Tier 2 schools

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mrwright
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: Arizona

Tier 2 schools

Post by mrwright »

I keep reading references to tier 2 schools. I assume this is a bad thing, but how bad? What are these school like? How is the pay? As always, I know the answer to some degree will be "it depends", as there will be a lot of variation. I suppose I am a pretty good teacher. I have my strengths and weaknesses. The input I get from my students and their parents is generally very very good. But I am not the most organized guy in the world. I feel that keeps me from being an extremely "high speed" teacher, and it seems that teachers that are sucessful at int'l schools, the tier 1 schools, are these really really good teachers who are lickity-split on the ball. I'll be honest, my style is a bit more relaxed. Just not sure if I can thrive in an extremely tight and pressured educational environment. Maybe I can. IDK. My impression is the Int'l schools are the big leauges, the Super Bowl of edcuation, if you will. But from what I know, I could probably do well in the tier 2 schools. So, any thoughts on this? I would appreciate your input. Thank you in advance.
Last edited by mrwright on Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
heyteach
Posts: 459
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:50 pm
Location: Home

Post by heyteach »

I think there's entirely too much emphasis on which schools belong to which tier. In 25 years of teaching (just three overseas) I've never taught at what anyone would consider a "Tier 1" school, yet I would have pit the faculty of a couple of them against any other school.

I am heading to what most would probably consider to be a lower tier school in August, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. As my Search Associates representative put it: "I think schools that need improvement are much more interesting places to work than those thinking they do not."
Zsejanko

Post by Zsejanko »

" Tier 2 " schools could mean one ( or a combination of the following ) :

- Accredited ( but only for a small number of years )
- Smaller salary( A teacher with 0 - 2 years experience can be offered a small package of around $ 1700 - $ 2000 NET, but usually not more ).
- The school is known to suffer from administrative or curriculum problems ( i.e. curriculum is not as established yet, academics doesn't seem to be the main focus )
- The school is usually for profit ( enrollment / increasing numbers precede academics as the administration's goal )
- Medium to high turn over rate in foreign hires ( I reckon this is probably due to the administrative problems that these Tieer 2 schools usually have )
- School may have a few strengths ( but usually lacking in resources, especially technology and curriculum resources )
- Often does not include / provide professional development ( non-existent )

" Tier 1 " schools are easy to spot ( they're so well-known that they go by name ) :

International School of Vienna
Zurich International School
Yokohama International School
International School of Bangkok
Bangkok Patana
International School of Jakarta
International School of Helsinki
American School in Japan
Shanghai American School
United World College of South East Asia ( Singapore )....and it goes on.

There are many of them...just hard to get into unless you have the right background, credentials and character.

Most of the " Tier 1 " schools would have the following :

- Usually accredited with the IB
- Amazing salary and benefits package ( pensions, bonuses, travel allowances, round trip flights etc etc....a little bit extra than the general pacage )
- Professional development is a huge focus
- Academics are taken quite seriously. Most of the staff have a few number of years up their sleeve or are experts in their fields.

To be honest, sometimes, a Tier 2 school is the way to go early on in the career. You get to shine in the " smaller pond " first until you get up there in the big league. Both types of schools can deliver the same amount of stress....in different ways. Perhaps Tier 1 schools will constantly dog you to deliver your best, burning you out. But Tier 2 schools can give you massive headaches with the way they run administration or the little mishaps that occur due to lack of this and that.
one2many
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:20 pm
Location: N America

Post by one2many »

.isr
Last edited by one2many on Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
mrwright
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: Arizona

Post by mrwright »

I know what you mean. I kinda have that situation where i teach now. Its a performing arts charter school in Phoenix and its WAY laid back. I am allowed to do my job, within certain parameters, and so far I have had great success. My admin is very supportive and friendly. But I have been at other schools where the atmosphere was down right hostile, and I suffocated in that environment. Unfortunately, the salary here is so low that my kids and I barely survive. Can't afford medical insurance and live pay check to pay check. That's one reason, other than I want to see the world, that I want to get into int'l edcuation. Get ahead and pay offf some debts. But it sounds like all the good paying schools are very intense, high-pressure environments. Not my cup 'o tea. I could be wrong, obviously, since I have never taught at one. It's just my impression. I am not trying to imply that there is some real demarcation or category that separates tier 1 and 2 schools. I know that its more of a figure of speech. Just saying. Am I just being insecure? Or am I right about the kind of teacher who does well at these schools? Please keep the input coming. I would love to stand corrected!
Zsejanko

Post by Zsejanko »

International teaching is both rewarding and tough.....and you seem to know your talents, skills and challenges ( in regards to teaching ) that allows you to view which schools you would go for. I have never been one to strictly discriminate from Tier 1 to Tier 2 schools bc some of my best experiences have been at Tier 2 schools. The work load is easier ( for sure ) and sometimes, you have a great deal of autonomy in the classrooms as long as the students are enjoying their learning process and are actually learning at Tier 2 schools. For example, I was interviewed for schools in Mongolia, Indonesia and Morocco who seemed to have an " easier " work load than other schools I have worked at... I can attest to the fact though that Japanese international schools place a high emphasis on academics and since it's a naturally hard-working society, the level of work is a lot and they expect a lot from their teachers.

With that being said, you also have to take into consideration that every person who gave their opinion on here is different. I am known to be a workaholic who is quite meticulous in lesson planning, teaching strategies, methods and activities. I'm the type of teacher who would make a lesson plan that has all the accommodations and modifications intact, while keeping UDL in mind and all the other theories on multiple intelligences etc etc ( and then still create a back up lesson 1 and 2, just in case the main lesson falls short ). The rewards are great though : The students really enjoy my classes wherever I am, but I often do bring my work home because I want to keep on delivering a lesson that would trump the last one and so on.

My points are that....
a) Many of the posters on here are individuals with different styles of teaching. One's view of a "laid back", Tier 2 school would be different from another's.
b) International teaching is generally a bit more "difficult" in the sense that you not only have to deal with work itself but cultural differences in how business and way of life are conducted
c) The salary is extremely rewarding....people who enter the international circuit often stay for a long time, addicted not only to the package but what the world has to offer ( which I think is the real deal! )
one2many
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:20 pm
Location: N America

Post by one2many »

.isr
Last edited by one2many on Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
one2many
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:20 pm
Location: N America

Post by one2many »

.isr
Last edited by one2many on Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Zsejanko

Post by Zsejanko »

"Tier 2 schools are often having at some point in their recruitment process of 'settleing' for less then they would like in a teacher."

I would have to disagree with this statement. There are many teachers out there who don't base their decision on whether a school is Tier 1 or Tier 2. Some may not even know...or some who do know may not even care bc they tend to base their choices of school on other factors that could affect their future in a better way ( e.g. Some may choose a school that is considered a " Tier 2 " simply bc the location is less polluted and better for the teacher's health and well-being which are important in leading to a successful, happy teaching experience........some may choose such a school in a particular location bc they want to expand their career in that continent of the world.....some may seriously just find that working for schools with a predominantly national population is much more rewarding than one with a highly international or even insular foreign student body.....some may choose such schools bc they prioritise a lighter teaching load for a good peace of mind and body, over a high salary and benefits package with expectations that lead to "burn out ".... )

And furthermore, when you say that Tier 2 schools " settle for less ".....it doesn't mean that the teachers on there are "less in calibre" as compared to other teachers in "Tier 1" schools.
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