E.T. Phone Home

My parents will tell you that there's been a number of occasions when I've phoned them at unreasonable hours, usually in the dead of night.

The reason I've screwed up is that it can be really difficult keeping track of the time difference, especially when you're dealing with summer time/daylight savings.

I've found the easiest way to find out the time in another country. Let me introduce you to... TimeZoneCheck:


This is the best resource I've found for checking what the time is in different countries related to where I am. I don't even need to tell it where I am because the website gets that from the address of the computer I'm using. It's brilliant!

Use TimeZoneCheck when you're phoning home, and when you're planning telephone or video interviews!

Include comments in your teaching portfolio to enhance your international school job application

There's a lot of competition when you're applying for a teaching job in an international school. Creating a teaching portfolio can put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Include comments from students and parents in your teaching portfolio, but only if they're going to enhance your application...

Not like these ones!



International school jobs and teaching portfolios

International Teachers Moving Abroad - Taking your Gadgets with you

Dear fellow international teachers, If you're anything like me, you love your gadgets. I sometimes think my gadgets weigh more than my clothing when I travel. And once you've got your gadgets sorted out, you've then got to get the chargers, and adapters to go with them!

But there's more to it than that. Not all countries operate their gadgets on the same standards. North America has a completely different system for cellphones for example.

Watch this video...


Find out more...

Moving abroad to teach at an international school is probably the best career move you will ever make, but it's not without pitfalls that can easily be avoided.

Do your research and you'll enjoy every minute of your overseas teaching experience!

Teaching Jobs Abroad and Police Clearance Certificates

Police clearance certificates are as important to international teachers as their passports. Why? Without a police clearance certificate many countries will not allow teachers to work with children.

The clearance certificate goes by many different names; what you’re looking for is an official document that records any convictions on your criminal record. Regardless of whether you have any convictions or not, you will be required to produce official evidence that your record is clear.

If you record is not clear you may still be able to teach abroad, but you will need to find out which countries will grant you a work permit with the convictions you have.

More rigorous background checks for foreign teachers applying to work in Thailand have been put in place because of a recent high profile arrest of an American teacher by American immigration officers in August 2006. The teacher was taken back to the States for questioning in a murder investigation.

Once you’ve obtained your police clearance certificate, take it with you when you move overseas. It’s one of those important documents you should always be able to lay your hands on. A clearance certificate is one of my top 10 things to take when moving abroad. You’ll need to have the original with you; it’s not one of the documents you can carry in digital format.

When you are nearing the end of you first overseas teaching contract start making enquiries about what you need to do to obtain a clearance certificate from the police in the country you’ve been teaching in. This is important! When you’re teaching abroad it’s important you maintain an unbroken chain of police clearance certificates or the equivalent.

Should you eventually desire to return home and pick up your teaching career there, you’ll need to supply the clearance certificates you’ve collected whilst working abroad. A consequence of not being able to produce a record of your conviction history could be that you’re unable to continue working in the education industry as a teacher when you return home.

Using Leverage to Land Your International Teaching Job

The definition of leverage, according to About.com is an "increasing the rate of return from an investment."

How does this relate to teaching abroad?

Whether you are teaching abroad or you have a domestic teaching job, there are many ways you can increase the benefit to you from the investment of teaching. The key to successful leveraging is knowledge of the concept and strategic planning before tactical implementation.

Using Leverage To Get Your First Teaching Job Abroad

Leverage the experience you already have by putting together a targeted resume that reflects your strengths.

International school recruiters are looking for teachers that have experience with multilingual or multicultural classes, but have you pointed this out on your resume? Make it clear that you have worked with students from different cultures and you'll be one step closer to landing your first teaching job abroad. This can be done as easily as describing the student cohort in broad terms when you list the schools at which you've previously worked.

Many schools abroad are smaller than domestic schools, and so many recruiters are looking for teachers that have a range of diverse experiences to offer to the school. If you have taught other subjects than the position you are applying for, then put this in your resume, with subtlety. Be careful that you aren't taking away from the fact that you are a specialist in the field for which you're applying!

International schools usually run extensive extra-curricular programs, especially schools that offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes. Faculty members are expected to contribute to the extra-curricular program, which means you can leverage your life experiences to secure your first job abroad. The IB emphasises creativity, service and action, which boils down, at the most basic level, to sports, arts and community service. If you have experience organising outdoor activities, coaching sports, teaching craft or hobbies, then you need to include this in your resume.

