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Member Spotlight #22: Laurence Myers (An int’l school teacher working in Kuala Lumpur)By @ 28 February 2013Every 1-2 months International School Community will highlight one of our members in our Member Spotlight feature. This month we interviewed Laurence Myers:
How did you get started in the international teaching community? Which international schools have you worked at? Please share some aspects of the schools that made them unique and fun places in which to work. Following TASIS, and a short stint back in the US to receive my M.A., I taught for five years at Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, Colombia. For me this was an eye-opening experience. Like the Greek community, Colombians are open and really want to know about you as a teacher. I found this connection fascinating and discussions with my students in economics and government endlessly rewarding. The country of Colombia too, which had a shady reputation at the time, was a simply beautiful place to be! Despite the media and the difficult political situation the travel opportunities there were tremendous and I still find that, in so many ways, Colombia is home for me as well. I am also happy to be connected to Colombia through my wife, who has been by my side since those days at CNG. :-) My next stop, where I presently work, was the International School of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was here that my professional self was able to succeed in ways that I never imagined possible. ISKL's professional development opportunities and the support that they offer their teaching staff allows for many teachers to become great leaders in their own right. Though the expectations are high, so too is the sense of professional community. Collaborative, supportive and engaging ISKL has given me the opportunity to broaden my understanding of teaching and learning. It is in Malaysia that my two daughters were born and so our connection to Kuala Lumpur will be life-long. Describe your latest cultural encounter (or reverse cultural encounter) in your current placement, one that put a smile on your face. What are some important things that you look for when you are searching for a new position at an international school? Specific thoughts on a new position (when that happens): In exactly 5 words, how would you describe the international school teaching experience?
Thanks Laurence! If you are a member of International School Community and would like to be our next member spotlight, contact us here. If we choose to highlight you, you will get a coupon code to receive 6 months free of premium access to our website! Want to work for an international school in Malaysia like Laurence? Currently, we have 23 international schools listed in the Malaysia on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles: • Garden International School (19 Comments) Member Search Feature Update: What positions do our 1980+ International School Community members havBy @ 25 February 2013After using the member profile search feature on the main homepage of International School Community, we found the following results: (updated from 12 August, 2012)
13 Activities Coordinators – (up 11) Want to get a job at an international school in one of these positions? Log-on to International School Community and start contacting our members to get answers to your questions. Many of our members definitely know about the life of an international school teacher at the school they currently work at and the schools they have worked at in the past. Check out all of our 1981 members here.
Selecting an international school: Tip #8 – Are the teachers fully qualified?By @ 23 February 2013What reasons do parents think about when selecting a school for their children when they move abroad? Are they similar reasons for why teachers choose to work at a school abroad as well? There are many different kinds of international schools and they are all in different situations. How important is finding out about if the international school’s teachers are fully qualified or not? It could be beneficial to ask these types of questions at your interview, before you make any big decisions to move or choose a school at which to work. So, how do you choose the right international school for your children to attend or for you to work at? In this blog series, we will discuss the Tips for Selecting an International School. Tip #8 – Are the teachers fully qualified? This is not typically a concern with mainstream international schools, but it can be a concern with some newer schools and in certain regions of the world.
One reason is that qualified teachers are sometimes hard to come by in some (if not all) countries. Additionally, the more experienced teachers may not be considering positions at less established international schools. In some parts of the world, the pay is low. Being that certified teachers seek out positions that value their teaching degrees (that they have worked hard for), they might not even consider working at some schools where the pay and benefits are less than desirable. Another factor that comes into play is timing. Some international schools get into “binds” every once and awhile, and sometimes the best choice is to hire a less qualified (or not qualified) teacher to fill the position. That non-qualified teacher is just waiting and waiting for the right moment, when the stars align for them, to finally get that job at the nearby international school versus staying at the “language” school down the road. Also, when international schools are trying to fill vacancies for the coming school year during not ideal times of the year (e.g. the summer months or even May), they might not have the same pick of qualified teachers as they would have had back in January and February. Even another reason that international school hire non-qualified teachers could be related to money. International schools (especially for-profit ones) are always on the look-out on how to save money. Hiring non-qualified teachers can potentially save the school money as they can sometimes pay them less. If there is a pay scale at the school, they would most likely be on the bottom of it. Many educators without university teaching certificates are the ones that are already living abroad. They maybe moved abroad when they got a job at an English-language school or had an interest in “teaching English” in a foreign country. We are sure that there are some great English-language schools around the world, but most of the teachers at those schools would prefer to work at an international school; mainly because of the better pay and benefits. More established international schools though won’t consider them because they might not have the exact teaching qualifications that they require. The less established international schools might consider these less-qualified teachers though, especially if they are scrounging to find quality candidates to fill their positions. It is true that you can be a good teacher, even an excellent one, without a teaching certificate from a university. Experience in the field can definitely equal quality teaching, and parents and other qualified teachers shouldn’t be so turned off to working with them. If you agree to that statement, maybe we shouldn’t be so caught up in whether an international school has an all-qualified staff. We all work hard to do the same job, it isn’t as if qualified teachers would work any harder at