shadowjack wrote:
> Sparkle,
>
> not a naysayer, but a realist. OK - you have all these certs, but no
> experience. So when you apply, you are all over the place. Or else you only
> list one certification and not the others, tailoring yourself for a
> position.
>
> I think looking to get that first experience in Florida is a good choice,
> and then you have your full certification and can go from there.
>
> 2021 is very doable with your two years and the fact that you are older -
> more experienced in life, which will appeal to schools. Stick with your
> plan!

Also - wanted to add that I totally agree with making sure my resume is tailored / focused on one grade level. I’m planning to pursue one of the IB PYP schools here and package those three years of experience with the K-6 license and the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction I’ll finish in 2021. I don’t plan on touting ESL experience / credentials unless it becomes relevant to the school. I understand there are a million elementary school teachers out there so I’ll need to make sure I have references and a portfolio that shine. I’ll be making a concerted effort to lead some extracurricular activities once in place here to help round out what I can offer. Do you have any recommendations as to valuable extracurricular leadership / coaching areas?

shadowjack wrote:
> Sparkle,
>
> not a naysayer, but a realist. OK - you have all these certs, but no
> experience. So when you apply, you are all over the place. Or else you only
> list one certification and not the others, tailoring yourself for a
> position.
>
> I think looking to get that first experience in Florida is a good choice,
> and then you have your full certification and can go from there.
>
> 2021 is very doable with your two years and the fact that you are older -
> more experienced in life, which will appeal to schools. Stick with your
> plan!

I didn’t think you were being a naysayer at all. Thank you for your feedback and I appreciate your help!

mysharona wrote:
> The question I have is, why wait to apply? Once each of you get your
> certification what is the benefit of not applying to international schools
> immediately? If a school isn't interested or can't hire you then they
> won't contact you, but if they are interested and can hire you then you end
> up with an interview and possible job. If you don't feel the school is
> good enough then you interview for the experience. I recognize there are
> cost to applying, both financial and emotional having paid them myself, but
> the sooner you apply out the sooner you will have the job you want.
>
> For me you have already made the important decision and are ready to move
> overseas and I'm not convinced that there is any value to staying in the
> states if you can move overseas sooner rather than later. The
> unfortunate reality is that you can always be doing something to make
> yourself more marketable and some point you just have to take the leap.

Yes - totally agree. The worst that can happen is we don’t find a good situation in 2021 and have to keep looking in 2022. I took another commentor’s advice and I have found a school that I think will be a good fit for me that has an IB program (Florida’s credentialing process is different than other states - I’ve passed all of the necessary exams to teach Health, Elementary, English 5-9, and TESOL K-12 and will be given a provisional certificate upon hire and convert it to a full professional cert within six months - we don’t have student teaching to do as some have implied). I’ve drafted my cover letter to them and tailored my resume for them - positioning myself to be a good candidate to start there next year. Thank you @expatscot for the constructive feedback!

I typed a much longer, detailed response but some of the negative comments here are misinformed. We are pretty flexible people so hopefully we are able to find something that ticks the boxes in that time. We’re not hoping to land in an elite school on day one but do want to approach this strategically to end up there in 6-8 years for the duration. As my husband says “we’ll make it work”. :)

expatscot wrote:
> I think psyguy has pretty much summed everything up in his own, inimitable
> way...
>
> Personally, I think you need to give it one more year in the US, at least
> until 2023. Then, you need to think about the schools which you are
> applying for - I get that you don't want your kids to go to the
> international equivalent of a "sink" school, but in early years /
> primary there is still time for the kids to develop and improve as you gain
> the key teaching experience. It's also often the case (particularly in an
> all-through school) that the focus of senior management is usually on the
> outcomes in secondary / high school (IGCSE/A level/IB grades, etc.) which
> means that either the teachers in early years / primary are actually more
> experimental than in secondary, or can actualy be lazier (my experience is
> the former, but I'm sure that the latter will apply somewhere.)
>
> One thing which might be worth looking into is getting IB experience while
> you are teaching in the US. You mentioned that you're currently in Florida
> - I know that there are a number of high schools there which operate the IB
> Diploma rather than the traditional HS diploma. It might be worth looking
> into getting jobs there - if you moved abroad with only 2 years teaching
> experience but that 2 years was in an IB program, then you might be more
> marketable (especially your husband.)

Yes, I agree. I do think we need to wait it out here and get more experience and I appreciate your feedback. I have considered the IB approach here and I think I may need to take a step
Back and get a position in 6-12 instead of 5-9 next year in the hopes of landing at a school with an IB program. We’re lucky in that the market we are in is not extremely competitive and there are several IB programs in our large district. We even had an IB middle school but the rumor is that the program there will be discontinued next year. I will definitely take your advice and look into the practicality of that route.

I spoke to my husband last night about the concerns with the less-than-desirable education for our own kids. You and others are right - it will essentially be their pre-k to 2nd grade education, max. They’ll gain more there than they would here, if even only culturally and linguistically, and I’m sure I’ll be able to monitor what they need supplementally at home to do well in future grades. (I was warned in another forum and it spooked me a bit that my kids might have to repeat grades. The main reason this change is so important for me is so they will have the best life and education possible - the way life is here equates mom and dad working 80 hour+ weeks as executives and the kids being raised by a nanny to attend sub-par private schools. ‘Murica.)

