Search found 1167 matches

by Heliotrope
Thu Sep 07, 2023 6:25 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?
Replies: 16
Views: 98744

Re: Internationally-minded American school districts/systems?

If I were you (OP) I'd go with Thames Pirate's advice: focus on individual schools near college campuses in a liberal areas.
But I would just post on a forum/Reddit for domestic teachers, stating you're looking for schools that "really embrace internationalism, promote multilingualism and look to the future as core values of their daily operations". I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions.
by Heliotrope
Thu Sep 07, 2023 5:48 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Staff Representative / Communications
Replies: 11
Views: 61894

Re: Staff Representative / Communications

My second school had a good system where teachers would choose three teachers to represent them. Those representatives would actively collect teachers' opinions/concerns and bring those to leadership to discuss them. Worked well - leadership would take it seriously most of the time, especially where it wouldn't require a lot of extra money.
by Heliotrope
Thu Sep 07, 2023 3:38 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Reply

Coimbra wrote:
> When you do or do not receive an offer you never know what role your
> dependents played in that decision so that remark of yours has little
> relevance.
> All you can do is look at how many teachers with two dependent kiddos they
> hired the most recent recruitment rounds.
> So through her extensive network she asked actual teachers at those schools
> how often the schools give those two spots based on their experience at
> their school. She asked about likely scenarios and not outliers. That is
> how she arrived at her number.

Agree
by Heliotrope
Wed Sep 06, 2023 7:53 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: GRC now for profit?
Replies: 4
Views: 24098

Re: GRC now for profit?

Coimbra wrote:
> Maybe the member schools just came up with Global Recruitment Private
> Limited to have that entity run it instead of being dependent on a specific
> school.

Yep.
by Heliotrope
Sun Sep 03, 2023 9:54 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Reply

I limited myself to tier 1 and upper tier 2 because the OP mentioned they're looking for "the best overall educational quality".
And while a tier 1 for teachers isn't automatically a tier 1 for students, the tier 1s do tend to provide what most parents would describe as a high quality education.

You're right, in Western Europe it's a bit lower: only around 4 out of 5 of the tier 1 schools there will provide couples only one of whom teachers with two or more free places for dependent children. If you add Eastern Europe it's actually worse: then only 3 out of 4 schools (for the whole of Europe) will give you 2 spots.
by Heliotrope
Sun Sep 03, 2023 12:50 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Reply

You've had different experiences than me and my former colleagues then.

It is true that the number of schools offering free tuition to two or more children for a couple only one of whom teaches is declining. Luckily a large majority of tier 1 and upper tier 2 schools still offers it though. We'll just have to see how long this continues to be the case. I'm not too optimistic, and I expect that that 83% number I mentioned previously will be closer to 70% in let's say five years from now, as lots of schools keep chipping away at benefits.
by Heliotrope
Sat Sep 02, 2023 1:28 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Discussion

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Heliotrope
>
> Those profiles are all unvalidated, self reports. There isnt even an
> indication that they are really current. Just because theres some scenario
> where an IS would provide more waivers/places doesnt mean that for any
> particular IT thats a guarantee part of the offer.

I've worked at a number of tier 1s and upper tier 2s, and those all self-reported this correctly, as well as the eleven tier 1s I know where former colleagues of mine with two kids and trailing spouses work that also seem to have reported this correctly.
One of the schools that self-reported that they would give a teacher with a non-working spouse one free spot actually gave my friend two, but he teaches mathematics & computer science so that might be why.
Where the self-reported numbers are most often off is usually the savings potential (hard to get an average number for this I guess), the number of international students (often counting host country students with a second passport as 'international'), and sometimes salary (for example because some schools include bonuses while others do not) although I've also seem salaries being reported as lower than they really are.

But as I said before: the fact that a school is willing to give two spots doesn't mean they won't prefer to hire a teacher without dependents if they deem them equally suitable (or almost as suitable) for the position.
by Heliotrope
Sat Sep 02, 2023 1:11 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: 'Normal' full time teaching load in Secondary
Replies: 17
Views: 108377

Re: 'Normal' full time teaching load in Secondary

Thames Pirate wrote:
> Anyone can give you numbers, but the trick is what that means in
> reality--and it will vary by school or even within departments. At our
> school, the schedule was weird. It worked out that math teachers taught
> all different preps, often teaching 5 different courses. Meanwhile there
> were teachers who, in that same number of periods, were teaching three
> sections of one or two DP courses. And how does one compare PE, with its
> equipment and space management and such, with the marking required in
> English? If your department is one without fixed classrooms, it can be far
> more stressful than working out of your own room. And do homeroom or
> seminar or pastoral classes or times count?
>
> So yes, we could give a number (at our school it's 23-26/40 periods), but I
> am not sure how meaningful that is.

Indeed.

The only truly relevant numbers for me are:
- how many hours a week do you spend teaching?
- how many preps do you have?
- how many hours a week do you spend on meetings, and other non-optional non-teaching school activities? (a not-so-very Christian friend of mine had to attend daily 30 minute prayer assemblies at his very Christian school)

And preferably comparing those numbers for teachers teaching the same subject - as you say, the English teacher at my school spends a lot more time grading for example, and the PE teacher will sometimes accompany students to games on weekends.

I also once asked someone at a school how long they spend prepping & grading, but of course a more experienced teacher will need less time for that, so the number of preps is more useful.
by Heliotrope
Sat Sep 02, 2023 12:55 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Gender and Management Style
Replies: 6
Views: 21188

Re: Gender and Management Style

falconeer wrote:
> In your experience, do you notice a difference between male and female
> admin in terms of their management styles?