the school. On the other hand, it is important to honor the time spent when teachers do go an get diplomas in education. Many people with university teaching certificates have worked very hard to make teaching their career choice and not just a “job”. It can be a bit of an “unfortunate circumstance” and a downer when a qualified teacher shows up at their new international school to find out that their colleagues are all “English teachers”! On our website we have a specific topic in the School Information section of each school profile page that discusses the issue of which international schools have qualified teachers or not. It is called “Describe what kinds of teachers work here (local vs. expat, nationality, qualifications [or lack there of], etc.) and staff turnover rate.” Our members have submitted 100s of comments and information in this topic on a number of different international schools listed on our website. Here are just a few of the comments and information submitted in this topic: “About 65% North American, 20% European and 15% local and other. All teachers are certified and have at least 4 years’ experience…” – MEF International School Istanbul (27 total comments) “The school has both Colombian and expat teachers. All of the expat teachers are North American and all are qualified teachers. The Colombian teachers are also well certified. There is not a high turnover rate at the school. Many expat teachers, though young, stay three or four years and some have been at the school much longer…” – Colegio Granadino Manizales (43 total comments) “High Staff turnover. Probably 1/3 local hires vs. expats. The qualifications can be low. Many first year teachers with no teaching degree. Most expats are Americans and Canadians. People do not stay here because the taxes are high, the frustration level with the administration is high, and the level of academic rigor is low…” – American School Foundation of Mexico City (35 total comments) “You will find a range of teachers from New Zealand to Canada, via UK, Egypt, Palestine, South Africa, Australia, France and more. Most teachers are expat hire. Local hire teachers are well qualified. The school is still only 7 years old so turnover rate is hard to reflect on. It ranges from 1-7 years at current time…” – Khartoum International Community School (37 total comments) “Turn over rate last year was very low. This year is different with several teachers in the Secondary school being pushed out. The school pays on time and there are good benefits. Many teachers in the Secondary school do not have formal teaching qualifications but they have good subject knowledge…” – Western International School of Shanghai (57 total comments) If you are an International School Community member with premium access, log on today and submit your own comments about the international schools you know about! If you are not a member yet, make sure to join www.internationalschoolcommunity.com and automatically get one full month of premium access. You will become a part of our over 1950+ members! International School Community now has over 1350 International Schools listed on our website!By @ 21 February 2013At International School Community, we have 1356 international school profiles listed. We are adding even more international schools to our list every month. Get answers to your questions about the international schools you are interested in by clicking on the geographic region of your choice on our School List page.
It’s a great way to learn about different international schools around the world and gather information! Who knows where you might end up living and working next?! Currently, International School Community has the following international schools listed on our website (last updated on 21 February, 2013): North Africa (46) Don’t want to spend hours and hours browsing through all the schools at the same time? Try our school profile search feature to find the specific schools that you are looking for, faster! Take a moment to check out some of our recent school profile searches that we have done using the school profile search feature. Finding the right international schools for you has never been easier on International School Community!
Blogs of int'l school teachers: “Consider the Ordinary†(An educator in Tampico"By @ 19 February 2013Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad? Our 28th blog that we would like to highlight is called “Consider the Ordinary” Check out the blog entries of this international school educator who currently works at The American School of Tampico (10 Total Comments on our website.) in Spain.
A few entries that we would like to highlight: the American School of Tampico—my new home in mexico! “Here is my beautiful school!!!!:) It sits on over 33 acres of land…Here is my classroom from the outside(the one with the circle window)…Here are pictures from the outside and inside of the classroom…Here are the lovely stairs up to my class (before these there are 2 other flights! haha)…” It would be awesome if all international school teachers took as many photos of their campus to share with everyone. It is important and very helpful to know exactly what the school looks like before you sign the contract to work there. Thanks for sharing pictures of the The American School of Tampico campus! “My apartment is wonderful! The school provides it and they were so helpful, already had telephone hooked up, a little food and drinks in the fridge, and everything we needed set up!:) I’m so glad I’m here…Here is my roomies room- Her name is Robyn. We met her and her mom (Melissa) tonight..so far seems great!…There are 2 bedrooms (with AC) with bathrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, a large study room, a laundry room, and another room with bathroom that is in the back of the place—it’s all soooo big!!!…” What a nervous situation…arriving at a new, foreign country and finally seeing the apartment that you will be living in. Luckily for this educator, it turned out really well. It is definitely a relief after having seen your new place, and then get started with making it your new “home”. Also, meeting your new roommate can also be a bit nerve-wracking. But you never know, the person just might turn out to a really good friend of yours. What a nice surprise too when you take notice of the nice, big size of your new apartment. Sometimes international school teachers get lucky when they are living in a city where their benefits package or salary affords them the opportunity to live a bigger apartment than what they are used to. “I went to the beach for the first time last Saturday here in Tampico! It was great. I stuck my toes in and waded up to my ankles, but didn’t swim yet. The foreign staff from school went for a birthday barbeque for Michael—he’s our librarian. There was great food, a campfire, fun people, and sand, water, and sun—-all in all it was a beautiful day and a fun time:)…” It is great to take in all the new places that you can go to in your new city, especially if your new city is on the coast of an ocean so that you can enjoy its beaches. Some international school teachers are very luckily indeed! It is also important to say yes to any opportunities to go out with the school staff. Being open to exploring the city and to get to know the staff better are two important things to try and accomplish your first few months working at your new school. Want to work for an international school in the Mexico like this blogger? Currently, we have 23 international schools listed in the Mexico on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles: • American School Foundation of Guadalajara (15 Comments) If you are an international school teacher and would like your blog highlighted on International School Community contact us here. New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves at International Schools: A dinner outing with the director and aBy @ 16 February 2013
