What's Your Dream Job, and Why?
Sorry
Not in my experience, people are always searching for a new and better level of happiness. Those who have "OK" everything are constantly thinking about something or somewhere better. They start thinking that their OK isnt really very good.
Princess Bride
Get use to disappointment.
Thanks for staying on topic!
Thanks for the insights!
Roberto - Those are the kind of variables I was hoping to hear about! Nice to know tier 1 schools aren't everyone's goal, and I'm starting to think they might be a little too pretentious for my liking as well.
Psyguy - Thanks for following up.
So, do you guys have a system for narrowing down these areas and schools? For example, to get started I've been using the COIS directory here:
[url]http://portal.cois.org/WCM/CIS/Director ... hools.aspx?[/url]
to look at schools in countries I think I would like. I also started a spreadsheet to keep track the schools I that stand out, along with anything significant learned by looking at the locations in Google Earth and Wikipedia. It's a slow process, and far from perfect, but it forces me to take a closer look at school than I would otherwise. (I should have a lot more info once my Search Associates application is complete, and I joined TIE too.)
Overall, I am amazed how many schools don't get anything unique about their culture or environment across in their website. (It's probably what recruiters experience looking at thousands of resumes, come to think of it!)
How did the rest of you narrow down your searches when you first got started? How much was word of mouth or connections? Did you go to a hiring fair completely open-minded or did you have an objective? How would you do things different as a first-time applicant?
Thanks again!
Roberto - Those are the kind of variables I was hoping to hear about! Nice to know tier 1 schools aren't everyone's goal, and I'm starting to think they might be a little too pretentious for my liking as well.
Psyguy - Thanks for following up.
So, do you guys have a system for narrowing down these areas and schools? For example, to get started I've been using the COIS directory here:
[url]http://portal.cois.org/WCM/CIS/Director ... hools.aspx?[/url]
to look at schools in countries I think I would like. I also started a spreadsheet to keep track the schools I that stand out, along with anything significant learned by looking at the locations in Google Earth and Wikipedia. It's a slow process, and far from perfect, but it forces me to take a closer look at school than I would otherwise. (I should have a lot more info once my Search Associates application is complete, and I joined TIE too.)
Overall, I am amazed how many schools don't get anything unique about their culture or environment across in their website. (It's probably what recruiters experience looking at thousands of resumes, come to think of it!)
How did the rest of you narrow down your searches when you first got started? How much was word of mouth or connections? Did you go to a hiring fair completely open-minded or did you have an objective? How would you do things different as a first-time applicant?
Thanks again!
For Me
I decide where I want to go and live, and so when I first started I consulted a lot more travel sites then school sites. The way i looked at it, the greatest school in the world didnt mean much if I didnt want to be in that location.
My objective is to be in a place that is going to be stimulating (meaning not bored) after a year. Most new teachers get excited about a place based on a lot of touristy stuff, and dont realize that most of those things they can only do over long breaks, and the local stuff quickly gets old. For instance youd think living AT the great wall, might be real interesting, but after a month of living there (if not sooner) you realize its just a wall. I loved living in Rome, but after youve seen the vatican, and the fountain, and the colosseum, there has to be more (and there is), but its those factors that are going to get you through the next TWO years.
Personally, I think your doing too much work, when you lay out all the international schools, the differences are all minor details. An IS is like a car, at the fundamental level its a chassis, wheels, and an engine. Schools are the same way. You have students, a curriculum, and coworkers. In the car you add an interior, control systems, and convenience features. In a school you add, facilities, resources, and convenience features. Almost all the differences between any one school and any other school are in the second group, and most of those come down to the features. The real bad schools, the ones where there is a problem with the wheels, engine, chassis, those schools dont last long, and the problems are pretty glaring. There the ones that are always recruiting, or have a list of complaints on various websites that have gone on for years. When it comes to the minor details, its almost always give and take. One school at tier 1 school pays better, but of course they expect more work out of you, then say a tier 2 school that pays less, but you have less work and more time to do with what you want. At that fundamental level, your a teacher, whos teaching. You go into a building, say hi to everyone, plan your lessons, deliver them, grade the papers/tests, collect your money, go home, repeat.
Those school websites arent meant for teachers, they are meant for parents. Those parents are in the country because there jobs sent them there. They didnt have much if any choice on where to go, so selling them on the culture, or the people, and the country is a waste of resources. They arent a travel site trying to lure tourists. Theses sites are designed to showcase the best the school has to offer in comparison to their competition. In this case thats prestige, and academics. They are marketing to parents that their school is the best place for their children to be successful. Culture, etc, doesnt play much of a role in that.
