Teach Abroad in an International School

Articles

IB texts recommended by IB teachers.
The first texts on the market are not necessarily the best. Getting books published first is sometimes done at the expense of quality proofreading and revisions.

Teach abroad in an International school.
Suggestions, hints and advice from experienced teachers.

New International School in Romania
A case study.

What is the IB?

"A" Levels or IB?
What do British Universities say about "A" levels and IB?

Choose the Right School.
Bob Kennett's experience in Thailand

Teach English Overseas
Teach English overseas, obtain a TEFL or TESOL certificate

Learn English
Immersion courses in the U.K. to improve on your English Skills. Stay with host family

Work Abroad
Possibilities to study whilst working such as an au pair. or as a nanny.

Online Degrees
How credible are online degrees? Is it better to do a full time course instead of a distance learning course?

Teaching Abroad (in an International School)

There are two distinct groups of teachers that want to find experience teaching abroad. Those that want to teach English abroad, for which you will need some kind of ESL qualification such as TEFL , and those that want to teach the subject for which they have been trained in an international school. Here is information for the latter group.

Many teachers that want to work abroad to gain a wider experience, and see a number of different countries are faced with the fact that when they apply for the teaching post in a school, the school wants someone to be a stable, dependable competent member of staff who will do credit to the school, not somebody who is going to be taking time off to go and visit other places. Very few schools, and no good ones, are interested in hiring a teacher whose professed aim is to stay for one year (or less) and move on. As for one term, forget it, unless you happen to be in town at the precise moment when a school is desperate because a teacher has suddenly gone mad, been murdered or arrested, or done a runner. Sometimes, if you move to a city that has a number of international schools, it is a good idea to introduce yourself to the head teacher with your CV etc, let them know that you are available and keen to help with cover. This way you can get your "foot in the door". Many international posts are filled this way. There is still the risk that you do not find anything of course.

The best way would be to get the appointment before you travel to the country. There are a number of sources where you can get information on international jobs and international recruitment fayres.

Times Educational Supplement has many international posts. They are used by most international school especially those that aim to recruit from the U.K. educated market. The TES itself carries thousands of adverts per year for international schools in every continent, ranging from splendid to squalid. Browse their "overseas appointments" section every Friday, but bear in mind that the TES cannot possibly sort the good from the bad from the ugly.

European Council of International Schools
ECIS and Search organise hiring fairs, for which you must register. The ECIS fairs in London are hugely popular and seen as a vital way of recruiting teachers.

COBISEC
If you regard the British National Curriculum as tof educational excellence, the COBISEC site has links to British and quasi-British schools in Europe and further afield.

Search Associates
Search Associates has a branch in Chang Mai, Thailand. They organize faires for international teachers to meet the heads of international schools and they also help with the placements. You have to enrol with them to take part, and the school pays the placement fee when you are sent to a school. Search associates are run by a Harry Deelman who has many years experience in international education, and used to be a teacher and a headmaster in different international schools.

International Baccalaureate Organization
You may wish to acquaint yourself with the International Baccalaureate, a highly regarded organisation whose three programmes (Primary, Middle Years and above all, Diploma) are offered at the most reputable international schools.

The International Educator
If North American-style international education is your personal holy grail, you could do worse than begin here. Here again you have to pay an annual fee to gain full access to their website.

New Zealand and Canada? Few ˜international schools, and if you want to teach in these countries, you would do well to look for the national state education system web pages, but in both countries you may find that bureaucracy and unions have ring-fenced the most desirable areas.

Good luck. If you are aiming for September 2006, if you are a serious teacher, and if you are committed to spend two years engaging with another culture, you are bound to land something interesting.