Moving Overseas with Children by Teachers International Consultancy (part 2)

Moving Overseas with Children (part 2)


Teachers International Consultancy (TIC) has helped hundreds of teachers and their families move to new jobs abroad. Here is some of the advice TIC offers to anyone moving overseas with school-age children, whatever the reason for your move:

  • Organise an interview with the Headteacher of your children’s school upon arrival in your new country. Disclose all information about your children at that point in time; the more the school knows about your children the better they can support them. At this meeting schedule follow-up meetings with the Headteacher so that you can be sure of regular updates on your child’s progress as they settle into their new school.
  • If your child is joining an international school where many expatriate children attend, then expect the school to be the social as well as the learning centre for the community. Parents are often far more involved with school activities, there may be regular family-oriented events and usually plenty of opportunities for parents to volunteer support. This all helps everyone to settle in quickly and easily.
  • Learn some simple phrases in the host country’s language before moving out. Once you’re there, use them when you can. This will not only help you to settle in with the local community but will also show your children what a difference making an effort with your local language can make.
  • Research sport and social clubs in the local community that your children may want to get involved with. It’s a great way to get to know local people.

Go in open-minded. Moving to a new country opens up huge possibilities to become immersed in a different culture and this can be a very enriching experience for the entire family. Don’t limit your new life entirely to the social community created from the school; be prepared to look further afield. But in your first few weeks, your children’s school can be a common ground to help make friends, share experiences and feel a little bit of home away from home.

For more advice about moving overseas go to www.findteachingjobsoverseas.co.uk

Lesson #2 at International School Hiring Fairs: ‘Energy is eternal delight’ – so its opposite is…?

“Energy is eternal delight” – so its opposite is….?

“(h/t to William Blake who, though dead, deserves eternal credit for the eternally delightful maxim.) If, like mine, your own heart seems to pump more espresso than blood, then it may be important to consider the energy coming from those interviewing you.

I’m not saying interviewers need to be manic or anything; I’m just saying a lack of excitement, of a sort of buoyancy – of even a decorously restrained intensity – when discussing educational vision while courting for a temporary professional marriage may be, well, a screaming red flag.

Granted, the interviewers are stuck in their hotel rooms interviewing candidate after candidate for many more straight hours than the candidates themselves, but still – we’re all teachers, current or past, so we should be pretty good at keeping our energy level up whenever a professional client enters the room, be it classroom or hotel room. The short version? Beware the droopy interviewer, and put a gold star by the inspired/inspiring one. You are, after all, bound to be sitting in many more meetings with them if you sign the contract to work with them. If they’re sleepy, chances are you’ll be a sleepy worker with them. But if they’re exciting – in a way that rings true (and we all have what Hemingway calls a “shock-proof sh!t-detector,” don’t we, to distinguish real from fake excitement, yes?) – then consider fishing your pocket for that ring, and dropping to your knees on the spot.”

It is true, there is nothing like going into somebody’s hotel room to do an interview.  Seems quite strange now that we are thinking about more.  The recruiters seemingly are stuck in their hotel room for the whole day almost, for sure they will lose some of their energy.  However, there are things administrators could do to help the situation.  They can bring some things to make the hotel room appear cozier (e.g. more school logos, lcd projector displaying slide show of their school’s pictures, etc.).  They can change the format of the interview to be less formal and more of a discussion between friends (e.g. offering a nice herbal tea, etc.).  They can also just take a walk around the hotel (inside and outside), talking with the candidate as they go.  I know that last one seems a little outside the box, but really, if international schools that recruit at these recruitment fairs (which are normally held in hotels) think outside the box a little…things just might improve for everyone involved.

We have all had interviews in one of those hotel rooms where the interviewers seem disorganized, unaware really of who is sitting in front of them at the moment.  Some interviewers due indeed look rather confused and out-of-sorts, in a state of mind that doesn’t allow for excitement about their school to come beaming through.  But as Clay Burell is saying, none of these things should matter if that person is truly excited about their school.  It should indeed be quite clear to the candidate whether the administrators enjoy working at their school.  If they don’t appear to be, then it just might be a “red flag” to stay away from that school.

But let’s not forget that there are different cultural norms among all the different kinds of international schools out there.  Some British international schools are a little “stricter” than other international schools.  Some tend to conduct themselves in a more serious straight-faced manner.  That manner might just come across as that person is bored, with a lackluster vision of the school at which they are working.  However, the opposite might just be the case, as they are just putting on a formal show of decorum and professionalism that is more commonly found at a British international school setting.  That school, once you get there, might be a very fun place to work at.  The people there, though a bit formal at meetings and in other functions, might just be exciting and fun to be around in more informal settings.

Overall though, we suggest that you do observe how engaged your interviewer is at international school recruitment fairs.  It could be telling of your future if you get offered a contract and end up working at that school.

“Nine lessons learned” taken from The Wonderful World of International School Hiring Fairs article by Clay Burell’s blog Beyond School.



Educating children abroad can be an expensive business, so it’s important to start planning early

International School Community would like to highlight another article from the Guardian.co.uk website.  This time it is related to international schools and how expensive they are to some families.

The title of the article by Dawn Cowie: Educating children abroad can be an expensive business, so it’s important to start planning early

Sections we would like to discuss:

“Good quality education is a priority for every parent but for anyone considering relocating their family overseas it can be a deal-breaker.”

There are many, many families relocating abroad each year (some during the middle of the school year), and we wonder if the school-factor is really a “deal-breaker.”  How could expat-to-be families really know the quality of the international school before they move abroad.  Does the company inform them about the schools?  There seems to be limited information out there to help parents out.  There are a few review websites out there to gather information (http://www.gsgi.co.uk/site), but more information is needed we presume.

“So what are the costs involved? Nat Price, owner of specialist education consultancy Dean Associates, says that if the cost of a day-school place at a private secondary school in the UK is about £15,000 then the comparable figure for a place at an international school is about £20,000, but the costs do vary from country to country. For example, the cost of a typical day-school place a private school in Abu Dhabi can range from £8,000 to £15,000.”

One good benefit that international schools provide for their teachers is free tuition for their children to attend the school.  That is worth around £20,000!  Too bad teachers without children can’t pocket that money if they were offered the same benefit!  But honestly, we think that it is a great opportunity for international school teachers.  They get to send their children to what could be a great school, and for free.  Their children will start to make some really great international friends and make some excellent connections that might help them later on in life.  But back to the money involved in sending children to international schools.  I wonder what percent of students at international schools have parents that are footing the tuition bill themselves and not their company.  Would be great to do a survey on that topic!

We found a great video on the world’s largest expat survey.  This video sheds some light on the lives of expats in a variety of countries.  It highlights which countries expats found that they have the most disposable income, which countries where it was easier to make other expat friends, which country where it was easier to make local friends, etc.

All about schools

More features

Let's connect

Meet us on Facebook
Follow our Tweets
Join our Linked In Group

IS Community