Did you ever stop to think that if you don't have an active license bc you are not currently registered, that technically, you don't have a license that works? If it doesn't work, then obviously, you can't teach?! After all, you are a teacher wherever you go.

You sound like an outstanding candidate with the education, credentials and experience, so those are not the "deal breakers". The " deal breakers " usually come from something that they noticed about your character, personality that you give off during the interviews. Perhaps it's about time to start - how you are at the interview, rather than wondering what is wrong with the interviewers. The only person that can find the answer is you.

As someone who grew up / raised all over the world and has been traveling ever since without a fixed residence per se, the "homesickness" you are experiencing is temporary and part of the culture shock high and low. You will experiencing another phase of absolutely hating everything about the new host country / culture, but in time, you will get over it. By the 2nd year, you will get adjusted and end up falling in love with the place all over again and if you do happen to stay a 3rd year, then you'll be calling it your " second home ". It takes around 2 - 3 years to get adjusted to a place enough to call it a " second home " and you will experience the strange phenomenon called " reverse culture shock " when you go back home to the US for good where you end up missing the host culture / country. For someone like me who has lived in so many different continents and countries since I was in my toddler years ( and still going in my 40s ), the culture shock phases are fewer and far in between...but I still experience them. They don't come in terms of months ( as you are now experiencing in your 3rd month of being in the country )...but in terms of years. Good luck and it will pass!

To be honest, it's not the Japanese spouses that are the reasons to stay. Some teachers came onto the teaching staff as highly qualified singles. Perhaps, they found the Japanese spouses so they can stay for the long run. This might be a bit over the top for me to say, but it does happen.

International schools in Japan tend to ask for a school demo. However, these are international schools that have a strong Japanese administrative staff who go by the book etc ( and showing a lesson, in their eyes, is part of being a teacher bc after all, aren't they hiring you to teach? ). Hopefully, you do get the job. Okinawa is a good destination / location for most. It's very " un-Japanese " and it's an entity on its own. It's beautiful ( as long as you stay in the beaches unspoiled by the American military and Naha, the capital ).

I don't go on any job sites as I am quite happy where I am now. Has anyone seen any postings available for international schools in Japan? I can imagine that the list of jobs available in China, Egypt or the Middle East would be extensive.

[quote="saturnine9"]

I am not interested in American public schools. Private school positions are almost non-existent. Upon completing my Masters program, I had a strong ambition to teach abroad at an international school in my desired locations, however, I did get that lucky break. So I accepted the English position with a local South Korean primary school. I was not happy with the position as I felt the work to be unchallenging and so I left. Here I am in Central America working at a great international school and learning a great deal! The problem is the unattractive and dangerous location. The poor quality of life is taking its toll on my body and mind. Frankly, I feel depressed here. In school, I put on my "happy mask" and when I head home, I often catch myself crying.

Thank you again and I will update.[/quote]

You may have to ask if INTERNATIONAL teaching is your calling. Yes, teaching can be your calling, but doing it internationally is quite challenging. You also have to deal with the cultural differences and from the paragraph you wrote, it seems like you have left a few times because you weren't happy with one aspect or another aspect with the school or culture. When you took the job in Central America, did you have any idea that it would be a very difficult place to live in being that in general, it is still a developing country? Of course there will be danger, poor waste management, crime on the streets, frequent blackouts, lack of certain "necessities " or "luxuries" that one gets used to that could take a toll on one's health as you are experiencing now. I think many people ( particularly those who are new to international teaching ) tend to romanticise the idea of international teaching when in reality, it IS a job. It IS a career. There will be difficulties directly related to cultural factors etc.

I can tell you off the bat that with your credentials and breaking the contract after a year will not sit by well with countries like Japan. In Japan, obligation is a BIG part of the culture. People are culturally inclined to obligation. If you happen to get past this on your resume and not mention that you are breaking contract ( of course ), they will look at the amount of years. Japanese international schools tend to hire veterans or "newbies" with at least 3 - 5 years of experience.

