@ expatscot

Thanks for the tip re French-speaking schools. I might look into their offers as well.

And good to know regarding the English language.

@ dunteachin

Thanks for you reply and sorry for the delay: I haven’t come to ISR in a few weeks, it seems.

I will give those positions a shot, probably next hiring season. I know I’ll get good references from my current and previous principals and from my current head of science – that could give my application a boost, too.

Thanks also for your input on the English language in (true) IS.

“national schools in non-English speaking locations enrolling local students but following an international curriculum.” ‒ Exactly where I am! Students are lovely, but English is quite a problem…

Re IB workload: thanks for the heads-up. I’m pretty organized with strong planning skills. I should be able to work my way through the IBDP.

Last thing, if I can ask for your take on this: should I refresh my Chemistry and take an Additional Qualification in Chemistry (again, with the University of Toronto) to upgrade my Ontario teaching certificate? I have studied Chemistry at an advanced level and have taught it up to grade 10. How interesting would it be for me, in terms of marketability to good IS, to be able to teach at a grade 12 level?

Thanks​!

@ PsyGuy

I'll make a long story short: I have the CRPE (CAPES for primary education), but I disliked primary education so much that I didn't stay there. So I taught in secondary education in private schools and vocational institutes ‒ meanwhile transferring my credentials and diploma to Ontario and "upgrading" it to a teaching certificate in Physics.

The problem with French CAPES and CRPE is that they are not a "teaching certificate" per se as you have in most countries. They grant the right to teach in French national schools but their validity is conditional upon us actually teaching in French national schools. If we don't, we forego the right to teach as a tenured teacher. Can still teach as a contract worker, but pay is lower and the situation is a lot more precarious.

In this regard, it's much better to have a valid Ontario teaching certificate (what is more, in Physics) than to go through the pains of explaining the peculiarity of the French system to people who aren't familiar with it.

Oh, I see now. Thanks!
I'm gradually learning the acronyms and the jargon on this forum.

I'm French, male, white.
I don't know what NES means.

Hello everyone,

I’m a Physics teacher. I have a Bachelor in Physics from an engineering school and a Master’s in Education, plus an additional qualification in Physics from the University of Toronto.

I have 9 years of teaching experience, teaching Science in middle school, Physics in high school (including Advanced Physics) and Math in high school (but not calculus!). I have no IB or A-level experience.

I am currently teaching in a Canadian program in Asia. We follow the curriculum of the Canadian province where the program is accredited. It is not an international school per se but rather a Canadian program within the main, larger school. All our students are locals (does it count as IS experience?). I’m teaching Math 12 (but not calculus) and Advanced Physics 11 & 12.

I’m not a native speaker but I’m absolutely fluent professionally; my principal told me I have no accent and could pass for a native while a colleague told me I have a slight, hardly discernible accent.

I’m single, no dependents.

With that in mind, I’d like to ask what are my options in IS? My preference would lean towards Singapore (although I’m not bent on it) for the blending of Asian & Western culture and the use of English in daily life ‒ but it seems to be pretty competitive. Do I even stand a chance? It seems that Physics is in high demand in IS; how much of an edge does it give me to land a job in Singapore?

If Singapore is unrealistic, what other countries would you recommend with a decent work/salary balance? I’m especially interested in Asia, here.

When it comes to A-level, IB, or AP Physics: which one would be the best option for me? What doors do they each open? My preference would go for AP because it’s quite close to the Advanced Physics I have already taught/am currently teaching. A-level positions can be found in the UK (there’s also a host of Physics positions there) – would it be a smart move to go there and get some A-level experience? And if necessary, where/how to get some IB experience? I’ve read it’s easier to enter into IB via tier 3 schools ‒ how does one know what tier a school belongs to? And how overwhelmed are IB teachers by their teaching workload?

Also, if that is not too much to expect, where are students most fluent (or fluent enough) in English? In my current school, students’ English is just not quite there – most have clear difficulties in understanding English in grade 10, and even in grade 12, they’re pretty limited in terms of vocabulary. When it comes to expressing something, I’m afraid to say that they all fall far short, especially orally. This results in me doing all the talking during class time, with little to no interactions with students… So while I’m not seeking a school where all students are perfectly bilingual, it would be appreciated if they could somewhat articulate their thoughts in English, at least.

Thank you very much your time and attention.
Looking forward to reading your responses.