Schools that hire new teachers....
Schools that hire new teachers....
I am a new preschool teacher....will have 2 yrs experience by next summer. Are there any decent schools that will hire a teacher with not much experience? I do have a teacher's permit to teach early childhood education, plus a B.A. in a related field.
[quote="Alexandru"]I didn't have ANY teaching experience when I started teaching internationally, and I got hired in Europe and Latin America. I think that your best bet would be to apply to schools in the Middle East. You might have a shot in Latin America or Asia, too.[/quote]
Which schools in Europe and Latin America did you work for?
Which schools in Europe and Latin America did you work for?
I would rather not say on this forum, but you wouldn't want to work for them anyway. I think most international teachers would agree with me in saying that the first two years of international teaching are most likely spent teaching at bad schools (probably third tier). Where are you from? If you're European, then you have a better chance of working at a European school. Just apply to a lot of different schools from now until maybe February or March and see what happens.
If you're a Canadian you have options. Lots of Canadian schools hire straight out of university, but they only hire Canadian qualified teachers. Schools are accredited to a province and usually years worked in those schools count back home. Some of those schools are not bad places to work.
The amount of Canadian offshore schools is growing, although I wouldn't work in one that has only been open a couple of years.
The amount of Canadian offshore schools is growing, although I wouldn't work in one that has only been open a couple of years.
Reply
So you will have 2 years experience this summer (2013) or 2 years experience in the summer of (2014)?
Their are schools that hire inexperienced teachers all the time, happens every year. The issue is how you define decent and what your expectations are. Most new ITs (international teachers) end up at a third tier school or a bottom second tier school somewhere they dont want to be. If your idea is that youll get a job teaching EC or Nursery somewhere in Italy, or France or thats not going to happen with your resume. Your more likely to see yourself somewhere in the sweltering heat and dust of a small school in the middle east or a rural area of China.
The other issue is that EC isnt in high demand. Most 2nd tier/third tier schools either dont offer it or they hire local staff/trailing spouses on a part time basis. You woudnt be competitive with the 1st tier schools and elite schools. Typically, a tier 1 school would look for a EC/Nursery teacher that had a primary/elementary teacher certification, 5 years experience, and Montessori or PYP experience. Being part of a teaching couple would be a deal maker.
Their are schools that hire inexperienced teachers all the time, happens every year. The issue is how you define decent and what your expectations are. Most new ITs (international teachers) end up at a third tier school or a bottom second tier school somewhere they dont want to be. If your idea is that youll get a job teaching EC or Nursery somewhere in Italy, or France or thats not going to happen with your resume. Your more likely to see yourself somewhere in the sweltering heat and dust of a small school in the middle east or a rural area of China.
The other issue is that EC isnt in high demand. Most 2nd tier/third tier schools either dont offer it or they hire local staff/trailing spouses on a part time basis. You woudnt be competitive with the 1st tier schools and elite schools. Typically, a tier 1 school would look for a EC/Nursery teacher that had a primary/elementary teacher certification, 5 years experience, and Montessori or PYP experience. Being part of a teaching couple would be a deal maker.
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"]So you will have 2 years experience this summer (2013) or 2 years experience in the summer of (2014)?
Their are schools that hire inexperienced teachers all the time, happens every year. The issue is how you define decent and what your expectations are. Most new ITs (international teachers) end up at a third tier school or a bottom second tier school somewhere they dont want to be. If your idea is that youll get a job teaching EC or Nursery somewhere in Italy, or France or thats not going to happen with your resume. Your more likely to see yourself somewhere in the sweltering heat and dust of a small school in the middle east or a rural area of China.
The other issue is that EC isnt in high demand. Most 2nd tier/third tier schools either dont offer it or they hire local staff/trailing spouses on a part time basis. You woudnt be competitive with the 1st tier schools and elite schools. Typically, a tier 1 school would look for a EC/Nursery teacher that had a primary/elementary teacher certification, 5 years experience, and Montessori or PYP experience. Being part of a teaching couple would be a deal maker.[/quote]
I will have 2 yrs experience by summer 2013. Being a single female I do prefer to be somewhere where I feel safe....that's my #1 priority.