Western Europe is a very hard break to get into. You could squeeze into Eastern Europe with a 2nd tier school ( as you say you are not too concerned about it as long as you get out of the situation you are in right now due to safety because of your gender ).

Your best bet could be S.E. Asia and then move on from there to Japan or Korea if you are still intent on Asia.

Nishimachi is not a bad school, according to the circuit here. It's a fairly decent one with a beautiful campus in one of the most expensive parts of Tokyo as the neighbourhood is inhabited by wealthy foreign expats. I am not sure as to why they have a fair bit of offers this year. Perhaps it's the " turn of the tide" ? ( where, veteran teachers of 3 - 5 years are planning to move elsewhere - to a different school or country? ). As far as Tokyo International School, it's a 2nd tier one but I have a few friends who work there and they said that it's not bad at all. Many of them start at 400, 000 and up ( entry level ).

I also would like to add that if we were to compare the "horrible" Japanese international schools to other schools around the world, Japan would be the better place to go. For one thing, the culture is very accommodating to foreigners. In fact, you actually start to feel ungrateful because all the problems that one complains about is really not a problem ( e.g. " Oh, one parent wanted to talk to me about the report card ". ). To many of us, this seems normal, right? In Japanese international schools ( whether the parent is a foreigner or not ), this is a big 'affront' and is more often than not avoided. Parents have a very high regard of teachers so they usually like to support teachers rather than confront them. Even if the school was "horrible", you will still find many pros within the context...that's why I put quotation marks on the adjective of "horrible".

But then again, I do love working in Japan. It's all very simple to me :
a) I get paid a lot in yen
b) The parents are supportive
c) The students are excellent
d) The staff is professional, dedicated and qualified
e) The country and its culture suit me

These are common factors that most teachers in Japanese international schools talk about. Perhaps the competition to get into international schools in Japan is fierce is simply because no one wants to leave their posts.

Without naming any names in particular, I would say that in Japan, these are the qualities of a school that a teachers here would consider " horrible " off the bat :

1) Pays around 300, 000 yen starting ( $ 3860 USD / month ). Most 2nd tier schools in Japan start their teachers at the very least 360, 000 yen. ( $ 4631 USD / month ).

2) Doesn't provide free housing.

3) If they do provide some sort of allowance for housing, it barely covers 50 % of it.

4) The curriculum is largely based on a Japanese model despite having an English immersion program. ( Read: Not too much flexibility, innovation, progression etc ).

5) For-profit

************************************************************

Btw, having a fully or mostly NATIONAL ( i.e. Japanese ) student body is considered a good thing by many international teachers here. Japanese students ( esp. those who attend international schools ) come from very wealthy families and have excellent work ethic. Many "international teachers " qualify a national student body as a negative factor and I am not really sure why. With the case of Japan, this is a great thing. Not sure about all other countries.

Overseasvet2: Wonderful reply. I was JUST about to compare the difference between " I don't want to work in Africa ever " to " No one wants to work in Africa ".

[quote="inspiration"]To Android: Are you totally sure your figures are accurate? $ 1000 (total bills) - $ 600 (rent) - $ 150 (utilities) - $ 60 (internet) - $ 60 (cell phone) = $ 130. What are you eating, then???

And, how much do you invest in TSE, if you don't mind?[/quote]

Hello,

Yes, the figures are pretty accurate. I think a lot of people have been "sold" on the idea that everything in Tokyo is that expensive. It's not. As far as groceries go ( I forgot to include it in ), I am spending around $ 300 US a month. I cook a lot (as I have experienced all the fine wine and dining you can get in Japan over 8 years here ). At decent-priced restaurants, you can get a meal for around $ 12 ( and this is pretty good quality stuff ). Fast food restaurants are in the $ 7 range ( same as home ). Expensive restaurants are around $ 50 and up a plate ( again, same as home ).

As far as what Psyguy says, don't be discouraged. Most Japanese schools ( if they are 2nd tier ), most can bank up to $ 2000 - $ 3000 without dependents. If you have dependents then, it would be very hard as if you are banking $ 1500 - $ 2000, then that doesn't leave much for your dependent at all ( UNLESS the school covers their expenses which most premier schools in Japan do ).

