Have a look, and count:
https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4289467/ ... ending.pdf
ISS fair has 122 school attending.
But I wouldn't be too sad if I were you that the number is 122 and not 72, as more schools attending is better.
That it affects the percentage of tier 1 schools negatively shouldn't be important, as it's the actual number of tier 1 schools attending that should matter. More schools just means other candidates are more likely to be lured away by other schools at the fair, giving you a better chance at your top choices. If I was to attend either fair, I would hope for there to be both a very large number of tier 1 schools, and a large number of schools that are not tier 1. Some candidates will only apply at tier 1, but others will also try their luck at the other schools. So the more schools, the better your chances.

The tier 1 list posted on the member forum was based on schools mentioned multiple times by different people as being tier 1 schools on that forum and elsewhere in the past.
I put the list there to get feedback, since I was pretty sure there were some unintentional omissions, as well as some schools on there that might not belong.
Sounds like a pretty healthy thing to do in my opinion, as I'd rather use the wisdom of the crowd than make a list based on just my opinions (which it wasn't to begin with), as it will be more accurate with all the input from the community.
Given the many views and the many comments on that post, and the nature of those replies, the consensus on which schools definitely belong on a solid tier 1 list is pretty clear, it being the list as it was originally posted with some additions and some removals. That there are that many changes to the original list is probably because it was based on what people have mentioned on the forum as tier 1 schools to begin with.
It's that amended list, based on other people's posts and then amended by the community, that I used to count tier 1 schools at both fairs, and that puts the total of tier 1 schools at the Search fair at 23-24 (one school is still debatable).
If you have your own personal list of what you consider to be tier 1 schools, that's fine of course for when you have to decide for yourself which fair(s) to attend.

> And what's your explanation for why schools send their teachers to these
> workshops even when not requested by teachers and even to those that aren't
> not necessary for IB accreditation? They cost lots of money and you've
> stated IB leadership doesn't think IB workshops are valuable.

I've attended a few useful and informative IB workshops myself, and they're definitely on my CV.
I personally think most schools will see them as useful, but –just playing devil's advocate here– perhaps they also think that it's simply expected of a good international school, both by teachers and by accrediting bodies. Also, in some if not all US states teachers need to do regular PD to keep their teaching license.

Let me correct myself. I forgot you both teach Elementary.

While around 90% of top schools offer IB at the diploma level, only half of the top schools offer PYP, so there are still plenty of top schools where your lack of IB experience wouldn't matter, since you say you're also interested in schools that don't teach IB.

To get into a top school that does teach PYP will still be harder for those without PYP experience than for those with of course, but it sometimes happens, and you seem competitive, at least from the info you provided.

Best of luck!

Not sure what you mean with your first two sentences, but we might have a different approach yes.
I just wanted to point out that some of the countries do have schools where she could meet her goals. Some of those are top tier and very hard to get into, others are more feasible for the OP.

If you go to the ISS website, you can see that the fair list has 122 schools on it (instead the 123 a few days ago, and sorry, I did mistype earlier, but your 72 is not correct).
The Search list of attending school currently has 144 listed.

To count the number of top tier schools, I used the tier 1 list recently posted on the member forum, which was then amended with a few suggestions for additions or removals of schools, but with or without these suggestions the total count of tier 1 schools for the Search fair would be 24. For ISS it would be 6.

That gives 17% tier 1 schools for the Search fair, and 5% tier 1 schools for the ISS fair.

But as a candidate I might rather look at the total number of top schools, instead of a percentage. If I was trying to get into a tier 1 school, and rather get a chance at 24 than at 6. Of course there's more competition at Search (roughly twice as many candidates you say, which I'll assume is about right), but if you're competitive for those top schools, I'd like my odds at Search better than at ISS.

That being said, the OP and spouse don't have IB experience, but would like to get into an IB school. That makes the number of top schools less relevant as they will prefer candidates that already have IB experience (still possible without IB experience, but less likely than with), and they might want to try for a good tier 2 school. Both fairs have some decent tier 2 IB schools. The rest of the Search list (if you take out the 24 tier 1 schools) is mostly tier 2 and a fair amount of tier 3, ISS seems to have a mix of about 40/60% tier 2 and tier 3 schools, but tier 2 and tier 3 are a bit harder to identify). Point is both have suitable schools for the candidate.

If a fair being first is better or worse is up for debate, if you have to choose. I can see both rationales (interviewing with a school before candidates at the other fair vs. schools not hiring at the first fair if they're not a 100% sure because they know they will have a plethora of top candidates at the next fair). I guess the top schools are more likely to hold out, but some tier 2 schools might be more tempted to hire at the first fair if they really like someone, knowing that at the second fair they will be less in demand due to the high number of top schools at Search). But that's just speculation, and will depend highly on the type person the recruiter is.

So yes, the consensus is of course that hitting both fairs is best.

