International School Community Blog

Ten Commandments of Relocating Overseas #8: In all things be flexible

In all things be flexible

When relocating to a new place there are so many things to consider, so many new impressions, so much to take in, and oh so many things to learn. Even though we’re constantly told that today we are living in a globalized world and that the distances between us may seem wide, and reality, new technology has brought us closer somehow. But all considered, and perhaps despite the ever-evolving, ever-growing technology, there’s still a difference.

Novelist Herman Hesse said: “Every age, every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and cruelties.” Through centuries we’ve grown accustomed to certain kinds of conventions, some passed on by older generations as a kind of “we’ve always done it this way” and some just grow out of nothing until they become significant.

Can you learn culture? Probably! But it does take a while, and it demands a lot of patience, and the risk of embarrassing yourself and others, when cultures clash, and our differences become obvious. It’s in these kinds of situations you might need to be flexible, and open to new experiences.  Even as simple as buying some bread at the local bakery.  Not knowing how to buy the bread there can be a tiny bit stressful (i.e. not knowing how the queue system works, not knowing how to ask a question in the host country’s language, not knowing how to respond to the person behind you in line who starts talking to you in the host country language, etc.).

Waaaaaaay back when we were taught that to survive we somehow had to adapt. We were never the ones to lay down the rules, there was always something stronger than us. Since then we have desperately tried to prove that we are greater than we think, but we’re still bound to be flexible. We still have to compromise every now and then. When you have just arrived at your latest international school posting, there is much you will have to compromise!  Luckily, there are the teachers who started at that school the year before) who are able to help you along your way trying to be flexible in every situation.

When you are new in some strange city that seems like anything you’ve ever seen, you have to have an open mind, maybe re-evaluate a little, and take things as they come. The easiest thing to do is just deeming everybody wrong, and yourself the master of right, but it really won’t get you far. In many international school locations, you might be living in a new apartment that might not live up to the standards you are used to, but still, you have a roof over your head, and a bed to sleep in, and we all need to start somewhere. And then the grocery store, they don’t sell the same items you’re used to, so you have to be inventive and creative. Everybody speaks a different language, the cars drive on the wrong side of the road, there’s no Starbucks, and the cinema’s more expensive, and so on and so on. A lot of things can be wrong or bad if you don’t learn to compromise and learn to be flexible. You might enjoy the little peculiarities, it might even broaden your view, and you gain more than you, at first, might thought, you’d lose.

I’ll leave you with some wise words from author Ayn Rand: “Man’s unique reward, however, is that while animals survive by adjusting themselves to their background, man survives by adjusting his background to himself.”

Take care, you…

This article was submitted anonymously by an ISC member. Check out the rest of the 10 Commandments of Relocated Overseas here.

Selecting an international school: Tip #6 – How well is the school linked to other international schools?

What reasons do parents think about when selecting a school for their children when they move abroad? Are there similar reasons 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 how well the school is linked to other international schools?  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?  This blog series will discuss the Tips for Selecting an International School.

Image by Antje from Pixabay

Tip #6 – How well is the school linked to other international schools?

Not all international schools are well-linked to other international schools.  Some international schools tend to just do things on their own.  The teachers at those schools typically don’t have much contact with teachers at other international schools.  Sometimes even in a huge city like Shanghai, where there are quite a few international schools, there are smaller schools that just seem to be doing things by themselves and on their own with minimal contact with other schools in the area. The teachers there can become quite content to be on their own and find themselves forgetting that they could be doing more collaboration with other international schools in their city.

These ‘less-connected’ schools could very well be for-profit schools.  Some for-profit international schools have strict or no allowances for teachers to network or attend conferences and workshops for international schools in their area.  Because the school doesn’t encourage this type of connection to the wider international school community, then the teachers there ‘lose touch’ a bit with how other schools are doing things or tackling similar problems.  It is easy to just get used to being isolated and to doing things on your own; forgetting how much collaborating with nearby international schools could be beneficial and important for your career.

Not all international school teachers would choose to work in less-connected schools.  Many of us would not like to teach in isolation at an international school that is not well-linked to the wider international school community.  We all know that networking and meeting more people in our international school community helps us learn more about what is going on at other schools; the current trends and best practices for working with third-culture kids. 

Image by LYUCHI from Pixabay

Many international schools are quite well-connected and linked indeed.  These international schools usually do many things to make sure their school is well known in the local and wider international school community.  They might be providing generous PD funds to their teachers so that they can do and go to many events that can in turn help their staff and the school as a whole become more linked to other international schools.  Some schools will send their teachers to check out a specific programme in person at another international school.  Some of the best learning about teaching and running new programmes (or changing old ones) at your school can be had when you can get the opportunity to see how it looks in person at another international school that is already doing those things and having great success at them.  Does your international school promote this type of PD for their staff?

