Thanks wrldtrvlr123 and grdwdgrrl for the helpful comments.
As I suspected, the work of admin is about 1/2 the work of a good teacher although its no doubt about twice the work of teachers like of T.Daley and AnnieT.

I've been brought into management at a startup international school in China and we are brain storming ideas to recruit students for next year. It is a boarding school that caters to well to do Chinese students.

On the off chance that there is someone out there in admin that's worth a damn, any suggestions?

Kel_81

IAMBOG is a troll who knows everything about everything. Ignore him.

If this school offers you a contract, sign it. In fact, sign all contracts that come your way. I typically sign 3 contracts a year.

Once, the school flew me in, give me a week in a hotel and thousands of dollars relocation and when my week was up, I went to the next school. Many will tell you this is morally reprehensible but they will not mention how morally reprehensible most international schools are.

Take my advice and ignore sycophants like BOG: do the school before the school does you.

kel_81, take everything Mr. T Daley says with a huge grain of salt. He's a compulsive liar and will make things up to please his masters.

Tdaley you're the only newbie on this site experiencing culture shock. Why don't you go stick your nose up an administrator's butt. That should make you feel right at home.

@Calipro

What would you consider a cheap online certification option and can you suggest a good one?

Thanks,

Very bad.

[quote=escapeartist] I want to pack a maximum of 6 bags (too much? too little?) plus my bike box. [/quote]

6 bags and a bike box! And you call yourself an escape ARTIST?

I bring one large 70L backpack and one smaller backpack that I can carryon the plane. Its better to travel light.

[quote]Keep in mind, before the parent incident, teacher was getting stellar reviews and comments from the P. Friend is a very hard worker, knows their stuff, and absolutely loves teaching. The whole thing was shocking to several people at the school. When asked again, P made up a bunch of unrelated incidents just to justify the move. Seems like a bunch of lies. [/quote]

Not that it matters, but if this is true, your friend has no ethical obligation to the school. It sounds like admin panders to parents, as admin always seem to do, to the detriment of the teacher. Tell your friend to think ONLY of himself and if the opportunity arises, do a runner. This is what I would do.

Otherwise, stay at the school and do as little as possible for the school. Spend time further mastering his or her subject, learn a language, search the web for that perfect soul mate - kick back and enjoy the final year doing little to nothing for the school. Tell your friend to think of it as a big easy.

[quote = Dredge]Italian Citizenship via Jus Sanguinis - Google it![/quote]

Wow! I had no idea.
So I can become an Italian citizen!
That's great.

I don't know if this is true but I heard if you are of Italian descent on both sides, you can apply for some kind of special work permit or resident permit to Italy.

Nomad, over the years I have three times been in this situation.

The first time was in Thailand. I reported for work and the school said they were terminating my contract and would not be paying me what was owed. I threw a fit right then and there, screaming and threatening. While I was raging, they had apparently called the police and when the cops arrived, I was hauled off to jail.

This is NOT how to handle the situation but while I spent the night in jail, I thought how to properly handle a school not paying wages and it dawned on me: go to the parents.

The second time, I was in Taiwan and again was terminated by phone and the school said they had a policy that if the contract wasn't finished for any reason, they deduct NT$10,000. I calmly and politely told the man "No problem, I'll stand outside and ask the parents for the money when they drop the kids off." He about jumped through the phone and got very loud so I hang up on him. Half an hour later, he called back and said to come pick up my final pay and I got all my money.

The third time, I was terminated in Portugal and I wasn't given proper severance so again I said, no problem, I'll call the parents and ask them for financial assistance. The principal, who was always calm and collected, again about jumped through the phone. I remember his words to this day: "That CANNOT happen!" I was given proper severance.

For whatever reason, International Schools do not like parents involved in these pay disputes and just the threat of involving parents seems to be enough to get schools to pay what they owe. My guess is, parents would help financially if they were asked and schools want to avoid that scenario.

French Gurl, what state is this in?
$120,000 for teaching?

Hard to believe that.

[quote = panta_rhei] What do you mean you need to work until you drop??[/quote]

It means that I haven't planned very well for my retirement and so I'll need a source of income until I drop (dead) hopefully at an age well beyond 65.

The question for me is, how long CAN I teach abroad?

I'm at an international school in the States right now and I hate it. I can't wait to leave. I consider this past year a wasted year. A huge mistake. I don't know what I was thinking. Teaching in America sucks.

If I can, I'll do this until the day I die and count myself blessed beyond compare. I love changing jobs every year or two, or sometimes twice within a year. Once I had THREE jobs in THREE different countries in one year. This is a great life.

I just wonder how old is too old for the schools not for me. In Thailand, I say some teachers in their late 60s but I don't think I've ever met a teacher overseas in their 70s. Unfortunately, I'll need to work till I drop.

That's the better question: How long CAN I teach overseas before schools start to say sorry, you are just too old.