but don't get disheartened if you don't find anything quickly, either. Your resume is only one piece of a major puzzle.

Good luck!
by Thames Pirate
Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:47 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: International Debate Competition for Schools
Replies: 6
Views: 37953

Re: International Debate Competition for Schools

Don't mind PsyGuy. He likes to stir the pot for no reason. Anyone who has read anything knows that CRT is not taught in high school courses. Also, discussion of controversial issues should not be avoided.
by Thames Pirate
Mon Sep 04, 2023 7:08 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?
Replies: 16
Views: 98262

Re: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?

And I maintain that you are deliberately obtuse when you confuse internationally minded with international. Also, it isn't generally the university students who are in the district. It is faculty and uni employee kids who are in the local school district. So the makeup of the student body of the uni is somewhat irrelevant.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:10 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?
Replies: 16
Views: 98262

Re: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?

Sure, a place like NYC has international schools. But those are mostly private schools. But you were looking for districts (public schools), right?

And sure, communities with heavy immigrant presence would mean those influence the districts. But as immigrants often live in grouped communities, you would have a heavily [whatever immigrant community] influenced school that may or may not be internationally minded.

I stand by my statement. For a MINDSET, choose places where education and liberalness and open-mindedness are at the forefront. That often means college towns.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:00 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: 'Normal' full time teaching load in Secondary
Replies: 17
Views: 107933

Re: Reply

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Thames Pirate
>
> Thats not the trick. PE has about as much setup as any studio based course
> whether its science labs or art classes, or theater production or any class
> that isnt a seminar.
>
> But yes some data even absent context in this regard is better than no data
> at all.

PsyGuy, intentionally missing the point and misrepresenting what I said once again.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Aug 20, 2023 3:49 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: 'Normal' full time teaching load in Secondary
Replies: 17
Views: 107933

Re: 'Normal' full time teaching load in Secondary

Anyone can give you numbers, but the trick is what that means in reality--and it will vary by school or even within departments. At our school, the schedule was weird. It worked out that math teachers taught all different preps, often teaching 5 different courses. Meanwhile there were teachers who, in that same number of periods, were teaching three sections of one or two DP courses. And how does one compare PE, with its equipment and space management and such, with the marking required in English? If your department is one without fixed classrooms, it can be far more stressful than working out of your own room. And do homeroom or seminar or pastoral classes or times count?

So yes, we could give a number (at our school it's 23-26/40 periods), but I am not sure how meaningful that is.
by Thames Pirate
Thu Aug 10, 2023 3:05 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?
Replies: 16
Views: 98262

Re: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?

I don't have a direct answer for you, but I would look at college towns or super diverse areas. I would imagine there might be some hit-or-miss, too--a whole district might be average, but individual schools could be great. But definitely my gut would be near a college campus, particularly in a liberal area.

Don't mind the perpetual-last-word-derailer. Just ignore and hope people have ideas for you. And if you find any, let us know!
by Thames Pirate
Sun May 21, 2023 1:50 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Integrity
Replies: 6
Views: 31967

Re: Integrity

PsyGuy, we rarely agree, but this "a closed mouth gathers no foot" is a great phrase that hits the nail on the head.

You can't win in this scenario. You can only exit. Fighting admin who lack integrity is a losing proposition every time, even if you are willing to compromise your own integrity to do so. Suffering in the short term, keeping your options open, and moving on quickly is the least harmful option.

Writing a review is essential.
by Thames Pirate
Sat Apr 22, 2023 6:29 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Public School Vs. International - Culture Shock
Replies: 14
Views: 45264

Re: Public School Vs. International - Culture Shock

While this is true, the odds are still far higher in the US than pretty much anywhere else unless you are teaching in a conflict zone. Then there are the lockdown drills and actual scary lockdowns that happen. Those are far more common. We had two legitimate, scary lockdowns where, thankfully, nobody was actually shot, in my last twelve months in the US. But they were still really awful.

It's just one more reason not to return to the US. That's all. Don't read more into it than that.
by Thames Pirate
Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:07 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Public School Vs. International - Culture Shock
Replies: 14
Views: 45264

Re: Public School Vs. International - Culture Shock

I don't often agree with PsyGuy (and I disagree about most of the points he made), but I have to say that I am not eager to return to the US simply for the gun violence issue. I like not having to know the number of steps to my classroom door or consider escape routes or hiding places (though I do it anyway out of habit). Of course that assumes the home country is the US, which obviously isn't the case for a great many of the people on here or in IE.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Mar 26, 2023 3:16 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Stories of Success
Replies: 14
Views: 69896

Re: Stories of Success

I have a similar take and look at the following, in no particular order:

Working conditions: How am I treated by leadership? How well resourced is the school? How big are the classes? How are my students? How are the parents? What is the extracurricular load like?

Pay: How well can I live on my salary? What is the savings potential? What will the pay be like moving forward (opportunities for advancement, etc.)?

Social: How do I like my colleagues? What is the expat community as a whole like? Can I make friends in this place?

Wider context of my life: How easily can I pursue my hobbies and interests? How do I like the country and city? If I want to travel, how easily can I do that?

Career: Does teaching still bring me joy? Do I have the opportunities to develop professionally through things like new courses, leadership roles, or just good PD?



No school is perfect. Sometimes you give up one to get another. Sometimes all suck. Sometimes "moving up" means taking a hit in one but gaining in two or three. So when I think about what I miss in a prior school, it will vary; I miss the colleagues and atmosphere of collaboration at one, but not the pay or the workload. I miss the wider opportunities outside of school at one but am excited to advance my career and have more resources at another. I would advise colleagues to be honest with themselves about all of these and to consider which ones they are and aren't willing to compromise on. Do your research.
by Thames Pirate
Wed Mar 02, 2022 3:19 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Years of IB Experience for Top Tier Schools
Replies: 50
Views: 87836

Re: Years of IB Experience for Top Tier Schools

I love it when PsyGuy puts words in my mouth, then argues with those words. It's like a dog chasing his own tail.

I did not say that, nor is that my position.
by Thames Pirate
Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:02 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Years of IB Experience for Top Tier Schools
Replies: 50
Views: 87836

Re: Years of IB Experience for Top Tier Schools

Yes, yes. Repeat your claims with no evidence, no backing, and while putting words into another's mouth (keyboard?). Insult me. Be wordier. Attack Heliotrope while you are at it.

Rinse, repeat. Another day on ISR.

For what it's worth to the person who asked: PsyGuy has codified his criteria and calls them "formalized criteria", so he isn't wrong when he says they exist. If that is what you are wanting, you are free to use his definitions. There is no agreed-upon definition, no agreed upon criteria, and only a handful of widely agreed upon schools--and even those often have someone who argues against their inclusion. Any "master list" is a list he keeps and is not stored in some vault other than his head. So do with the information what you will. Feel free to check out the thread on the member forum to see the discussions in action and then check out the individual schools to see what you think they have in common.