I'm quite interested to see an ISS fair, as I've only visited a Search fair so far and am keen to see the difference in approach.
And apparently (from another topic), recording your (best) lessons on video and have them available for recruiters could help you in the interviews.

> A parrot could give just as intelligent of an answer to this douchey
> question. Lots of IB practitioners couldnt recite on demand an LP or ATL on
> command, and can get comfortably to and from the IS. We disagree.

A parrot can't do more than recite a list, so no, a parrot cannot answer the question.
If a parrot would try to answer the question: "How do you integrate IB learner profile traits in your DP physics classroom?" by repeating a list with just the LP traits, he would not be hired,
And sorry, you wouldn't able to find a single teacher at my school (or my previous IB schools) that wouldn't be able to give you at least a few LP traits, enough to give some examples and answer the question. They're pretty much everywhere (overused a bit in my opinion). But if enough people that have taught IB the last two years would now reply by saying they wouldn't be able to name two, I would gladly stand corrected.
Then again, I prep for interviews, so would brush up a bit if I thought all my most basic knowledge of IB had somehow disappeared.
Yes, we disagree. A lot. I don't see our marriage surviving this.


> Yes, it is exactly what I am doing, I wrote the piece, I didnt cite anyone
> else, I offered nothing more than rhetoric or oratory to support the
> claims, which is how I know your doing EXACTLY the same thing, I never
> claimed my position was anything else. You dont seem to know what facts
> are.

You say things are true or not true, even when it's merely your opinion.
I try to always add that it's my opinion, unless it is factual true (like something being more specific, but more on that below). Hiding behind "I wrote it so therefore it's automatically nothing more than my opinion" is a Trumpian defense (doesn't get more douchey than Trump).


> One zooms on nothing because you say it does, its a douchey terminology,
> lexicon question that asks if the IT can recite and recall vocabulary.

"How do you integrate IB learner profile traits in your DP physics classroom?" is factually a more specific question than "How do you translate IB theory into classroom practice", for it zooms in on a specific part of the IB theory (LP traits).


> No you interpreted the questions as a translation of IB theory into
> classroom practice.

The question was "How do you integrate IB learner profile traits in your DP physics classroom?"
IB learner profile traits = irrefutably part of IB theory
integrate in your DP physics classroom = translate into classroom practice
Same for the other question, with ATLs being part of IB theory as well.

@Illiane_Blues
Take your own advice! ;-)

You say both:
> Why hire them because they cant recite the LP, because they get
And:
> a parrot can answer this question.

As an IB school interviewing a candidate that has taught IB, I'd like them to be slightly more intelligent than a parrot, so if they wouldn't know them it would be a red flag. Anyway, they only need to know a few to give examples and answer the question.
Also, if you have taught IB and can't use two ATLs or Learner Profile traits in an example of how you translate IB theory into classroom practice, you will probably get lost on your way to school.


> Again its just your claim that this is a normal question and non-douchey
> because you claim it to be so.

> which your assumptions are not self authenticating.

Hmmm, that's exactly what you're doing... You're just claiming the opposite "(it's a douchey question"), based all on assumptions and not facts.


> > No more than your claim that the two forms of questions we are debating are
> slightly more specific, because you say they are,

How is it not more specific?
One zooms in on ATLs rather than the whole IB theory, the other zooms in on Learner Profile traits. That makes it more specific.


If an IB schools wants to know how an experienced IB teachers translates IB theory into classroom practice, that's a very valid question.
Assuming they just want you to parrot list is not based in fact. If that is their true intention behind asking the question, then yes, they are douches, but then they could just ask you to list them all. Your hunch that the real question is a different one is merely a guess. I read the question as it is presented.

Have someone else have a look at your cover letter and CV, and ask for feedback. I've read some awful cover letters by superstar teachers, and some CV's look like they were made by a 12 year-old with artistic aspirations.
Your Associate should be able to help you with this (and mine did a few years ago), but I've heard not all Associates are equally helpful, so if yours isn't, ask others (colleagues, perhaps the person who recruited you at your current school) for some pointers.

Also, lots of top schools get so many applications, that there must be loads of great teachers that aren't shortlisted there. You might just be one of them.

Agree with @Thames Pirate and @Illiane_Blues, the Search fair would be the better choice of the two.


PsyGuy wrote:
> SA has about twice as many top tier ISs at BKK, but SA has three times the
> ISs total. Both fairs are about the same length, and with much smaller
> number of candidates your more likely to get an actual interview slot for
> those ISs. The math says ISSs has the better probability.

ISS has 6-7 top tier schools, out of a total of 223 schools attending (although the QSI schools will probably be represented by one delegation).
Search has 23-24 top tier schools, out of 142 schools attending.
So no, SA does not have 'three times the ISs total', and at ISS only (rounded up) 3% of the schools is top tier, while at ISS (rounded down) 16% of the schools is top tier. Even with fewer people attending (assuming that's correct, probably is) I'd like my chances better at the Search fair, unless they have more than 5 times as many candidates attending than the ISS fair (and I assume that number is closer to 2).