One key thing to remember when you're applying for a teaching job abroad is that recruiters are looking at the 'whole' person to see how they'll fit into the faculty, the culture, and what they'll contribute to the school community. Everything that you can bring to the school should be included in your application pack, so that the recruiter has an opportunity to 'meet' the person, not just the teacher.

Finally, if you don't have experience teaching multicultural or multilingual students, you can get experience by enrolling for and completing a certificate in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). This is a sure-fire way to prove your willingness to learn more about the issues international students face, and your willingness to adapt. To improve your chances of landing a teaching job abroad, you can get a TEFL certificate online.

Leveraging your skills to land your first teaching job in an international school.

Getting a Teaching Job Abroad is not as difficult as you'd think

There are over 4000 international schools worldwide and they all need teachers. The international teaching job market is a competitive one because many teachers see the benefits of teaching abroad. With the right attitude, knowledge and resources you can land your own lucrative teaching job in an international school!

International Teaching and Culture Shock

The Up-Side of the Frustration Stage

Finally you will start to see the funny side of it all and most of the things that made you angry during the frustration stage will either cause you to laugh or you’ll be able to shrug your shoulders and pass it off as being a feature of your new home. When you’re in this stage of the cycle you’ll begin to remember your old home without your rose-coloured glasses again.

You may wonder how I can write with so much confidence about culture shock, and it’s because I’ve experienced it all. I’ve moved country 7 times in the last 11 years and each time I’ve been hit with culture shock. Sometimes only a mild dose, but it’s always there.

Culture shock has never put me off seeking teaching jobs abroad. I recognise it and work with it. In previous posts I’ve given you 5 methods of alleviating the stress of culture shock. Remember that all international teachers feel culture shock to some degree. You won’t be alone, so don’t let it stop you from enjoying the fantastic experiences you’ll have teaching abroad.

Strategies to cope with the stress of culture shock when you're teaching internationally

1. Learn some of the local language before you leave home. You’ve signed a contract that means you’re going to be living in your host country for 1-2 years, learning the language will help you get around and make friends. Some great ways to learn the local language while you’re still at home…

2. Take time to get used to the new time zone, the different weather and smells, sounds etc.

3. Begin building friendships as soon as you arrive and meet the other new teachers. You’ll form a bond with these teachers in the first year especially because they’ll be coping with culture shock as well. This will be your support group.

4. Stay in touch with people you’ve left at home. In my most recent move I found the best medicine for the frustration phase was an email from my old colleagues telling me how unsatisfied they were at my previous school.

5. Cut yourself some slack. When you recognise the symptoms of culture shock, give yourself a break, watch a favourite movie, look at pictures from home, have a meal at your favourite restaurant. Revel in the great things you’re experiencing in your new home so that you can put your frustration in perspective.

International schools and culture shock

International School Teaching - Recognise Culture Shock for What it Is...

Recognising culture shock for what it is and acknowledging which stage you’re in is the first step to lessening the grip it has on you. For example, if you suddenly feel like you hate your new teaching job because of how hard it is to make the purchasing department understand what it is you’re trying to order, recognising this as an effect of culture shock can help you adjust your behaviour.

When you first get to your new home you’ll feel happy to be there and everything you see or experience will be wonderful and new. This is the ‘honeymoon’ stage of culture shock and it feels great! It can last from several days to several months. This is the time where you’ll be sending loads of emails to your friend using words and phrases like ‘awesome’, ‘best decision I’ve ever made’, ‘don’t know why I didn’t do this years ago’. Recognise this stage of culture shock and enjoy it.

Next comes the period of frustration, full of situations like the example above. When you sink into this part of the cycle you’ll begin to dislike everything about your new home. It’ll be too hard, too smelly, too hot, too loud, and everything else ‘too’!

This is also when homesickness could strike you with a vengeance. You may find yourself developing a hostile attitude towards every one not of your own nationality and culture. Your old home will suddenly seem like the best place in the world and you may regret ever leaving it.

International schools culture shock

International School Teaching - you may not recognise culture shock for what it is...

All international school teachers experience culture shock, whether they're moving from the US to the UK, or from the UK to Saudi Arabia. It's going to happen, the best thing is to be prepared and recognise it when it's happening...

