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Help From Those With Experience

by International Couple

Mar 4, 2012

This will probably be a long post; please don't feel obligated to respond to the whole thing. There are just a lot of thoughts going through my head! I would appreciate all of the help that I can get.

My wife and I would like to teach internationally beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. I have an MS in mathematics, 5 years as a university lecturer, and 2 years as a high school math teacher. My wife has a BS in biology (MS in geoscience expected summer 2013) and 2 years as a middle school science teacher. We both have standard teaching certificates from the state of Texas. We have no dependents and no plan on having any.

Question 1) From the above, do we look like decent candidates for teaching overseas?

Question 2) My wife would like to know if picking up additional certifications would be beneficial. She has a certificate allowing her to teach core courses in the 4th through 8th grades. Should she get an 8-12 certificate as well? What about an ESL cert...See MoreThis will probably be a long post; please don't feel obligated to respond to the whole thing. There are just a lot of thoughts going through my head! I would appreciate all of the help that I can get.

My wife and I would like to teach internationally beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. I have an MS in mathematics, 5 years as a university lecturer, and 2 years as a high school math teacher. My wife has a BS in biology (MS in geoscience expected summer 2013) and 2 years as a middle school science teacher. We both have standard teaching certificates from the state of Texas. We have no dependents and no plan on having any.

Question 1) From the above, do we look like decent candidates for teaching overseas?

Question 2) My wife would like to know if picking up additional certifications would be beneficial. She has a certificate allowing her to teach core courses in the 4th through 8th grades. Should she get an 8-12 certificate as well? What about an ESL certificate?

Question 3) We are thinking about starting accounts with Search Associates. Is this a good idea?

Question 4) How much "stuff" can you typically take with you? We are not home-owners, but have a two bedroom apartment. Obviously everything can't go, but do we have to sell/store most of our possessions?

Question 5) After moving allowances, how many expenses were a surprise. I would like to have between $6,000-$10,000 saved in case we need it. Should we shoot for more?

Question 6) Is there anything else we do to plan ahead? We have passports. Is there anything else from a paperwork perspective we can take care of early.

Question 7) Based on reading this board and our desire to save money, it looks like China would be one of the more attractive options. Where else should we look?

Question 8) What countries or regions should we definitely NOT be looking at? Western Europe is probably a "No" since we'd like to save a little, some Middle-Eastern countries are probably a "No" with the Arab Spring, etc.

Question 9) What about pets? We have no kids, but our one (very small) dog is like a child. Which countries would allow her to come, too?

Sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate any help that I can get. If you have any other thoughts for making the transition as easy as possible, please let me know!

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Dave Actually we agree, if the school provides a generous moving allowance, take full advantage of it, especially if the settling in allowance is very low. My review of Search Schools though, didnt find many schools with generous moving allowances. They are out there, but are becoming much less common.

That said, I need new shoeboxes this year...See MoreActually we agree, if the school provides a generous moving allowance, take full advantage of it, especially if the settling in allowance is very low. My review of Search Schools though, didnt find many schools with generous moving allowances. They are out there, but are becoming much less common.

That said, I need new shoeboxes this year, and I do tend to pack light.

