That depends on the individual school. My school doesn't, which is why I'll probably leave after my contract is up (just like you Christmas is really important to me because of family). But I know there are schools in China that will offer Christmas.

China is pretty generous. Two week long breaks in September and May. All of February for the Chinese New Year. You can get a lot of travelling done in that time.

I think how you view holidays is important. Is it important for you to have good travel time and see the world (my thinking is around this) or do you see holidays as more of a time to recharge so you'd prefer to have holidays spread out over the year?

More info on the OSH package:

1) An actual apartment is provided. Not sure if utilities are covered though.
2) They give a relocation allowance, it's supposed to be reimbursed at a later time.
3) The flight is booked for me I believe.
4) I get Medical Insurance for Korea and the world.

Not sure about other things you listed.

There are other benefits like a tuition fee waiver, but I'm single and don't have kids so that's not something I'm thinking about right now.

So you're saying I could save pretty easily? What does that mean to you?

Does that mean only travel within Korea on holidays, eat out minimally, and only go to a bar once every two months?

I'm only asking because at the school I'm currently at I don't find myself having to make any sacrifices and I'm still saving money. Not that it would change my decision so much. Korea has a better quality of life compared to where I am currently so I am willing to make sacrifices for that.

I want to save at least 10,000 US.

Also, I just looked up OSH Package. The OSH package would be pretty standard. Airfare, Medical Insurance, On-campus accommodations provided. Access to a swimming pool and gym.

What is OSH package? (sorry haven't been here in awhile)

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if there is any savings potential in Incheon. The salary would be approximately 45,000 US.

What is the cost of living like? How much of a monk-like lifestyle would one have to live to save in Korea?

Hello all,

I'm wondering what is considered a good salary in UAE.

The offer I've been told about is as follows...

54,000 Canadian per year, no tax. This converts to about 143,163 AED.
Accommodations + Flights + Medical Insurance covered.
I'm single, no family to provide for.

Is this good? Would I be saving money?

Any information about this would be helpful.

Interesting that someone posted this, because I was going to do the same. I'm going to the exact same school. Thanks for posting this thread. I'm glad people answered it.

My language skills are definitely not there, however, so I'll have to brush up on Mandarin (and apparently French).

Okay message received Cheery,

I haven't done anything yet, thankfully. This is all just a hypothetical scenario.
I was just asking the question because I may/may not get other offers from schools I've gotten in touch with outside of Search (some of which were very receptive towards me) and I would want a backup plan. I don't necessarily want to lose those other schools' contacts later on in life simply because I accepted a job through Search and not with them.

I wasn't sure how harmful/harmless it would be because, like you said I'm replaceable, and it's well before the start of the school year.

Thanks for the help. As I'm writing this, I realize I'm not being professional at all, and I have to be much more decisive and really think about what I want to do instead of "keeping my options open".

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I can't find a threat pertinent to my specific situation. Most seem to be about breaking contract in the middle of the school year, while I'm wondering about breaking well before the school year even starts.

Example:

If I get a job from one of the Search fairs in January, what is the penalty of breaking that contract?

I have a few other options outside of Search (though not a lot since I'm not the strongest candidate - History and English, no experience), but they usually make hiring decisions in February or even March. Some of those options sound better than what I get from Search.

So if I get a contract in January and decide to break in March or April, before the school year starts. What might be the penalty?

If it's a financial penalty, I could probably take the hit. If it's something worse, I'd rather know now and try to get into a later fair (e.g. Bethesda).

Any help would be appreciated.

Well you answered my question inadvertently. So thank you.

I thought a minor might mean more than someone who has only taken courses in his subject area or someone who only has the cert but no real course experience. Or that it is even the same as a major in the subject.

I'm guessing I was wrong though.

If you are certified to teach a subject, but you only minored in it, does that make a difference when applying for jobs? Specifically, does it matter after you have acquired experience in teaching that subject?

Any opinions on Santa Cruz Cooperative School in Bolivia?

Is it okay to apply for two positions in the same school, if you are qualified for both? Or can this be seen by employers as being desperate? (something I do not want to be viewed as)

So is it acceptable practice to apply for two positions? And if so, what should I do differently in this situation compared to applying for a single position at a school?

Or should I just be decisive and focus my energies on one position per school?

Canadians on the forum would be especially helpful here. But if you have experience in a Canadian curriculum school, you may have come across this.

I finished teacher's college, certified in English and History. I have later on acquired AQs (Additional Qualifications) in Special Education and ESL. How much is that worth when I'm applying abroad?

Do they see it as the same as having gone to school specifically for ESL/Special Education, which allows me to apply for those positions?

Or does it just give me the advantage when applying for English and History positions by showing I'm "well-rounded"?