Search found 24 matches

by elizamina
Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:02 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?
Replies: 16
Views: 45679

Re: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?

AISR in KSA fired dozens of teachers in September, and almost every other teacher who was up for renewal was put on a probationary, 1 year contract (which means no signing bonuses or raises). If anyone was wondering why there were 18+ advertised jobs on Search, that's why.

The fired teachers were given no write ups, evaluations, or warnings. When this was brought up at a faculty council meeting, the superintendent said the school had the right to fire teachers at any time, for any reason, as this was the way it's done in all international schools.

It has tanked the morale of this year's new teachers. Many of us are already thinking this is a 2-and-out place now.
by elizamina
Sun Nov 01, 2020 10:22 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Search October Virtual Fair
Replies: 5
Views: 6185

Re: Search October Virtual Fair

I'm thinking that if we were turned down an interview request at this wash of a fair, it's okay to reapply later if the positions are still open?

For one, I highly doubt any school is going to remember any single interview request they turned down (unless you wrote them an angry, frothing email, I suppose). For another, at a later date, their needs might have changed and they are less likely to be as picky later in the recruiting season.

Thoughts?

Anyone going to try their luck at the ISS-Schrole iFairs, the Search December or January fairs, or GNC? I'm signed up for Search January, but I gotta wash the taste of disappointment out of my mouth first.
by elizamina
Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:13 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Search October Virtual Fair
Replies: 5
Views: 6185

Search October Virtual Fair

Those attending, how are you finding it so far?

On my end, I'm finding it entirely disappointing. We're a math and English couple, and so far, we've gotten 3 rejections or ignored totally. Kind of ouch, tbh, but I keep reminding myself that it's still really early and schools are being super picky right now. (Still though, kinda ouch.) We've had good luck at two fair in the past (Bangkok and Cambridge), but this one just feels like a waste of time.

Anyone having better luck? Or is it a total write off? Or something else? Let's hear it.
by elizamina
Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:17 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Thoughts on Search Online Fairs
Replies: 28
Views: 30205

Re: Thoughts on Search Online Fairs

Go the 'job search' function and scroll to the bottom. Under 'schools registered to attend fairs', choose the virtual fair in October. You'll see there are at least 35 schools registered so far (last I checked).
by elizamina
Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:24 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Attending a fair - with kids
Replies: 5
Views: 7656

Re: Attending a fair - with kids

Quite honestly, I think the best thing to do is to look into babysitting at the hotel.

When my child was a baby and we went to a job fair in Bangkok, I hired a babysitter through a licensed agency. They sent me her biography, several photos, and references, so that we felt comfortable with her. She came directly to our hotel room and stayed with our baby. As you would with any babysitter, we left her a list of simple instructions. We also paid for her lunch.

This was the best option for us. It allowed us to focus fully on the fair and be present during interviews, while also letting us pop in throughout the day to check on our baby. It worked out nicely for all.

(And yes, we left the fair with jobs.)
by elizamina
Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:39 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Where was your first IS job?
Replies: 16
Views: 37091

Re: Where was your first IS job?

We started off at a school know for its quality internationally (though that is debatable), in a Chinese city we weren't suited for. We got our two years of experience though and took advantage of some amazing travel opportunities, as well as expanding our family, so it wasn't all bad. Just wasn't a place we wanted to stay for more than two years.
by elizamina
Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:13 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: reference issue
Replies: 3
Views: 5762

reference issue

Looking for advice.

My partner and I have worked at two international schools previously before coming home for a few years. We have great references from those schools and I have solid references from my current school. We're trying to get back to international teaching next year, however...

My partner, who has been at his current school for 3 years, cannot get references from the admin. The school itself is well known in the area to be a pretty terrible school for reasons I won't get into (but I'll say that they made international press for it), but that doesn't help us reactivate our Search files either. Search won't usually reactivate your file without current references from admin.

Advice? I'm at my wit's end about this. I don't know what we can do. I don't want us to be locked out of international teaching and Search forever because of one god awful mistake of a school.
by elizamina
Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:19 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Attending a job fair with a baby
Replies: 10
Views: 11411

Re: Attending a job fair with a baby

I know how hard it is to leave your baby with someone while attending a job fair. That being said, if you're serious about getting a job overseas, you'll really need to do it. Please consider the fact that if you do go overseas, you're going to need to hire a nanny to stay with your baby while you're at work. If this is something that makes you feel uncomfortable, maybe you might want to wait a few years until your baby is preschool age.

