The International Schools Review Forum

For those of you who have been, or still are, at their dream school: how long did you stay there, or how long do you think you will stay?
How long does it take before you feel the itch to leave, when the school is everything you're looking for, and why exactly do you leave?

I'm at my 'dream school'. I imagine I'll be here for the foreseeable future (or until something major happens that pisses me off too much).

Ultimately it comes down to what you're looking for as a teacher vs what the school can offer. Both of those can change over time, so if one (or both) of those factors change too much then it's time to move on.

Ever since I've been doing research on international schools I've had an unchanged shortlist of 5 dream schools. Not very original choices, all schools that are on a lot of ITs lists. After having been employed at various schools at various tiers in various regions I'm currently teaching at one of these five.
Luckily it did not disappoint and there's basically nothing that I would like to see changed at the school (well, my classroom a few steps closer to the staff washroom perhaps), so just like @Smoko I'll be here for the foreseeable future.
However, I can imagine that at some point I will want a change, both of school and city. Not because something is wrong, but just because a new school and city might be interesting. Not better, just different. Perhaps around the 10 year mark?

Until something, or some combination of things, changes too much.
It’s happened to me. I was in a place I could have stayed indefinitely, but over time it changed. It was no longer what I signed up for.
I’ve been lucky enough to find a second such place. Fingers crossed.

It also depends on the local situation. If the dream school is not in a first-world country, rapidly changing social and political equations can make one to think beyond pay check and benefits. China, The Philippines, and Thailand are cases in point. Also, change of school management can have a significant impact. I have friends who wanted to retire in Bangkok, but the pollution, scams, and sleaze finally got to them. Same with parts of Eastern Europe. It all depends one one's priorities.

I will probably retire out from here, there are only a few places I would consider leaving for.

If you have the itch to leave for whatever reason than it doesnt sound like your dream IS anymore. You lave because you see happiness somewhere else.

For me it was 8 years, 3 principals, and two directors. The second director was the one who made me go, "Yeah, time to leave." Many others stayed, but I just couldn't. I was in a position where I answered to the director and it just made me shake my head and leave.

Its really telling how small changes can change your dream IS to your nightmare IS.

> If you have the itch to leave for whatever reason than it doesnt sound like
> your dream IS anymore. You lave because you see happiness somewhere else.

Yes of course, that goes without saying.
My question is how long it took for teachers to start feeling this itch, even at schools that they have considered dream schools and where everything is pretty much perfect.

::Looking around for @Sid::
How long is a piece of string?

PsyGuy wrote:
> ::Looking around for @Sid::
> How long is a piece of string?

Just interested in personal experiences.
Of course I know there's no absolute number that is true for every teacher.

Illiane_Blues wrote:
> Just interested in personal experiences.
> Of course I know there's no absolute number that is true for every teacher.

I can't say how long I'll be at my current (dream) school as I don't feel the itch to leave yet, and it might be a long time before I do.
But the school is on many teachers' short list, so I can tell you after how many years some of my colleagues left, and chances are it was one of their dream schools as well.

There's a group of teachers who leave after (or just before) having kids, because they want to move back home to be near family, but these are not too relevant for your question, since the number of years at the school is irrelevant.

Most of the departing teachers leave after 10-12 years.

Some leave before then because they can move into a leadership position at another school, and some move before then to go back home and live close to their ageing parents, quite often after their parents have had some health scare.

A sizeable group stays longer, sometimes a lot longer.

Most teachers that get hired will have been at at least 4 or 5 other school but the occasional IT here that has only 2 or 3 other ISs under their belt will sometimes leave just to experience a different kind of school (different size, different curriculum, etc.), and the younger they are the more likely that they will sometimes leave because they want to be on a different continent, although we get very few of those.

Troll posting removed by admin

12 years is what I heard from friends that are at their 'dream school' so that sounds about right.
Thanks for the reply!

I believe it was the great philosopher, Mike Tyson, who said "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth".

That works well when talking about planning for a long stay at your dream school. You can plan all you want, but there will eventually be a change of leadership, be it principal or whoever you are required to report to. And if you don't get on with that new person, or they are just plain terrible at being a principal, it will be like a punch in the mouth. You could maybe eek out 1 more school year if this happens, but any longer and you are risking your sanity, and possibly your career.