My objective is to be in a place that is going to be stimulating (meaning not bored) after a year. Most new teachers get excited about a place based on a lot of touristy stuff, and dont realize that most of those things they can only do over long breaks, and the local stuff quickly gets old. For instance youd think living AT the great wall, might be real interesting, but after a month of living there (if not sooner) you realize its just a wall. I loved living in Rome, but after youve seen the vatican, and the fountain, and the colosseum, there has to be more (and there is), but its those factors that are going to get you through the next TWO years.
Personally, I think your doing too much work, when you lay out all the international schools, the differences are all minor details. An IS is like a car, at the fundamental level its a chassis, wheels, and an engine. Schools are the same way. You have students, a curriculum, and coworkers. In the car you add an interior, control systems, and convenience features. In a school you add, facilities, resources, and convenience features. Almost all the differences between any one school and any other school are in the second group, and most of those come down to the features. The real bad schools, the ones where there is a problem with the wheels, engine, chassis, those schools dont last long, and the problems are pretty glaring. There the ones that are always recruiting, or have a list of complaints on various websites that have gone on for years. When it comes to the minor details, its almost always give and take. One school at tier 1 school pays better, but of course they expect more work out of you, then say a tier 2 school that pays less, but you have less work and more time to do with what you want. At that fundamental level, your a teacher, whos teaching. You go into a building, say hi to everyone, plan your lessons, deliver them, grade the papers/tests, collect your money, go home, repeat.
Those school websites arent meant for teachers, they are meant for parents. Those parents are in the country because there jobs sent them there. They didnt have much if any choice on where to go, so selling them on the culture, or the people, and the country is a waste of resources. They arent a travel site trying to lure tourists. Theses sites are designed to showcase the best the school has to offer in comparison to their competition. In this case thats prestige, and academics. They are marketing to parents that their school is the best place for their children to be successful. Culture, etc, doesnt play much of a role in that.
In terms of the school, I would need it to be IB, medium sized (500-1000 students perhaps), not for profit, and have excellent standards for classrooms, curriculum, etc. I would need them to have a decent Science budget so I can hold reasonably effective labs and order materials if necessary. I would like to it be equipped with modern technology (interactive whiteboards, laptop program, nice computer lab, etc.). Having my own space would be great too, since I currently share an office with nearly 10 staff members and I find it quite distracting. Ideally, I wouldn't have to share a classroom either. The day schedule is something I would like to be appropriate also, but there are dozens of systems that I would likely find agreeable.
Housing is exceptionally important. My current location is evidence of that. Nothing worse than coming home after a long day with a clogged shower drain, water you can't drink, broken fridge, mice in your ceiling, moldy clothes, etc. (yes these have all happened to me). I don't need a mansion or a fancy apartment, but I want things to be reasonably nice, clean, and comfortable, especially if the school is supplying it. Having a reliable and fast internet connection is huge for me too, both for work and for entertainment, but some people might not require this.
I would want to be in a country that is quite different from North America (beyond that, doesn't matter too much what the culture is like). Having good food is important, and so is having a productive and friendly community. I have worked and traveled in several countries where people have been very rude or just lazy. You may not have to work with these people, but dealing with them during your free time can be extremely frustrating. Living in a big city would be nice, as it lets you escape the education bubble and enjoy many opportunities such as live performances and restaurants. It makes travel during breaks much more convenient and accessible too.
That's about it really. There are small things that could go either way, but those are the big ones for me.
Housing is exceptionally important. My current location is evidence of that. Nothing worse than coming home after a long day with a clogged shower drain, water you can't drink, broken fridge, mice in your ceiling, moldy clothes, etc. (yes these have all happened to me). I don't need a mansion or a fancy apartment, but I want things to be reasonably nice, clean, and comfortable, especially if the school is supplying it. Having a reliable and fast internet connection is huge for me too, both for work and for entertainment, but some people might not require this.
I would want to be in a country that is quite different from North America (beyond that, doesn't matter too much what the culture is like). Having good food is important, and so is having a productive and friendly community. I have worked and traveled in several countries where people have been very rude or just lazy. You may not have to work with these people, but dealing with them during your free time can be extremely frustrating. Living in a big city would be nice, as it lets you escape the education bubble and enjoy many opportunities such as live performances and restaurants. It makes travel during breaks much more convenient and accessible too.
That's about it really. There are small things that could go either way, but those are the big ones for me.
