Search found 307 matches

by expatscot
Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:38 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: UWCSEA Workload with young kids?
Replies: 16
Views: 16077

Re: UWCSEA Workload with young kids?

buffalofan wrote:
> I filled their application form once. So painful it probably shaved a few
> months off my lifespan. Submitted it and was never contacted.
>
> I think other posters have reported here that they tend to avoid teachers
> who are above the age of 35.
I remember doing the same. I'd also heard about the age thing (but quite how you can teach equality when you clearly have a discriminatory recruitment policy beats me.)

I don't mind working hard, but all I've heard about UWCSEA makes it seem less and less appealing.
by expatscot
Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:13 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Vaccination Requirements
Replies: 7
Views: 8321

Re: Vaccination Requirements

Depends on what you mean by "requiring." For example, some require it before you get a visa; some leave it up to the school; some don't require it for the visa but insist that all teachers have to be vaccinated before they get in front of the class.

There's no consistency so you just have to check each country individually. In general though, I'd be very surprised if any are going for an 'open door' approach for those not vaccinated, especially in teaching (except for the UK where as long as it's a 'work event' anything goes.)
by expatscot
Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:04 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Flight for Non-Accompanying Spouse
Replies: 21
Views: 19217

Re: Flight for Non-Accompanying Spouse

Unlikely. He'll be hired on the basis of being a single person, so with a smaller housing allowance, healthcare package and flight allowance than even a teaching couple with a non-working spouse. What I would be looking to do is make sure that his overall salary will allow for this and try to pursue it that way.
by expatscot
Tue Jan 04, 2022 7:14 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Policies on Friending Students
Replies: 7
Views: 9821

Re: Policies on Friending Students

In general, I don't accept (if they find me - my social media settings were in place when you could effectively make yourself unfindable, before Zuckerberg realied he could make more money if you couldn't do that) but as a rule it would be not in the same country, and at least 3 years after graduation.
by expatscot
Mon Jan 03, 2022 8:43 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Should I get Vaccinated?
Replies: 14
Views: 17450

Re: Should I get Vaccinated?

Setting aside the rights and wrongs of the overall principle - and I think that any vaccine is better than none, having known a few people who've had COVID - I think it's going to become increasingly difficult, if not downright impossible, to be a teacher without the vaccine. While many countries don't have a technical block on visas to people who haven't got vaccines, there is a de facto one in that many are requiring teachers to be vaccinated before entering the classroom - so if you effectively refuse to be vaccinated, there goes your job. We're not there yet in China, but I think that as China starts to open up later this year then it's more than likely this will be a requirement. I would say that rather than having the vaccine making you more marketable, not having it will more likely make you nearly unemployable.

As for next summer, I don't see things changing at all here. If you have the Sinovac (or the Sinopharm) vaccine, then it will more likely be easier for you to re-enter China. The process remains the same as before, but you need to get the visas reissued and to do this need proof of an acceptable vaccine. It also wouldn't surprise me if airlines start insisting on it, or if China decides to require it before people can leave.

All in all, to me it makes more sense just to get it. I've had the Sinopharm one - the two initial shots, and the booster - and had no side effects.
by expatscot
Mon Dec 20, 2021 10:25 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Search Job Fair Demise
Replies: 38
Views: 55166

Re: Response

PsyGuy wrote:
> First, job fairs will remain as long as recruiters and leaders want them
> too. The position and feelings of ITs dont matter. ITs are the commodity,
> no body cares what the cow thinks. Fairs benefit recruiters by creating an
> artificial range restriction and benefiting from the not wanting to leave
> with nothing, even if the offers available are less than the ITs
> marketability. Second, SA associates benefit highly from fairs, they get
> more appointments during that short window of time then they do just
> waiting through the recruiting cycle, and those increased contracts
> generate increased placement fees.

That only stands though if teachers still see the fairs as being important. If they don't, and so don't register, then inevitably the schools will walk away.

Unless, of course, Search are happy to recruit inexperienced teachers to schools which are not the best. And if it's ultimately about the money, then they will.
by expatscot
Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:41 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Effect of Brexit on WE teaching job market?
Replies: 18
Views: 42691

Re: Effect of Brexit on WE teaching job market?

angelica1981 wrote:
> I'm American and haven't had any problems getting jobs in WE. I'm not
> unusual in this because I've worked in several WE schools that had majority
> American staff or split US/UK staff.

