The International Schools Review Forum

I have accepted my first IS job for the fall and my husband is a trailing spouse. He has his teaching license but isn’t sure if he wants to continue with it, and I’m curious what other careers other trailing spouses make work when the IS career path can mean moving across the world?

It would depend on the country and if the spouse can get a work visa. Additionally, the language of the country might be a barrier. Some trailing spouses work as subs/coaches/tutors at the school or volunteer at the school or another organization (again, the language might be an issue). I have not known a lot of trailing husbands--a couple that I did know struggled a bit because most of them are women. One of my colleagues has a trailing husband who is writing a book. Getting paid employment might be a challenge.

Given the situation and attitude in many countries, a male trailing spouse might not be as well received, especially if you are younger. If you are older, that's different again...

Here is the thing for your husband that he might not realize - teaching in a DS is a whole different ball game than teaching in an IS. I went from teaching 7 of 8 with 26-30 students a class to teaching 5/8 with 10 - 17 students a class. And the worst behaved student in my IS was worst because he chatted and didn't hand in work!

It is easier as a teaching couple than as a single teacher w/ trailing spouse. And you can live on one salary and bank the other.

Trailing Spouse Solutions
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... ng-spouse/

It depends what they can do and what their visa allows them to do. Typically language ability in the host language is the major barrier. If trailing spouses dont have an in at the IS their spouse is employed at they usually have two options.
1) Teaching something like ESOL or less common something like music, art or some other craft.
2) They have an independent business. Maybe its tax prep, or accounting, some kind of craft or production skill or they can buy goods in the country they are in and they can sell online and export it.

I know one that buys OVD anime in Japan and exports it to the US and another that buys JP things at Daiso (among others) and sells them online for export.

I know of instances where trailing spouses were given positions in administration/staff. In low levels of staff, as well as higher levels of administration such as marketing, HR, etc. This is usually done due to the relevant/related degrees held. Although such jobs are usually filled by host country nationals, certain schools do consider, these schools which are more international in character, such as those that teach a huge percentage of ex-pat children.

shadowjack wrote:
> Given the situation and attitude in many countries, a male trailing spouse
> might not be as well received, especially if you are younger. If you are
> older, that's different again...
>
> Here is the thing for your husband that he might not realize - teaching in
> a DS is a whole different ball game than teaching in an IS. I went from
> teaching 7 of 8 with 26-30 students a class to teaching 5/8 with 10 - 17
> students a class. And the worst behaved student in my IS was worst because
> he chatted and didn't hand in work!
>
> It is easier as a teaching couple than as a single teacher w/ trailing
> spouse. And you can live on one salary and bank the other.


That's what I hope to go towards, but he's just unsure if he still wants to be in the profession. Thanks for the advice though - I've relayed it to him.