Search found 307 matches

by expatscot
Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:13 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Family Size
Replies: 6
Views: 17905

Re: Family Size

It depends on the school and the group. Psyguy puts it all in his inimitable, rather negative way, but as always it's not as clear cut as that.

The number of staff child places is certainly diminishing. Ask any head and they will tell you they will almost always prioritise "single, no kids" or "couple, no kids" ahead of anyone with kids. You could take this as a sign of how the school is doing financially - if they're scrabbling to make sure every potential fee place is filled, then maybe there is an issue.

However, it's still not unusual to have at least one fully funded place per teacher; or even two per family. Three, though, does often cause a problem and there's actually only one of the school groups I can think of who I know allow this.

In terms of tax, it depends on the country. There is still a threat hanging over Chinese schools that this may be implemented, and in the higher-fee schools like Dulwich or WAB (in Beijing) this could be really challenging to get around.

I don't agree that children always have no benefit though. In "proper" international schools I can see that argument, but in the lower tier schools where there may be less international and more local students, this may be something which bosses will consider. Whether it would be a reason to employ, I'm not sure.

So to answer your question in short - most schools will cover tuition for some kids, but usually only one or two. Schools who cover three fully will be the exception rather than the rule.
by expatscot
Mon May 22, 2023 1:05 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Integrity
Replies: 6
Views: 31885

Re: Integrity

Thames Pirate wrote:
> PsyGuy, we rarely agree, but this "a closed mouth gathers no
> foot" is a great phrase that hits the nail on the head.

*faints*
by expatscot
Tue Feb 28, 2023 7:27 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Renewing contact- can I negotiate fewer hours?
Replies: 20
Views: 48927

Re: Discussion

PsyGuy wrote:

> 2) This is a BS, and like most BSs ITs often have a schedule with more
> instructional hours and are assigned a broader range of classes. Its very
> likely ITs teach a full day with only a lunch and a prep period. The LWs
> schedule may be different but if it isnt than somehow those ITs with little
> time already have to now be carefully scheduled so that they can fill in
> for a Friday/Monday. This might be doable in a large IS with a
> substantially sized department, but if the department is small there is
> isnt likely the warm bodies to do it.
> 3) There will be a continuity issue in the courses for the students. They
> will have IT X for 2-4 days a week and then effectively have a substitute
> from within the department for those Monday/Friday classes because classes
> are either T, TH, M,W,F, or M-F.

However, as it's a British school, the SMT will most likely be British too and therefore well used to making these adjustments. Certainly for 3 - yes, there's a continuity issue, but it can easily be resolved through careful planning (eg the teachers teach different parts of the course, one focuses on exam skills while the other focuses on content, etc.)
by expatscot
Wed Feb 22, 2023 7:21 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?
Replies: 16
Views: 45599

Re: Reply

PsyGuy wrote:
> @expatscot
>
> Because recruiting is a chore and the only real joy in it is crossing it
> off the to do list.

Surely though that's the argument to get it right first time? If you hire someone in October, that person might - by January - have realised they could have had a better offer elsewhere. So you end up with a new start who's lacking a bit in motivation and already thinking about where they're going in two years' time, rather than being keen to get started.

> As to missing anything, you can go to the bakery anytime in the day and get
> a loaf of bread made that morning, or you can wake up early and go when its
> the freshest out of the oven. For many recruiters and leadership, you dont
> know what you dont know, and youre not missing anything you dont know.
> Maybe the morning bread had a better loaf available, maybe not, and maybe
> the loaf bought later is just fine.

Not quite sure that's the right -. But taking it further, if you arrive at the bakery too early, then you find that the baking either hasn't started or the bread that's there isn't properly baked because the oven wasn't hot enough. Too late, and the bread has gone stale or you're left with the broken ends that nobody really wants.

The main point is you want to hit the sweet spot when you have the maximum number of candidates available. Of course, the principal might not have the confidence in his own school to fight his corner for various reasons such as location, salary or whatever, and I guess in that instance a smaller pool - which is generally the less well-baked international teachers - might suit.
by expatscot
Wed Feb 15, 2023 9:43 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?
Replies: 16
Views: 45599

Re: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?

buffalofan wrote:
> I've normally seen non-renewal done early on in the school year, around the
> time letters of intent are issued. Seems to work out best for both parties
> that way.