That's because you're already there and it's relatively easy if you already have a visa, especially for the Schengen countries. If you're from the UK, and either already teaching abroad or just looking to move, anecdotally it's more difficult now for someone from the UK to get a Schengen visa after Brexit than for someone from the US or Canada.

It's why we hate Bumblin' Boris. He is so incompetent, he's even incompetent at being incompetent.
by expatscot
Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:38 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: UAE Weekend Change
Replies: 4
Views: 10026

Re: UAE Weekend Change

Suspect this will fall into two camps.

One group will look at how schools manage this in other countries - in the UK for example, there are schools which do a 4.5 day week as it can make savings on cover costs, etc - so that students have the same level of contact time over 4.5 days as 5.

The other group will look to do things like cut salaries by 0.5 days, make teachers work longer days in the 4.5 to compensate for the loss of 0.5, and make students work longer too.
by expatscot
Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:27 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Out side China job offers
Replies: 13
Views: 22708

Re: Out side China job offers

shadowjack wrote:
> Astegar, it's why I am avoiding China. My life is too short to deal with
> their regulations. My friends (not Shanghai or Beijing) are in or shortly
> getting to, three different cities. I think you are right that depending on
> location and school influence, plus local government initiatives, some
> places are easier than others to get to.

Yep, why I'm getting out. Shanghai and particularly Beijing have more stringent rules than some of the tier 2 or 3 cities - but once you get there, the ease of life in those two is much better than many of the other cities.
by expatscot
Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:25 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Is SEARCH worth it this year?
Replies: 11
Views: 17997

Re: Is SEARCH worth it this year?

Did the virtual fair a couple of weeks ago - complete waste of time and effort. It was pitched as a worldwide leadership one for candidates with international experience, however about 50% of the schools were in China so of no interest. In my view it was way too early - and I don't think it's been particularly successful for the schools either as a lot of the jobs which were there are still advertised.

This is the third time I've used Search, and I think it will probably be the last unless something really changes.
by expatscot
Sun Nov 14, 2021 3:29 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Out side China job offers
Replies: 13
Views: 22708

Re: Out side China job offers

Most schools are still considering offers outside China, but if you come up alongside someone who is already here then if everything else is equal they'll go with the person in country, simply because it's a lot less hassle. If you have dependants, though, you can pretty much forget it for the moment because very, very, very few schools - and we are probably talking a handful nationwide - have been successful in getting dependants in recently and most aren't bothering to try now.
by expatscot
Sun Nov 07, 2021 8:28 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Chances of getting hired with my subject degree from the Open University? Advice needed!
Replies: 2
Views: 6516

Re: Chances of getting hired with my subject degree from the Open University? Advice needed!

The Open University is an accredited university with the same standing in the UK as any other, so I don't think you'll have a problem with recognition.

The requirement for the 'first subject' degree is often more of a visa requirement than anything else. Where you're looking, in Europe and the Americas, it's more likely to be a requirement of the school than anything else, and certainly in Asia it's not so common (I know plenty teachers who teach subjects not related to their degree, myself included!) The UAE is one of the few countries which requires this, I think.
by expatscot
Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:50 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Questions about timing
Replies: 27
Views: 43684

Re: Questions about timing

TBH, not really. Make sure your licenses are up to date, and that you're doing plenty CPD. Keep an eye on these boards, and also on places like TES to get a feel for what jobs are coming though and when - hopefully, by 2023 the market should be something more like normal so you're able to predict what's happening.

You could get the Cat 1 qualification for your subject in IB, but it's not essential ahead of getting a job, and if you do get it I'd leave it until nearer the time so it reflects what you'd be teaching immediately. What I would say is that while your AP experience will be valuable in teaching in an American school, if you want to get into IB then you could look now if an opportunity comes up in an IB school in the US.
by expatscot
Tue Oct 12, 2021 3:00 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Where should I apply/next steps? (IB math teacher)
Replies: 6
Views: 10477

Re: Where should I apply/next steps? (IB math teacher)

UK - no teaching certification will definitely be a problem. (But why on earth would you want to move to the country of Boris' Basket Case?)
by expatscot
Tue Oct 12, 2021 2:55 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Countries and Schools not accepting Teachers with Families.
Replies: 11
Views: 13004

Re: Countries and Schools not accepting Teachers with Families.

I think if the school has enough guangxi then they can get dependants in, but I think in Beijing it's pretty much no dependants - even schools who have managed miracles in the past aren't getting those visas.