Search found 1392 matches

by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:36 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Non-EU citizens
Replies: 8
Views: 8653

With 2 years of full time experience, you'd have a decent shot of finding a position. It could be tricky as you wouldn't really have 2 years, you'd have something less than that if you started as supply. But the schools that would take you with 0 years, would still consider you with 1.y years. Again, think of the less popular countries for getting started.

The IB is the International Baccalaureate Organization. They offer 4 programs, starting with the Primary Years Program up to grade 5/year 6. Then the Middle Years Program up to grade 10/year 11, and the Diploma Program or Career Related Certificate for the last 2 years before university. The CRC is new, so it's really only the PYP, MYP and DP that are widely known. They're not aligned with any national system per se, but the PYP is closest in nature to the NZ curriculum with its focus on inquiry.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:52 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Conditional Offers
Replies: 49
Views: 68128

No, Apple would not SEND an existing employee to an overseas post and expect them to pay their own way. But Apple would very probably tell a new employee, who had applied to work in the Singapore branch, that it was their responsibility to get to Singapore in the first place.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:38 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: English/Writing teacher looking for job. Any suggestions?
Replies: 18
Views: 18670

My perceptions I recognize as such, and recognize that others' will be different. You make sweeping statements that imply one truth/perception for all people. Things like 'no one would go'.
This is wrong.
I'm out.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:35 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Do you have to have an admin credential to be an admin?
Replies: 15
Views: 17090

So wrong I don't know where to start. If you think it's an easy matter for a foreigner to get an employment visa in the US, you're the only one.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 1:08 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: New School Development
Replies: 1
Views: 5914

I don't think this is the place to be asking. Try AISHnet, HEADnet, PTCnet. Or TES, though that's not the perfect forum either, at least it's British. This one tends to be pretty American, though not exclusively.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 1:05 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Non-EU citizens
Replies: 8
Views: 8653

Lion aspires to be a primary teacher. A levels, IGCSE, MYP and DP do not apply.
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 1:03 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: English/Writing teacher looking for job. Any suggestions?
Replies: 18
Views: 18670

JRM will make up her mind. There is a right decision for her, as there is for everyone. My right decision is not necessarily yours.
PG, I am willing to concede that for you, the ME is a no go zone. What troubles me, and others on this board, is that you seem to feel that it is a no go zone for everyone, based on your 6 bad weeks there.
There are many of us here who are happy. Who see good things. Who see the bad ones too, but who feel that there is a better answer to bad things than to decamp.
As for money, don't assume. There are schools which pay better than ME schools, in countries with lower costs of living. If our choices were just about money, many of us could do better.
And since when are you allergic to money anyway? You frequently post about a school being bad if they are not willing to pay for x, y or z. You base many opinions about schools on their willingness to pony up. Fine, it's your opinion to hold. But rather inconsistent of you, considering your post here. Which is your real belief? Does money matter, or not?
by sid
Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:53 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Non-EU citizens
Replies: 8
Views: 8653

I recommend skipping the supply teaching and finding a school that will take you on as a full-time teacher.
If your goal were simply to do two years in UK and go home, supply would be fine. But if you want long-term prospects, supply won't help. International schools won't consider it as official teaching experience - for that, you need to be on full time, with your own classroom and full responsibilities for planning, teaching, assessing, parent conferences, the whole gamut.
Why the British curriculum? Your Australian training is closer to alignment with the PYP. If you don't like the Aussie way, the UK system might be better for you. But if you do like it, what you really want is to find a PYP school. It'll be different, but not apples and turtles. And with a PYP background, you could find tons of jobs in Europe and around the world.
So, how to get a job without experience? Put yourself out there as a candidate, even an intern. Focus on less popular countries. Forget UK, France, Spain. Think Estonia, Ukraine, Romania. Accept that you'll be starting out, probably, in a lesser school, but that is the price to be paid, and many lesser schools are still good places to learn your trade.
But don't do it yet, unless you are ready to tackle all the responsibilities of learning to teach, without any of the support your school would give you back home. PD? Mentor teacher? Large cohort of colleagues willing to take you under your wing? Don't expect it. Unless you are ruggedly independent and adept at learning things on your own and the hard way, stay home and get a couple years experience before you come. For almost every teacher I know, the right answer is to get experience first. Only for maybe 5% would it make any sense to try to learn to teach abroad without support.
by sid
Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:18 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: English/Writing teacher looking for job. Any suggestions?
Replies: 18
Views: 18670

