Hi PsyGuy,

Apologies for taking so long to carefully read your detailed reply. Just wanted to say thank you again for all the information. Based on everything I've gathered from you, teaching at a cram ES (either physics, English, or a combination of both) and possibly supplementing that with part-time tutoring sounds like a more appropriate option for me than teaching at an international school, though I will continue researching both possibilities.

-Anton

Thank you PsyGuy and Doctor for your helpful replies!

> How would you teach uni students in Vietnam, China, South Korea, Thailand, or Japan,
> do you speak any of those languages?

Yes, you make a good point. I was making the assumption that the ubiquity of English-based international K-12 schools also implied the presence of many English-based universities, but it seems that's not the case. Teaching ESOL at university level is an interesting option that I will consider, though it's not my top choice.

> Getting a K12/KS credential for you would be easy, Missouri offers a doctoral route
> to an initial (entry grade) credential that you can renew as often as needed without
> PD. It requires passing the MEGA 063 Professional Knowledge: Secondary exam (the
> Missouri professional edu assessment). Other than that its an application and CRB.
> Youre not required to complete any coursework or an EPP/ITT program or field experience.
> Combined with your experience in high level maths, not having a credential in maths,
> there wouldnt be much of a barrier marketing yourself as a maths/physics IT even
> with your minimal years of experience as a Uni lecturer. '

This is a very interesting possibility! Am I able to take the MEGA 063 exam and obtain the certification even if I don't live in Missouri? Also, can you please clarify the meanings of PD, CRB, and EPP/ITT? I wasn't able to find these acronyms in the FAQ/glossary post :)

> You may have to consider how comfortable you are with teaching not just SLL secondary
> but upper and possibly lower secondary science or maths.

Do you say this simply because I will considerably restrict my options if I only look for jobs teaching SLL students? Would it be unreasonable for someone in my position with no previous international school experience to search for a job where I only teach grades 11 and 12?

> If your just looking to travel through Asia, you could easily support yourself and
> make a living as a tutor or instructor at a cram ES either in science/maths or in
> ESOL, or a combination of them. You could fly into any of those countries you listed
> and have a job in a couple days.

Can you elaborate a little bit on "cram schools"? How are they different from standard international schools in terms of academic year, contract length, etc.? Is there a good resource specifically for cram school job postings or are they generally inter-mixed with other international school postings?

> What is it you really want to do? It sounds like you got the doctorate, did some
> lecturing but a tenure track appointment isnt happening, you dont have some research
> project you have funding for, and no one elses to sponsor you, and a post doc fellowships
> isnt in the works and your thinking you want to do something with physics and your
> degree but the world just really doesnt need that many physicists. I also get the
> impression you really dont care what you do, you just want to travel and have some
> fun, and enjoy some of the high life.

This question keeps me up at night! What I know for sure is that I really enjoy learning and teaching physics, and I also want to explore and experience different parts of the world. Given my background, teaching physics abroad is the easiest way to combine these two things in a financially responsible way. Actually, I never seriously considered a tenure-track research position. Here in the US, my ideal job would be a full-time university instructor teaching upper division and maybe even grad-level physics courses, though such positions seem very rare (it seems usually the lecturers and adjuncts teach only the lower-division intro level classes while the tenured professors do the upper division and grad level stuff). If I'm going to be "stuck" teaching intro-level physics for a while (which is still pretty fun), doing it abroad seems like the most exciting way.

You are also correctly picking up on the fact that, overall, I want a less hectic pace of life than seems to be the norm in the US. I don’t want my life to revolve solely around my career. Not only do I want more time for things like travel, leisure, socializing, etc., but I also want to have the time (and more importantly, the mental energy) for my other creative pursuits and hobbies. I don’t need a lot in terms of material things to be happy. However, it is important for me to be able to save a decent amount of money as I do this. I also need to employable if or when I return to the US.

Overall, I still don’t know how realistic any of this is when it comes to international or cram school teaching, so the research is ongoing!

Any additional input you have is much appreciated, and thank you for the information you have already given me!

Hello all!

I have just joined this forum, and I am currently considering teaching abroad very seriously. In my research so far, I have stumbled on tons and tons of information regarding teaching English abroad via TEFL certification. However, I have found much less information regarding teaching specific subjects abroad through international schools, universities, or other types of educational institutions. Thus, I was really hoping to get some input from you guys!

My background is a PhD in Physics from a very reputable R1 university in the United States, as well as 2 years of lecturing experience with calculus-based intro-level physics courses at that same university. The student evaluations I have received have been very positive. However, I do not have a teaching certification or license. Ideally, I would like to teach physics in either Vietnam, China, South Korea, Thailand, or Japan, though I am open to other possibilities. I am open to teaching high school students nearing graduation, university students, or adults furthering their education. I am also open to teaching English via TEFL for a while as a way to get by while I search for physics teaching jobs on location.

Has anyone on this forum done something similar, or know someone who has? I suppose my main question is whether it is even possible to land international school jobs with my experience and degree alone, without a teaching certificate. How about university lecturer jobs? Also, are there any other viable physics teaching abroad paths that might be good for my background (special education centers, private academies, tutoring?)

Any input I can get from you would be extremely helpful to me! Thanks for taking the time to read this.