On 3/05/12, D. Thomas wrote: > I would second most of that. > > We do part company on moving your belongings. Dave is single and > brings all of his worldly possessions with him in a shoebox or > two, but other people bring more. > > We have shipped 2 to 3 cubic meters of belongings to Egypt, Japan > and China and don't regret it. It could run you $2 to $3K to do > it, but if having those things makes you more comfortable for 2 > or more years then go for it. We have brought clothes, toys, > dvds, some small electronics (DVD player, rice cooker, croc pot, > coffee maker etc), photos etc. > > This past time we shipped pots and pans/dishes as well, as the > school gave a nice allowance for shipping but very little for > settling in. This meant that bringing those things cost us > nothing and not bringing them would have meant a significant > outlay when we got here (China). > > China can be great for saving money and places like Beijing have > a concentration of decent to great schools. > > We have been with Search and feel it is worth the investment. > Also, join Inernational Schools Review. Anonymous reviews of > hundreds of schools. Take with a grain of salt, but more > information is better. They also have a nice little teacher forum > which is free. > > Good luck and feel free to ask any questions as they come up. > > On 3/04/12, Dave wrote: >> Thats a lot but not overly so. Ill answer them in order. >> Understand these are my experiences and opinions only. >> >> 1) Your about at the level of most entry level international >> school (IS) teachers. Just about all schools require 2 years >> experience. The elite schools require around 5. The MS >> degrees are a nice plus, but lots of international teachers >> (IT) have advance degrees. The biggest plus you have is that >> your fields are in science and math, those are hard to > fill >> positions. The second big plus is your a teaching couple with >> no kids. That means a head (head of school, principal, etc) >> gets two vacancies filled at a lower cost. The biggest >> negative is that you dont have IB experience. >> >> 2) Having your wife pick up an 8-12 science certificate would >> be helpful. ESL not so much. Extra certifications dont really >> help much, what matters most is what you have experience >> teaching. The reason the 8-12 would help a lot is because at >> IB schools the Diploma program (Dip) is only 2 years basically >> 11 and 12 grade. With middle school (MYP) being 6th-10th >> grade. With out an upper secondary certificate shes not going >> to be nearly as competitive. Basically she would be cutting >> herself out of the high school market for vacancies. An ESL >> certificate is only useful if you want to teach ESL (called >> ESOL or the new term being EAL) >> >> 3) Recruiting agencies like Search (Search Associates), ISS >> (International School Services), and COIS (Council of >> International Schools) can be helpful. Of the three Search is >> the largest. The pros: A) You get to see the schools profile >> pages, which list everything from salary ranges, to benefits, >> to composition of the student body. This makes comparing >> schools easier, and offers a good base for compensation >> expectations in a given region. B) Its convenient and easy. >> You will get a daily update of new positions that have > been >> added, and the job search is very simple and convenient. C) >> All your confidential references will be in one place. This >> makes applying to jobs (Search jobs) a lot easier, and saves >> you repetition in filling out online applications. D) Access >> to recruiting fairs. A lot of contracts get offered at these >> fairs. >> >> Cons A) It cost $200 plus $50 for each fair after the first, >> thats for EACH of you. B) Agencies give you only a subset of >> the over all IS circuit. Search has about 685 schools in its >> data base. Of those schools only about 400 of them are IB >> schools. However outside of the USA there are just over 2000 >> IB schools. So your only seeing about 20% of the IB schools >> on the Search site. Thats a lot of unexplored schools, that >> if your really committed to youd have to look of and apply on >> your own anyway. >> >> Generally my advice is that, if you have a very complex or >> broad job Search, then Search can make it easier for you > and >> more convenient. Almost all the top tier/elite schools are >> with Search anyway. So if thats all your interested in joining >> an agency would be a good idea. If however you have a very >> narrow focus or a very small region your interested in, like >> France for instance Search would be a waste (there are only 3 >> french schools in Searches database, and there are 11 IB >> schools in france alone). >> >> 4) Some schools give really nice movement allowances. The norm >> is becoming more like enough for you to max out your baggage >> allowance on the plane. Really, your not going to be able to >> move any of your household goods or stuff. Yeah your going to >> have to put most of your stuff in storage or sell it. Some >> schools are the exception, but thats becoming more and more >> uncommon. >> >> 5) Depends on where you go. Honestly in Asia almost all your >> expenses from housing to utilities will be taken care of. Id >> think $5,000 for Asia would be plenty. >> >> 6) A couple things you could do ahead though not exactly now >> would be a criminal background check and medical exam, >> including a chest xray and HIV test. Usually summers the > time >> to start that. Have copies of your transcripts, diplomas, and >> certificates. Make sure your pet has all their vaccines, etc. >> >> 7) China has great savings potential. So does S. Korea, >> Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia. Anywhere in Asia > outside >> Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore really. Taiwan and >> vietnam/cambodia have good savings potential as well but not >> as much as the others. >> >> 8) I dont like the middle east, bad experience, but Ive heard >> claims of good savings potential, but i wouldnt go back > there >> (I was in Cairo which while NOT in the ME, was a very ME >> culture). Honestly, Europe might not be so bad for you, you >> wont be able to save the money you would in asia, but with two >> salaries and no kids is livable. >> >> 9) Pets should be fine, I use to think pets overseas was a >> nightmare waiting to happen, but aside from a few horror >> stories, most people actually report having no problems. It >> can be expensive in some cases though, depending on the >> country. >> >> On 3/04/12, International Couple wrote: >>> This will probably be a long post; please don't feel >>> obligated to respond to the whole thing. There are just a >>> lot of thoughts going through my head! I would appreciate >>> all of the help that I can get. >>> >>> My wife and I would like to teach internationally beginning >>> in the 2013-2014 school year. I have an MS in mathematics, >>> 5 years as a university lecturer, and 2 years as a high >>> school math teacher. My wife has a BS in biology (MS in >>> geoscience expected summer 2013) and 2 years as a middle >>> school science teacher. We both have standard teaching >>> certificates from the state of Texas. We have no dependents >>> and no plan on having any. >>> >>> Question 1) From the above, do we look like decent >>> candidates for teaching overseas? >>> >>> Question 2) My wife would like to know if picking up >>> additional certifications would be beneficial. She has a >>> certificate allowing her to teach core courses in the 4th >>> through 8th grades. Should she get an 8-12 certificate as >>> well? What about an ESL certificate? >>> >>> Question 3) We are thinking about starting accounts with >>> Search Associates. Is this a good idea? >>> >>> Question 4) How much "stuff" can you typically take with >>> you? We are not home-owners, but have a two bedroom >>> apartment. Obviously everything can't go, but do we have to >>> sell/store most of our possessions? >>> >>> Question 5) After moving allowances, how many expenses were >>> a surprise. I would like to have between $6,000-$10,000 >>> saved in case we need it. Should we shoot for more? >>> >>> Question 6) Is there anything else we do to plan ahead? We >>> have passports. Is there anything else from a paperwork >>> perspective we can take care of early. >>> >>> Question 7) Based on reading this board and our desire to >>> save money, it looks like China would be one of the more >>> attractive options. Where else should we look? >>> >>> Question 8) What countries or regions should we definitely >>> NOT be looking at? Western Europe is probably a "No" since >>> we'd like to save a little, some Middle-Eastern countries >>> are probably a "No" with the Arab Spring, etc. >>> >>> Question 9) What about pets? We have no kids, but our one >>> (very small) dog is like a child. Which countries would >>> allow her to come, too? >>> >>> Sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate any help that I >>> can get. If you have any other thoughts for making the >>> transition as easy as possible, please let me know!