In this blog series we will talk about the ins and outs of an excellent new teacher orientation programme at an international school. A new teacher orientation programme can really play a very important part to your start at your new school, in your new host country. What are all the must-haves then? Check out our blog series here to read about the ones we have discussed so far. Must-have #7: A dinner outing with the director and administration
How nice is it when the administration treats you to a nice dinner out somewhere in your new town? It really just sets the stage right to have a great start to your first year. Sure it is not that important and of course it does not have anything to do with your job specifically, but it is nice to get some bonding time with the other new teachers as well as your new bosses. Also, there is the fact that you probably don’t have so much money when you first arrive to be going out to eat at a nice restaurant. Plus, you probably do not even know where the good restaurants are just yet anyway. If there is not a dinner planned though for all the new teachers, it definitely feels like something is missing. If there is a dinner planned, then there are a few scenarios that might happen. Most often the admin plans a dinner out in the center of the city at a nice restaurant. You can really take in your new “expat lifestyle” in this scenario! If you have a director that is a little bit more personable, he/she might invite you over to have dinner at their house. In this scenario, the director is really making an effort to show the new teachers that they are now “one of the family” on the staff at the school. A less desirable scenario is when the dinner is just held at the school itself. Maybe the admin staff will get the cooking staff to make something special for everyone. Having the “dinner out” at the school is probably not making a very good impression on the new teachers, but depending on cooks, it could actually be quite nice. Another way to not make the best impression is to have the dinner at some cheap restaurant (just across the street from the compound where all the teachers are living) with little planning involved on making the outing special in any way. In either scenario, the conversations and experience had at the “dinner out” with the new staff will surely be ones that you remember. A fun time is usually in store with a lot of laughter. Take it all in because this dinner-out evening is just the beginning of your new and exciting expat life in your new host city. Some members on our Facebook page have shared about eating out with their administration during the new teacher orientation week they experienced at their international school: International School Geneva – Campus des Nations – “At IS Geneva there was barely an orientation week (just 2 half days) let alone any sort of dinner.” International School Singapore (10 Comments) – “The head of school throws a BBQ dinner for the new teachers and one later for all staff to mingle with the new staff.” Discovery College (Hong Kong) (5 Comments) – “We had a dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Also a drinks/appetizers with the larger ESF organization.” ****** Not that you would ask about this topic at your interview or anything, but it might be important to ask the administrator who’s interviewing you the details of the new teachers orientation week. You do want to know how they support new teachers to make a smooth transition. On International School Community we have a number of principals and directors of international schools that are members. Currently, we have 20 Directors/Heads of School that have joined. Some of the international schools they work at are: • The Bilingual School of Monza Log-on today to check out the many comments and information submitted in this section topic! Become the most informed you can be when it comes to finding out the benefits an international school offers to its new teachers. So, does your international school include a dinner out with the director and administration as part of their new teacher orientation? Please share your experiences! International schools that were founded in 1951 (Mexico City, Brussels, Jakarta & more)By @ 11 February 2013Random year for international schools around the world: 1951 There is much history in the international teaching community. We have international schools with founding dates of 1838 and 1854 and we also have many, many international schools with founding dates in the 21st century. The numbers are increasing for sure. Utilizing the database of the 1351 (11 February, 2013) international schools currently listed on International School Community, we found 11 international schools that were founded in 1951. Here are a few of those schools that also have had comments and information submitted on them on our website (excepts about their founding are taken from the schools’ websites) Greengates School (British International School) (5 Comments) (Mexico City, Mexico)
“Greengates School is a privately owned, co-educational day school set in the northern part of Mexico City, in an area of over 20,000 sq. meters. For over 60 years the school has been preparing students for university study worldwide and developing caring global citizens.” International School of Brussels (7 Comments) (Brussels, Belgium)
“The International School of Brussels first opened its doors in October 1951, with four teachers on hand to welcome twenty-seven students between the ages of 5 and 11. In the spring of 1953, with a population of more than one hundred students, the school moved to its current home at the Château des Fougères, in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort, and became known as the International School of Brussels. In its early years, the entire school was housed in the Château: a far cry from the 40 acre campus with four school divisions and a lifelong learning centre that make up the ISB of today!” Lycee International de Saint Germain-en-Laye (9 Comments) (Saint Germain-en-Laye, France)
“The American Section program starts in Pre-Kindergarten and goes through 12th grade. There are approximately 700 students enrolled, evenly divided between boys and girls and ranging in age from 4 to19. Approximately 60 percent of our students are U.S. citizens, and many hold both French and American citizenship. Most of the remaining 40 percent are French citizens who have spent a considerable amount of time in the United States or have had American schooling.” Jakarta International School (9 Comments) (Jakarta, Indonesia)
“With five original students, Jakarta International School was founded by UN workers in 1951. These pioneers introduced relevant schooling in English for children of expats in the newfound Republic of Indonesia. From early days the school’s international identity was clear. It was originally named the Joint Embassy School (J.E.S.) after its British, American, Australian and (then) Yugoslavian embassy partners. Just over a decade later, in 1978, J.E.S. became J.I.S.”
