I met a PE teacher from South America who landed a job outside due to his ability to coach and his record. Get your references in order and get recruiting!

The thing you need to realize is that you MUST read between the lines. The truth is somewhere between the "this school is hell" and "this school is heaven". However, when you see consistently the same reviews over a four to six year period, then you begin to get a sense that this perhaps is not a school you would like to work at. There are a few schools like this which come to mind.

You also get a sense of when certain directors are mentioned negatively at different schools (because they do move too) and then right afterwards the reviews are glowing and cheery and have similar language to all of them, that the director is doing a bunch of upbeat reviews...

Again, once you have been around and read the reviews, lived the life, you will be able to be a discerning reader of reviews...

Ability to offer a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities is welcomed at all international schools. This applies not only to coaching, but also to specialty clubs such as MUN, Forensics, Debate, Yearbook and more.

cdn - would love to hear your take on the London Fair - only a week away!

btech,

head over to www.tieonline.com and sign up. Then post your CV and start browsing schools which have your openings...see what happens.

Hope that helps!

Hi Autumn,

a nibble is an indication of interest. It can be through a cold contact or through a contact you have initiated.

Before BKK some teachers had already lined up interviews. Some people had emails saying sign up at our table during interview sign up. Some people had both, and some people had none.

So if you have a nibble, it is a hopeful sign. No nibbles, makes you worry, even though most teachers do not have nibbles and go into the fair cold.

Hope that helps!

OrangeSoda, I will try to answer your questions:

1. If a job is advertised for only one position, you can apply along with your spouse, but there might not be a job for him or her. The thing to do would be to join something like Search and/or TIEonline, where you can see the jobs at a school and whether there is a job there for your spouse. You can also contact the school directly and ask for a list of vacancies, mentioning that you are a teaching couple (and mention your areas of expertise).

2. Never heard of it. Abu Dhabians?

3. No, Abu Dhabi doesn't pay more or less. Some schools might pay more, others might pay less. Don't go in thinking you will make more in Abu Dhabi than in Kuwait, say (where the pay is lower, but the chance to tutor if you are a GCSE/A level teacher of maths, chem, bio means you can make a mint)

4. Be very careful of Doha. If it is the English Modern School, run, run far away. Be careful of ads which do not disclose the school name for international jobs - it means it is likely very dodgy.

5. Again, never heard of it. Omanians?

6. The time to strike is now - most good schools are filling their vacancies in the next month or so, and have already begun hiring at the Bangkok Fair (with Hong Kong fair (mainly Asian schools) starting tomorrow and London on the 24th).

When you say, "to get a good deal" understand that there is not a lot of negotiation that goes on. Most schools have a pay scale (and the reputable ones will let you look at it!) and that's that. There is no negotiation. Dodgy schools "negotiate" but be prepared to be hated, or to hate, when you find out what others make vs yourself, and vice versa, as inevitably happens. Reputable schools are transparent in pay.

7. This means you total package, salary, flights, housing allowance, etc comes to 45,000 UK pounds or more (it could be 45,000.99 pounds!). However, be careful about (a) what medical coverage you will be offered; (b) mid-contract flights; (c) where your housing is; (d) where the school is located; (e) utility costs included or separate (usually included, but you don't want to assume and find out they are not). It seems that you will pay the utilities based on this advert; however, what is the average utility cost.

Also google them and perhaps send a blind email to a teacher asking for more information - use a fake email, so that the school can't trace it to you.

Reputable schools will provide email contacts - mine gave four - two of whom I asked for and two of whom the recruiter gave.

PD, if you had to pick one area of your school you would improve, what would it be and why?

LOL Redvaldo, you are becoming a meister of obscure schools :-)

What did you decide to do about the London fair?

IAMBOG, if you want to get to Bangkok, get to Bangkok. After that, suss it out. I would recommend your next move after that would be out of Thailand to a school which would offer you the next step in training - ie, IB training, or something similar. Then, you can go BACK to Thailand in a much better position with your international contract assured.

Just my thoughts, of course!

Northern Canada is similar - and not always in isolated fly-in communities :-)

Congratulations on the birth of number 2! Having 2 kids changes things personally, as it is often twice (or more) the work and takes its toll - but totally worth it!

We are headed for north central Asia and very excited/happy about it.

Good luck with your search - I am sure you will find something! And if not, at least you have the security of a job in hand :-)

Hi climbergirl,

first of all, forget about cover letters. Make a one page About Me sheet - highlight on this your education, training, skills, experience and philosphy. Also have a personal info section (for instance, I mention my marriage and my kids). You should have a photo of you on it near or at the top.

This will not replace your CV, but it will replace your cover letter.

Send an inquiry - in the title of the email, directly refer to the position you seek (ie HS Chemistry Teacher Position).

Sciences are in high demand.

I would target schools in Korea and China (simply because there are lots of them). Target Europe as well, but financially, Europe is not as attractive. Culturally and travel-wise, it is very attractive.

But get out there NOW and get cracking! If you haven't read my post about the Bangkok Fair, read it for pointers, especially my post-fair - about what I would do the same and differently.

Hope this helps - sounds like you would be a great addition to any school!

NYCTeacher, whoa! "Environment of privilege"?

You need to understand something about international schools and clients. First of all, if you are going to a decent international school, money is important, but it is a meritocracy. Students succeed because of their your abilities. Teachers tend to vote with their feet at schools which are not really run this way. Also, schools I have taught at overseas have had students from "poor families" and students from "rich families".

How can this be, you ask? Often, some families are there because Dad was in the military, or trucking, or logistics, and was hired for his skills. The family is NOT rich, NOT privileged, and does NOT have a sense of entitlement.

At the same time, I have worked with "rich families" from the host country. Dad IS rich, the family IS privileged...but at an international school, EVERYBODY is relatively privileged. There aren't huge huge disparities being rubbed in fellow student's faces by others in the student body or by parents. The kids I taught from families like this were generally great kids. They were eager to learn and received no special privileges. Everybody got the same educational opportunities as everybody else, and nobody came out thinking, "I am a graduate of XXX School and I am so much better than you."

Living and teaching overseas (and as we diid, having your children educated in truly international schools) is so different from back in the US or Canada that I would advise you to drop all of your preconceptions and find out the truth.

If you are seriously looking to assist those students with needs in an international setting, do your homework on the schools you are serious about and ask questions about what you would expect.

But please, don't come on with "working in an environment of privilege" and assumptions about the kids and parents. I will let you in on a secret. Traditionally, international school kids HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVICED in special needs. It is only recently that there has been a boom in special needs services in international schools.

Not trying to flame you, but your comment just irritated me, as the parent of a GT kid (not a lot of support for them overseas either) and friends of families whose children have other special needs. Let me assure you that (a) it is not what you assume; and (b) your services ARE needed overseas.

So Blue Jay, did you take the 2nd's offer? Happy with it? Where are you going? (generally - SE Asia, North Asia, SW Asia, ME, SA, AFrica?