Factors that can contribute to culture shock are :

• People speaking a different language, dialect or with an unfamiliar accent.
• Dealing with a different currnecy, money that is a different colour, feel and value. Keeping track of exchange rates can become a tiresome chore when living abroad, so once you’ve received your first paycheck, don’t bother. Earn local, spend local!
• People behaving in unfamiliar ways, even local customs can vary from one end of a country to another.
• Spicy and/or unfamiliar food. You may need to substitute ‘like’ ingredients in your favourite recipes too.
• People staring at you, if you are in a country where your skin colour or facial features stand out as being different, this will happen.

On top of this you’ll be the new teacher in school, so the procedures and policies will be different to what you’re used to at home.

International School - recognising culture shock

International School Teaching and Culture Shock

Culture shock is the term used to describe how people feel when they are exposed to an unfamiliar culture or way of life, and the feeling of disorientation and separateness they experience. It’s a condition that every international teacher feels in varying degrees, whether they’re new to teaching abroad or old hands at it.

Luckily culture shock follows a fairly predictable cycle and there are a number of ways you can prepare for it and lessen the impact of it once you’ve made the move overseas.

Unfortunately, when describing culture shock, it comes across as a negative thing to be avoided at all costs, and I’ve just told you it’s inevitable for anyone wanting to teach abroad. It’s important for you to remember that teaching overseas is an opportunity to explore other cultures and enjoy a better teaching environment. Yes, you will experience culture shock, but you can manage this and it’s not all bad!

International school teaching - culture shock

International School Teaching - the best decision you'll ever make!

Teaching at an international school is an opportunity to put your credentials to good use. You’ll be able to support yourself, and often have more left over at the end of the month than you would at home, and travel extensively to exotic destinations you’ve only ever dreamed about.

And guess what? Internationals school principals have been discussing the looming shortage of international teachers!

That’s right, with the sudden explosion in the number of schools opening for business in the last couple of years there’s been an equal explosion in the number of positions recruiters need to fill… but as yet there hasn’t been the required increase in teachers applying.

You do the math on that one and it all comes out to be a positive move in your favour.

International School Teacher Shortage

Will I make enough money teaching in an international school?

Exactly how much is enough? Especially when you take into account the cost of living in some countries! This is a hard one to answer because we all have different opinions on how much is enough, don’t we?

However, my answer is this… do your homework! It is possible to make loads and loads and put your investment portfolio on the map (or cover the map with your travels! Or both?), but it really depends where you go. Western Europe doesn’t have the same potential for earning that the Middle East or South East Asia has, but almost all international schools will pay you enough to live reasonably well. Although even in Western Europe, some schools pay better than others, and Eastern Europe is different again because of the low cost of living.

International schools - how much will they pay me?

Do I need TEFL to teach at an international school?

Let's start with that acronym, TEFL is Teaching English as a Foreign Language. If you've been researching overseas teaching for a while you'll definitely have run up against this one. Whether you need one to get a job teaching abroad for an international school all depends on what kind of credentials and experience you already have...

A TEFL qualification is easy to get and can be a quick way into teaching jobs abroad. If you don’t have a teaching qualification, then you probably don’t have any other option. With a TEFL certificate you can teach the English as a Second Language classes that are offered at most schools catering to international students.

Based on my experience doing both, teaching EFL or ESL at an international school is preferable to teaching at a private language school, I'll talk more about this in future posts. So plan your job-hunt accordingly.

Also, if your experience is all in mono-lingual and mono-cultural situations, then getting a TEFL qualification to add to your current credentials will only improve your chances. It will show recruiters that you are prepared for the issues you’ll encounter in your multi-cultural classes abroad.

As I said you can quickly and easily upskill with a TEFL certificate. You don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home! I've assessed some online and 'vacation' courses that you can utilise to get yourself a TEFL certificate.

Read more about online TEFL courses, and courses you can do abroad...

International schools and TEFL

Will an international school employ me if I've got children?

Yes they will! You may have some trouble if you’ve got 7 kids and you’re a single parent, or something similar, simply because the recruiters know you probably won’t be able to manage on a single teacher’s salary and allowances.

Contracts for overseas hired teachers often include such perks as free tuition for your children (often limited to two, but not always), so you’ll get a private education for your children too.

It's safe to say that, within reason, teachers with children are in no way penalised for having children. In fact some schools prefer to employ teachers with children because families are believed to be more stable in the international education environment.

Will an international school employ me if I've got children?