“Garden School was established by Mrs Sally Watkins, the wife of the then Fire Brigade Chief. Lt. Col. F.F.C. Watkins, in the Lake Gardens of Kuala Lumpur in 1951.” International School Bangkok (16 Comments) (Bangkok, Thailand)
“Widely recognized as one of the premier international schools in the world, International School Bangkok (ISB) has been providing quality education since 1951 to expatriates representing more than 60 countries.” Check out the rest of the international schools listed on International School Community and check out their histories as well! We have over 1351 international schools that have profile pages on our website. Using the School Profile Search feature on International School Community: Search Result #9By @ 08 February 2013Only on International School Community will you be able to search for the perfect international school for you. The possibility to search (using our unique search engine) for international schools based on the type of school that best fits your criteria. There are many different kinds of schools: ones that are small in student numbers to ones that have more than 1200 students, ones that are for-profit to ones that are non-profit, ones that are in very large cities to ones that are in towns of only 1000 people, etc. Each international school teacher has their own type of a school that best fits their needs as a teacher and a professional. You personal life is also very important when you are trying to find the right match. Most of us know what it is like to be working at a school that doesn’t fit your needs, so it’s best to find one that does! Utilizing the School Profile Search feature on International School Community, you can search our 1351 schools (updated 8 February 2013) for the perfect school using up to 8 different criteria. The 8 criteria are: Region of the world, Curriculum, School Nature, Number of Students, Country, Year Founded, Kinds of Students and Size of City. You can do a school profile search in three different locations on our website: the homepage, the Schools List page and on the side of every school profile page. Past search results: Search Result #1 posted in December 2011, Search Result #2 posted in January 2012, Search Result #3 posted in March 2012, Search Result #4 posted on April 2012, Search Result #5 posted in May 2012 , Search Result #6 posted in July 2012, Search Result #7 posted in September 2012 and Search Result #8 posted in December 2012. Search Result #9 Criteria chosen:
Schools Found: 4 Italy - The Bilingual School of Monza (8 Comments) and International School of Treviso Norway – International School of Bergen Switzerland – International School of Berne
Why not start your own searches now and then start finding information about the schools that best fit your needs? Additionally, all premium members are able to access the 7126 comments and information (updated 8 February 2013) that have been submitted on the hundreds of international school profiles on our website. Join International School Community today and you will automatically get the ability to make unlimited searches to find the international schools that fit your criteria. Growing number of international schools introducing Middle Year students to new way of learningBy @ 05 February 2013Providing 11 to 14 year olds with an enriching and engaging learning experience, one that is relevant for the student and the location of the school, and one that can also be sustained through the oftentimes transitional faculty of many international schools, can be one of most difficult challenges for many schools. However, a growing number of international schools, including the Harrow International Schools, the International School of Bremen in Germany, The School of Research Science in UAE, the British Schools of America, and Beacon Academy in Indonesia think they have found the answer with the International Middle Years Curriculum. It is a curriculum that is directly addressing the learning requirements of young teenagers says Executive Headmaster and Chief Operations Officer of Harrow International Schools, Mark Hensman. “We all know that learning for students needs to be more relevant and inquiry-based,” he says. “We also know that this applies in particular to the Key Stage 3 curriculum,” he adds. “The recent emergence of the International Middle Years Curriculum has therefore been a breath of fresh air and a relief for those who have been looking for a middle year’s curriculum which builds on the National Curriculum but takes it much further,” he continues. “For us in the Harrow International Schools, the International Middle Years Curriculum has been a great launching pad into ‘big ideas’ while remaining grounded in the National Curriculum.” The students at The School of Research Science in Dubai are experiencing this first-hand. One recent IMYC unit (with its big idea that: ‘the desire to know more drives exploration and aspiration’) linked students’ learning to space exploration which involved a live web-chat with a member of The Mars Society in the USA (8 hours behind UAE time), who shared expertise and answered students’ questions. “The web-chat was a huge exploration for the school,” says
