Search found 120 matches

by Lastname_Z
Sun Sep 02, 2018 5:14 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Downsides of IT
Replies: 33
Views: 43331

Re: Downsides of IT

fine dude wrote:
> Difficulty with making true friends / dull social life
>
> Lack of access to clean air and water
>
> No pension (excluding W. Europe)
>
> High summer travel costs to home base and return

I would agree with all but the last one. Don't all schools cover this? There's no reason to not return really.

I would also say that coming to IT as a single person is difficult (and can continue to be the longer you are).
by Lastname_Z
Sun Aug 26, 2018 3:49 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Visa fraud
Replies: 6
Views: 8074

Re: Visa fraud

I have colleagues with this kind of experience. It doesn't end well if you wait till they kick you out.

Leave, figure something out until another teaching job comes along.

Being kicked out of a country (regardless of whether it's your fault) can hinder your ability to get work visas in other countries, which will make it hard for you to get employed by some schools.
by Lastname_Z
Thu Jun 21, 2018 6:11 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Identifying Good Teachers Bad Teachers
Replies: 9
Views: 12675

Re: Identifying Good Teachers Bad Teachers

I don't know if this immediately needs to be seen as a bad thing. Bad teachers should be called out and reprimanded. I feel like at my school it doesn't happen enough and the consequence is that bad teachers can keep on being bad teachers as long as they're admin cheerleaders.
by Lastname_Z
Mon May 14, 2018 8:39 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Hong Kong
Replies: 2
Views: 5455

Hong Kong

I'm debating considering Hong Kong as a destination to work and live in after my next post. However, I just want to get more information from someone who has actually worked and lived in Hong Kong. I've only been there on vacation.

Here are the current generalizations I have about Hong Kong:

Pros: Professional Development/School quality will be better than most, Amazing City (based on my vacation experience) with excellent food, public transport system and activities for all types.

Cons: Too expensive to live here. I would be living in a shoebox and still not be able to save money (possibly I might lose money?)

The above are just my preconceptions and I'm just looking to be persuaded one way or another.
by Lastname_Z
Sun May 06, 2018 9:33 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Negativity in the workplace
Replies: 85
Views: 138426

Re: Negativity in the workplace

I agree with Psy Guy in that looking for a job isn't harmful this late. I got an offer from a fairly high tier school late in the hiring season (May-is). However, by that point I had signed a contract with a much lower tier of school.

I also know of someone else who got an offer fairly late in the hiring season at a top tier school.

Even the top schools I imagine get a curveball thrown at them in terms of hiring (e.g. someone on staff suddenly has to leave for a family emergency, other emergencies of a similar nature).
by Lastname_Z
Sun May 06, 2018 9:28 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Transferring money Europe to US
Replies: 16
Views: 21763

Re: Transferring money Europe to US

Have you looked into Revolut? It's a fairly new service but it seems that it does a good job of making money transfers super easy (especially if it's EUR to USD) and at better rates.
by Lastname_Z
Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:15 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Skills and Responsibilities of a teacher?
Replies: 20
Views: 22902

Re: Skills and Responsibilities of a teacher?

When I haven't gotten the job I took the time to email HR and ask why. Needless to say most don't get back to me but some have taken the time to do it.

Based on that experience... I would agree with Psyguy and Thames Pirate. The main things to put in are the course you teach and maybe a line that describes the school a little (did it have a heavy ELL population, local district, did it have a PBL focus).

After that, I didn't think you should put anything extra unless the position or school's description puts focus on it. E.g. If the school talks about it's pride in an anti-bullying program or talks about SEN accommodation as one of the foundations of the school then put it in.

I know that's exhausting to cater the resume to every position but that's one factor in getting your resume to stand out from 50-70 other people if you don't have any network to pull from.
by Lastname_Z
Sat Mar 17, 2018 9:21 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: United World College - Transferring between UWC schools
Replies: 3
Views: 6861

United World College - Transferring between UWC schools

I was wondering if anyone has experience with this. I'm debating whether I should explore UWC as an option. They are obviously great schools, but some are in less desirable locations.

I already work in a less desirable location so I would be okay with continuing this with UWC if it meant going to a UWC in a more desirable location. So with that said, does anyone know how easy or hard it is to move between UWC schools? Is there much communication between them?
by Lastname_Z
Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:03 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Saudi Arabia
Replies: 25
Views: 30813

Re: Saudi Arabia

Psychometrika wrote:
> I've known some folks to actually enjoy their time in Saudi while saving
> tons of cash (they worked at ARAMCO). Definitely not for everyone, but you
> can say that about most places. I would never go back to Kuwait unless
> truly desperate, but Saudi would be a possibility for me.