Where can I teach in an international school? How can I find out?

There are over 4000 international schools of varying sizes worldwide and all of them need teachers. So the answer to the first question is… just about anywhere!

One way you can find out whether there’s an international school where you’d like to work is to ‘Google it’. I simply typed in ‘international school Bangkok” and up popped a whole page of listings.

For an even tighter search you can limit the results to show only websites with '.ac' or '.edu' the two website extensions for educational institutions commonly used.

Of course this isn’t the way to go about landing your new teaching job abroad, but you can certainly check out how many schools are available in the destinations you’re interested in.

Where can I teach in an international school?

Teach at an International School and Never Have to Supplement Your Income Again!

For 8 of the last 9 years I've been doing supplementary work to add to my income. I even took on extra work whilst I was teaching abroad, but that was before I started teaching at an international school...

Learn ways to supplement your teaching income at 5 Ways for Teachers to Make Extra Money, or secure a job at an international school and never have to take on extra work again!

My Guide will show you the quickest and easiest way to find your own international school teaching job (and it's possible to work in a place where you don't have to pay TAX, too!)

Don't work your butt off to make enough money to live on, you can work your butt a little and make more than enough money to live on when you teach overseas.

International Teaching - Life Long Learning

One of the catch phrases of recent years has been life long learning. Teachers are meant to instil this credo in our students and to model it. One of the easiest and most rewarding ways of modelling life long learning is to teach in an international school.

Living overseas is a learning experience. Nothing comes easy when you don't speak the language very well, don't have your own transportation and the products you're used to probably aren't available anyway.

Sound negative? Oh no! It's anything but... life is challenging and interesting and full of surprises when you're making your way through another culture and language. I move often because when it starts getting easy, it starts getting boring.

Teaching abroad is all about creative problem-solving. Learn more about teaching in international schools today, from teachers who are doing it right now!

Teaching in an International School - What to take with you when you move overseas...

Having moved country 7 times in the last 10 years I needed to develop a system to make sure that I took everything with me that I needed.

I know the time right before you move overseas to take up your teaching post is a really stressful one, so I made a short video with my list of top 10 things you should take with you.

Watch it online now and enjoy!

Teaching Overseas - My Top 10 Things To Take With You!

The Easy to Follow Guide To International Schools For Teachers Seeking Overseas Employment #4

Private Board-Run International Schools

Let’s face it, most international schools are going to be private in some way or another. What reason would any government have to run a special school for foreign children? I can think of a few and none of them particularly good!

And so, you’re going to be stuck with a private school. But this doesn’t have to be all bad.

Private board-run international schools are really the best kind of school you can come across in the overseas teaching circuit. These schools are run on a not-for-profit basis where any and all profits are usually ploughed back into the school in order to fund future improvements.

The board is often made up of a mixture of local business people and officials (to ease the school’s relationship with officials), parents and teachers. The primary goal of these schools is more likely to be to provide an excellent education for students because you’ve got educators and parents on the decision making body.

The good, the bad and the ugly of Private Board-Run International Schools…

The Good is that quality education is the number one priority of the people with the decision making power.

The Bad which isn't all that bad... it's just that when board members include people who are not trained educators, sometimes they have some trouble prioritising issues the way education administrators would. And if the terms of office are restricted, then they may only think in the short-term rather than the long term.

The Ugly is that sometimes cultural differences can affect the good of the school. In some countries, maintaining or enhancing the 'status' of the school can take precedence over good education for the students. Or even good hiring decisions.

However, this is the kind of school you really want to be working for!

Private Board-Run International Schools

The Easy to Follow Guide To International Schools For Teachers Seeking Overseas Employment #3

Military Schools

A US Department of Defense (DoD) school is a school that is attached to a military base abroad. The DoD is responsible for providing education for all school aged dependents of all military and civilian employees who are required to live abroad in order to do their jobs.

There are over 100 US Department of Defense schools in Europe, and currently there are 210 schools located around the world in 12 countries. You might encounter the children of military personnel in American schools abroad when there is no DOD school available.

The British Equivalent is Service Children’s Education (SCE) Schools who operate 27 schools world wide with the majority of them situated in Cyprus and Germany. SCE schools are designed to give the students the same kind of education they would receive if living in the UK and attending school there.