At the International School of Bremen, teacher Martyn Robinson-Slater says: “Our students are becoming creative and innovative thinkers, developing an appreciation of others in society. They are also becoming reflective and independent learners, not only willing to take risks but also to manage these risks, so becoming effective communicators of information and knowledge. We can already see that the IMYC is preparing them well for the IB Diploma.” Supporting a teenager’s learning needs The International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) is a curriculum that has been designed to meet the very specific learning and developmental needs of 11 to 14 year olds. The work that went in to creating the IMYC involved several years of research with teachers, headteachers, children, parents, neuroscientists, psychologists and other experts of adolescents. It also drew on the experiences of its sister curriculum; the highly successful and rigorous International Primary A crucial determining factor of the IMYC was one we all know, regardless of whether we’re teachers, parents or scientists; that adolescence is a tricky time for many students and adults to handle. One of the researchers whose work influenced the IMYC was Harry Chugani, a neurologist at Wayne State University in Detroit who sums up the state of many students during their middle years: “Adolescence is a time when brains are absorbing a huge amount, but also undergoing so many alterations that many things can go wrong,” he says. “The teenage years rival the terrible twos as a time of general brain discombobulation.” It is this ‘fine tuning’ of the brain that influences how 11-14 year olds respond to the way they learn and the way they are taught. The very specific needs caused by this fine tuning are addressed and supported in the IMYC and by meeting these needs, the curriculum creates an enriching learning experience for students. At Rainbow International School in Seoul, South Korea, Principal Emin Huseynov says: “Before [learning with the IMYC], our students were using many resources in different classes but they were not able to link any of their subjects. It was a hard way for them to learn. Now with the IMYC it’s different, they make links to all their subjects so all the learning makes sense to them. Now the students are learning together, working as a team, they are learning to work out their problems together and learning from each other. They are happy, the behaviour is good, they are more engaged. They are getting hungry for more learning.” The International Middle Years Curriculum is now being used by international schools in 18 different countries including those in Qatar, Oman, China, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Thailand, Netherlands, Qatar and the USA as well as national schools and academies in the UK. More information about the International Middle Years Curriculum is available at www.greatlearning.com/imyc International School Community Newsletter v2013.02 – 2 February, 2013By @ 02 February 2013
International School Community Newsletter v2013.02 – 2 February, 2013 We now have over 7000 comments: Membership Promotion of 20% off all subscriptions!By @ 02 February 2013International School Community is celebrating over 7000 comments and information which have now been posted on our website! Currently, we are at 7068!
To celebrate, all members can use the coupon code, 7000COMMENTS, to get 20% off of their next premium membership subscription. With the coupon code: Take advantage of this special deal now as this coupon code is valid only until 16 February, 2013.
International School Community Member Spotlight #21: Eugenia PapadakiBy @ 02 February 2013Every 1-2 months International School Community will highlight one of our members in our Member Spotlight feature. This month we interviewed Eugenia Papadaki:
I am from Greece, have carried out all my higher education studies in England where I gained a BA in Foreign Modern Languages, an MA in Applied Linguistics and a PGCE (Post graduate certificate in Education) from the Institute of Education, London. I have taught in many educational settings in both the UK and in Italy. I have brought up both of my daughters trilingually from birth, who, now as young adults, speak several languages and who have been my inspiration for founding a Bilingual International school here in Italy 17 years ago. How did you get started in the international teaching community? My first experience was at the International School of Milan. Which international schools have you worked at? Please share some aspects of the schools that made them unique and fun places in which to work. ISM: the diversity of languages spoken by the pupil population. What are some important things that you look for when you are searching for a new position at an international school? I have always been in an administrative position, but if I were to look for a job in an international school for me professional development opportunities and career advancement together with a collaborative learning environment and a real sense of community spirit would be the things that I will be looking for in a school. In exactly 5 words, how would you describe the international school teaching experience? Opportunity for growth, an eye opener. Thanks Eugenia! If you are a member of International School Community and would like to be our next member spotlight, contact us here. If we choose to highlight you, you will get a coupon code to receive 6 months free of premium access to our website! Want to work for an international school in Italy like Papadaki? Currently, we have 30 international schools listed in the Italy on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles: • American School of Milan (13 Comments) Discussion Topic: Standing at the check-out counter can get uncomfortable!!!By @ 30 January 2013How much do you need to say when you are going through the check-out line? Not much usually. Just get your items through the scanner, swipe your credit card, bag your goods up in a reusable bag that you brought and then you get on your way.
