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October 11, 2026 Highlighted Articles

Choosing the Right International School: Advice for Your First Move Abroad (Part 1)

October 6, 2026 Highlighted Articles

Is Your International School Pension Enough? 5 Ways to Build for Your Future

September 29, 2026 Comparing the Schools and Comments

Comparing the Schools and Comments: Working in Kuala Lumpur (2026)

September 21, 2026 Highlighted Articles

Rules for Counting Countries You’ve Been To

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Blogs of International School Teachers – “Backpacking Teacher”

Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad?

Check out the experiences of another teacher from the moment they signed the contract to what they are writing about after a few years working abroad.

Our 2nd blog that we would like to highlight is called “Backpacking Teacher.”  What an interesting experience living in Saigon and working at a young school that is growing and expanding.

Entries we would like to highlight:

What do I expect from my new life in Saigon?
Before I head off for another overseas sojourn it’d be a nice idea to document what I’m expecting to find and what I’m looking forward to. That way, down the track, I can review my expectations against a future reality. Most of what I’m expecting is based upon what life was like when I lived in Indonesia.
I’m expecting:
The very poor and the very rich
A political system that exists largely in the background…

Worst thing that’s happened to you whilst traveling?
How about the time I worked in Indonesia managing a remote resort .. ah yes ..that one.  I managed this remote resort on the island of Java. The country was in upheaval, students had recently been shot on the streets of Jakarta and my security manager came into see me.  “Pak”, he says. “Bad news. The local people they not like the resort making money on their land. They coming tomorrow to burn it down”.  “ok”, says I, attempting to be calm. “time to put our contingency plans into gear”. Thinking all along how absurd it was that I had contingency plans, for rioting villagers, ready to go…

Reflections on my new school
The physical environment is superb with well appointed classrooms, interactive whiteboards in each classroom, air-conditioning and a management team that is very supportive of the teaching staff. The school has real potential and for a school this young it has made massive strides in it’s quest to be a leading school in Saigon. This can be shown by the number of teachers and students who have moved to the school from other international schools in town. It’s an exciting place to be and makes for an environment that’s both challenging and a pleasure to teach in. I’m certainly happy with my choice and enjoy working here.

The previous blog address of this teacher can be found here.  There are some great entries about the process a person goes through when searching for and getting a job at an international school.

Highlighted article: Destinations and Dispositions (IKEA dependence)

What an interesting article by David Truss.

I’d like to talk about IKEA for a moment.  IKEA is indeed the best friend of international school teachers.  What a great friend too because it travels with you where ever to go to in the world.  Within the first 2-3 weeks of moving to a new country, each and every time I find myself at IKEA buying new furniture (sometimes even buying the same furniture that I purchase at my previous placement!).  I never used to buy so much IKEA stuff when I lived in my home country.

What draws me back each time?  It is common knowledge that a trip to IKEA causes your “inner-craziness” to come out in full force.  Navigating the maze of the store to get to the checkout lines, sometimes I need a straight jacket!  Now try doing that same journey in another country’s IKEA in Spain, China, etc…MADDENING! Yet, I’m still drawn to its “cheap” and “affordable” furniture and furnishings.

But like all good friends, you go through ups and downs in your relationship.  I always forgive IKEA and come back to him/her.  I always say to my best friends that “I will be very sad at your funeral.”  After looking at IKEA furniture like “Jeff” the trusty, cheap chair for years and years, of course, I will be sad at Jeff’s funeral when it breaks (true story).  Likewise, Jeff will be sad when I sell it away to somebody on in the internet or leave it with another friend when I move to a new country and can’t take it with me.

Maybe it is time that I finally say goodbye to IKEA for good.  But, IKEA seems to not accept when I say “no” to him/her!   IKEA responds “Take me back! I love you!  You know you can’t live without me!”  And every time IKEA wins me back, every time.

IKEA.  Thank goodness for you!

It’s all about luck and timing: Getting the international school job of your dreams

Do you want to live next to this?  Who doesn’t like the beach?


Or this? All expats dream of living in Europe!?

Or experience this view all the time during the winter?

If you really want to live and work in a specific city in the world and there are only 2-4 jobs available at the two international schools there, the chances are so very slim that you will ever get one of those jobs some day.  Looking and looking each year to see if one of those positions pops up on the vacancy websites.

So, it is all about luck and timing.  If, by chance, your job appears as a vacancy, your heart starts racing, but now what? Did you already decide on moving this year and are on the hunt for a job or would you have to “break contract” to accept this new job?

Take a chance!  Send in your CV and supporting materials and hope for the best.  The heavens might align and the school grants you an opportunity to interview.  I have had my share of interviews, and many don’t go your way.  Some years it feels like no schools want you…the good schools (e.g. your dream schools) and the not-so-good schools…even if you might have 15 years of experience on your back.