The good, the bad and the ugly of Military Schools…

The Good is that it's easy to evaluate the package you will receive because you will be employed on a national contract. If you are working for the SCE you will be employed on a British teaching contract, with a few extras. You will also be paid in Sterling. The same goes for a DoD school.

The Bad is that you'll have to pay TAX! One of the benefits that comes with teaching at an international school is that you can pay less tax or work in a tax free environment. When you work for a overseas military school you will be employed ‘in’ the country whose military the school serves.

The Ugly is that you’ll be teaching American or British students the relevant curriculum. You will miss out on experiencing a true multi-cultural classroom and all the benefits of teaching international children.

International 'Military' Schools

Taking up your new international school teaching post - get the right visa!

A Bad Day In The Life Of An International Teacher – Avoid Making This Mistake Yourself

Teaching overseas is the best way to combine great working conditions with living an exotic lifestyle. But it’s not without pitfalls for the unwary. I’m going to share a little story with you about how an experienced international teacher ended up having a really, really bad couple of days…

When you are getting ready to move overseas, you will definitely want to take a very close look at what kind of visa you need to get. Moving your teaching career abroad isn’t the same as going on holiday. You are not entering the country for tourism purposes, and most countries distinguish between tourism visas and, well, non-tourism visas!

You many need to get a non-immigrant visa, or a business visa or a working visa… there are many names and number designations that are country specific. For example, teachers who are moving to the United Kingdom require a working visa (or a working holiday visa if they’re under 30) but I needed a non-Immigrant B visa to enter Thailand to take up my post here.

Your new school will let you know what kind of visa you need to get, but you’ll probably have to go and apply for it at the embassy yourself, possibly with documentation that they’ll send to you. Ensure that you read every word in the emails and letters from your new school. And if you don’t understand something, ask for clarification. Here’s why…

In 2007 I started my new job in Thailand at an international school. When we first arrived at the school for our orientation, we were asked to hand in our passports so that the school administration staff could prepare our work permit applications. Our work permits were to take the place of our non-Immigrant B visas when they ran out in a couple of months. We were assured that in the interim, we it was quite legal for us to be working on our non-Immigrant B visas.

I was rather confused when one of my new colleagues leaned over and quietly asked me what a non-Immigrant B visa was. After a little questioning I realized that she didn’t have the right visa because she hadn’t read the instructions in a registered letter we’d received months earlier. The letter contained our official invitation of employment that we were supposed to take to a Thai embassy to get the non-Immigrant B visa which would allow us to work legally in Thailand. My colleague had thought the letter was just something for our records…

As a result my colleague had entered Thailand on a tourist visa which couldn’t be ‘converted’ into a work permit under the immigration rules. This was the beginning of a number of really bad days for her as she had to leave the country in order to get herself the correct visa.

Yes, she got to spend 5 days in Malaysia while the Thai embassy in Malaysia processed her visa application. But it meant that when she got back to Thailand with the correct visa:

• she had no time to prepare for the students starting school the next day
• she still had nowhere to live when most of the rest of us had already found apartments
• she was several hundred dollars out of pocket because she’d had to pay for the trip (hotel, flights, visa for Malaysia) herself.

And the real eye-opener of this story? This particular colleague was an experienced international teacher starting her third overseas position.

It can happen to us all, but don’t let this happen to you! Read everything and ask for further information when you come across something you don’t understand. It’s highly likely that the people contacting you about visas and other ‘house-keeping’ issues will speak English as an Additional Language and this can make communication challenging at times. Bear with it and don’t assume that you’ve understood until you’ve checked.

A quick tip for you – if you’re having trouble communicating with the administrative staff at your school, ask for a ‘buddy’ from among the teaching staff to contact you. Your buddy can help interpret the correspondence from the school and help you out with any questions you have!

International School Teaching - Get the Right Visa

International School Contracts - annual flights?

Different international schools will offer you a range of teaching contract conditions. Decide what you’re willing to accept before you begin interviewing and make the right choice for your teaching career.

For example if you choose to move to a location far away from your family, you won’t want to spend all the money you’ve made to fly your whole family home each year for a visit. This is where annual flights home are a must for me when I am deciding what conditions I'm looking for.

Some of it's regional, international schools throughout Asia and the Middle East generally offer excellent conditions, including flights home. Schools in Europe are a lot more miserly when it comes to conditions, you'll be lucky if you get anything. But then, you do get to live and work in Europe!

