I've never heard of Teach Away. Thank you! I will review their website. Are you Canadian? I think they are based in Canada from what I can tell. What subject do you teach?

Well okay then...I better get my swag on and start thinking!

Moose - I've got that kind of portfolio! Thanks for the idea!

PsyGuy - So were these wedding invites (or cards, flash drives, etc) made by the teacher seeking employment - OR - were they made by the school that was recruiting? Were they handed out at a Fair, or were they sent in advance of the fair? I enjoy reading your advise on ISR and appreciate your advice with me.

no way! How bizarre. Sounds total cheesy, but maybe not outside of Dallas? :) Wow. I'm stunned. A wedding invitation? Ha! Now that might work in Dallas. :)

Dear heyteach,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful reply. I've noticed your comments on the ISR blog and I appreciate them very much.

I will absolutely NOT discount the SA schools. I'd really love to go there!

1. Are you an Art Department Head at the school you choose? What kind of certifications/degrees do you have to be offered the department head positions? Just curious... I've been figuring out on my own that I might be able to save the fair expenses by simply doing exactly as you did...use Search's database and interview over Skype.

2. Got it. Plus and minus each way...I'll be processing that info. Thanks!

3. How can I reach you? There have been several art teachers who have responded to me via my blog or via email, which is on my blog (www.artteachtravel.com). Please feel free to reach me that way, or tell me how to reach you to ask you about your experiences. Thanks in advance!

4. Hmmm...actually, I have taught the past 11 years in a private, college prep school in Dallas and I do not have any experience with LEP kids, sadly... thus, the reason I was asking about certification through Oxford Seminars...

Thanks again!

[quote="camiguinpiper"]Wanted to reply b/c though I am not a teacher this was my husbands exact position and we are moving in August to S. Korea! Even with three dependents we will have a 3 bedroom apt., free school for the kids and any money I make will just be icing on the cake. Because of all the perks we will pay off our debt in the first year.

All this to say I think that math/science teachers seem to have an edge at the fairs and while European schools might not be interested for the reasons stated in above posts there are a lot of great schools that will be. My husband had a very creative resume which made him stand out at the fair so that is definitely something I recommend!

Happy to answer any questions about our experience![/quote]

HI! Could you explain what a "very creative resume" is?

Hi, everyone! I want your thoughts please...

Some facts:

• I am certified to teach Art, K-12.
• I have just finished my 11th year of full time teaching art to middle and high school students in a private, college prep, K-12 school in the Dallas area. I had a career in the graphic design area prior my teaching career.
• I am single, age 52, no dependents living at home.
• I want to teach internationally. I'm fairly open to where I go, however I'm not interested in the Middle East or Africa. From the reading I've done on ISR, it seems that South American schools don't pay very well.
• I have set up my SEARCH file, and have received daily notifications of jobs since March 2012, but have not yet paid my fee because I do not want a job for the 2012-2013 school year. I do not want to begin my international teaching until the 2013-2014 school year, so was planning on paying my fee early this fall.
• I have lived in the Dallas area for almost 30 years and have a resume full of art exhibitions, volunteer work, curatorial work, and other forms of teaching experiences.

Some questions:

1. In regard to teaching Art, do you feel it is necessary to attend the fairs? For the past three years I have communicated with ISS, SA and UNI. I am able to do the February/March 2013 fairs (or a couple of them) but am not convinced that an Art teacher may find that to be advantageous.

2. Are there any Art teachers out there who might suggest schools with good art departments?

3. Are there any Art teachers out there who might share their experiences with me?

4. Do you feel it would be advantageous for me to get certified in TESOL/TESL/TEFL this next year before moving abroad? I have just attended a free introductory session by Oxford Seminars. They provide a month long (weekend) certification in the Dallas area in September for just over $1,000.

5. Specific to Art, do you feel any of the educational recruitment companies would be better than another?

6. Since March, I have started blogging about my love of art, teaching and travel. My blog is www.artteachtravel.com and I would like to invite you to browse. It is my way of putting a voice to all that I'm considering doing with my life and moving abroad.

Thank you all in advance for all your advice.

Excellent! Thank you!

Hello Everyone,

I write a blog at www.artteachtravel.com and I write articles that may be of interest to some of you. Please feel free to look and read. One of the next articles I want to write is about the differences in TEFL, TESL, TESOL (maybe others?) and if getting certified in one of these courses would be a good way to make extra money when traveling/teaching/living overseas. I would be interested in your opinions on specific companies that provide this training and certification as well.

I want to join your ranks as an international teacher for school year 2013-14. This next school year will be my last year to teach in the states. I have been a middle and high school teacher for 11 years and am looking forward to moving overseas in one year.

Many thanks!
Sincerely,
Anita Horton

I wanted to make mention that I keep a weekly blog at www.artteachtravel.com and I have published two articles (in a three-part article series) of some information and differences in educational recruitment companies. Two weeks ago I wrote about UNI; this past week I wrote about ISS and this next week I will write about SA. Please feel free to check out my blog and see if anything I wrote about pertains to you. Thank you.