With your experiences and preferences, don't go to Saudi. Within the other ME countries, you would find plenty of freedom. You can drive, go out on your own, wear short skirts in bars on weekend nights, date. There are things you cannot do without attracting unwanted attention, like wearing short skirts in the mall or making it obvious that you are having overnight male visitors. PDA is off limits beyond hand holding, and even that is probably not recommended unless you're married to the owner of the other hand. As you are out and about, you will find a range of attitudes towards women. In some countries, some of the more negative ones are more assertive about things like commenting on your appearance, trying to pick you up despite your clear lack of interest, etc. In other countries, these are less obvious/assertive.
You should ask yourself quite honestly, would you see the negative or the positive? If the restrictions would bother you often and strongly, it's not worth coming. If you can adopt a positive attitude, see progress and change and hope on a regular basis, then maybe it would be for you.
by sid
Tue Apr 09, 2013 11:46 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: English/Writing teacher looking for job. Any suggestions?
Replies: 18
Views: 18670

I'm very happy to be wrong on this point.
The ME is a large place and with many variations. I have a decent amount of experience here, in several countries, and I've found much to respect about the culture and many individuals. CNN is widely inaccurate, not necessarily that they are publishing lies, but in that they generally publish only a small and incendiary slice of the truth. Books and websites suffer similar weaknesses; that's what sells. The people here are as wonderful as any anywhere. And they're a mixed bag of course, as they are anywhere, but visitors tend to find what they expect to find.
The idea that a random man, or even one you know, would insist on you obeying him, is ludicrous. And the beard is a stereotype not applicable to the general population.
by sid
Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:25 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: English/Writing teacher looking for job. Any suggestions?
Replies: 18
Views: 18670

This seems like a belated April Fool's joke.
Your post comes across as close-minded and prejudiced, qualities which it seems you would prefer to avoid in others.
Please do not come to the middle east unless you are prepared for a lot of learning.
by sid
Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:08 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Conditional Offers
Replies: 49
Views: 68128

PG, I still don't agree with your view. Insurance is not the same as a corporate perk, and it tends to be riddled with worse small print than refundable tickets. Many larger schools would consider themselves 'self-insured' in this area - the total cost of insurance for all their tickets would be more than the cost of the small number of tickets they need reimbursement on, so they don't buy insurance. My school's cancellation rate (for all travel, including incoming teachers and conferences and student trips for sport and learning) is less than 1%. Travel insurance is usually a better deal for individuals and small companies, for whom a single loss would be unlikely but a major issue.
But that's not really the point. My point is, you can't tell a bad school from a good school based on whether they buy a ticket up front or reimburse you after you arrive.
by sid
Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:26 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Do you have to have an admin credential to be an admin?
Replies: 15
Views: 17090

In many countries, it can be done. In others, it cannot. It's not as simple as the school really wanting it. Imagine a school in the US or UK trying to sponsor a working visa for an uncredentialled foreign teacher. It just wouldn't happen, because the government wouldn't approve it. Equally, there are other countries where the government's rules are strict and enforced. Plenty of places where they are not, but the US and UK certainly not the only countries holding the line.
by sid
Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:28 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Do you have to have an admin credential to be an admin?
Replies: 15
Views: 17090

Shields down, PG, no need to fire a full array.
The OP asked about whether an admin cert is needed. He didn't say at first that he had a Doc. He didn't ask what schools criteria are, or whether countries without an admin cert have unregulated admin running amok. He just wanted to know about cert requirements.
:lol:
You've given him plenty of additional info, some of which is useful. Thank you for that.
by sid
Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:56 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Do you have to have an admin credential to be an admin?
Replies: 15
Views: 17090

It absolutely depends on the school and/or country whether you need an admin credential. Some schools will not take you without, others look more on track record. Some countries want to see one for a work visa.
And it's all muddied by the fact that not all countries provide an admin credential. So if you're a citizen of 'X' that does not have such a thing, both a school and a country MAY (or may not) overlook the fact that you don't have one, while holding the line quite firmly on a citizen of the US where such things are the norm.
Certainly having an admin post on your CV makes getting the next admin post that much easier. But you'll still have to watch out about the requirements of the next school/country you apply to.
As for earning a credential wherever you're going, in most cases the chances are slim. But it could be possible.
It's always nice, and pretty much expected, to have an MEd in your pocket for admin posts. If you don't already, you could always earn one during your next post. There are options for on-line or summer courses if there aren't any local options.