Knowing what you’re looking for doesn’t mean that you will get it, but it will mean that you can make informed decisions based on what’s being offered. You will still need to be flexible because there is considerable diversity in contract conditions offered around the world.

International School Contracts - annual flights

International School Contracts - How long is too long?

Consider the period of time you are willing to commit to your new school. There is a trend towards offering starting contracts of two years. My advice is to sign a contract for two years, initially, as it may take you a year or more to settle into the community. Then you can ask to sign contract renewals annually.

If I had signed a one year contract for my current school, I wouldn’t be here now, nor would I have just re-signed for an additional 12 months. It took me a year to get settled and find new hobbies and places to do my old hobbies.

To avoid making a mistake you will regret later you need to have a clear idea of what you want before you enter into any interview situation with the international schools’ recruiters. You also need to have some way of comparing the contract conditions that are offered by different schools, should you be offered more than one teaching position.

International School Contracts - what's a good length for you?

International School Contracts - What are you willing to accept?

When you are making the decision to work overseas, you will need to set some criteria for what contract conditions you are willing to accept.

If you have three or more children, you’ll be looking for a contract where the tuition fee for all of your children is waived. Otherwise you may end up spending a considerable amount of your take-home pay on tuition fees for your third child. The fees for international schools are high, frequently beyond what a teacher can afford to pay, even on the good salaries that are available for teachers at international schools. This makes sense when you think about it – it’s those salaries that pay overseas teachers so lucratively.

International School Contracts Tuition Fees

International School Contracts - Conditions to Look For...

When you are looking at teaching contracts for overseas teachers, there are nearly as many contract conditions as there are international schools.

International schools are often caught between a rock and a hard place. They need to comply with the laws of the country in which they are operating, ensure their conditions and salaries are competitive when compared to other international schools and balance all this with the fact that they have to work within a salary budget.

Here are some of the conditions you may encounter when you are offered an employment contract by an international school recruiter:


* initial cash settling-in payment
* sick pay
* maternity leave
* spouse visas
* baggage allowance at beginning and end of contract
* professional development
* extra-curricular activities stipend
* over-night trip allowance (or per diem)
* school fees waived for dependent children
* housing allowance
* medical cover
* pension contributions
* end of contract bonus
* annual flights home

International School Contract Conditions

Prank Day - Dread It or Love It? At An International School It's A Lot Of Fun

Today is the last day for the seniors who graduate this year. They have negotiated the pranks they are allowed to play with the senior management.

All in all, the pranks are a bit of fun and not the least bit disrespectful to either the staff or the other students. Prank Day was nothing like this in my previous school in the UK where it was always something to be firmly controlled in case of damage.

Today the students have covered the whole campus in ceran wrap (cling film). It was challenging to get into school this morning because they'd even strung it between the buildings!

They are also treating us to a 'joke of the hour' over the public announcement system, which is a little disruptive and the jokes so far have been really bad!

The one thing I objected to was handing over my exit pass (we take them off the students when they owe us some work), as that would mean I was trapped in the school for the whole day. I like to get my lunch from one of the vendors outside the school!

I think the reason that this Prank Day has been so easy is because the students we have here are international students who are raised in a society that respects schools and teachers.

International School Teaching

The Easy to Follow Guide To International Schools For Teachers Seeking Overseas Employment #2

English Speaking ‘International’ Schools

Some schools do not do a very good job of being an "international" school, instead they should be called English Speaking Schools. In fact, many schools springing up in the Middle East do call themselves just that because most of the students are local.

The student body of a genuine international school usually comes from outside the school’s host country. If the majority of the student body is local to the host country, then surely that negates it being an ‘international’ school? Simply on the grounds that it's practically a mono-cultural school.

Many international schools put a limit on the proportion of students that can come from the host country. These international schools often have a waiting list for local students.

The good, the bad and the ugly of English Speaking ‘International’ Schools…

The Good is that once again, there are a lot of them around, all looking for international teachers.

The Bad is that instead of enjoying a multi-cultural classroom with students that are enthusiastic and all have different experiences to bring to class discussions. You will be teaching wealthy children who possibly have no concept of what it is like to have to do things like chores and who may not have any concept of the real world.

The Ugly is that you will be teaching a class full of students who will share a common language that you don’t understand, mono-lingual classes being taught subject specific content in a language that isn’t their own can be a real struggle. You are not going into international teaching to work harder than you do at home!