But the above is assuming you prefer a top tier school. If you prefer a tier 2 or tier 3 school (and there are plenty of great tier 2 schools), ISS might be the better choice, although the tier 1 schools will be heavily ambushed at the Search fair, so the tier 2 schools there might be very happy to interview anyone that shows up at their booth.

Anyway, just go them both, as others have also advised, that's by far the best option. The extra money and time is worth it to be able to cast a wider net. Plus after that you'll be able to compare the ISS and Search fairs a lot better for future reference. Be sure to report back if you do to share your experiences at both fairs and compare them for us.

P.S.
Some of the schools I'm referring to are top tier, and will be very hard to get into due to stiff competition, but not all schools are so highly sought after so then your chances are better, and all are worth a try at least – I've seen some strange hires at top schools.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: Agree with PsyGuy

Tanzania: IS of Tanganyika in Dar-es-Salaam would accommodate your savings goal without a problem. One of the best schools in Africa on top of that. Dar-es-Salaam isn't the greatest city, but the part the school is in is ok.

Indonesia: The two schools that would allow you to save enough are in Jakarta, and you'll have to expose your kid to pretty bad air quality.

Malaysia: Agree with PsyGuy. At least two schools there that would let you save enough easily.

Bangladesh: There's one school where you can easily save what you need (good school as well), a second one where you might be able to, but as PsyGuy says, Dhaka is a very unattractive and dirty city, not the best option with a kid.

India: At least three schools there that would let you save enough easily, but all are in cities with terrible air quality.

Cambodia: There's one school where you can easily save what you need, and it's a solid school. Phnom Penh isn't a great city, but there are worst places.

Vietnam: There's one school where you can easily save what you need, but the city it's in (the capital) has really terrible air quality, as nice as it is apart from that.

Have a look at Myanmar (one school only that I would recommend and would fit your needs), Taiwan (two good schools in Taipei, great city), Philipines (two good schools, but city is crap) or Thailand (few schools that would fit, although perhaps too competitive). If you don't mind not going out much, Pakistan would have a few schools where you can easily save enough cash, and they're good schools, but most cities are not extremely safe).

Good luck!

I was once advised by a colleague to video some of my classes, to use in the hiring process, but I can't image recruiters taking the time to watch these videos. Or would they?

Any input?

@PsyGuy

> Lots of IB ITs cant rattle off all the LPs, lots of MYP ITs barely know hat
> the MYP is much less what the ATLs are.

Most can, but if they can't list a few (you'd need about two to answer the question), why hire them at a serious IB school, as any teacher with IB experience and a brain would be able to list at least half of them, if not all? I don't think the question is meant to quiz the candidate to see if they can list them all, but if they don't know any, that would be a serious red flag if they say they worked at an IB school. That's not to say the question is meant to elicit both complete lists.

> No its not slightly more specific, is substituting a non-douchey question
> that focuses on terminology for a douchey one that does.
> You can assume anything about recruiters and leadership its why its called
> an assumption. The recruiter leadership that asks this douchey question is
> impressed by IB vocabulary.

Yes, you can assume, but that doesn't make it true. It's a valid question if there's no hidden intention like wanting the candidate listing all of ATLs and IB learner profile traits, and I'm simply judging the question based on what is actually asked, which is how they translate IB theory (ATLs, LP traits) in classroom practice (for their use of the IB-terms in their question: read my previous paragraph). Assuming the recruiter simply wants to hear IB jargon is a guess, and in my opinion and experience a poor one.


@Thames Pirate

> Those things, while explicitly stated or
> codified in the IB theory, are also just solid practice and should have
> already come up at the interview

Yes, but perhaps it hadn't, perhaps they were at the start of the interview, and perhaps they wanted to know more. We weren't at the interview, so can't say the question wouldn't produce any new information about the candidate that hasn't been covered already.

> So yes, it's "do you buy IB theory,"

Why? The candidate already teaches IB, so it's a normal question using terms the candidate is already familiar with (or should be). There would be better questions to find out how many IB terms the candidate knows, if that was their intend.

> is just good teaching, it's not a question unique to IB beyond the jargon.

Agreed, but it's also part of IB, so valid to ask about within IB-context.

> , and do you actually practice it"

Yes, that's the reason they ask the question, to see if you can bring IB theory into classroom practice. Relevant to know for an IB school.

I might also enrol if I can free up some time, but just for the pay bump. And some schools like a Masters on your CV (sometimes for the wrong reasons), so it makes me a bit more desirable for future schools, regardless of which one it is (except if it's for a leadership positions, as PsyGuy says).