Search found 150 matches

by higgsboson
Sat Oct 15, 2016 7:58 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Middle East/Asia options
Replies: 17
Views: 30297

Re: Middle East/Asia options

You don't really need a degree in education - you need a teacher license.
by higgsboson
Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:59 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: UNI Recruitment Fair Database
Replies: 2
Views: 6099

UNI Recruitment Fair Database

Is it worth it to register with UNI just to get access to their data base?
It only costs $50 but I have no intention of actually attending the fair.

Any ideas?
by higgsboson
Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:08 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Brexit Implications on EU
Replies: 45
Views: 82494

Re: Brexit Implications on EU

@psyguy I agree with your final point 4 entirely. I've seen that play out time and again: every female Brit I've ever worked with has been passive aggressive, which makes things hard when they are in a position of responsibility like HOD. As far as why British teachers are so much less cool than American teachers, I think that's more about national character than national curriculum. I remember my very first gig in Thailand as an ESL teacher over 30 years ago. It was me - American, an Aussie and a Brit. The British guy was hard working and knew what he was doing and credentialed but with such a high brow attitude he just seemed to drive students away. He always carried an umbrella and wore a tie and even had a little inbox/outbox on his desk. He lasted about a month before he was asked to leave because the students thought he was boring. The Aussie and I both wound up in Thailand on a lark, went to work in sandals and mostly just chatted with the kids. Neither one of us had a TEFL certificate or experience but the kids loved us - we were laid back and cool, just not something in the British nature I guess.

But you are right - the Brit was a totally different guy on Soi Cowboy and he could drink!
by higgsboson
Mon Jun 27, 2016 7:40 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Brexit Implications on EU
Replies: 45
Views: 82494

Re: Brexit Implications on EU

@Martella - I actually meant opening the mainland European market to a larger and more diverse pool of teachers than just teachers from the UK would be better for students. However, I do agree with finedude that American teachers are preferred over British teachers. Brits are just too high strung and suffer from what can only be described as a stick up the wazoo. American teachers are more laid back and easier to relate to. Students just prefer American teachers over British teachers, at least in my experience. I'm not saying Brits aren't effective and hard-working; American teachers are just more effective because they develop better relationships with teachers.
by higgsboson
Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:14 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Brexit Implications on EU
Replies: 45
Views: 82494

Re: Brexit Implications on EU

From what I'm seeing on CNN and MSNBC, they is an urge to punish the UK so maybe American teachers will now have an actual advantage over UK teachers - good news for everyone IMHO, especially for the students.
by higgsboson
Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:41 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Taxes in China
Replies: 2
Views: 5521

Taxes in China

I have three job offers in China in three completely different provinces.
I'm getting three different quotes on tax rate, each one different from what I had paid in taxes when I last taught in China.

I'm being quoted 14% at the low end and 25% at the high end.
As I recall, I was paying 18% - 20%

What is up with taxes in China?
by higgsboson
Wed Jul 01, 2015 12:49 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Eagle Ridge International School in China
Replies: 5
Views: 13150

Re: Eagle Ridge International School in China

It would be a excellent experience and these kinds of schools are like diamonds in the rough - its probably a well paid dawdle!
If I didn't currently have the greatest job in the world as a virtual teacher, I'd apply myself.
by higgsboson
Thu Jun 18, 2015 9:09 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: European qualified teacher in the US?
Replies: 9
Views: 12940

Re: European qualified teacher in the US?

Not only are there schools in USA that Europeans can work at, they can work at these schools w/o certification. Teaching experience is all that's required. Of course, certification is preferred but international schools and private schools have an easier time hiring non-certified personnel than public schools.
by higgsboson
Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:35 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: European qualified teacher in the US?
Replies: 9
Views: 12940

Re: European qualified teacher in the US?

Peter Gruber International Academy in St. Tom, USVI and International School of Indiana in Indianapolis both hire Europeans but after 2 years, the visa situation gets dicey.
by higgsboson
Sat Jun 06, 2015 8:51 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: deleted
Replies: 6
Views: 13295

Re: Master's Degree Questions (Again)

My graduate degree definitely helped me get jobs more easily and there was decent uptick in pay.
Its worth the investment.
by higgsboson
Fri May 22, 2015 11:51 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Life after international teaching...
Replies: 24
Views: 31013

Re: Life after international teaching...

Bill Gates disagrees with you jess82. The "growth of high-speed cell networks and a proliferation of affordable devices will largely fuel this" revolution in education. And he is talking about k12 education, not university education. I'd agree with Bill about that. The biggest issue I have teaching online is lag time but that can be fixed with fast internet connections.

As far as motivating students: we need effective online teachers for that. Some characteristics of effective online teachers are the same as traditional teachers but many are not. For example, the discipline part of classroom management is not such a big issue. On the other hand, mastery of content is more important than it seems to be in a traditional setting. Most of my colleagues have graduate degrees. Tech savvy is another characteristic of the effective online teacher that isn't as important with traditional teachers.

It really is besides the point though, what students and parents prefer; its all about cost effectiveness. If I had 9 non-certified teaching assistants willing to work for 1/3 of my pay, and their job was to make the phone calls, we could handle 5,000 students. To handle 5000 students in a traditional setting, you would need 500 teachers. So its the cost of 4 teachers vs. the cost of 500 teachers - I doubt those kinds of savings can be ignored for long.
by higgsboson
Thu May 21, 2015 5:14 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Life after international teaching...
Replies: 24
Views: 31013

Re: Life after international teaching...

These are new kinds of human connections and they work for effective teaching irrespective of student preference.
I didn't say it was the end of teaching, I said the end of teaching as we know it is coming to an end because of financial constraints and this new option. It may take decades but it'll happen as quick as the internet happened, you know, once it really starts to snowball.
by higgsboson
Thu May 21, 2015 3:10 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Life after international teaching...
Replies: 24
Views: 31013

Re: Life after international teaching...

We collaborate all the time. The tool we use for collaboration is Blackboard Connect with all teachers given moderator privileges. We can share documents, programs, applications - just anything.
by higgsboson
Thu May 21, 2015 9:09 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Life after international teaching...
Replies: 24
Views: 31013

Re: Life after international teaching...

"Could you share what your responsibilities are with your 300 students? Are you teaching virtual sessions, calling, e-mailing, grading? Creating assignments or differentiating? Just curious. Are you paid per student or a salary?"

I teach one 1-hr online session M - Th; on Friday, I teach two 1 hr help sessions and that's all the teaching I do.
The major time consuming thing is communications: I make 25 - 50 phone calls per day but only get through to 10 - 15 students, usually to discuss grades but sometimes to ask why they are not logging onto the site. Responding to "kmails" is another big time consumer. Differentiating can be done through "breakout rooms" or inviting students to additional sessions. Assignments for the most part are already created for the teacher and are 90% MCQ so there really isn't much grading. Salary wise - I get paid like any other public school employee. Of course, savings are not as good as China or ME but hey, its a teacher's salary.

I disagree with both JeremyIrons and Mamava - once they get the bugs worked out, this is a game-changer. If an experienced online teacher can handle 500 students, and there is no need for a brick and mortar school, just think of the savings to the State! We would only need 1/5 the number of teachers and no more brick and no more schools with their high maintenance costs.

There are still bugs to be worked out but I'd say this is the future of teaching.