I Need Advice From Fellow International Teachers!
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:37 pm
My situation: I am 47 years old. I am currently teaching at an international school in the ME, teaching a non-IB job. I started this year looking for an IB job. I paid for all of my own IB professional development. I have no actual IB teaching experience.
I went to a job fair, applied for many jobs on Search looking for IB jobs. I was told for 3 months straight by schools that no one will hire me w/o IB experience. So in Jan. I accepted a job and signed a contract for a non-IB job thinking I would never be offered an IB job. Even though it was in a country I was not excited to move to, at least it was a job. I stopped looking for other jobs.
Early March: a close family member was diagnosed with cancer. I started checking the country I am moving to in order to see how the Coronavirus was developing in that country. At the same time a school that I applied to in December contacted me about an IB job in another country. Even though I had already signed the contract in country 1, I decided to interview for the IB job in country 2 because (1) it was IB, and (2) I was afraid that the Coronavirus conditions in country 1 would preclude me from being around my relative with cancer (I could pass it on to him when I see him, probably killing him).
Late March/right about now: I found out that the country I am moving to has horrible Coronavirus problems. In addition, the school in country 2 offered me the IB job.
I contacted Search and told them my dilemma that I did not want to work in Country 1 any more because with so many Coronavirus issues there, I could easily carry it and pass it on to my family member when I see him. I said that I wanted to accept the job in Country 2 because, as I learned from my research, Country 2 has almost no Coronavirus issues. Search said that if the school in Country 1 finds out you accept the job in Country 2, the school in Country 1 will call the school in Country 2, tell them I broke contract, and the school in Country 2 would rescind the offer. Plus, they said I would get blackballed.
Here are my questions:
1. HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT, IF I BREAK CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 1 (the contract will actually begin in August 2020), HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 1 WILL CONTACT THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 2?? HAS ANY ONE EVER HEARD OF THAT?
2. HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT I WOULD GET BLACKBALLED, WHICH WOULD BE THE END OF MY INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CAREER?
Sorry this is so long and thank you for your insight!!
I went to a job fair, applied for many jobs on Search looking for IB jobs. I was told for 3 months straight by schools that no one will hire me w/o IB experience. So in Jan. I accepted a job and signed a contract for a non-IB job thinking I would never be offered an IB job. Even though it was in a country I was not excited to move to, at least it was a job. I stopped looking for other jobs.
Early March: a close family member was diagnosed with cancer. I started checking the country I am moving to in order to see how the Coronavirus was developing in that country. At the same time a school that I applied to in December contacted me about an IB job in another country. Even though I had already signed the contract in country 1, I decided to interview for the IB job in country 2 because (1) it was IB, and (2) I was afraid that the Coronavirus conditions in country 1 would preclude me from being around my relative with cancer (I could pass it on to him when I see him, probably killing him).
Late March/right about now: I found out that the country I am moving to has horrible Coronavirus problems. In addition, the school in country 2 offered me the IB job.
I contacted Search and told them my dilemma that I did not want to work in Country 1 any more because with so many Coronavirus issues there, I could easily carry it and pass it on to my family member when I see him. I said that I wanted to accept the job in Country 2 because, as I learned from my research, Country 2 has almost no Coronavirus issues. Search said that if the school in Country 1 finds out you accept the job in Country 2, the school in Country 1 will call the school in Country 2, tell them I broke contract, and the school in Country 2 would rescind the offer. Plus, they said I would get blackballed.
Here are my questions:
1. HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT, IF I BREAK CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 1 (the contract will actually begin in August 2020), HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 1 WILL CONTACT THE SCHOOL IN COUNTRY 2?? HAS ANY ONE EVER HEARD OF THAT?
2. HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT I WOULD GET BLACKBALLED, WHICH WOULD BE THE END OF MY INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CAREER?
Sorry this is so long and thank you for your insight!!