International schools in the same city can either ignore each other as separate entities, or they can create ongoing PD moments between themselves and facilitate collaboration and sharing of skills and knowledge.  It takes the effort of the administration, most likely, to get the ball rolling (and keep it rolling) so that international school teachers at each school get opportunities to meet, network, and work together on common goals.  Do you have a good working relationship with the other international schools in your city?

Another way international schools can become well-linked is through the various sports leagues/organizations.  When schools participate and compete with other international schools in their region of the world, their teachers and students become better connected with each other.

International schools can also become linked and connected via the various accreditation organizations that schools opt to become members of.  For example, an international school that is a member of the ECIS organization provides certain privileges and opportunities for its teachers.  Working at an international school that is not accredited can limit their opportunities to become linked to each other.

If you are an International School Community member currently working abroad, please log on today and submit your comments and information about your school and how it is linked (or perhaps not so well linked) to other international schools.

If you are not a member yet, make sure to join www.internationalschoolcommunity.com and become a part of our over 26000 members.  Many of our current members have listed that they work at over 1200 international schools around the world. Feel free to send these members a message with your questions about an international school’s accreditation status and get firsthand information about how the accreditation process is going for them.

Top 10 Character Traits of a Seasoned International School Teacher

A seasoned international school teacher (SIST) has worked at 3+ international schools in more than three parts of the world (or more).  They know the ins and outs of international schools.  They now have many old friends (from international schools that they’ve worked at) who have since moved on and now live in all parts of the world.  Many teachers say that they originally meant to be abroad for only 2-3 years, but once you get into the international school community, it is easy to get hooked!

What type of teacher does it take to move around so much, to venture out and work at a variety of international schools in various countries all over the world? These SISTs most likely possess (and sometimes need to have) the following traits:

1. Tolerance

Living in diversity and uniqueness is what SISTs love!  They are open to different cultures and the different ways that those cultures do things.  Doing basic things in the sometimes crazy and annoying way of your new home country can be frustrating, but SISTs take it all in stride.  They understand that things are going to be different from their last country and from their home country.  They accept these differences and try their best to welcome them and react to them appropriately.  SISTs interact with the locals positively and have a good awareness of their ways of doing things.

2. Flexible

Experienced international school teachers know they can’t just walk into their new school and teach exactly how they have taught in their previous schools.  Even if they use the same curriculum and have a majority of teachers from their home country, each international school is different and does things in its own way.  SISTs are able to adapt their teaching to fit the new school’s way of teaching, adding new things slowly when appropriate.  To help make the transition an easier one, SISTs ask the right questions at their interview and gather all the information they can about the school itself.  Knowing things ahead of time is smart as it prepares you better for the changes you experience.  When sudden changes occur, being flexible is the key to happiness at your new school.

3. Decisive

As international school teachers get more seasoned, they know better what they want in a school. They also know better where they are in their lives and which locations/cities in the world will help them achieve their life goals. Knowing better which international schools to consider in a job search is beneficial not only to the school but also to the candidates themselves. SISTs are decisive and make the right decisions for themselves, even if the decisions are tough ones to make.  Making the right choice equals a happier life living abroad.

4. Honesty

When job searching, seasoned international school teachers tell the truth about their current life situation and their previous teaching experience.  Schools need to know as much as they can about the candidate before they decide to hire them. Likewise, veteran teachers seek out as much as they can about the school.  The goal always is to find the best fit.  The school wants the best fit for their vacancy and school, and international school teachers want the best fit for their life and career.  They are honest with themselves and follow their instincts. Even if a new job opportunity is in their dream country and city to live in, if it is not a good fit, the SISTs will choose to decline if offered a contract.

5. Adaptable

Moving around and getting the chance to live in a foreign country is truly exciting for an international school teacher. In one country you are riding your bike to work, in another country you might be taking the school bus.  SISTs can more easily adapt to these changes in routine in their new location.  When they first arrive, it is an exciting time to learn all the ins and outs of your new host country. The culture will have some things that SISTs are used to, but the culture is definitely going to have things that are new to them…and not all these new things will be easy to handle.  When SISTs encounter these culture shock moments, they know better how to respond and react. They are not immune to culture shock, but they know better how to deal with it.