English Speaking International Schools

10 Years Later On...

I am sitting in a coffee lounge in the lobby of a hotel in Singapore right now, across from my parents.

Finally, after 10 years of living and teaching overseas I have managed to meet up with my parents for a holiday together abroad.

In fact, this year I'm going to be spoiled because they are coming over to Thailand in a month to spend some time with me.

I am busy trying to plan an itinery for them that will work around me still being at work. Considering I'm finishing off a 10 day holiday myself this week, I had hoped they'd come and see me this April rather than in June. But they were pretty set on coming in June.

It doesn't matter, it'll be fun anyway!

The Easy to Follow Guide To International Schools For Teachers Seeking Overseas Employment #1

Private International Schools

Do not get confused, private international schools are businesses with directors who are intent on making an outstanding return on their investment (profit). There is a considerable amount of money to be made in providing private education in areas where the supply is less than demanded. This is simple Economic theory. However, for the teachers employed by this kind of international school it can be a mixed bag.

Many wealthy parents are demanding English language education for their children, and that has lead to a marked increase in the number of international schools worldwide. This is a particular feature of the Middle East and Asia, where new schools are almost constantly opening for students. The year I was looking for my current position teaching overseas there were a total of 5 new schools starting up in Dubai alone.

The good, the bad and the ugly of teaching overseas at private international schools…

The Good is that there are loads of them. There are a large number of private international schools for teachers to choose from.

The Bad is that while it is possible to balance good educational practice with the desire to make substantial profits, it is unlikely that in a battle between the two that providing a good education for the students will win. Teaching overseas should not involve you being required to ignore or turn your back on your teaching philosophy.

The Ugly is that you know when a school’s continued survival is dependent upon tuition money from the students' parents, how likely do you think it is that an international school will expel students that are negatively affecting the learning of others?

Privately Owned International Schools

Not all International Schools are Equal

An Easy-to-Follow Guide To International Schools For Teachers Seeking Overseas Employment

Considering the remarkable growth in the number of international schools in the world over the last couple of years, on top of the abundance already operating worldwide, it is no wonder you are probably completely confused at the idea of trying to choose the ‘best-fit' school for you.

Of course, that is assuming you have already made the decision to move your teaching career overseas and that you are simply looking for reliable information about what teaching abroad is all about and how to break into the small number of educational professionals teaching abroad worldwide. If you haven't, well why haven't you? Using my teaching credentials to secure a job teaching abroad was the best career decision I ever made.

But I'm straying from the point… this is all about helping you get all the details you need about the different kinds of international schools so that you can make an intelligent and well-informed decision for your future career. Teaching overseas can be littered with potholes to sink the new teacher.

International Schools

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #5

Which examinations will your children be working towards?

There are a number of examinations available for international school students, and you will need to understand the options before making any decisions about accepting an overseas employment contract.

I mentioned the IBO previously as being a school wide programme. It offers students at international schools (and many schools that aren't catering to expatriate children are also choosing to offer this curriculum too) a well rounded education that addresses the whole person, not just the part of them sitting the tests.

However many schools adopt bits and pieces of the programme. You may find that an international school offers the Diploma for the upper two years but offers the British IGCSE for Years 10 and 11. IGCSE is an examination based qualification, and the IBO Middle Years Programme has no externally moderated examination assessment, students get a certificate and a record of achievement. Many international schools have a mix and match attitude to the curricula they offer students.

International schools that run national curricula tend to prepare students for the related national exams. American schools overseas run a mixture of state curricula and AP courses.

I am primarily concerned with helping teachers get teaching jobs in international schools. In my last few posts I have listed just a few of the factors you’ll need to think about if you want to get a private education for your children through teaching abroad at an international school.

While I don’t have any children of my own, many of my colleagues who are international teachers do, and they believe that the education their children are receiving abroad is better than what they could get back home, wherever home may be.

Choosing the right International School

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #4

Which curricula does the school subscribe to?

There are international schools abroad that offer what is essentially a national curriculum. You can find international schools that are running the national curriculum from America, Britian, Australia, Canada, France (usually taught in French), and so on.

Securing a teaching contract in an international school that offers the national curriculum that you and your children are used to will help ease the transition into international education for both you and them. When you are doing your research, one clue to whether an international school is running a national curriculum is in the name of the school. For example, the British School of Rome or the British School of the Netherlands.