Is there a list somewhere that breaks down which schools are tier 1, 2, and 3?
Their are schools that hire inexperienced teachers all the time, happens every year. The issue is how you define decent and what your expectations are. Most new ITs (international teachers) end up at a third tier school or a bottom second tier school somewhere they dont want to be. If your idea is that youll get a job teaching EC or Nursery somewhere in Italy, or France or thats not going to happen with your resume. Your more likely to see yourself somewhere in the sweltering heat and dust of a small school in the middle east or a rural area of China.
The other issue is that EC isnt in high demand. Most 2nd tier/third tier schools either dont offer it or they hire local staff/trailing spouses on a part time basis. You woudnt be competitive with the 1st tier schools and elite schools. Typically, a tier 1 school would look for a EC/Nursery teacher that had a primary/elementary teacher certification, 5 years experience, and Montessori or PYP experience. Being part of a teaching couple would be a deal maker.[/quote]
I will have 2 yrs experience by summer 2013. Being a single female I do prefer to be somewhere where I feel safe....that's my #1 priority.
Is there a list somewhere that breaks down which schools are tier 1, 2, and 3?
[quote="Alexandru"]I would rather not say on this forum, but you wouldn't want to work for them anyway. I think most international teachers would agree with me in saying that the first two years of international teaching are most likely spent teaching at bad schools (probably third tier). Where are you from? If you're European, then you have a better chance of working at a European school. Just apply to a lot of different schools from now until maybe February or March and see what happens.[/quote]
I am from the U.S. I have applied to a few schools who have PreK openings and I even contacted schools who do not have openings. Most have replied back saying they will keep my resume on file. I had a school in Europe saying there was an opening next month, but that was way too soon for me to pack up and go.
I am from the U.S. I have applied to a few schools who have PreK openings and I even contacted schools who do not have openings. Most have replied back saying they will keep my resume on file. I had a school in Europe saying there was an opening next month, but that was way too soon for me to pack up and go.
[quote="IAMBOG"]If you're a Canadian you have options. Lots of Canadian schools hire straight out of university, but they only hire Canadian qualified teachers. Schools are accredited to a province and usually years worked in those schools count back home. Some of those schools are not bad places to work.
The amount of Canadian offshore schools is growing, although I wouldn't work in one that has only been open a couple of years.[/quote]
I am American, but thanks for the info!
The amount of Canadian offshore schools is growing, although I wouldn't work in one that has only been open a couple of years.[/quote]
I am American, but thanks for the info!
Reply
here is no objective definition of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3, and as such there is no "master list" of who is in which list, and to that end even if there was no one would agree on it. Youd have some consensus with schools like WAB (Beijing), and ISB (Bangkok), but there would still be a lot of disagreement. Though if your on the international school circuit long enough you get a feel for which schools are at which tier. School quality also has a lot to do with where you are a tier 2 school in Hong Kong, might be a tier 1 school in mainland China...
There is no "definition" of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. Its all subjective, in general when teachers describe a tier 1, etc school from one another it comes down to
1) Compensation package
2) Work environment.
Historically the compensation package is the priority, not because of greed or anything, but because its easy to quantify. If your in Brazil, $30K is better then $28K. Schools that pay more for a given region tend to have more stable finances (a sign of longevity, given enrollment, and reputation), and have larger endowments, meaning they have been around long enough to develop efficiency and have well planed capitol projects. Better schools can charge more in fees, and be more selective in their admissions. This creates more "cash" on hand for salaries and benefits.
COMPENSATION:
Typically includes (in this order of importance/priority:
1) Salary (based on number of contract or teaching hours per week)
2) Housing (including utility costs)
3) Tuition (If you have kids. In addition if you have a non teaching spouse, how easy is it for them to find a job)
4) Transportation (Including Airfare, moving, and settling in allowances).
5) Insurance (Mostly how good the medical is)
6) Retirement (Including end of year bonuses).
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Working conditions is the far more subjective of the two. It means something slightly different to everyone. But can include as a general principal (and these get more "fuzzy" the lower I go):
1) Staff/Faculty/Parents:How qualified are your co teachers? Do they know what they are doing? Do the aids, secretaries try and help you? Is the PTA crazy helicopter parents? Are the parents really the ones running the school?