Yes, of course, schools looks at your CV and check out your experience.  “Do you have prior UK curriculum or PYP experience? No?  Sorry, we are looking for teachers that have had prior experience in our curriculum.”  How disheartening for some teachers that have their heart in a place (where their dream job is) that is seemingly so difficult to get into, when they aren’t the “right fit.”

A friend of mine (a seasoned international school teacher) told me recently it is all about whether the schools like you or don’t like you.  Check out the movie “She’s just not into you” by the way!  If you are indeed the one for the job, you are the one no matter what your CV says.  It has happened!

“I don’t have any connections? Surely the more people I know in the international school community the better.”  Will your contacts and networking connections help you land a job at your dream school?  100% yes, it happened to me personally.  HOWEVER, it is important to remember that even without those connections, it is possible to get that job, your dream job!  Remember, if you are the right one, it will be very clear that you are right one for the position.

So, keep your eyes and ears open and take chances in your life (even if it means that you might have to make a few sacrifices) and in your job search because you never know when your next opportunity will present itself and where your next placement will be.  So many teachers say “there is 99.9% chance that this is my last year in this country/city.”  Many times you can’t force a move or change in position.  Waiting for the right moment to pounce is important.  So, once again, it is all about luck and timing.  Wait for the right chance and then work hard to get the job, stay focused on your goal (and dream school), and it just might happen one day!

International School Community News v2011.01 – 10 May, 2011


v2011.01 – 10 May, 2011
The first International School Community newsletter has arrived!  First of all, we would like to thank all our current members for their support so far.  Many thanks go out to all those members that had a part in the development of this website.  International School Community strongly encourages for members to leave comments and submit their votes on the schools they currently work at or have worked at in the past.  We also encourage you to take a minute to update your member profile so that others will be able to network with you more easily.  Enjoy being an active member on this website and help yourself and others to continue on in the “International School Community.”

 

Current Promotion: All new members that sign up will automatically receive a free 1-month subscription of premium membership.  If you are already a member, you can still benefit from this promotion.  Just sign-on and click on the My Account tab and then the renew your subscription link.  Use the coupon code “1FREEMONTH” on the payment page, and you will automatically receive the free 1-month subscription of premium membership.  Make sure to forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues so that they can also benefit from this promotion.

Recently updated schools (more):

  • Shekou International School (Shekou, China)
    “The campus is very beautiful, lots of nature. Many of the teachers live within walking distance from the school and have views of the ocean…”
  • Graded School Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
    “Many other teachers choose to live in the trendier areas and take the school bus to work or combine public transportation with taxi rides (shared with other teachers)…”
  • Benjamin Franklin Int’l School (Barcelona, Spain)
  • Shanghai Community Int’l School
    (Shanghai, China)
    “There is one campus that is in Pudong and one in Puxi. From both campuses it takes about 30-40 minutes to get to the center of the city (to the Bund area)…”
  • Seoul International School (Seoul, South Korea)
    “The school uses current practices such as readers and writers workshop, and provides training if necessary in these areas. Teachers are required to stay until 5 on Mondays so a lot of this work can be done then.work can be done then…”
  • Hong Kong International School
    (Hong Kong, China)
  • Columbus School Medellin (Medellin, Colombia)
    “The school is basically on top of a mountain…”
  • American School of Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)
    “Once you have your residency card, you are totally covered (within Spain) by the public healthcare system and everything is free…”
  • Shanghai Rego International School
    (Shanghai, China)
    “I have a housekeeper come and clean my apartment and do my washing/ironing 2 times a week for 5 hours total. I pay her 15 RMB an hour…”

Recently added schools:

Requested schools to be reviewed:

Recent blog entries:

Site Stats
Current members: 49
School profiles: 719
Surveys: 2
Blog entries: 27
Pictures: 10
Posted comments: 71

Member spotlights:
Clare Rothwell
“I enjoy the way students of different cultural backgrounds play together and include each other in games in spite of communication challenges.”

Christy Niemeyer
“It all started on New Year’s Eve 2003. I was talking with someone at a party whose sister was teaching in Malaysia. This person was telling me the exciting and lucrative life her sister was leading by working internationally…”

Website updates:
•The whole sign-up process has been revamped.
•The recently updated school profiles feature has been improved. Comment tidbits and map feature added.
•The map feature can now be enlarged on the school profiles pages.
•The survey section is now available to non-members.

Uploaded photos:
  Shanghai Rego International School (city section)
 American School of Barcelona (benefits section)

New Survey Topic:
Which area of the world would you prefer to work in?

Vote here!

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