Even if you do know the local language, it is not always an easy thing to speak up in public. One colleague of mine just mentioned to me that even after 20 some years of living and working in her host country, she specifically plans the right time to go to her local bakery. She prefers to go during a time when there are less people there; when they are not so busy. Even know she is highly proficient in the local language, she is still uncomfortable at times yelling out her order when everyone around maybe judging her on her pronunciation, etc. It is not always fun to let all the locals know that you are not from their country/not a native speaker. Whether the other people in the bakery even care or notice, this is a very common feeling to have when living abroad. Unfortunately you can’t live you life in your host country trying to avoid all linguistic encounters with the locals. You must eventually go through a check-out line and you will eventually have a cashier trying to tell you things. Not all linguistic encounters with the cashier (while living abroad) though end up in embarrassment for you. Some situations might end up being quite funny. They might be quite memorable for you and a good experience; giving you a good story to share with your other expat friends. One time in Spain, I was checking-out at a grocery store. As the cashier was ringing up the items I was going to purchase, she motioned towards a one liter bottle of Fanta. I thought she was trying to get me to buy it. In turn, I told her no. But the cashier kept on trying to give the bottle of Fanta to me. Finally, I realized that she was trying to just give it to me for free as it was a special promotion (it was a new flavor of Fanta…pineapple!). I told her “OH, es libre!” Of course, some people around me and the cashier laughed a bit at me. The word libre does me free, but it is the word free that you would use like when you unlock a cage of a zoo animal and letting them be free. I should have used the word gratis. This comical situation is what happens all to often to expats. You are in a situation that you weren’t prepared for ahead of time. Because of the unpreparedness, you get nervous. And because you are nervous, your brain does not think too clearly to either try and understand what was being said to you or get the words that you know in the local language out in the correct manner. It is all part of living abroad I guess. How boring and monotonous to go through a check out line in your own home country, when you can go through multiple check-out lines in your host country and experience the unexpected? If you have a culture-related story to share about your experience living abroad, send us a message here and we will see about getting your story as a guest author on our International School Community blog! Recently Updated School Profiles #19: Dhahran Ahliyya Schools, Al Ghanim Bilingual School and MEFBy @ 27 January 2013Members of International School Community have written some new and informative comments on the following schools:
One of the new comments in the school information section: "DAS does have high expectations of its teaching staff. The school is working hard to make the shift to a dual language program and it expects the teachers to participate fully in its efforts. Most of these efforts take place during school hours although, like in good schools everywhere, teachers do take work home to prepare lessons and grade papers. Most teachers have preparation time for approximately one-third to one-half of their time in school. Some of that time is taken up by meetings in the department and everyone has a few assignments of yard duty per week..." 20 Jan Al Ghanim Bilingual School (15 new comments) Salwa, Kuwait:
One of the new comments in the benefits information section: "Although I recommend staying away from this school, if you are even considering working there, make sure that you get the following before making a final decision: 1. A copy of the contract. 2. A copy of the staff manual. If it’s the same staff manual that I received, you’ll find a list of things teachers should not do and the consequences including the number of days pay that will be lost. 3. Your assignment and schedule in writing. (There were teachers who were told that they would be doing one thing, and when they arrived they were told that they would be doing something else.) …” 14 Jan Mef Int'l School Istanbul (27 new comments) Istanbul, Turkey:
One of the new comments in the benefits information section: "A flight every 2 years and at end of contract. 600 USD shipping at beginning and end of contract. Receipts at beginning but not needed when leaving. Free breakfast, lunch and snack…” Check out the rest of the last 40 international school profile pages that have been recently updated on International School Community here. New Survey: On average, how many interviews do you go to at a recruitment fair?By @ 23 January 2013A new survey has arrived! Topic: On average, how many interviews do you go to at a recruitment fair?
Around seven to ten years ago it really seemed like a different story; there were many positions available and not enough candidates to fill the positions. With the power more on the candidate’s side, you might feel like you are very much in demand at the fair. As of late, it seems like the international schools at the fair are very much in control. They have a number of candidates to choose from, and most likely quality candidates at that. More quality candidates competing with you to secure interviews might mean less interviews for you to attend. Putting the topic of who’s has the power aside, if you are a top candidate with a lot of domestic and international school teaching experience, you might still be looking at going to seven-plus interviews at certain fairs. On the other hand if you are just starting out in teaching and in the international school community, you possibly might be looking at only securing a few. As experienced international school teacher veterans know, it is not so cut and dry like that. There are too many factors at which to look. It all depends too on “luck and timing.” Anyone who is a quality teacher and a good fit for the school will most likely get short-listed disregarding your lack of experience.
Other teachers are very open to where they would like to go. For those teachers, they might indeed end up securing more interviews. Typically, they do say that you should be open-minded to attend an interview even if the school is not the one you are necessarily looking at or even if it is not in a location you were originally considering. It is a fine line though between being ‘open-minded’ and potentially just wasting your time and the school’s time. Because of the electric feeling in the air, sometimes you get caught up in all of the excitement at the fair that it is just fun to go to all interviews that are presented to you. You never know what will happen and smart networking is always a good thing! So, on average, how many interviews do you go to at a recruitment fair? Go to the homepage of International School Community and submit your vote today! You can check out the latest voting results here. From the staff at International School Community. Survey results are in: Which international school teacher conference do you prefer to go to?By @ 19 January 2013The survey results are in, and it seems as if most visitors and members of International School Community who voted have had the most success at IB conferences.