Not really.
Could be because of the sample size though.
by Heliotrope
Fri Aug 18, 2023 2:45 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket

Heliotrope wrote:
> There are still a good number of tier 1 schools that will offer free
> tuition for both kids, and they tend to be high quality schools.

I had a look at the school profiles of the tier 1 and upper tier 2 schools on Search, and 83% states that they will accept two children for a couple only one of whom teaches, which is more than I expected.
The percentage of tier 1 schools that will accept two children was only slightly higher than the upper tier 2 schools btw.

Sadly that doesn't mean they won't prefer a single teacher without kids if it's between you and them and the school likes you both equally though, but plenty of these upper tier schools will hire you if they like you better, although that will sometimes depend on how many other teachers with more than one dependant they already hired that cycle.
Still, with 83% of schools willing to give a teacher with a trailing spouse two spots for their kids if the teacher is a good fit, I would definitely try and find a school that does.
by Heliotrope
Tue Jun 27, 2023 1:48 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket
Replies: 22
Views: 93442

Re: Tuition Paid Out of Pocket

There are still a good number of tier 1 schools that will offer free tuition for both kids, and they tend to be high quality schools.
However, if they only pay for one spot and the tuition is high, chances are good that your salary will be high as well. The schools with low tuitions will pay their teachers less as well. Not sure of the difference in pay will completely make up for the difference in tuition in some schools, but as @PsyGuy said, the coin has got to come from somewhere, and higher tuition will pay for higher teacher salaries (and a whole bunch of other stuff).
by Heliotrope
Tue Jun 27, 2023 1:09 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Need Travel Insurance for Summer
Replies: 2
Views: 11647

Re: Response

PsyGuy wrote:
> Do you specifically need the UK?
>
> In the EU tourists can access emergency health care (casting a broken bone,
> suturing a wound, etc.) free of charge


Not free of charge in all EU countries, although still at a reduced cost.

If you break your arm and you're near the border it might be worthwhile crossing over from a country that offers emergency care at a reduced rate to a country that offers it for free.

Also (although things might have changed), it used to be that that reduced-fee of free emergency care was only for citizens from other EU member states, and since sadly the Great Britain is no longer part of the EU, it might not apply to tourists from the UK, unless they have negotiated a reciprocal agreement (not unlikely).

Anyway, don't base your decision about this on what two international teachers say replying to a post on a forum - get some confirmation from a reputable source.

For insurance, a friend of mine uses Safety Wing (https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance). For a family of 4 that would cost 240 USD per 4 weeks if the parents are under 40, and 50 USD more if you're both over 40. That's with a $250 deductible and a $250,000 max limit, and I'm not sure what it covers exactly, so do your research.
by Heliotrope
Tue May 02, 2023 8:32 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Integrity
Replies: 6
Views: 32060

Re: Integrity

popgirl wrote:
> I'm finding it hard as there seems to be very little integrity in certain
> members of my admin. Decision making is opaque, and there are frequent
> frantic searches for fall people to take the blame for mistakes. Decisions
> are made behind the back of faculty, denied, and when the consequences are
> clear for all to see, the gaslighting starts. Cliques are made, decisions
> are made behind closed doors in those cliques, and then badly communicated
> to the rest of the faculty, if at all. When decisions are not carried out -
> often as most faculty concerned don't know they've been made - then the
> blame game and name calling starts. Believe it or not, this is in a 'top'
> or even 'elite' tier school. I've worked with some really good admin in the
> past, so I know it doesn't have to be like this. I'm tired, annoyed /
> irritated by the lack of professionalism, and on the verge of writing a
> review on the paid side. All that's stopping me so far is that I'd like to
> move on and I'll need references.
>
> Any advice, beyond 'keep your mouth shut and move on'?

Definitely write that review, just write it in such a way that it can't be traced back to you.
I'd say around 80% of all reviews can't be traced to an individual teacher by a school's admin, and the ones that can be traced mentioned certain details (number of years at a school combined with something else that's distinctive, like certain incidents that they were involved in) or a specific writing style (I once read a review about my school in which the reviewer used the same archaic word a couple of times that I've only ever heard one person use - one of my colleagues).
Also, don't mention in the review that you're leaving at the end of the year (rather say you're staying despite all the things that are wrong with the school), because that might also tip them off. Maybe put it some irrelevant fake details about yourself (but also don't describe other teachers) to throw them off your scent.
Be aware of that and you'll be fine. You don't have to be a paid member to write a review btw.

It doesn't sound like you can do much about the problems you're describing, so sadly I'd recommend to indeed 'keep your mouth shut and move on', as I doubt a mindfulness course will enable you to stop you from getting 'tired, annoyed / irritated by the lack of professionalism'.
by Heliotrope
Wed Apr 05, 2023 5:53 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: IB vs The Rest
Replies: 39
Views: 111194

Re: IB vs The Rest

lightstays wrote:
> It has opened the doors for you to experience a number of curricula, not
> curriculums.

No, @Spawnboy99 was correct using 'curriculums', and so are you.
From Merriam-Webster:

'curriculum' <noun>
cur·​ric·​u·​lum kə-ˈri-kyə-ləm
plural: 'curricula', also 'curriculums'

"As is the case with many nouns borrowed directly from Latin, there is often some confusion as to the proper way to form its plural. Both 'curricula' and 'curriculums' are considered correct."
by Heliotrope
Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:48 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: IB vs The Rest
Replies: 39
Views: 111194

Re: IB vs The Rest

I disagree with everything in your reply, but you're certainly entitled to your opinion.