The beginning/how to teach at international schools

How did I get here?
I guess the short version is I LOVE TO TRAVEL! Once I got a taste of living internationally (when I was in the Peace Corps in The Republic of Kiribati) I was hooked. It has since developed into an addiction. I spent 3.5 years living in Korea and after being back in the US for a little bit I knew I needed to pursue a career that would allow me to live overseas. Teaching was the answer.

So while I was still in my teaching credential program at San Jose State University, I signed up with an international school recruiting agency called Search Associates. (http://www.searchassociates.com) You register by uploading your resume and getting confidential references from parents and school supervisors.

Once you're accepted and pay a fee you can browse the openings schools from around the world have listed. The openings give a lot of information about the school including general salaries and benefits. The schools can also view your information. You are able to email schools and the schools can email you but most schools do hirings at job fairs that are held around the world. *side note- if you're researching international schools to teach at another good resource is International Schools Review. (http://www.internationalschoolsreview.com) You need to be a little skeptical of the reviews because there are a number of them that are just bitter former employees, but if there are A LOT of reviews with the same complaints then that's something to look at. The reviews can also be dated so keep that in mind. It can be helpful and give you ideas of things to look for or avoid.

The largest recruiting fair for Search is in Bangkok in January. At least that's what I've been told. I attended the fair in San Francisco because that's where I was living so it was much easier and cheaper for me to attend. Job fairs are like what I imagine speed dating to be like. You can contact schools or schools can contact you before the fair. There are also "mail boxes" at the fair where you can leave a message for a school or the school can leave a message for you.

The big part of the fair is the interview sign-up session. This is in a conference room filled with small tables for each school with openings written on paper behind each school. You find the schools you're interested in, usually wait in a line (the good schools have lines) and then, when it's your turn, you give the school your resume and 1 minute pitch as to why they should interview you. This is where it feels most like speed dating. If you are successful the school will schedule a time to interview you- usually that night or the next day.

Interviews are a little weird. The schools have a room in the hotel and that's where you interview- in the hotel room. Walking the halls of the hotel you will see signs on doors indicating which school is in there and often a chair outside the room for the next candidate to sit on while waiting. If the interview goes well there is often a second interview scheduled for later that day or the next. Contracts are often offered and signed at the fair. So in just one weekend you come out with a job. It's crazy-- and awesome!

That is exactly how my situation worked. I had some idea of what I was looking for before going to the fair. I had emailed several schools but had not really heard back from many. American International School in Kuwait actually contacted me right before the fair and arranged an interview before the interview sign up. I did interview with a number of schools at the fair. Schools in Qatar, Egypt, and Thailand.

I decided to go with AIS because I felt good about it. The pay was one of the better ones but not the best. I felt the position and the school would be the best for my career growth. I wanted to teach something other than kindergarten-- I had already spent years teaching 5 year olds and I wanted to broaden my scope. The school is large and well organized- something I really wanted for my first international teaching experience. The school is an International Baccalaureate school, or an IB school. (http://www.ibo.org) IB teaching experience is really good for teaching internationally and something many schools look for. Also, I really like the IB style of teaching.