Physics Teacher, No IB/A-Level Experience ‒ What Are My Options?

[d.Phys-IS]

Hello everyone,

I’m a Physics teacher. I have a Bachelor in Physics from an engineering school and a Master’s in Education, plus an additional qualification in Physics from the University of Toronto.

I have 9 years of teaching experience, teaching Science in middle school, Physics in high school (including Advanced Physics) and Math in high school (but not calculus!). I have no IB or A-level experience.

I am currently teaching in a Canadian program in Asia. We follow the curriculum of the Canadian province where the program is accredited. It is not an international school per se but rather a Canadian program within the main, larger school. All our students are locals (does it count as IS experience?). I’m teaching Math 12 (but not calculus) and Advanced Physics 11 & 12.

I’m not a native speaker but I’m absolutely fluent professionally; my principal told me I have no accent and could pass for a native while a colleague told me I have a slight, hardly discernible accent.

I’m single, no dependents.

With that in mind, I’d like to ask what are my options in IS? My preference would lean towards Singapore (although I’m not bent on it) for the blending of Asian & Western culture and the use of English in daily life ‒ but it seems to be pretty competitive. Do I even stand a chance? It seems that Physics is in high demand in IS; how much of an edge does it give me to land a job in Singapore?

If Singapore is unrealistic, what other countries would you recommend with a decent work/salary balance? I’m especially interested in Asia, here.

When it comes to A-level, IB, or AP Physics: which one would be the best option for me? What doors do they each open? My preference would go for AP because it’s quite close to the Advanced Physics I have already taught/am currently teaching. A-level positions can be found in the UK (there’s also a host of Physics positions there) – would it be a smart move to go there and get some A-level experience? And if necessary, where/how to get some IB experience? I’ve read it’s easier to enter into IB via tier 3 schools ‒ how does one know what tier a school belongs to? And how overwhelmed are IB teachers by their teaching workload?

Also, if that is not too much to expect, where are students most fluent (or fluent enough) in English? In my current school, students’ English is just not quite there – most have clear difficulties in understanding English in grade 10, and even in grade 12, they’re pretty limited in terms of vocabulary. When it comes to expressing something, I’m afraid to say that they all fall far short, especially orally. This results in me doing all the talking during class time, with little to no interactions with students… So while I’m not seeking a school where all students are perfectly bilingual, it would be appreciated if they could somewhat articulate their thoughts in English, at least.

Thank you very much your time and attention.
Looking forward to reading your responses.

[PsyGuy]

You arent a NES, are you white? What is your nationality?

[d.Phys-IS]

I'm French, male, white.
I don't know what NES means.

[beekayem]

Native English Speaker
PsyGuy loves acronyms

[d.Phys-IS]

Oh, I see now. Thanks!
I'm gradually learning the acronyms and the jargon on this forum.

[dunteachin]

You are well qualified, and good physics teachers are in very short supply, so I would advise you to apply wherever you see a position you are interested in, even if they stipulate IB or A-Level experience. The fact that you don't have IB Diploma or A-level experience might count against you if there are other candidates with more relevant experience, but in reality, IB Diploma, A-level and IP are at similar levels, with slightly different emphases. If you can teach one, you can teach them all, and a good school will provide you with appropriate professional development. A "true" International School (one committed to diversity and intercultural understanding) would welcome a bilingual teacher at this level, so don't worry about not being a native speaker of English. A good international school will enroll students from a variety of nationalities and mother tongues, and support high levels of fluency in English, with additional programs to support English learners. English will be the common language of the school. If you are concerned about your students' level of English you might want to avoid schools which are actually national schools in non-English speaking locations enrolling local students but following an international curriculum. As to work load, I don't think one curriculum is more demanding than another - it comes down to how many contact periods the school gives its teachers, and average class size. I know the IB Diploma best, and it does come with a lot of formative and summative assessment requirements, so you need to plan your year carefully, but it's not that difficult. Good luck!

[PsyGuy]

@d.Phys-IS

NES = Native English Speaker.

Do you have a credential? Do you have a CAPES from France or do you have registration with the Ontario College of Teachers? Some other credential (other CAN province registration, QTS, registration with one of the UK GTCs, etc.)?