Search found 1173 matches

by wrldtrvlr123
Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:26 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Teaching internationally to pay off my masters degree?
Replies: 11
Views: 11212

Re: Teaching internationally to pay off my masters degree?

PsyGuy wrote:
> @WT123
>
> Income sensitive repayment means very little, your just volunteering to give them
> coin, as there are maybe only a handful of ISs that would qualify an IT for public
> loan forgiveness. The vast, vast majority of ISs are not public organizations and
> dont qualify as public service.
>
> Collections and Garnishment are not issues ITs need to contend with outside the US.
======================
Income sensitive repayment is not contingent on PSLF. It can be a way to make payments and keep a loan in good standing without making yourself cash poor.

The OP has already said that they plan on spending a significant portion of their personal/professional life in the US so PSLF could be an option at some point and so could consequences for defaulting on loans.
by wrldtrvlr123
Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:20 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Teaching internationally to pay off my masters degree?
Replies: 11
Views: 11212

Re: Teaching internationally to pay off my masters degree?

josiewhelan wrote:
> Hello, I have a BS in Environmental Studies and an elementary certificate. I taught
> at an international school (using that term loosely...) in Albania for one year
> and have taught 2nd grade in the US for the past two. I am looking to go back to
> school to dive deeper into science education and have been accepted to a dual masters
> program for Natural Resources and Education at the University of Michigan. I am
> really excited about diving into academics again, but will need to take out some
> loans to pay for it. I assume that with my experience and adding a relevant degree
> on top of that I would be more marketable to international schools. Do you think
> so? I can live frugally and would be teaching abroad after my degree with the intent
> of paying off the debt faster. Does anyone have experience with this? I'm just trying
> to look at all my options and right now this seems like a good one for me! I appreciate
> all input!
====================
I would agree that walking away from student loans is not a great plan for most people (especially if having good credit in the US is important to you). Also, you never know when the policies on defaulted loans may change, for the worse (e.g. collections, garnishing, trouble with licensing, etc.).

In addition, with Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income Based/Driven repayment options, etc. it's probably not really necessary for most people if you make reasonable life choices.

I agree that living frugally overseas can be easier in many cases, financially and/or perceptually. Our first gigs overseas were in Egypt and we were able to save one whole persons salary which was wayyyyyyy more than we saved in FL. Housing allowance, lower cost of living, not needing a car, the feeling like just living there was an adventure that didn't require spending a lot on other things, all made it easier to save money.
by wrldtrvlr123
Mon Mar 04, 2019 2:00 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Filing a complaint in China
Replies: 11
Views: 11818

Re: Filing a complaint in China

I have not but my two cents (FWIW) is that no good will come of it. If the Head caved to parents then it's because they perceive (probably correctly) that the organization prefers happy parents over happy teachers.

If your future job prospects were in danger or if this were a labor issue that involved wrongly withholding pay/wrongful termination I would say do whatever you felt you needed to do. In this case, you are already moving on to a hopefully better situation, you have your positive results documented and in hand and living well is the best revenge.

Others may have other input/advice but I would just move onward and upward.
by wrldtrvlr123
Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:27 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Moving from China to Europe - advice???
Replies: 51
Views: 48924

Re: Moving from China to Europe - advice???

I feel a concurrence in the force (on the definition of ghosting at least).
by wrldtrvlr123
Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:20 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Moving from China to Europe - advice???
Replies: 51
Views: 48924

Re: Moving from China to Europe - advice???

Frenchie wrote:
> What does it mean to "ghost" a job or reference? I have seen this comment a few times.
> I have no clue what this means. Thanks for any insight.
==============
Basically to pretend it never happened (i.e. leave it off of your CV and come up with some plausible reason for any gap this leaves, etc.).
by wrldtrvlr123
Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:29 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Laziest Students in Asia?
Replies: 36
Views: 36621

Re: Laziest Students in Asia?

PsyGuy wrote:
>> @WT123
>
> @Doctor made an observation, thats anecdotal data. Its anecdotal, but its data.
===================
It now makes sense why so many of your posts about data make no sense (and what you really mean when you say, "Only data matters"). Good to know.
by wrldtrvlr123
Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:47 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Laziest Students in Asia?
Replies: 36
Views: 36621

Re: Laziest Students in Asia?

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Doctor
>
> You dont owe anyone an apology or an explanation, if the data is valid, if mainland
> Chinese are the laziest, than it doesnt matter if its culture, or race, its true.
==================
What data has been presented in this thread?
by wrldtrvlr123
Mon Feb 18, 2019 7:24 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Bangkok Pollution
Replies: 111
Views: 700617

Re: Bangkok Pollution

Illiane_Blues wrote:
> Too bad I've been away from the forum for a few weeks, because I actually do know
> the ranking for teachers. It's:
>
> 1 - Japan / Thailand
> 2 - China (incl. Hong Kong & Macau)
> 3 - Singapore
> 4 - Vietnam
> 5 - South Korea
> 6 - Malaysia
> 7 - Taiwan
> 8 - Indonesia
>
> The rest of the countries are basically all tied for last place
============================
I accept your list but I also accept the challenge of proving that even though Thailand is tied for first, it is still somehow firmly in the middle of the desirability rankings. I shall consult my statistical manual, my thesaurus, the all-knowing Google, confer, converse, and otherwise hob-nob with my brother wizards and return with a 5000 word post sure to dazzle and baffle mere mortals into agreement with me.
by wrldtrvlr123
Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:04 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Internship Abroad vs 2 Years Domestic Teaching
Replies: 4
Views: 6107