6. Curious

After teaching in a number of countries, SISTs stay curious about everything that surrounds them. They take time to learn as much as they can about the local language. They also seek restaurants where they can try new types of food, even food that they wouldn’t normally eat in their previous countries.  SISTs know that the best way to get to know the locals is to get out and make some local friends.  They ask these new friends a multitude of questions to gather as much information about this foreign culture. It is easy to start making assumptions about a whole culture after talking with one or two of the locals, but SISTs know better and continue their curiosity about certain topic areas as the months/years progress in their new location.

7. Independence

Well, it is true that you will be on your own when you move abroad. As much as your new school and your new school friends help you, much of the time spent will be on your own.  It is pretty daunting knowing that when you leave your new home, there is a super foreign world awaiting you.  SISTs though love that feeling and go out to explore every day that they get.  They will walk to a new area of the city on their own.  They also don’t shy away from interacting with the locals (at the nearby market for example); starting to make new connections in the community (even if they don’t know the local language that well). SISTs don’t necessarily need the help of another person when they venture out to start up a bank account, call the phone company to get internet installed in their apartment, or go to the local police department to register themselves. SISTs know that they need to have some alone time as well.  They are comfortable having a night on their own either at a restaurant down the street or at their own apartment to watch a movie.

8. Resilience

Things can get rough at times when teaching abroad.  Your new school can give you many headaches.  The new administration you need to work with or the new teachers you need to collaborate with can, at times, not be the most ideal situation.  Your new city can also bring you down some days.  Not knowing how much things really cost and stupidly spending your money is not fun.  Having a negative interaction with a local on the street is also tough to handle.  The more you live abroad though, the more you can easily understand and cope with these troubling experiences.  SISTs know it is not always going to be perfect in their new city and at their new school.  They have been at a number of international schools in similar situations already and can bounce back faster.

9. Persistence

Getting the job of your dreams doesn’t happen straight away for most people. Securing a job at a top international school is a difficult one, even for SISTs.  SISTs know that it is all about luck and timing. They also know that they must be persistent to get the job of their dreams.  If it doesn’t work out one year, then you try again next year.  SISTs know that things change every year.  One year the school is not able to hire people with certain passports, the next year they can.  Being persistent is what helps SISTs be seasoned.  Having this character trait also helps their new school.  SISTs might try and help guide a new direction for the school with little success (maybe that was one of the reasons they were hired).  Even if the school staff doesn’t respond well to this new change, they don’t give up easily.  SISTs know better how international schools function and can stay focused on their target.  They have the skills to keep on doing their thing even if others are slowing them down.

10. Happy-go-lucky

SISTs gotta have this trait because you never truly know what to expect when working in a foreign country at an international school.  They don’t let little things get them down.  Of course, there are going to be bumps in the road. But if you spend all your time stressing out about everything, then you are going to miss out on many things.  SISTs strive to be happy-go-lucky when these bumps occur.  They are able to see better the bigger picture and can focus more on the positives (like their really high salary, the yummy restaurant down the street, their own family, their next vacation, etc.).  Also,  no one likes to hang around stressed-out and negative people that much!

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This top 10 list was submitted to us by a guest author and International School Community member. All guest authors to our blog get up to one year of free premium membership to our website.  Email us if you are interested in becoming one of the next guest authors on our blog.

13 Things You Need to Provide When Creating Your Profile With Recruitment Agencies

It is that time of year when recruiting teachers need to get their things in order and register with various recruitment agencies. There are a number of them out there now: Search Associates, ISS-Schrole Advantage, Teacher Horizons, etc.

However, it isn’t as ‘quick and easy’ as one might think to get fully signed up with one of these organizations. There are a number of things that you need to prepare, find, upload, and create. It is a time-consuming process, so it is best to start early.  Even if you have been keeping track of things and collecting the necessary documents, each time you move countries, you need to keep yourself well-organized so that you can find things easily.

A personal statement

International school administrators want to see and read a short write-up about yourself and your teaching philosophy. This statement shouldn’t be too long, but long enough. It should be personable and reflect your true self and ambitions. It could include a highlight of your past experiences in teaching and your passions so far in your career.

Confidential references

It has been quite common for a while now that international schools want to see confidential references of the candidates that they are considering to interview. Getting these confidential references doesn’t always happen in a quick way, so it is best to ask your references well in advance so that they will have enough time to fill it out for you. You definitely need to include a reference from your current supervisor. Talking to them in person about this request beforehand is advised before you send them the reference request.

Personal information

You typically need to enter your latest contact information as this can change quite often for international school teachers. You also need to include a copy of your current passport. Don’t forget to make those changes on your updated CV as well.

The positions that you are seeking/qualified for

Schools need to know what you are qualified to do so that you will become searchable for them via the recruitment website’s database. Also, for you to receive the sometimes daily email updates on the latest job vacancy information, of course, you want to receive the information related to the job position/s you actually want to apply for.