That being said, when our child was around 5-6 months old, we brought her to the Bangkok fair. I researched several babysitting services, found one that was licensed and bonded and had several good reviews from expats and tourists. The company sent me a biography and photograph of the babysitter beforehand and I was able to discuss everything we required with them.

It worked out fine. The babysitter knew what she was doing. We were able to pop in between interviews to check in on our baby while also devoting our time and attention to the very exhausting business of working the fair.

I highly recommend doing this if you're serious about getting a job.
by elizamina
Wed Jan 24, 2018 4:46 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Length of time at school?
Replies: 5
Views: 8455

Length of time at school?

What's the longest number of years you've ever stayed at one school? What made you decide to leave?

How about the shortest? What prompted the switch?

Considering changing schools after 3 years, though I suppose I could stand to stay for 2 more, getting me to a respectable 5 years in one place. Would like to hear from the masses though. (Nice easy question for you!)
by elizamina
Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:04 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: keep the house? sell the house?
Replies: 10
Views: 17354

keep the house? sell the house?

So after several years overseas, we came home three years ago due to family reasons. We've since bought a house. For various reasons, we're seriously considering going overseas again in the next few years.

For those of you who went overseas while owning property, how did you handle it? Did you rent out the house through a property management service? Leave the house vacant but pay someone to look after it? Some third option I'm not thinking of? How did it work out for you? Was it worth it?

Or did you just sell the house?

We'd prefer NOT to sell the house, but I'd like an idea of what a realistic plan of action might be.
by elizamina
Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:07 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Teachers' compensation at US private schools
Replies: 18
Views: 33743

Re: Teachers' compensation at US private schools

I've been back in the US for two years now (for family reasons). My partner and I each work at an independent school on the east coast. We're each making about 60k a year, and my school pays the premiums for health insurance.

We're both making *more* than we ever made at an international school, but of course, we're saving *less*. We're still saving, but not nearly the amount we managed to do in six years overseas. Eventually we'll probably go overseas again, but not in the next few years.

The independent schools in this area tend to pay around 50-60k if you're coming in with 5+ years of experience. Parochial schools are the ones that pay very low wages; the parochial schools around here seem to pay 35-40k, which is exactly why I would never work at one.

Just wanted to give another perspective. Feel free to ask questions.
by elizamina
Sun Dec 18, 2016 11:03 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Small children and pollution in Chengdu
Replies: 15
Views: 28009

Re: Small children and pollution in Chengdu

Chengdu is awful. No exaggeration. We were at a nice school in Chengdu, our daughter was born in Chengdu, and we still had to leave after two years because of how bad the pollution is.

The bushes are constantly covered in brown dust. You can't sit down on public benches because the filth in the air settles onto the benches, and your clothes will come away dirty. If you drop something on the ground, it's instantly covered in filth. The air was so bad some days, you could TASTE it. We constantly had to keep students inside, the air was so polluted.

Also, because Chengdu is in a basin, surrounded by mountains, you have very few blue sky days. So the pollution becomes trapped in the basin. Planes would be grounded for hours because it was too hazy to take off safely.

I say all of this with no exaggeration. We liked our little school and we would have been happy to send our daughter there. But the pollution was so bad, the city was so filthy, that we couldn't justify raising a small child there. For her own health, we had to leave.
by elizamina
Mon Nov 21, 2016 9:59 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Global Recruitment Collaborative?
Replies: 4
Views: 9437

Global Recruitment Collaborative?

Has anyone heard of or used Global Recruitment Collaborative?

My husband and I have been out of international teaching for the past two years, and we're looking to get back in possibly for next year. We're good with Search and Schrole, but I reached out to one of my contacts, and apparently there's a new game in town - Global Recruitment Collaborative.

They've already held a fair in Dubai, and I see a lot of schools are signed up for them. My contact says that hiring is now happening in October/November, so we've pretty much missed the window for this year.

Any merit to this? Can someone tell me what's going on, please?
by elizamina
Sun Mar 06, 2016 1:24 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: So long and thanks for all the fish!
Replies: 8
Views: 12177

Re: So long and thanks for all the fish!

OMG I've just done this right now, and it's INSTANTLY improved the board tenfold. I wish I had known about this YEARS ago. I've stayed away from this board for ages because of the same ridiculous, bullsh*t spewing clown that we've all been complaining about for years, but refuses to take a hike.

I might even start reading and posting again. Thanks for the tip.