chances for newbie teaching couple

waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by waybuloo »

Me and my husband and two kids are planning to move to China next year.
We are new in the profession. By next July, I would have two years of experience teaching primary and my husband would just finish his NQT year teaching secondary Math.
Because I have Chinese background, I am not sure if schools would employ me as a primary teacher because I don't look 'foreign'. Would there be any career development if I apply to be the PA for headteacher? Or maybe there are other roles I can apply using my language ability? Sorry for throwing random questions, we are just trying to maximise our opportunities.

I wonder what types of schools we should apply for? Should I let my husband be the lead applicant? He tutored for years before PGCE and he has a first-class Math degree and M sc from a Russel group uni. I did PGCE primary and M ed.

Thanks in advance for any advise.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by sid »

There isn’t really a “lead” when you’re both applying for normal teaching positions.
Don’t go to a TA position unless it’s truly doomsday. Once there, you’re unlikely to be moved. And it’ll pay a fraction.
Don’t move and then apply. Apply now, get jobs, move later. If you move first, you’ll both likely be locked into local hire contracts forever.
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by waybuloo »

sid wrote:
> There isn’t really a “lead” when you’re both applying for normal teaching
> positions.
> Don’t go to a TA position unless it’s truly doomsday. Once there, you’re
> unlikely to be moved. And it’ll pay a fraction.
> Don’t move and then apply. Apply now, get jobs, move later. If you move
> first, you’ll both likely be locked into local hire contracts forever.

Thanks Sid.
I am not going to apply to be a TA, I was thinking about apply a PA for Headteacher post in a second-tier school. They need someone who has dual language ability and management background. I am currently running a supplementary school so I have some related experience.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by sid »

Ah. I read too quickly. Sorry.
PA is such a different skill set from teaching or leading. I don’t see it as a help to either pathway.
expatscot
Posts: 307
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:26 am

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by expatscot »

You might have some success - look at some of the 'bilingual' schools who might take on a newly qualified maths teacher, with yourself as a primary teacher.
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by shadowjack »

Your husband's math is the selling point. You (at this point) would be part of the package of him. If he is teaching Math 11 or 12, then it is better for his prospects.

You might not get in at a great school, but you can get in at a school in China, get the experience, then start shopping around. My advice to you is start stretching your teaching practices. Take on new roles, Agree to head an initiative. Then that will remove part of the perception of not looking foreign. It will also make you both more marketable because you demonstrably bring different skills to the table which benefit the school hiring you. There are schools who will hire you two for sure.

Good luck!
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Do you have any business experience in a role such as a PA? Language ability is one component of the position but its one of many important characteristics.

I concur wth @Sj in part, your spouse is really doing the heavy lifting, but neither of you have a lot of experience, even as a maths IT, one year even if its SLL is still a very lite resume, one that adding a primary IT spouse with 2 kids is a difficult logistical sell in IE, even in China. There are ISs that will hire you, and maybe a PA route is a stronger way to go.

You should just apply to everything thats available, you can be selective when you have options.
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by waybuloo »

shadowjack wrote:
> Your husband's math is the selling point. You (at this point) would be part
> of the package of him. If he is teaching Math 11 or 12, then it is better
> for his prospects.
>
> You might not get in at a great school, but you can get in at a school in
> China, get the experience, then start shopping around. My advice to you is
> start stretching your teaching practices. Take on new roles, Agree to head
> an initiative. Then that will remove part of the perception of not looking
> foreign. It will also make you both more marketable because you
> demonstrably bring different skills to the table which benefit the school
> hiring you. There are schools who will hire you two for sure.
>
> Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. We are applying nearly all the Maths jobs that are available now. Only filtering out the ones sounds really doggy. We have to consider education for our kids too.
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: Response

Post by waybuloo »

PsyGuy wrote:
> Do you have any business experience in a role such as a PA? Language
> ability is one component of the position but its one of many important
> characteristics.
>
> I concur wth @Sj in part, your spouse is really doing the heavy lifting,
> but neither of you have a lot of experience, even as a maths IT, one year
> even if its SLL is still a very lite resume, one that adding a primary IT
> spouse with 2 kids is a difficult logistical sell in IE, even in China.
> There are ISs that will hire you, and maybe a PA route is a stronger way to
> go.
>
> You should just apply to everything thats available, you can be selective
> when you have options.

Thank you PSY,I am also working in a part-time job that gives me the managerial experience, that's why I was considering PA roles.
My question is, will I go back to teaching in the future?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@waybuloo

You should consider applying at the dodgy ISs as well. You dont have very strong resumes and you have logistical factors that make you an expensive hire, dodgy is about what your competitive for. At the very least those interviews will give you an idea of your utility and you will get some interview practice.
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: Reply

Post by waybuloo »

PsyGuy wrote:
> @waybuloo
>
> You should consider applying at the dodgy ISs as well. You dont have very
> strong resumes and you have logistical factors that make you an expensive
> hire, dodgy is about what your competitive for. At the very least those
> interviews will give you an idea of your utility and you will get some
> interview practice.

True. Thank you, PSY. I took your advice 3 years ago to do a PGCE followed by a Master. also managed to persuade my husband to do a PGCE too.
I wonder if my husband and I should only apply for schools that have positions for both of us or one of us?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@waybuloo

You should consider strongly applying for all of them, vacancies for you, for your spouse and for ISs with vacancies for both of you. You need to figure out your value, and that means how much your worth, how much your spouse is worth, and how much youre worth together as a teaching couple. Once youve done that and have a sense of your flow (and your flow as a couple together in a digital interview) youll be in a better position to focus on tho ISs that maximize your outcomes within the scope of your control. Further, you should consider really stretching your applications beyond what youre directly qualified for. Apply for Mandarin FL vacancies at whatever level including whole IS and secondary, if an IS has a lower secondary vacancy at year 6 or 7 apply for those, 7th year students are just bigger 6th year students. If a Primary IS has a specialist IT vacancy (PSPE, arts) apply for those even if your experience is as an HRT. Your spouse should look at maths/science vacancies in lower secondary or specialist IT positions in primary, even ICT positions in primary and lower secondary.
ITs typically do better when they arent desperate and arent frustrated. You need options, the more you have, the more selective you can be and the more confident and in the know you will be in your recruiting. If you know you can get RMB¥30K because youve been offered that and an IS offers you RMB¥25K youll know you can be justifiably insulted and act accordingly, because you will have visceral knowledge of your marketability.
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: Reply

Post by waybuloo »

@PsyGuy
Thanks for your advice. We have been applying to various jobs in the past two days. just realised China has a two-year working experience required for visa application. I just finished my NQT and my husband is on his NQT year, does it mean we can not apply for a work visa in China?
IE_sciteacher
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:05 pm

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by IE_sciteacher »

The two year rule is bendable (there are teachers at schools in China who do not have licenses). It does mean that you will be aiming for T3 schools or Chinese schools with a dual international program offering.

Often those people start at a school and get experience and then move to a better school in China after 1 or 2 years (often within the same city).
waybuloo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:15 pm

Re: chances for newbie teaching couple

Post by waybuloo »

IE_sciteacher wrote:
> The two year rule is bendable (there are teachers at schools in China who
> do not have licenses). It does mean that you will be aiming for T3 schools
> or Chinese schools with a dual international program offering.
>
> Often those people start at a school and get experience and then move to a
> better school in China after 1 or 2 years (often within the same city).

Thanks. We are applying to some bilingual school. How about these borrowed name bilingual school? are they T3 as well?
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