When you are looking for a good school for your children, you may run up against some curricula that you haven’t come across before. For example, there is the school wide system offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The IBO offers the Primary Years Programme up to Year 6, the Middle Years Programme from Years 7 to 11, and the Diploma Years Programme for Years 12 and 13.

Choosing the right International School

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #3

How many students are in the international school?

This is particularly of concern for parents of high school aged children as the number of students in a school may affect the number of subject choices offered at higher levels. For example, if there are only 30 students in the graduating class, then the school will have to limit the number of subjects being offered to make it cost effective. For example, a small international school may not have the numbers of students to run both business studies and economics. Or may not have the numbers to run maths higher, maths standard and maths studies. This can often affect profit and non-profit making international schools alike.

Additionally, the number of students in the school can affect the number and type of extra curricular activities offered, and therefore your child’s opportunities to experience team sports and other activities that are usually run after school.

One feature of international schools is the transitory nature of both the students and the teachers. The effect of a new student joining a class or a student leaving may be more deeply felt if there are only a handful of students in the class or year group.

When a school has a large number of students, this can also mean that the school is more likely to have a well-stocked library, well-equipped laboratories, up-to-date computer equipment and outdoor activity areas. This is usually true of larger international schools simply because there is a larger pot of money from which to fund these facilities.

On the other hand a school that has thousands of students, while usually offering a wide variety of subjects and activities for students, can often be an anonymous place for children. It is up to you to decide what a good balance is for you and your family.

Choosing the right International School.

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #2

Is the school accredited, or a member of an appropriate association?

International schools can become accredited by an organization that sets educational and operational standards for international education institutions. One such organization is the Council of International Schools (CIS). In order for an international school to become accredited by CIS, they must go through a rigorous appraisal process which looks at the staff and management, the facilities and, the quality of teaching and learning in the school.

This means that you can be reasonably confident leaning towards very confident that the quality of education provided by an international school that is accredited is high.

You can usually find out if an international school you are interested in applying to for a teaching position is accredited by visiting their website. Most schools that are accredited by an organization like CIS advertise their status on their webpage, brochures and stationery. Keep an eye out for logos and such. These will let you know which organisations have a relationship with the school.

Other organizations that offer accreditation for international schools are NEASC, COBISEC, ISCIS and the Association of Christian Schools International, to name a few.

Accreditation by one of these organizations is often as meaningful as receiving a good report from ERO in New Zealand or Ofsted in the UK.

The Best Fit International School for International Teachers and their Children

Selecting the Best Fit International School For Your Family #1

Is the school out to make a profit?

There are a number of different kinds of international schools to choose from, some are run by a board and are not designed to make a profit, and others are run by an individual or company in order to make a profit. Some are not even true international schools in that they don't serve the expatriate communtiy, but rather they offer an English language curriculum to children from the host country and there may be a few international students sprinkled into the mix.

As a teacher you will be concerned that the school’s educational philosophy matches your own. As a parent you want to insure that your children’s education is the priority of the school, rather than the amount of money spent on educational materials and the effect that will have on the school’s owner’s profit.

It is possible for international schools to make a profit and provide good quality private education to the students, but they can be hard to find. There are some directors or owners of international schools that may be more interested in the financial benefits of running a school than the education benefits to the students.

Be aware, both as a prospective employee and as a parent.

Selecting the Best Fit International School

International Schools - Secure a Private Education for Your Children Without Paying Any School Fees

Pick a country, any country, and there will be at least one international school there. Over 4000 International Schools offer private education for expatriate’s children worldwide. And, while most of the parents have to pay school fees, one of the conditions nearly always included in the contracts of international teachers is free education for the teachers’ children.

International schools need international teachers to staff them, that's where you come in! Did you know that you could secure a private education for your children without paying outrageous school fees? One of the contract conditions that is included in nearly all overseas hire teaching contracts is free education for the teachers children (sometimes limited to two children only).

Picking an international school abroad that suits both your children’s needs and yours can be challenging, but it is possible. In a recent interview I conducted with international teachers, Maggie Hos-McGrane, an international teacher of 19 years experience said that after she had completed her research she’d found only 30 of the more than 4000 international schools suited both her and her children.

There are a number of things you need to consider when you are looking at a teaching job abroad, and over the next few days I'll be talking about several of them. For more information and to hear some real teacher experiences, buy Overseas Teachers Talk - an Interview Series with International Teachers.

International School