Some schools go so early though you wonder why. I've heard principals boasting "we got all our contracts done and almost all our hiring before Christmas" without realising that, by going so early, they have tied up their posts before most teachers have made up their mind to leave, thus missing a huge pool of staff.
by expatscot
Thu Feb 09, 2023 6:56 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?
Replies: 16
Views: 45599

Re: Is your school too quick or too slow to not renew (or fire) teachers?

Sometimes schools can be too quick to fire teachers. They need to have in place the support for them to try to improve, and really firing should only be as a last resort - where all attempts at getting the teacher to improve have failed and there's no real other action.

Equally, though, I've seen situations where, while it's easy enough to fire expat staff, local staff are much more difficult. This has led to underperformance by those staff (they know that, almost whatever they do, they're not going to be sacked) and this can start to cause issues with other staff who are working hard, and also resentment resulting in staff turnover. As a result, your good staff leave (because they can) and your poor staff stay.
by expatscot
Mon Jan 16, 2023 9:11 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Where have people done online Master in Education and Leadership.
Replies: 9
Views: 12847

Re: Where have people done online Master in Education and Leadership.

Another couple:

University of Dundee does an online Masters which is linked to the IB, so useful if you're in an IB school.
University of Buckingham also does online Masters and also an online MA Education.
by expatscot
Tue Nov 29, 2022 11:38 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Morals and Contracts
Replies: 48
Views: 202847

Re: Morals and Contracts

Heliotrope wrote:

> That's why I assumed the location of the school that offered you the contract is ok,
> otherwise why even interview with them if the location isn't acceptable? (that's why
> I said: "I assume you wouldn't have considered the school in the first place if
> that was the case.")

The location might have been fine at the time of the interview, but much less appealing now. I reckon there are many teachers, for example, who accepted jobs in China at the start of last year who now regret it, and there will be some who might have accepted a few weeks ago who are now having second thoughts.

Generally, though, I take your approach - if you accept, you stick with it regardless. However there has to be flexibility to allow for an allegedly Keynsian approach if the facts change.
by expatscot
Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:51 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Preparing for China next Fall while abroad. Work/Visa docs. Job Hunt
Replies: 13
Views: 16372

Re: Preparing for China next Fall while abroad. Work/Visa docs. Job Hunt

Just go ahead and start applying. Schools know that not everyone has all the documents they need (and China can change these on a whim and also depending where you are in the country) so they realise that it will take a while after appointment.

Don't restrict yourself to "non-Tier 1" schools. You're a maths teacher, so in demand. Also, don't restrict yourself to MS either - there is an opportunity here for you to dip your toe into IBDP or A Level as well - they're not too bothered about the level you are qualified in, just that you are qualified.

FWIW, the better schools still tend to be in the Chinese Tier 1 cities.
by expatscot
Fri Oct 21, 2022 12:06 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Flexibility on age limits in China?
Replies: 4
Views: 6347

Re: Flexibility on age limits in China?

Apparently as the retirement age has now moved from 60 to 65, it's becoming easier for older staff to get jobs in China.
by expatscot
Thu Jun 30, 2022 11:52 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Negotiating workload
Replies: 4
Views: 5045

Re: Negotiating workload

30 hours seems pretty high, even for a British school though - assuming a 6 period day of about 55 minutes each, that means you'd be teaching every single lesson! However if you're looking at 30 45-minute lessons, that would equate to 22.5 hours teaching which is frankly much more acceptable. You might want to check with the school about the lesson timing.

If it is a British school, you're not going to be able to reduce the number of 'preps' you have. The expectation in British schools is that you are willing and able to teach at all levels from Y7 to Y13 (6th to 12th grade in the US) and teachers who are unable / unwilling to do this can find this difficult to adjust to - to be absolutely honest, you won't get much sympathy from your colleagues if you complain about it. On a personal level, I actually enjoy the variation of teaching energetic Y7s and then near-adult Y13s, and the variety in content, rather than teaching the same thing repeatedly through the week (I get bored quite easily.)