2) Admins Management Style: Biggest reason for a school to go down hill. Does the admin back the teachers? Are they just a spokesperson for the owners? Do they yield to parent pressure? Do they value faculty input? Do they care?
3) Organization: Does the front/back office run efficiently? Do you get reimbursed in a timely fashion? Are salaries paid on time? Is the school relationship with the local immigration bureau good, can they process visas, permits, etc quickly?
4) Resources: Do you have a projector? Access to computers, internet? Can you make copies when you need too. What about textbooks, are they old and out dated, do teachers even use them? Whats the library look like? Whats the cafeteria look like (do they feed the teacher lunch?) Do you have a classroom/department budget, or do you have to ask for everything?
5) Academics: Do they have a curriculum? Do they use the curriculum? Does the department share a common curriculum or does everybody teach what they know and prefer? What are the assessment/grading policies and procedures?
6) Community: Are the people nice, friendly, helpful? What's there too do in the area? Is it safe? Clean? Is transportation easily accessible? Availability of shopping/groceries? Medical Care? This could be a long one....
JOB SEARCH:
1st tier schools are typically non-profit private prepatory schools that focus on an international student body. They are very westernized, and would be very similar to a private school in western cultures.
2nd tier schools are private private non-profits that act like for profits. They are predominately domestic students, who are affluent. They are equivalent to a "good" public school in a western culture.
3rd tier schools are for profit schools that are run as business. The purpose is to make generate revenue, and provide the owner with some level of prestige and status. Education is just the product, the students parents just the consumers.
Most 3rd tier schools advertise on TIE Online, Joy Jobs, and with SEARCH. You can also find them on Daves ESL Cafe (They advertise everywhere, except the "selective" recruitment agencies, such as ISS)
Tier 3 schools either pay very well because the only reason someone would work there is the money, or they pay enough to get by. Most of these schools are in the middle east or africa. There are some very "beautiful" schools that Dante could use to deepen the levels of hell a bit, and the only reason they have faculty is because 1) The money, 2) Desperate teachers who cant do any better. Of course one issue that i see common with Tier 3 schools is related to "safety" either the regional culture is very very rigid, with serious consequences for what you might consider "minor rule infractions" or the region/area could become quickly hostile and dangerous...
Your typical "ESL School" is right around the border between tier 3 and tier 2 schools.
"Elite" (also called prestige or premier) schools are a subset of tier 1 schools, that represent the top school(s) in the region.
An "elite" or "premiere" international school is simply the top (or contested top) tier one school in a region (or city). What differentiates them is they usually have the best reputation in an area as "THE" school, and you see that in a compensation package that is substantially higher then the other tier one schools in the area, as well as in their staff support, resources, and facilities.
For example; ISB (Bangkok) is typically seen as the elite school in Bangkok. ISB (Beijing) is usually tied with WAB (Western Academy of Beijing) in Beijing/China. SAS (Singapore American School) is seen as the elite school in Singapore. ASP (Paris) is the elite school is France. IS Frankfurt is usually (lot of debate on this) considered the Elite school in Germany. ASIJ is well thought of as the elite school in Japan.
Tier status is only comparable to other schools within a region. Local economies, costs of living, cultural differences make global comparisons unhelpful. For example; most european schools dont provide housing, and taxes are high so even though salaries would rival many that you would find in a place like China, the savings potential and lifestyle you can live are very different (and often better in asia).
Elite (also called premier) doesnt equal easy. Elite schools typically expect a lot from their teachers. Some teachers thrive in that environment, some dont.
Why a separate category? well there is typically a substantial and significant increase in work and compensation between the "elite" school and the other tier one schools.
I guess thats 4 levels. is there a lower level, some people throw tier 4, and lower levels around, but i have to think that is really just an individual adding insult to injury when they call a particular school a "tier 4" school.
There is no "definition" of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. Its all subjective, in general when teachers describe a tier 1, etc school from one another it comes down to
1) Compensation package
2) Work environment.