IB conferences/workshops can prove to be a very motivating and enlightening experience. Isn’t that what going to conferences is all about? Most people might say that teaching is viewed as a career, and with careers comes professionalism. Many international school teachers aspire to be the best professionals in the field. The IB (PYP and MYP too) teachers definitely have similar aspirations as well; to learn more and more about the new ways of thinking and teaching using inquiry. They are also looking to learn more about how to make their students’ thinking visible. But like many workshops that you may attend at international school teaching conferences, the benefit of the workshop you attend greatly depends on the instructor that you get. It can also be said that the success of your workshop depends on the people that attend it as well. So many different factors come into play, but when all of them line up correctly, you are most likely in for an enlightening experience. Those types of workshops can really inspire you throughout the rest of the conference and stay with you when you return back to work. In terms of staff development benefits, the IBO requires that the teachers working in approved/accredited schools get on going PD in the IB philosophy and latest strategies on how best to instruct students in their inquiry programme. Instead of using your own PD monies to attend IB workshops, very often the school will take the costs involved out of their own monies. There are many factors to consider when deciding on which international school at which to work. Knowing about the professional development allowance (or lack there of) can prove to be helpful information to know; just to see what you can expect in terms of you getting the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences while you work there. Luckily on International School Community, we have a Benefits Information section in the comments and information part of each school’s profile page that discusses this very topic. • Professional development allowance details.
There have been many comments and information submitted in this topic on numerous school profiles on our website. One International School Community member said about working at Mef Int’l School Istanbul: “IBO certified IBDP and PYP training provided. Outside speakers such as Virginia Rojas brought in to provide in house PD.” Another member said about working at Western International School of Shanghai: “Most teachers don’t get any out of school PD their first year of contract. Depends on the needs of the school.” Another member submitted a comment about working at American School of Barcelona: “The PD amount is 390 Euros a year. You can roll over this amount for 3 years. But the reality some people get more, it is not so clear cut on who gets what amount and who gets to go to what PD opportunity.” If you are currently a member of International School Community, please take a moment to share what you know by submitting some comments and information about the PD allowances at your international school. You can start by logging on here. Stay tuned for our next survey topic which is to come out in a few days time. Selecting an in'tl school: Tip #7 - Is the curriculum of the school consistent with your futureBy @ 16 January 2013What reasons do parents think about when selecting a school for their children when they move abroad? Are they similar reasons for why teachers choose to work at a school abroad as well? There are many different kinds of international schools and they are all in different situations. How important is finding out about if the school features a curriculum that is consistent with your future career plans? It could be beneficial to ask these types of questions at your interview, before you make any big decisions to move or choose a school to work at. So, how do you choose the right international school for your children to attend or for you to work at? In this blog series we will discuss the Tips for Selecting an International School. Tip #7 - Does the school feature a curriculum that is consistent with your future plans?
Most of us international school teachers start off in a school that teaches in the same curriculum as your home country. After all, your home country curriculum is what you have the most experience teaching in, and it is also probably the one in which you are the most comfortable. Also, if you work at a school that teaches your home country curriculum, then you will most likely be teaching alongside others who are just like you (which could make you feel "more at home" while living abroad). There are definitely international school teachers out there that seek out new experiences though and would be risk takers and seek out to try and work at an international school that teaches in a curriculum of which they are not familiar. It definitely broadens your skills in teaching once you start having experiences teaching in different curricula. You may find that your personal teaching philosophy also starts to get modified or solidified even more. You definitely have more "tools" in your teaching "toolbox." Not only does teaching in the new curriculum change you, it is the people that you interact with at that new school (who might be from a different country and teaching background than you) that influence how you teach your lessons as well.
Most cities though only have a handful of international schools (Paris, Chang Mai, Buenos Aires, etc...), mean limited choices for different curricula. If you are interested in working in a specific city in the world and there are only three international schools in that city, then you can for sure "better your chances" of getting a job there if you have previous experience teaching the curriculum at two or all three of those schools. It is not a given though that you will automatically get an interview/the job there of course (if you have experience in that curriculum), but it most definitely might put you on their radar. With the international schools that teach the IB curriculum, some people say that it is getting increasingly difficult to get a job at these schools if you don't have previous IB experience. You might have PYP, MYP, and IB as part of your plans in your future teaching career, but many schools are not even considering candidates without previous experience. There definitely have been candidates though who "got their break" and landed a job at an IB school without previous experience in the curriculum. Those candidates say that some directors tell them that if you are a good teacher, then it does not matter one bit if you don't have previous IB experience. If you are a good teacher in one curriculum, then typically that would mean you are a good teacher in another one (with proper training and PD of course to help you along the way). So, if you are trying to secure a job at an international school that teaches a curriculum that you have no experience in, don't just give up and not send them your cover letter and CV. You never know truly who they are specifically looking for and of course they aren't just considering candidates that have previous experience in the curriculum. It might just be that they are not getting enough "ideal" candidates and are already considering candidates without previous curriculum experience.