In short - check the lesson lengths first. Then, if they are asking you to teach right through the school, think more about whether the school would actually be right for you - if like me you enjoy the challenge, then go for it, but if you prefer to be a 'master in depth' of one or two particular courses then think about whether you could bear this for a couple of years. Once you've worked that out, then you're in a better place to figure out what you want.
by expatscot
Thu May 05, 2022 6:59 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: When to announce a departure
Replies: 13
Views: 19897

Re: When to announce a departure

I think it very much depends on the school and your relationship with the SLT.

I told my first school at the end of my first year that I wouldn't be renewing at the end of my contract. I knew I could do this because I got on well personally with the head, and he'd been supportive through the year when something happened that other teachers could have run from, but I stuck out.

I told my current school at the start of this year, before the formal requests went out. I'd made up my mind over the summer, I've been here quite a while, so it probably wasn't a surprise.

Personally, I'd always try to give as much notice as I could. That's for my own peace of mind - yes, the school might not 'invest' in you in terms of allocting jobs or PD, but then that in turn gives you more time to look for a job. I also think that if you play fair, then it's much more difficult (though not for really psycho leaders, obvs) for leadership to mess you around. And if they did, I'd prefer to leave with my own head held high than drop to their level.
by expatscot
Tue May 03, 2022 1:18 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: On Search Database but Not Hired through Search
Replies: 15
Views: 45134

Re: On Search Database but Not Hired through Search

The job wasn't listed on Search, so they played no part in your hire, therefore shouldn't be able to claim anything from the school.

I know of schools which will list some jobs on Search and some on other sites, depending on what they are looking for.

Another thought - is the school info on Search up to date? If not, then it's likely what's happened is the school has decided to stop using SA but SA just haven't removed it from their database. There seemed to be a few like that when I was applying earlier in the year.
by expatscot
Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:48 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Obtaining a BEd vs. PGCE
Replies: 14
Views: 15642

Re: Obtaining a BEd vs. PGCE

Another suggestion which works specifically for Canadian students.

Finish your degree, then complete the PGDE at one of the Scottish universities. This then gives you provisional registration in Scotland, but also potential registration in Ontario. You can then either try to complete a probation year in Scotland (difficult to get places) or return to Canada and teach for a year, and get your full registration. This is the equivalent of QTS and is recognised as such by schools internationally (and if they don't, it's dead easy to convert - literally just takes an email.)

Here's some info from the University of Edinburgh:
https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/file ... Canada.pdf

and some from the University of Strathclyde:
https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/su ... hing/pgde/
by expatscot
Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:40 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: British Int. Teachers sending kids to U.K. university
Replies: 1
Views: 3053

Re: British Int. Teachers sending kids to U.K. university

I can only speak from my own experience, although I know others have found the same thing.

Essentially, when your kids apply, there are two stages to the assessment of residency. The first is done by the university, and assesses what level of fees they will charge - this can mean that the same student can be assessed as international at one university and UK at another. The second is then done at the stage of assessment for a student loan - in theory it's possible that they might decide that a student who a uni has decided is UK resident is actually international.

With our child, basically we gave them as much information to support the case as we could. Firstly, as our contracts are renewed every two years, they were not considered as "permanent employment" and so our stay overseas was temporary. Our child was considered to have moved because of our work. Secondly, we still have a house in the UK, although it is rented out, so this is seen as intention to return (although we have none.) As a result of it being rented, we are still technically liable for tax on it (we chose this route deliberately rather than become completely non-dom for this exact reason.) Finally, we also still have bank accounts and pensions in the UK; we also set up an account for our child in the UK and paid money into it on a monthly basis.

They also looked at the number of years spent in education in the UK - in my child's case, they had spend all their primary education and the first two years of secondary education there before we moved. We also still have lots of family (both sets of grandparents) around too.

As a result of all this, my child was offered UK fees at all the universities she applied to (including one in Scotland, where she was offered Scottish fees because of previous residence - had she accepted this, there would have been no fees at all!) We did look at NL intially, but although the fees were OK the likelihood of loans / financial assistance was low and there was also Brexit to contend with.