Just curious. What's so bad about Kuwait compared to Saudi? I'd think Saudi is way more restricting.
by Lastname_Z
Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:13 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Backing out?
Replies: 11
Views: 17250

Re: Backing out?

secondplace wrote:
> If you were to flip this and think about in terms of the school backing out
> because they had a better candidate than you, how would you feel?
>
> Exactly.
>
> So, it's up to you. You can keep your word and honour the contract or you
> can be untrustworthy, let people down, and risk losing everything.

Except that schools do this all the time...
by Lastname_Z
Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:00 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Changing Associates? (Search)
Replies: 3
Views: 5343

Re: Changing Associates? (Search)

Thanks PsyGuy. I have been working on getting new references added to the old account now (should have at least 4 admin people plus a parent reference added by the end of the semester). Do you think it's an issue that the old references (some of them from associate teachers) are still there? Is it necessary to delete them? Or can I just leave them there and most admin won't be looking at those anyway.
by Lastname_Z
Fri Jan 26, 2018 11:15 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Changing Associates? (Search)
Replies: 3
Views: 5343

Changing Associates? (Search)

So I'm trying to set up my application for Search Associates now in advance of the 2018-19 hiring year. I had a Search Account in the past, but never used it (straight out of teacher's college I was not competitive enough, it was a bad decision at the time). All my information from that has been archived and I still have the same associate.

I'd like to change my associate to someone else (who has been very helpful and supportive for one of my colleagues so I know I can trust them). How do I go about doing this? Will it cause any issues for me?
by Lastname_Z
Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:58 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Need Decision-Making Help (Should I stay or go?)
Replies: 7
Views: 10024

Re: Need Decision-Making Help (Should I stay or go?)

Thanks for the advice everyone. It really has helped to make my decision-making a lot clearer.

Just as an added point: The two years in Europe thing isn't a point about taxes or anything specific. I only say two years because you always sign two-year contracts in international schools. In general life in Europe (unless you are a teacher/administrator at the elite tier of schools) = expensive (taking into account my current financial goals) so that's the only reason I'm not super keen on it. I could always just travel to Europe.
by Lastname_Z
Sun Dec 03, 2017 8:04 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Need Decision-Making Help (Should I stay or go?)
Replies: 7
Views: 10024

Need Decision-Making Help (Should I stay or go?)

My situation: I teach at a 3rd tier school and I'm fairly comfortable there. I am able to achieve some of my professional goals. I do want to aim higher though so I think I'll still teach one more year (the 2018/19 school year). However, I'm having second thoughts about this decision.

Lately every teacher at my school (especially those that I'm close to) is talking about leaving, which means that the school would face a huge hiring crisis next year. The reasons they give for leaving are sound and they are ones that I have for staying one more year.

For reasons that I'm not comfortable divulging I can't apply to new schools for the 2018-19 Academic Year and go through the process of securing a visa. I wouldn't have time to do it. So I have two choices (and a third option I'm not very keen on):

Get another year of experience teaching (even if it's not at a great school). I'll have done two years at this school so far (and 2 at my previous school, equaling 4 total) so having three years at one school on a resume would surely be a benefit (I won't seem like someone who jumps ship every two years). I can keep working on some professional goals but I won't be around anyone that I get along with so it won't be a fun year. Plus I might be made to feel dumb for staying another year.

My second option is to go back to my home-country and sit around without a job (aside from applying for supply work), but be 100% focused on job-hunting from September 2018 onward. The biggest issue here is I'm unemployed and it's a gap in my resume (I'm assuming supply work if I get it isn't very highly looked upon as experience).

My last option is to go to Europe (I'm an EU national and wouldn't need a visa), but in this situation I will be stuck in Europe for two years (it's expensive and I wouldn't save money). Plus the hiring season in Europe hasn't started yet and my contract renewal deadline would be before European schools start looking.

Any thoughts on what I should do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
by Lastname_Z
Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:11 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: ISS Experiences
Replies: 8
Views: 11158

Re: ISS Experiences

I haven't used either agency but it's my impression from what I read and who I know is on Search (e.g. schools that I left and hated) that they have good, okay, horrendous schools and everything in between.

ISS has less schools but it's a guarantee that you will end up in a good school through ISS? Correct me if I am wrong.