Historically the compensation package is the priority, not because of greed or anything, but because its easy to quantify. If your in Brazil, $30K is better then $28K. Schools that pay more for a given region tend to have more stable finances (a sign of longevity, given enrollment, and reputation), and have larger endowments, meaning they have been around long enough to develop efficiency and have well planed capitol projects. Better schools can charge more in fees, and be more selective in their admissions. This creates more "cash" on hand for salaries and benefits.
COMPENSATION:
Typically includes (in this order of importance/priority:
1) Salary (based on number of contract or teaching hours per week)
2) Housing (including utility costs)
3) Tuition (If you have kids. In addition if you have a non teaching spouse, how easy is it for them to find a job)
4) Transportation (Including Airfare, moving, and settling in allowances).
5) Insurance (Mostly how good the medical is)
6) Retirement (Including end of year bonuses).
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Working conditions is the far more subjective of the two. It means something slightly different to everyone. But can include as a general principal (and these get more "fuzzy" the lower I go):
1) Staff/Faculty/Parents:How qualified are your co teachers? Do they know what they are doing? Do the aids, secretaries try and help you? Is the PTA crazy helicopter parents? Are the parents really the ones running the school?
2) Admins Management Style: Biggest reason for a school to go down hill. Does the admin back the teachers? Are they just a spokesperson for the owners? Do they yield to parent pressure? Do they value faculty input? Do they care?
3) Organization: Does the front/back office run efficiently? Do you get reimbursed in a timely fashion? Are salaries paid on time? Is the school relationship with the local immigration bureau good, can they process visas, permits, etc quickly?
4) Resources: Do you have a projector? Access to computers, internet? Can you make copies when you need too. What about textbooks, are they old and out dated, do teachers even use them? Whats the library look like? Whats the cafeteria look like (do they feed the teacher lunch?) Do you have a classroom/department budget, or do you have to ask for everything?
5) Academics: Do they have a curriculum? Do they use the curriculum? Does the department share a common curriculum or does everybody teach what they know and prefer? What are the assessment/grading policies and procedures?
6) Community: Are the people nice, friendly, helpful? What's there too do in the area? Is it safe? Clean? Is transportation easily accessible? Availability of shopping/groceries? Medical Care? This could be a long one....
JOB SEARCH:
1st tier schools are typically non-profit private prepatory schools that focus on an international student body. They are very westernized, and would be very similar to a private school in western cultures.
2nd tier schools are private private non-profits that act like for profits. They are predominately domestic students, who are affluent. They are equivalent to a "good" public school in a western culture.
3rd tier schools are for profit schools that are run as business. The purpose is to make generate revenue, and provide the owner with some level of prestige and status. Education is just the product, the students parents just the consumers.
Most 3rd tier schools advertise on TIE Online, Joy Jobs, and with SEARCH. You can also find them on Daves ESL Cafe (They advertise everywhere, except the "selective" recruitment agencies, such as ISS)
Tier 3 schools either pay very well because the only reason someone would work there is the money, or they pay enough to get by. Most of these schools are in the middle east or africa. There are some very "beautiful" schools that Dante could use to deepen the levels of hell a bit, and the only reason they have faculty is because 1) The money, 2) Desperate teachers who cant do any better. Of course one issue that i see common with Tier 3 schools is related to "safety" either the regional culture is very very rigid, with serious consequences for what you might consider "minor rule infractions" or the region/area could become quickly hostile and dangerous...
Your typical "ESL School" is right around the border between tier 3 and tier 2 schools.
"Elite" (also called prestige or premier) schools are a subset of tier 1 schools, that represent the top school(s) in the region.
An "elite" or "premiere" international school is simply the top (or contested top) tier one school in a region (or city). What differentiates them is they usually have the best reputation in an area as "THE" school, and you see that in a compensation package that is substantially higher then the other tier one schools in the area, as well as in their staff support, resources, and facilities.
For example; ISB (Bangkok) is typically seen as the elite school in Bangkok. ISB (Beijing) is usually tied with WAB (Western Academy of Beijing) in Beijing/China. SAS (Singapore American School) is seen as the elite school in Singapore. ASP (Paris) is the elite school is France. IS Frankfurt is usually (lot of debate on this) considered the Elite school in Germany. ASIJ is well thought of as the elite school in Japan.