Mar 5, 2012

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International Couple Thanks for the help, guys.

Well, the wife and I are most of the way through starting our Search Associates accounts (just waiting on the confidential references). When those are active, I plan on getting an ISR membership and start making a tentative list of schools to look at (and some to avoid).

Question: We plan on making a c...See More

Mar 13, 2012

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Dave Hi again, well a good time would have been 4 months ago. Hiring usually starts in November, with the 3 big fairs in January, early February being the "end" of hiring season. It starts again to a smaller degree in April, when schools have a better idea on who is and isnt returning.

You need to really start branching outside of Search by th...See MoreHi again, well a good time would have been 4 months ago. Hiring usually starts in November, with the 3 big fairs in January, early February being the "end" of hiring season. It starts again to a smaller degree in April, when schools have a better idea on who is and isnt returning.

You need to really start branching outside of Search by the way, for example there are 2000 IB schools outside the USA, but search only has about 400 of them in their database, and their entire database is under 650 schools total. Thats a lot of schools outside the Search world.

Banking has a lot to do where you are, and how easily money can be converted to US dollars. Most people either do banking by mail, they get a cashiers check and mail it with a deposit slip to their bank in the states. Its fine if speed and security arent big issues, as mail takes longer, and you never know if its going to get lost. The other option is wire transfer, which while very secure, fast and reliable is of course more expensive. You often get charged twice usually around $40 to send the wire, and then your bank usually charges a fee (mines $15) to receive it. It only makes sense if your sending a substantial amount of money. If you have a friend or family member you can also send western union or send a money gram to someone who can then deposit the money in your bank account.

Depending where you are you may be able to pay your student loans from the local bank, through some form of Bill Pay. Its usually easier in European countries and harder in middle eastern or asian countries.

Depending on where you go banking may be very easy. Personal checks are actually rare outside the USA, and practically non existent in asia. Europe has debit cards that use a smart chip (as opposed to a magnetic strip), pin numbers can be up to 8 digits long (though 4 digit ones still work). Asia has ATM cards, and is still very much a cash society. Of course both of them have credit cards, but your unlikely to qualify for one for at least 6 months to a year (though depending on your school, they may offer you one sooner).

On 3/13/12, International Couple wrote: > Thanks for the help, guys. > > Well, the wife and I are most of the way through starting our Search > Associates accounts (just waiting on the confidential references). > When those are active, I plan on getting an ISR membership and start > making a tentative list of schools to look at (and some to avoid). > > Question: We plan on making a cover letter to send with our resumes to > schools, informing them of our interest and letting them know we are > with SA. When is a good time to start this? I know the hiring season > is pretty early compared to schools stateside, but I don't want to > send things in so early that we're forgotten. > > Question: Neither of us have spent much time overseas and are curious > how banking works. The only debt we have is one student loan. Since > the schools pay in the local currency, how do you manage banking and > expenses in your host country while keeping a minimal presence > stateside to pay remaining bills (in our case, the single student > loan)? > > Thanks again, > > ~International Coupl

Mar 13, 2012

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International Couple Thanks for the help, Dave.

> Hi again, well a good time would have been 4 months ago. Hiring usually > starts in November, with the 3 big fairs in January, early February being > the "end" of hiring season. It starts again to a smaller degree in April, > when schools have a better idea on who is and isnt returning.

W...See More

Mar 14, 2012

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Dave Yeah its too early for 2013/2014. Schools are still recruiting for 2012/2013,. Aside from that n one would really know who is leaving or returning that far down the road. Its really as one season ends (August) the next is about to start (November).

Yeah thats really it, you visit the websites of schools you like, and bookmark their HR pag...See More

Mar 14, 2012

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