Search found 348 matches

by vandsmith
Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:04 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: PYP schools where math taught by a different teacher?
Replies: 8
Views: 17595

Re: PYP schools where math taught by a different teacher?

there are schools that do this but it isn't something set in stone or part of a policy. more just an agreement among grade level teachers - especially if one teacher is stronger in one area than another, they might decide to do the math lessons and the other teacher might do the writing, for example.

it's definitely not common though, and i think it would really affect your overall development. but yes, some do.

v.
by vandsmith
Mon Jan 13, 2020 4:09 am
Forum: Forum 2. Ask Recruiting Questions, Share Information. What's on Your Mind?
Topic: Skype Interview Advice
Replies: 5
Views: 19434

Re: Skype Interview Advice

i try to have a very nice background: bookshelves, leather bound books that you can almost smell the mahogany and and paper through the computer.

v.
by vandsmith
Sun Jan 05, 2020 2:36 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Feeling very stressed in my new city - Advice?
Replies: 37
Views: 51794

Re: Feeling very stressed in my new city - Advice?

h1275 wrote:
> shadowjack wrote:
> > Schools in Europe are not bound to offer support in finding accommodation.
> > They are 'international', but are governed more by local labour laws and
> > taxation laws.
>
> If you're going to pull 'the law' out, I'm pretty sure no where is legally bound by
> statute to help their employees find accommodation. That's also completely
> irrelevant. It goes without saying that if you recruit someone from overseas you
> don't just let them arrive at the airport and sort everything out themselves in a
> foreign language and with little knowledge of the local laws regarding renting.
>
> Or if you want to start talking about legal obligations are all that matter, well, by
> that line of thinking, you're not legally obligated to show up at work on Monday
> morning. It's not a legal requirement that you put your best effort into the job. No
> where in the law of the land will it say I can't have 15 beers on a work night. Do
> you see where I'm going with this? There's certain standards of behavior that one
> should expect, and if they aren't met, cutting and running is a perfectly reasonable
> option.

i wonder about this. surely, schools asking for visas and work permits for foreigners have to demonstrate that these same foreigners won't be a drag or a negative impact on the host country, right? there must be some sort of responsibility on the part of the school or business, whichever term is more relevant. i know for certain, in the schools i have worked for, they had to demonstrate to the government that the person they were hiring would be paid properly and enough that they wouldn't be applying for social assistance. at another school, i had to submit bank records when applying for visas to show that i wasn't just going to be a parasite.

if this dude is living in a hostel and the school isn't helping in any way, it must not be an international school. i'm guessing a language/english academy or part time in a local school. i just don't know how this happens. we haven't from the OP in a while though, so maybe he figured it out....?
by vandsmith
Fri Jan 03, 2020 4:34 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Creating fake references
Replies: 26
Views: 51479

Re: Creating fake references

i get that you're bitter and resent admin (don't we all) but this might be one of the worst things i've read in the IE sphere.

v.
by vandsmith
Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:15 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: How does 3 years at one school look?
Replies: 34
Views: 43652

Re: How does 3 years at one school look?

sid wrote:
> It’s not awful, but it’s not great either. Leave after three if you must,
> but know that your next post will ideally need to be four or more. That
> could be hard if it turns out to be not quite your cup of tea.
> Or stay four where you are, and there’s less pressure on your next post.
> As a recruiter, I really resist hiring people with a string of two and
> three year stays. I may be wrong, but it seems predictive to me. If you’ve
> tried three places already and not found any worthwhile, well, I’m not
> convinced you’ll ever find what you’re looking for.

i'm curious if you resist doing this based on your experience of hiring these teachers
and then they predictably flake off? or if it's just your preference?

personally, i think it's a bit much to offer a 2-year contract and then be
disappointed that a teacher leaves after fulfilling a contract. many teachers
want stability - i know i do, having a young kid - but changes within schools
themselves (admin) is usually what has driven me out. at the same time, some
teachers enjoy the transience and freedom - i wish it wasn't such a stigma.

v.
by vandsmith
Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:35 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Interview requests before receiving your license
Replies: 3
Views: 7394

Re: Interview requests before receiving your license

hi there,

my wife and i had a similar path to yours, teaching in south korea pre-cert for several years before getting our teaching degrees.
we attended the queens fair, which was before we received our BEd. we had a bunch of interviews, even while being a bit intentional with the schools we were interested in.
it doesn't hurt to apply. that being said, temper your expectations - your "fall-back" school might be your best bet to gain expereince. we were hired without the usual "2 years international experience" due to us having been in the classroom before (even if it was pre-cert).

anyways, long story short - yes, it does happen, and in the places you have applied to.

good luck!

v.
by vandsmith
Sat Dec 28, 2019 9:37 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Feeling very stressed in my new city - Advice?
Replies: 37
Views: 51794

Re: Feeling very stressed in my new city - Advice?