Tier status is only comparable to other schools within a region. Local economies, costs of living, cultural differences make global comparisons unhelpful. For example; most european schools dont provide housing, and taxes are high so even though salaries would rival many that you would find in a place like China, the savings potential and lifestyle you can live are very different (and often better in asia).
Elite (also called premier) doesnt equal easy. Elite schools typically expect a lot from their teachers. Some teachers thrive in that environment, some dont.
Why a separate category? well there is typically a substantial and significant increase in work and compensation between the "elite" school and the other tier one schools.
I guess thats 4 levels. is there a lower level, some people throw tier 4, and lower levels around, but i have to think that is really just an individual adding insult to injury when they call a particular school a "tier 4" school.
Re: Schools that hire new teachers....
[quote="livefree"]I am a new preschool teacher....will have 2 yrs experience by next summer. Are there any decent schools that will hire a teacher with not much experience? I do have a teacher's permit to teach early childhood education, plus a B.A. in a related field.[/quote]
livefree just curious to your findings. We are currently recruiting for EC and looking for teachers in training in South East Asia. you can see the post on joyjobs for Learn with Me, Macau. We are located in Macau SAR China near Hong Kong. Let us know if your interested.
livefree just curious to your findings. We are currently recruiting for EC and looking for teachers in training in South East Asia. you can see the post on joyjobs for Learn with Me, Macau. We are located in Macau SAR China near Hong Kong. Let us know if your interested.
Re: Schools that hire new teachers....
[quote="LWMM"][quote="livefree"]I am a new preschool teacher....will have 2 yrs experience by next summer. Are there any decent schools that will hire a teacher with not much experience? I do have a teacher's permit to teach early childhood education, plus a B.A. in a related field.[/quote]
livefree just curious to your findings. We are currently recruiting for EC and looking for teachers in training in South East Asia. you can see the post on joyjobs for Learn with Me, Macau. We are located in Macau SAR China near Hong Kong. Let us know if your interested.[/quote]
Hello,
I may be interested in teaching in Macau...I need to research more about the place, though. Is the position full-time and is there health coverage, housing, any perks? Also, what's the average salary? Thanks!
livefree just curious to your findings. We are currently recruiting for EC and looking for teachers in training in South East Asia. you can see the post on joyjobs for Learn with Me, Macau. We are located in Macau SAR China near Hong Kong. Let us know if your interested.[/quote]
Hello,
I may be interested in teaching in Macau...I need to research more about the place, though. Is the position full-time and is there health coverage, housing, any perks? Also, what's the average salary? Thanks!
Reply
They arent an International school, and arent a cram school/tutoring school either. They only offer primary really, they are more an immersion day care. They dont have a real curriculum (IPC is a generic copy of a western curriculum with IB styled wrapping). These schools rent a building and then advertise to local natives low tuition and western teachers, and that their kids will learn english using whatever the most popular learning pedagogy is at the time. In reality youll be doing little more then a day long english reading program with some soft touches on science and math.
These schools almost always have ESL packages; expect a reimbursed airfare allowance that will be lucky to actually cover the airfare. Dont be surprised if you dont get reimbursed until the end of the year or for them to hold some portion of your salary back. Houseing will probabley be some small allowance or a very small apartment nearby the school. The insurance program if any will be some low rate policy that only covers major procedures (like a broken bone) and most likely from a single provider. if there is anything else it will be based on reimbursement, meaning you go to a provider and then the school trys to only pay you back partially or finds a reason to deny your claim or reimbursement.
These schools almost always have ESL packages; expect a reimbursed airfare allowance that will be lucky to actually cover the airfare. Dont be surprised if you dont get reimbursed until the end of the year or for them to hold some portion of your salary back. Houseing will probabley be some small allowance or a very small apartment nearby the school. The insurance program if any will be some low rate policy that only covers major procedures (like a broken bone) and most likely from a single provider. if there is anything else it will be based on reimbursement, meaning you go to a provider and then the school trys to only pay you back partially or finds a reason to deny your claim or reimbursement.