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy
My rule is always choose location and region over school. A great city can make up for a bad school, and cities are more stable then schools. What is a great school one year, can get a new head and turn around for the worse overnight. Even if you do have a bad school, well your no different then anyone else who dislikes their job, but then leaves work, and lives in an amazing city/region. If you live in a sucky city but a good school, then school becomes your life, and thats not a life i want to live.[/quote
This is spot on. I live in a sucky city and work at a great school. The money is good. The work load is reasonable. There really isn't any pressure in my work day. However, the city I work in SUCKS. I'm not happy with it and now that I've gotten comfortable in my job and am ready to enjoy my life after I get off work I find myself with a whole lot of nothing to do every day.
Other factors to consider are if the place has very high population density. How is the air quality? How clean is the city/country? Is the region stable or will you have to worry if today is the day it gets invaded or reduced to ashes. How about the weather? SE Asia is crazy humid while some places in the ME are like an oven while others are just as hot with high humidity to boot. Can you have a beer when you get off work?
My rule is always choose location and region over school. A great city can make up for a bad school, and cities are more stable then schools. What is a great school one year, can get a new head and turn around for the worse overnight. Even if you do have a bad school, well your no different then anyone else who dislikes their job, but then leaves work, and lives in an amazing city/region. If you live in a sucky city but a good school, then school becomes your life, and thats not a life i want to live.[/quote
This is spot on. I live in a sucky city and work at a great school. The money is good. The work load is reasonable. There really isn't any pressure in my work day. However, the city I work in SUCKS. I'm not happy with it and now that I've gotten comfortable in my job and am ready to enjoy my life after I get off work I find myself with a whole lot of nothing to do every day.
Other factors to consider are if the place has very high population density. How is the air quality? How clean is the city/country? Is the region stable or will you have to worry if today is the day it gets invaded or reduced to ashes. How about the weather? SE Asia is crazy humid while some places in the ME are like an oven while others are just as hot with high humidity to boot. Can you have a beer when you get off work?
I agree with PsyGuy, location is key. My ideal location has: warm weather, lots of nightlife/dining options, good travel oppurtunities (both for weekend getaways and longer trips), and approachable locals.
As far as schools go, my main criteria is that its an IB school: both because any IB school meets at least a minimum threshold for quality, and because its great to have on the resume.
The way I go about applying to schools is first choosing the countries that I'm interested in. Since my current resume is average at best, I'm trying to keep an open mind and not narrow things down too much: so I'm currently open to pretty much anywhere in South-East Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, Japan, or Taiwan.
As long as the school has an IB vacancy in my subject, is located in one of the above regions, and doesn't pay horribly, I'll probably apply.
As far as schools go, my main criteria is that its an IB school: both because any IB school meets at least a minimum threshold for quality, and because its great to have on the resume.
The way I go about applying to schools is first choosing the countries that I'm interested in. Since my current resume is average at best, I'm trying to keep an open mind and not narrow things down too much: so I'm currently open to pretty much anywhere in South-East Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, Japan, or Taiwan.
As long as the school has an IB vacancy in my subject, is located in one of the above regions, and doesn't pay horribly, I'll probably apply.
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Teachermom
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:14 am
- Location: Asia
I'm looking for a school with really good administrators. Yes, I know administrators change often, but they really make a big difference.
I'm also looking for a medium to large city, for the same reasons others mentioned--to have more to do to get out of the school bubble. On the other hand, I don't want to live in some of the places with the worst air pollution, and I do want to be able to get out of town for hiking without too much trouble.
Also, I agree, pay attention to the climate and make sure you are going to be okay with it. I've had friends who just hated the gulf because it was too hot to go outside for a few months every year.
Last, do take the taxes and cost of living into consideration. They vary greatly from country to country.
I'm also looking for a medium to large city, for the same reasons others mentioned--to have more to do to get out of the school bubble. On the other hand, I don't want to live in some of the places with the worst air pollution, and I do want to be able to get out of town for hiking without too much trouble.
Also, I agree, pay attention to the climate and make sure you are going to be okay with it. I've had friends who just hated the gulf because it was too hot to go outside for a few months every year.
Last, do take the taxes and cost of living into consideration. They vary greatly from country to country.
Comment
I really don't care much about administrators, while they do vary in quality and capability, and can make or break a school if I'm doing my job well, I don't have a lot of interaction with my administration, and when I do it's usually to ask for something which I usually get. Lastly, I've never worked for and admin that didnt have some professional flaws.