MusicTravel30 wrote:
> I am in Serbia.
>
> Am I demanding too much? Ok, the school does not provide housing but
> during my first two days I have not gotten any support in regard to finding
> housing. Maybe just a local from the school to come with me and help me
> find an apartment and other key things. I have been on my own. So in the
> meantime I am staying at hostels while I send email after email to various
> landlords to try and set something up, all fruitless.
>
> I am bouncing from one hostel to another and will go to another one
> tomorrow because most hostels are full. In fact because I had to move from
> my first hostel to my second, I missed a visa meeting with the school today
> but I need to ensure I have a roof over my head every night, you know? The
> visa meeting is important but a roof over your head is more important. At
> the hostel today I was lucky because it was the last bed so I had to make
> sure I got it!
>
> I am having a very hard time here in my first 48 hours. Advice? Thanks!

hey there, sorry to hear everything you are going through. question though: did you know they weren't going to find you a place when you accepted? i also wonder if you are working at an international school there? i am interested because serbia is a place that i am very interested in.

v.
by vandsmith
Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:06 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: contract back out repercussions
Replies: 34
Views: 46898

Re: Response

.
>
> I also concur in part with @Heliotrope, in that December isnt early for
> notice at all, its getting earlier and earlier but October is common.

october is common? i've never heard of an october date! i guess if GRC keeps getting bigger it will be.
by vandsmith
Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:03 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Pet peeve of mine
Replies: 14
Views: 24028

Re: Pet peeve of mine

i think it works both ways. i would rather be told 'you're not what we're looking for, thanks for applying' than nothing at all. for a recruiter, it's 1 in what? a couple hundred? for an IT like myself, at the most it's 1 in 20 or 30. i remember schools who have contacted me, even if it was a generic 'we received your application' or 'we invite you to apply'. it goes without saying i respond to all schools who contact me regardless if i am interested in the position or not.

i know recruiters and heads don't have a lot of time and it runs on the business side of things. but, just like everyone tells ITs, the personal touch adds much more (at least in my eyes).

i think that you should get an email after a 1st interview and beyond.

i don't think it's all bastards in the recruiting area, i think it's much worse with bigger schools; i DO think the lamb has gotten rather fat however, and schools could absolutely do away with some of the fairs. it's good experience for some leadership, a . for others, and a necessary event for the rest. i don't envy them the job, but rather the off hours time they spend.

v.
by vandsmith
Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:19 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: Follow-up Emails/Application Response Wait Time
Replies: 7
Views: 10970

Re: Follow-up Emails/Application Response Wait Time

related question:

after an interview (or two) how long does one wait to follow up on the process, keeping in mind that it's basically christmas?

v.
by vandsmith
Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:31 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: IB 'Feedback and Complaints' and 'Whistleblowing Policy'
Replies: 12
Views: 15049

Re: IB 'Feedback and Complaints' and 'Whistleblowing Policy'

DustyBoots wrote:
> I agree with Psyguy. I think think they would have these policies because
> they have had problems in the past. I think they also foresee problems
> arising in the future. I know staff who have worked in the IB and IB
> schools who say the IB sells lots of junk: posters, tie clips, hoodies,
> coffee mugs, etc. and that the IB could have a few landfills named after
> it. Some schools buy loads of this crap and the IB just loves it. But IB
> staff won't speak publicly about this. The IB is a money mill. Think of all
> the courses they offer to solve any and all school ills. I bet the IB's
> course offerings business model is similar to that of the Church of
> Scientology. I've paid for a few IB courses and thought they were pretty
> junky. Anyway, the IB itself says the policies apply to problems with the
> IB and not just IB schools.

i think the first mistake is paying for any of the courses yourself.
and if schools buy loads of junk, that's their problem.
further, if the ib sells a bunch of stuff that produces a large amount of waste, won't it look great when an ib student starts looking at sustainability and then asks them why they sell of this crap?
i'm not sure about the CoS connection, though i agree that in some ways the ib of yore was/is cultish (though not necessarily in a bad way).
anyways.
v.
by vandsmith
Mon Dec 09, 2019 12:37 pm
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: IB 'Feedback and Complaints' and 'Whistleblowing Policy'
Replies: 12
Views: 15049

Re: IB 'Feedback and Complaints' and 'Whistleblowing Policy'

agree with SJ. a forward thinking company will have this kind of policy and to be quite honest, one of my previous schools only got the IB to be able to put the sticker on the window. 3 years later and thankfully they've been booted from the organization. an organization that touts reflection and process and feedback/feedforward NOT having this type of policy would be a bit strange, wouldn't it?

v.
by vandsmith
Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:20 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: American sacking culture
Replies: 34
Views: 46758

Re: American sacking culture

maybe that's true, i've seen it only once with americans. however, i have seen it several times with british teachers/admins and it has always been way worse. the americans (and i am generalizing) seem to a bit more flexible and open-minded to work with people of differing opinions. the british (generalizing) have been fine to say, 'right then. out you go, next.'

that's simply been my experience. but you can see why it happens. if a new direction is needed, obviously something needs to be shaken up. whether that's people, curriculum, ideas, or all of the above is a decision for the board/head/whomever.

v.
by vandsmith
Wed Nov 20, 2019 12:20 am
Forum: Forum 1. From Questions About ISS & Search to Anything and Everything About International Teaching
Topic: applying to schools via search or website or other?
Replies: 5
Views: 6344

Re: applying to schools via search or website or other?

okay, so maybe i will give an example.

- school x posts on their website that candidates can email an address - you know, those 'apply@schoolx.edu' addresses.
- school x puts up a vacancy on search
- i apply using the first option, i also send a message through search
- search then changes the way we contact schools via search, now using a 'contact school' button and/or the apli feature
- school x updates their vacancy on search and now has duplicate entries, one with a 'contact school' button, and the updated entry using the apli feature...

* i am wondering whether i go and use the apli feature to apply as well, since it has been updated since i applied directly to the school. i know it's confusing but i am not sure how to proceed with it.

v.