Art Teacher with trailing spouse

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MakeAMessArt
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:55 pm

Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by MakeAMessArt »

Hi all- I'm new to the international school scene and looking for some advice and information. I've tried to read through many previous posts but am still curious about specifics to my situation.

I am an elementary and middle school art teacher with four years of experience, though two of those years were as a third grade classroom teacher. I'm fully certified of course, and have a BA in Art and an MEd in elementary education.

I have a trailing husband who will be writing up his PhD, which means he will be very busy no matter where we are. I also have a trailing dog.

We are very open in terms of location, just looking for a foot in the door! I would prefer to teach art (and seem to have found quite a few openings) but would also teach lower elementary. I've signed up with Search Associates and have contacted MANY schools either via their website or directly (depending on the instructions on the school website). I was only activated last week so I know I'm a bit late to the game.

Questions:

1. Do I have any chance of finding a position? I see a lot of elementary art jobs in the SA database but I assume that also means there are a lot of candidates.
2. How long is average for a school to get back to you to set up a Skype interview? Weeks? Months? Give me some hope here...
3. I requested an invite to an SA fair but haven't heard back from my associate since I was activated. Is it too late to get to a fair for this cycle?
4. I was contacted by a school that I'm not really interested in to have a Skype interview. The school seems pretty new and I just don't think our philosophies will be a good fit. Is being contacted a good sign? I agreed to interview to see what's out there and for practice, but I can't decide if it is a promising sign or disappointing.
5. Any other advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

Hi. I am sure other will be along to add their two cents. Here is mine.

You seem to be in a good position to be considered by some decent to great schools out there. Your experience is above the minimum (two years) most schools are looking for and the fact that only half of that is in Art or ES is probably a wash with the fact that your are certified/have taught in two different areas,

A trailing spouse is a bit of a handicap but not much of one really and the trailing K-9 is a non-factor for schools as they won't pay for transport etc. Obviously it is a factor for you and something to be taken into account when looking at location (e.g. transport, quarantine, housing size/taking pets etc).

It is a bit late but many people are still hired after this point so it is by no means too late. You should still be able to get into a Search fair. Don't be discouraged if they first tell you they are full at whatever fair you want to pursue then get back to you a few days later and say they have an opening. It either happens a lot or is a marketing ploy as it's happened to us several times (and other people we know). Consider Cambridge if you can get in.

Many openings is a good thing. Make sure you do your research on potential schools both on Search's database and on ISR (and on the location as best you can). Uninvited attention is not necessarily a good or bad sign, just a reality. It is a good idea to take some interviews not on your radar for practice and you never know if a school/location will make it on your radar after talking with the school.

Good luck!
MakeAMessArt
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:55 pm

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by MakeAMessArt »

Thanks wrldtrvlr123! I am very grateful for the feedback. I'm concerned too because I requested an invitation to Cambridge via my associate and have not heard back for over a week. Can I contact the organizer or... Any other suggestions?? I definitely feel a bit better reading this. I look forward to getting more experience so I can contribute!
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

No problem. I would definitely rattle someone's chain at Search. If your associate is not getting back to you then follow up with the organizer and be sure to throw that in as the reason you are contacting them directly.

SA as a whole is a decent to good organization as far as the database, fairs etc but the individual associates vary wildly in their competence and communication skills. Don't trust anyone else with your future. Get on it.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Your spouse is not "writing up his Ph.D" he is writing his dissertation. What he does is less relevant to an IS and recruiter than the cost associated with relocation (airfare, housing, insurance, etc.). ISs dont care much about pets, unless you have a large breed, or a prohibited breed as this may be an issue with the local housing property agents, which may be the IS.
Trailing spouses are cost, its a negative, and its not marginal. There is a moderate increase in housing in a addition to relocation and insurance costs. Spouses however are better than child dependents.

Yes you have a strong probability of obtaining a position, the rule is there is a job for everyone if you will take anything.
Elementary Art is a very POPULAR area to move into in primary when ITs want to move away from being an HRT. There is also some an increase departmentalization in primary, especially upper primary.

The rule is when an IS wants you they act like they want you. They generally dont play hard to get, or do 3 day waiting periods or longer to respond. Followup can vary greatly a bottom tier IS might get a handful of applicants for a vacancy and contact you the same day or less to followup on an interview. There are also elite tier ISs that get a 1000 applications for a vacancy and either send an automated confirmation and wait until some predesignated date when the application ends to contact candidates, and many ISs dont even see you or think about you, if they arent interested. Understand that your application may be screened through a number of individuals or systems before and if it actually gets to a member of leadership. Email screening and keyword scanning engines can automate a significant number of steps in the recruiting process. Personal and other business staff may simply sort applicants based on some criteria without doing more then determining if a candidate meets the checklist of preferred requirements that arent even published.
If you dont hear back within a week of the closing date or a week of applying to an open (open until filled) vacancy, you may assume they arent interested (right now).

I concur with @WT123, associates vary greatly. I would followup with your associate again wait a day or so, and then contact the organizer. It really is a marketing strategy. There is no real limit to a fairs maximum capacity. Even when space at the sponsoring property is full they have added another nearby property and transported attendees in the morning and evening.
Its not too late, but its getting there especially if you have to make travel plans.

Further concur that interest is not always a good thing, lots of bottom tier ISS are very good at pitching their IS, emphasizing the positive, and ignoring the negatives. Interview practice and confidence is valuable, and this will give you some insight into how negotiations are conducted if you are presented with an offer.

There is a lot of information published by our contributors already from negotiation to fairs, to contracts, etc.
adminpaul
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:11 pm

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by adminpaul »

Here's an ISR Blog on the subject of trailing spouses.

https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... ng-spouse/
MakeAMessArt
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:55 pm

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by MakeAMessArt »

PsyGuy-

Thanks for a long post with valuable information. You're correct of course- he is writing his dissertation. I've updated my SA profile to make sure I sound more professional and informed. I have managed an invitation to the SFO fair, and was told Cambridge is full, but I'm still hopeful I'll be told last minute that it isn't. Again, thank you. I'm still digesting everything you wrote.

admin-

Thank you! I am still exploring all your website has to offer and I hadn't yet seen that resource.

wrltdrvlr123-

You're right. Now I'm on it. It's a fine balance between being proactive and being a pest... All part of my professional growth I suppose.

Hopefully it all pans out!
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Reply

Post by PsyGuy »

@MakeAMessArt

Keep on yours and the hosting associate, BOS is never really full and you really need to be at the BOS fair compared to the SFO fair.
nightheron
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 12:38 am

Re: Art Teacher with trailing spouse

Post by nightheron »

I agree about the SFO fair, unless it is local for you. I went in the past as I lived nearby and could take the train rather than stay at a hotel. It was a waste of time. Many advertised schools didn't come because they had filled the last of their positions in Boston. The schools were primarily from the Middle East and China, depending on your location interests if that is good/bad. If it is still in the same location it is in an industrial neighborhood in the South Bay, far from SF, so you can't even make a decent vacation out of it.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

The SFO fair is a dump fair.
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