Re: Internship Abroad vs 2 Years Domestic Teaching

My opinion (others might vary) is that you should get the two years experience in the US before venturing overseas. If your long term goal is to teach overseas then getting a foundation of full time K-12 classroom/teaching experience is going to serve you best (I was basically the same in that my wife was a teacher and I knew before I even went into teaching that we would be pursuing jobs overseas as soon as I had a couple years of experience under my belt). By staying closer to home you are more likely to find a more stable situation to start your new career and learn your craft rather than moving to a new country and going through all of those work growing pains while possibly also being stressed/going through culture shock outside of school. The quality of int'l schools, availability of resources, motivation/behavior of students, support of leadership also vary wildly at different int'l schools (even more so than at stateside schools and are harder to judge/gauge from afar).

The only plus that I see with an int'l school internship is that you could be making some contacts that might help you get an int'l teaching job at some point (but this is offset by the fact that many/most other schools would still not give this experience the same weight as actual full time paid teaching experience).
by wrldtrvlr123
Fri Feb 15, 2019 7:51 pm
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: London Fair - a belated summary
Replies: 8
Views: 21140

Re: London Fair - a belated summary

Congrats! Job fairs are certainly an interesting experience (as in the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times") that we certainly do not miss.

Happy to hear that your interesting adventure worked out for you and your family.
by wrldtrvlr123
Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:42 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Advice Needed - 3-Year Transition to International Schools
Replies: 24
Views: 22527

Re: Advice Needed - 3-Year Transition to International Schoo

sid wrote:
> Your big question seems to be whether you can hop right from the US to quality, high-paying
> schools abroad. Doubtful. With a family of four and less than the expected two years
> minimum of experience, you’re an expensive and low-reward family to hire. For the
> good positions, you’ll be facing serious competition- teachers with much more experience,
> International experience, and with less expensive families. Math is a decent subject
> area, so that’s a plus, but good schools want more experience. Two years is just
> the gateway to applying- it’s a bare minimum, not a desirable amount. English is
> oversubscribed, but your EAL work is worth mentioning as it should make you a better
> teacher for the ELL you’ll have in your classroom.
> You can try to proceed on this timeline, but be ready to walk away and keep working
> in the US if you don’t get any offers that will actually match your goals. More
> experience will help.
=================================
I agree. The lack of experience will be an obstacle, how significant is difficult for anyone to predict. Proceed with your ideal plan but be ready to reconsider along the way if you feel you would be paying a little too much dues with the schools that are interested and/or you feel it is not the right situation for you and the family.

Also, be aware that some countries "require" two years of experience for visa purposes (although there are exceptions and schools can and do find ways around it in many cases).
by wrldtrvlr123
Wed Feb 13, 2019 7:12 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Bangkok Pollution
Replies: 111
Views: 700617

Re: Bangkok Pollution

Thames Pirate wrote:
> Nor does he work with horses, know more about German retirement programs than someone
> who actually speaks/reads German, or understand how backing a claim works.
>
> But it is entertaining, which is why popcorn is so necessary.
==============
You do have to give it up to him, he gives good entertainment value (for a free forum). Too bad he actually wants to be taken seriously, most of the time.
by wrldtrvlr123
Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:42 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Bangkok Pollution
Replies: 111
Views: 700617

Re: Bangkok Pollution

Walter wrote:
> This is Dave's version of "Second Life". On this site, you can find the Dave he wants
> to be. He does not work with, and nor has he ever worked with, DODEA. Nor does he
> attend recruitment fairs. Nor does he have access to any quotable data to back up
> his arguments in this thread, save that which exists in his fertile imagination.
==============
Strangely enough, the DoDEA piece is one of the few things that I do believe, mostly from the many posts/exchanges on the DoD chat board from when we were both hired at the same time (6 years ago, allegedly).
by wrldtrvlr123
Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:46 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Bangkok Pollution
Replies: 111
Views: 700617

Re: Comment

PsyGuy wrote:
> @WT123
>
> The stone must grind the steal, if its easy its not worth doing.
===========
But what would be the point of pretending you have not been teaching for the last 6 years when you are "trying" to get a job? NM. I'm sure it must make sense in some parallel dimension (on the darkest timeline).
by wrldtrvlr123
Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:58 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Bangkok Pollution
Replies: 111
Views: 700617

Re: Discussion

PsyGuy wrote:
> Its a very bland and boring profile, its like a guy in black and whites on
> the Yamanote at rush hour. No gap, just no DODEA experience, appropriately
> relative current references. I have a narrative for recruiters I use during
> interviews. I generally judge the success of my skills by their post
> interview interest or offer, but I use virtual interviews for the vast
> majority of my skill work.
===========
So no full time classroom/teaching experience for the last 6 years? That must be an interesting sell job for recruiters.