• There are 435 international schools that teach the USA curriculum. If you are an International School Community member, log on today and submit your own search for the curriculum that is consistent with your future plans! If you are not a member yet, make sure to join www.internationalschoolcommunity.com and become a part of our over 1600 members. Many of our current members have listed that they have worked at over 200 international schools around the world, schools that teach all 8 of the curriculum search criteria. Feel free to send these members a message with your questions and get firsthand information about what it is like teaching in the curriculum at their international school. Video Highlight: Yew Chung International School of BeijingBy @ 13 January 2013There are so many international schools to work at in Beijing! How do these schools stand out from each other? Yew Chung International School of Beijing The school campus seems to be next to some beautiful parks. An interesting concept of the use of c0-prinicpals, one being an expat and one being a Chinese National. They also provide the same for the classrooms apparently, by having co-teachers there are well (well at least in the primary school section). How great to teach in two languages side by side! It would be interesting to see more videos of what that might actually look like in a classroom lesson. The school also has what seems to be an extensive music programme, giving the students opportunities to try out a variety of instruments at a young age. It is important that an international school value and affirm the local language of the country they are in. It would seem as if Yew Chung International School of Beijing is doing just that by including an extensive Mandarin Chinese programme. Overall the campus facilities look quite nice! Currently on www.internationalschoolcommunity.com we have 131 international schools listed in China with 30 of them being in the city of Beijing. The number of comments and information that have been submitted for each school is listed to the right the link to each school. Here are a just a few of them: • Beijing City International School (31 Comments) If you know about what it is like working at one of these international schools in Beijing, log-on today and submit your own comments and information. If you submit more than 30 comments and information, then you can get 1 year of premium access to International School Community for free! Blogs of international school teachers: “Finding Bliss and Balance in Barcelonaâ€By @ 10 January 2013Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad? Our 27th blog that we would like to highlight is called “Finding Bliss and Balance in Barcelona” Check out the blog entries of this international school educator who currently works at American School of Barcelona (91 Total Comments on our website.) in Spain.
A few entries that we would like to highlight: “Living abroad has presented challenges in my life that I didn’t know could exist. Still, almost weekly, I have to learn new things about how to live within a new culture and a new system. Routine things, like going to the dentist or getting your hair cut, present new experiences and ask me to adapt to new ways of doing things. Another big challenge lately has come about because of a bike accident Dave had on a rainy night in October.…” We actually have an article that we have written about the topic of getting a haircut in another country. You can read the full article here. A haircut is one thing, but when a big accident occurs while you are living in another country, that can be quite a different, more intense experience. It is never a good feeling when you are hurt and in need of hospital care and then there being a big language and cultural barrier potentially creating problems and stress. My experience though in foreign hospitals has all been quite positive. Many people might be surprised to know that the majority of your experiences in foreign hospitals are actually better than they would be in your home country! A Surprise Christmas in January “The incessant ringing caused Dave to do something quite uncharacteristic of himself in the mornings; he exited the warm bed and ran through the frigid hallway to answer the doorbell. From my sleepy stupor I inferred by the muffled Spanish being spoken through our intercom that it was in fact the correos (mail), but that she needed to deliver a package to us instead of just needing to be let in the building to reach everyone’s mailboxes. Again, Dave did something uncharacteristic of himself in the mornings: he threw on his glasses and clothes in a snap. I heard the rapid footsteps of the mail carrier make her way up 4 flights of steps and knock on our door. Dave accepted the package, “Gracias….” Kind of a strange feeling when you get a buzz on your intercom (when living in a foreign country) and you are not expecting anyone. Then when the voice starts talking to you in the local language, things can get a bit confusing and quick! Soon enough you figure out who the person could potentially be and make a connection to the thing you were actually expecting to receive via delivery/the postal carrier. More often than not, the postal worker does their best to give great service and to try to communicate with you with the least confusion. But once they arrive at your door, there is not much that is really needed to be said; when you most likely just need to sign your name on some sheet of paper. “I will have to admit that when we originally decided on a “stacation” I wasn’t stoked as I am always eager to leave the bustle of the city and explore the beauty that the Spanish countryside has to offer. Nevertheless, after a little guidebook research and recommendations from friends at work, we managed to plan a packed week full of eating, drinking, music, and sightseeing in Barcelona. We also snuck in a quick jaunt to Cadaques, which turned out to be the highlight of my vacation…” We always think about where we (international school teachers) are going to go next. Actually, many of us feel uneasy when our next trip isn’t planned yet. No trip to look forward to can be an uneasy feeling! We do sometimes forget that staying in your host city (or nearby your host city) can actually be an attractive alternative to flying somewhere via a plane. Want to work for an international school in the Spain like this blogger? Currently, we have 25 international schools listed in the Spain on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles: • Benjamin Franklin Int’l School (13 Comments) If you are an international school teacher and would like your blog highlighted on International School Community contact us here. International School Community Newsletter v2013.01 - 5 Jan, 2013By @ 06 January 2013
International School Community News v2013.01 – 5 January, 2013 Check out our latest newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/tu6B5 |
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