International School Community Blog

Oh, if we were to have all the insider information before signing a contract with an international school that has just offered you a job.  In theory, knowing the insider information about working at a specific school could be a game-changer and definitely help you make a more informed decision.

There are so many international schools in the world. Each international school is in a different situation. Even if you try to keep the most up-to-date by reading every review about the school you can get your eyes on, it is difficult to know exactly what it is like to work there.

But, the more you know, the better. Or is it that the less you know, the better? We guess that most teachers recruiting to work at international schools want to know as much information (good or bad) as possible; with a preference for firsthand information.

How then can you get this insider information?  One of the best ways is to have some communication with a veteran international school teacher. If you are already a veteran international school teacher yourself, it shouldn’t be so hard to find somebody who knows somebody who has worked at a certain international school.  The longer you stay in the international school community, the number of connections that you dramatically increases.

Once you find a good connection, he/she is more than willing to share with you what they know and answer your burning questions.  The connection shares about what life is like living in the city, all the ins and outs of what it is like working at the school, how the money situation is along with all the other benefits (or lack of benefits), etc.  

It would appear that there is an endless list of insider information topics.  This connection will most likely also tell you answers to questions that you never even had thought to ask.  The more information the connection shares with you, the more at ease (or nervous) you become. It definitely feels good to finally get some answers from real people who have recently worked there.

But for the newbies, who don’t know many (if any) international school teachers yet, it would appear they have a much more difficult task of getting this insider information. Maybe they can try to get some insider information at the recruitment fair that they might have attended.  There are always other candidates that are walking around the hotel common areas.  These newbies might even try to start chatting with some of the administration from the other schools.  You would be surprised how much the administration enjoys talking about these insider information topics as well.

If there is one certain thing, people in the international school community love talking about the schools they currently work at or have worked at in the past. Insider information is what we want to know and what we are all craving to know.

This article is the 3rd article in the series. For part 1 click here and for part 2 click here.

Luckily, International School Community has a comment topic on our school profile pages related to figuring out some of this insider information about working at certain international schools, so you can stay the most informed as possible. It is called: “What insider information would you give to a teacher considering working at this school?“

Our veteran international school teachers have submitted a total of 700 comments on this comment topic (November 2025).  Here are a few that have been submitted:

“You must be ready to be flexible, sometimes at very short notice. Things can change quickly and communication is not always as clear as it could be. Also, stay on top of your documentation. The kids are generally good, but there is a tendency to to straight to the top if they have a complaint, and it is good to have evidence for grades or discipline issues if something comes up…” – Newton College (Lima, Peru) – 55 Total Comments

“You have to be able to work hard. The city can be challenging. The weather is a real 4-season country and the skies are gorgeous. Traffic is horrible. Travelling around Europe is easy. Our salary and benefits are really good compare with the rest of Europe…” – American International School of Bucharest (Bucharest, Romania) – 117 Total Comments

“The school is a very nice environment to work in. In the time that I have been there a few people who did a lot of moaning have left and the atmosphere seems to be a lot lighter…” – Regents School Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand) – 141 Total Comments

“It’s a nice working environment that expects you to work hard but still have a work-life balance. The benefits are not that competitive with other schools in Bangkok but you finish at 3.30…” – Regents School Bangkok (Bangkok, Thailand) – 19 Total Comments

“Innovation gets a huge platform here. If one has ideas to improve any aspect of the school, they’re often welcomed. This is a thing that CIS does quite well…” – Chinese International School (Hong Kong) – 61 Total Comments

“Local staff are most friendly and welcome and have an open-minded attitude to share your expertise and knowledge as locals want to learn. Learning from each other and sharing ideas is what makes this community so diverse and unique…” – Windhoek International School (Windhoek, Namibia) – 42 Total Comments

“You need to be prepared for the conservative Muslim culture. Teachers here are very open and collaborative…” – International School of Islamabad (Islamabad, Pakistan) – 56 Total Comments

“Having a firm base in Japan would be advisable – not a school for people coming for a holiday as the pay/conditions are a little below other schools in the region. Overall a good place, but not to save money…” – Aoba Japan International School (Tokyo, Japan) – 85 Total Comments

“You can realistically save up to 80% of your salary here, as most essentials are provided free of charge. This includes lunch on school days through Saturday, cleaning and laundry services, Wi-Fi, and drinking water. I used to think living on campus would be a downside—but it’s actually a great convenience. Your classroom is just 2–3 minutes away, and it’s easy to go back if you forget something. There’s no need for transportation, and the campus is secure with 24/7 security. Many teachers choose to stay longer. In fact, 70% of the faculty are returning for their fourth or fifth year in 2025–2026. The school is generous with classroom resources and will support professional development, especially when you can show how it enhances teaching and learning….” – Ayeyarwaddy International School (Mandalay, Myanmar) – 156 Total Comments

“You only need to be on site when teaching, invigilating or for meetings. If your classes start later in the day or finish early, you are free to be off campus…” – Lycee Francais de Shanghai (Shanghai, China) – 82 Total Comments

“What management/admin says and what teachers experience can be very different. Definitely try to connect with current or former teachers to get the real, unfiltered story about working conditions and leadership support before you commit. Their experiences will give you the true picture…” – Okinawa International School (Naha, Japan) – 114 Total Comments