LOL I have been on this board for two days and I can tell which posts are yours based solely on the arrogance that drips from them. It isn’t vanity, friend. It’s a decade of actual international business experience. You believe what you want, but don’t state it as the gospel to me like you do to everyone else - I’m not buying it.

Thank you for your honest and helpful feedback. You’re right - I’m sure preschool won’t make or break them it just can’t be a terrible school for them. Hopefully it all works out.

As I said in my post, we’re very open to locations. We’re trying to put ourselves in the best position and determine if we need an additional year in the US to do so. We’re also leaving very lucrative careers in the US, so for my husband’s morale (not mine - I’m not picky and I’ve taught abroad before) I am trying to make this as easy of a transition for him as I can.

@PsyGuy

I suppose it depends what your full career path will entail, but Northeastern is a very respected university in the states and has been worth every penny that I paid to them in my career thus far (in international business). If you only plan to work in places that want to see the M.S. / M.Ed. and don’t care where it came from, then I don’t think you’re aiming very high.

Just an observation, but the narrative of your reply showed the type of errors that one wouldn’t normally see in a serious teacher or professional. We may be seeking out two very different career paths.

I do believe that a state US school is favorable to an online-only organization when it comes to seeking out credentials for teaching in international schools. Remember, your co-workers and administration (key decision-makers) are oftentimes also Americans at legitimate international schools. They certainly know the difference between ACE and a recognized state school.

For the money, I’d be sure I was pursuing a respected degree program. There is something in a name and top
schools are going to notice / suspect you’ve gone to an all-online paper mill. Generally, when it comes to education I’ve found that online programs offered through brick and mortar institutions are much more respected and valued. I earned one M.S. from Northeastern University and I’m earning my M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Florida - all without setting foot in a classroom. The M.Ed. will cost me about 13k out the door.

Look into the state schools where you may be able to claim residence (if you have a license there and are registered to vote, etc.) - it may surprise you how affordable it can be to do an online program through your “local” brick and mortar.

My husband and I have talked about and looked into teaching overseas for years but one thing or another has come up. A few years ago we'd planned on going to China to teach ESL in language schools / training centers but ended up having our daughter here in the states instead! We are now expecting baby #2 and have realized the importance of teaching overseas to our family.

That being said - we also now realize that it would be much more lucrative and suitable for a family of four for the two of us to leave our careers in Florida and teach in international schools. We are putting the gears in motion to leave in Fall 2022 and are hoping to get some advice.

At present:

Husband: American, mid-30's. Undergrad in Mathematics. Career in infrastructure / domestic distribution.
Wife: American, early 30's. Undergrad in Health, Graduate degree in Communications ,CELTA Pass A. Career in international business.
Kids: 1 year old and baby due this summer.
We plan on getting our act together over the course of the next three and a half years to leave teach in Fall 2022.

Fall 2022 Plan:

Husband: Undergrad in Math, one year of teaching experience, licensed to teach Math 6-12. Capable of teaching Calculus.
Wife: Undergrad, CELTA Pass A, M.S. Communications, M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction (with Specialization in TESOL), two (possibly three) years of teaching experience (English 5-9), licensed to teach TESOL K-12, English 5-9 and Health.
Kids: 4 years old and 3 years old, both attending international school on tuition waiver.

We’re open to locations but are looking mostly at Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam.

Is this realistic? If he absolutely needs 2 years of experience to make this move viable, then we need to rework our plan. I’m concerned that without the two years of experience that we will not be able to be represented by ISS or Search Associates. Some concerns with the experience requirements -

1. Will husband only having 1 year of teaching experience prohibit him from teaching?
2. Since his teaching experience and license will not be acquired until the end of the 2022 school year, he'd have to go to recruiting events with no experience and no license yet.
3. I would only have one year of experience, M.Ed. and a license at Fall 2021 recruiting events. Worried about the timing of recruiting events and the status we will have when schools are making their decisions.
4. We are hoping that his subject area (Math) will lend some leniency on the part of the schools. Is this correct thinking or are the 2 years absolutely necessary?
5. I don’t plan on marketing the TESOL aspect of my M.Ed. I understand that TESOL is highly competitive and that I’ll be better off putting just the “M.Ed Curriculum and Instruction” portion on my resume. I plan to get a position in a Middle School teaching 6th or 7th grade for the next three years. Does this sound like the best approach?

I understand that it’s customary to sometimes teach a contract at one school as a “stepping stone” to better opportunities, but I’d like to keep those leaps to a minimum. It’s important that we are able to secure good positions at good schools - not just for reputation and career path planning, but so our children are able to get tuition waivers at good international schools in 2022 and beyond. (I’ve been warned elsewhere that some “Tier 2” opportunities may not have adequate education for our children and could result in our kids having to repeat grades.)

If anyone wants to provide feedback or better routes they see from our point A to point B, I would really appreciate your help. Also, if permissible by the rules, if you have certain schools or regions we should research that may be a good fit for us, those would be welcomed as well!