As far as working hours : I work 50 - 55 hours ( OF MY OWN CHOICE ). Weekends, national holidays, school breaks are all our own time...but I choose to work because I do love my work. It all depends on how you want to make it. There are some teachers who work less than 40 hours a week and they get away with it.

To Dreamgiver : Let's put it this way, to give you ballpark figures. I make $ 7000 US or CDN [u]AFTER [/u]Japanese income taxes. Total bills ( rent, groceries, utilities, public transportation ) are around $ 1000. The rent I have in Tokyo is actually cheap as the school covers a generous portion of the rent. I only pay around $ 600 for the rent. Some of my colleagues prefer to find their own places / homes as they have families and they pay around $ 1800 - $ 2000 in rent. The utilities in Tokyo are fairly cheap (surprise, surprise). I usually pay around $ 150 all up for gas, electricity AND water. Internet is around $ 60. My cell phone plan (data plan) is around $ 60.

So, all up, I bank a good $ 5000 - $ 6000 every month. I travel internationally to Europe, Asia, Africa or wherever I fancy around 3 times a year ( during May for Golden Week, summer months and of course, the winter break ). I also travel a fair bit on long weekends around the country. I go out every weekend to enjoy the nightlife or numerous cultural events they have in the city.

I have 10 years teaching experience at a really good international school.

Things of caution when working in Tokyo or anywhere in Japan for that matter:

1) Work hard : Although the staff is 90% foreigners and the student body is more or less foreign, the owners or Board of Directors are usually headed by wealthy Japanese administrators, who more often than not, have SEPARATE offices for their Japanese administrators that make the school run a bit smoothly. For all those who worked in Japan before, you can agree with me that the work ethic is top notch. They expect hard working people because the pay is high and they provide a lot of extra benefits and perks.

2) It's highly competitive to get in : Most teachers in the staff are veterans in Japan ( have been here for over 10 years, married to Japanese citizens, have children here etc etc ). No one ever leaves as the situation is more often good than bad. The salary is too high to walk away from even after the high prices. Hiring is kept within the small circle of international schools or big competitive fairs, usually held in Cambridge, London or Bangkok.

However, the pros highly outweigh the cons. Even "horrible" Japanese international schools are decent in comparison to many 2nd tier schools you find around the world because the students are wonderful (whether a high national or foreign population ). Must be the cultural work ethic rubbing off on the kids.

I will be biased because I am a Japanophile. Here are my reasons as to why I would choose Tokyo over Hong Kong :

1) SALARY & BENEFITS : My colleagues and I have been here for around 10 - 15 years. Many teachers in Tokyo have stayed for years and there are very big, good reasons. The salary is one of the highest in the world with the yen having a very high purchasing power after Zurich.

2) CLEANLINESS : I'm a neat freak and I like clean cities without the stink. Tokyo ( and most of Japan ) is freakishly clean with high city inhabitants' tax for very good reason. Waste management and city maintenance is highly organised, frequent and efficient.

3) POLITENESS : I hate to say it, but there are very stark differences in the behaviour of people from Hong Kong and Tokyo. When you shop in Tokyo, you can definitely tell who are the Chinese tourists as opposed to the Japanese citizens. The citizens are quiet, polite and give leeway while the visitors are loud, pushy and insist on grabbing at goods like they were at a bargain sale of a store going out of business.

4) THE SEASONS : I like the cold breaks ( winter and fall ) after hot and humid summers. The seasons are important to my physical and emotional well being as I love to exercise. Japan has beautifully stark seasons.

5) FOREIGNERS ARE TREATED WELL HERE : Despite the fact that Japan is no longer a politically "isolationist" country in the most obvious sense, there is still a sense of awe for foreigners. We do get preferential treatment, no matter where we go in Japan. People are very polite, friendly and accommodate us well even if we do not want them to go out of their way. Even though we don't take advantage, it is nice to be treated with respect and warmth even though you don't know the language etc.