Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad?
Our 32nd blog that we would like to highlight is called “Expat Teacher Man” Check out the blog entries of this veteran international school educator who currently works at (53 Total Comments on our website) in Hong Kong. He also has worked at in Kobe, Japan and at
A few entries that we would like to highlight:
WHAT DID I LEARN DURING MY FIRST YEAR AS AN EXPAT?
“Find friends not associated with your school. International school teaching is incredibly demanding. Find friends outside your realm that will not remind you of work.
Accept yourself and your current situation. My dad told me often that I am going to have to learn to appreciate being alone if I am to survive overseas. He was so very right. I remember him specifically telling me to quit feeling sorry for myself and that if you are experiencing culture shock in Singapore….”Try moving to Mississippi!”
You are a professional, act like one. Do not personalize decisions made from your administrators. Move on…”
It is a great idea to make friends that don’t also work at your school. Making other friends can depend on: whether or not you can speak the local language at a highly proficient level, how many other expats that live in your new host country/city, and your personality.
It is also good to come to terms with your current situation with your new living and working spaces as quickly as possible; there does need to be some time to adjust though.
The drama at international schools can sometimes be very high, but many schools in your home country also have drama as well. Always great advice though; to make sure that you are being the most professional when working at your international school.
RECRUITMENT TIPS FOR ASPIRING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS
“I now teach at a prestigious school in Hong Kong. I have taught at Singapore American School and the Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. The following is a body of thought on what to expect if you are fortunate to interview for an overseas teaching position. Most of my thinking comes from successfully securing jobs at three separate recruitment fairs. I am also sharing my learning from the Principals’ Training Center for International Educators. I hope it helps.
International School Services, Search Associates and the Council of International Schools are three of the top recruitment agencies that connect teachers with international schools. Each has recruitment fairs all over the world.Each is pretty similar in their approach and I recommend that you choose the one that is right for you. I have had a lot of luck with International School Services.
Currently there are over 6,000 international schools in over 230 countries. I am one of nearly 300,000 staff members that make a living at an international school. If you have three or more years experience as a certified teacher and you have proper references, I imagine you are likely to get a teaching position somewhere overseas.
However, the most sought after positions are highly competitive. My Hong Kong interview process spanned three consecutive days. I spoke with my current supervisor a total of seven times before finally signing my contract…”
It is interesting that this blogger hasn’t mentioned getting hired by Skype as that seems to be getting more and more common these days. There are good reasons to decide to attend a big recruitment fair, but sometimes that isn’t possible for everyone. At one of the big fairs you can: interview with many different international schools from all over the world, network with many international school teachers and administration, and hopefully sign a contract then and there!
Want to work for an international school in Hong Kong like this blogger? Currently, we have 26 international schools listed in the Hong Kong on International School Community. Here are a few that have had comments and information submitted on their profiles:
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If you are an international school teacher and would like your blog highlighted on International School Community contact us here.