Your address and police reports for at least the past 10 years

This one is tricky if you are not prepared. Every time that you leave a country, you need to make sure you get a police report stating that you have not been charged for any crimes there. In some places, you can get this report for free. In other places, you need to pay a fee. The part where it could get even more expensive is if you need to get the police report translated into English. Once you get the report, scan them in and save them somewhere as you’ll need them when you move on to your next country. It is not just a requirement to have your past police reports uploaded on a recruitment agency’s website, it is also typically a requirement when applying for a visa in a new country.

Details of your past and current teaching experiences

You need to write down the school names and the years you worked there for all the schools that you’ve worked at in your teaching career. Hopefully, you don’t have too many gaps in your career as that will often need some explanation. Also, you will need to include your supervisor there at the time. The challenging part is which email and phone number will you put… as your former administrator, there has probably moved on and is working at a new international school. Make sure you get up-to-date email addresses for these past bosses.

Education and credential details

You are required to enter the universities that you’ve attended. You will need to write in what your area of focus was for all of your degrees. You also need to upload a copy of your scanned diplomas and teaching certificate. A lot of us need to keep our teaching certificate valid and up-to-date, so don’t get lazy and forget to renew your teaching license before it expires.

Activities and sports you can sponsor

Many international schools will be looking for candidates who can run after-school activities and/or sports teams, so make sure to include all of your experiences doing that. If this is your thing, then it could make you stand out more and help you get the job. It will be a nice addition to your paycheck there! On the other hand, other international schools will not necessarily pay you to do these things as it will be a requirement in a lot of teaching contracts that you offer at least one after-school activity in a school year…for free!

Languages you know

Make sure to state your proficiency in all of the languages that you know. It is an asset in many international schools if you can speak the local language; especially at schools where the parent population has a low or even non-existent knowledge of English. For example, you might need to hold parent conferences in the local language.

Fairs you would like to attend

Many international school teachers still attend recruitment fairs. It is a good way to meet the school administrators face-to-face. However, many recruitment agencies often state that their candidates get hired before the recruitment fairs even happen, so it is not always necessary to attend a fair. Other international schools like to know which fairs you will be attending so that they can set up some interviews there in advance.

Money to the recruitment company

For you to be an available and accessible candidate in a recruitment agency’s database, teachers often will have to pay some sort of fee. It can be for free as well with some companies, but typically the fee could range from USD 50-250. If you don’t get hired that year, some agencies will not require you to pay again. If you do get hired through the recruitment agency, then you will need to pay the fee again if you want to recruit with them a second time. In some countries, it is illegal to charge a person to get access to jobs and interviews.

Your up-to-date resume and transcripts

Get all of your past university transcripts scanned in as well and make sure to upload them to the recruitment agency’s website. To fully complete your profile, you will also need to upload the most recent copy of your CV. The maximum number of pages for a CV is typically no more than two pages.

Confirmation that you haven’t committed any criminal offenses

Finally, all international schools need to know that you are a safe candidate to hire and this is in relation to child protection laws. Many countries are getting very strict with this process so as to keep their students safe at school.

These are really just some of the things you will need to prepare and do when applying to be on an international school recruitment agency’s website. It can take only a few days if you are really prepared and if your references fill out the confidential reference in a very timely manner! However, if you are not the most prepared, this process can take many weeks. In turn, be sure to start early. As you hop from international school to international school, find a spot online where you can store all of these important documents.

Good luck to everyone recruiting this year!

How Much Curriculum Development Work are You Expected to Do? (Part 2)

When you work in a public school district in your home country, it is typically unlikely that you will also have to spend time specifically working on curriculum development. Unless I suppose you are getting paid extra to do so. Usually, curriculum development is handled at the district office.

But at international schools, it is very commonplace to also have this task added to a teacher’s annual workload. Especially at small international schools with fewer teachers, the odds are quite high that you will spend a number of hours doing curriculum development.

Who can remember how this work was done 20 years ago? But, of course, now it is all done online. A popular choice amongst international schools is now Toddle (in the past it was Rubicon Atlas). Though this service has a lot of good features and is “easy to use”, it is not always so popular and user-friendly for teachers.

Many international schools require teachers to plan their lessons every day and then also update their units on whatever the school uses for their written curriculum. It can be a lot of work!  Each international school needs to think about what is the right balance for the teachers and who is responsible exactly for the updating of their writing curriculum.

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Luckily, International School Community has a comment topic on our school profile pages related to this topic of curriculum development, so you can stay as informed as possible. It is called: “How much curriculum development work are you expected to do? (Atlas Rubicon, Toddle etc.)“

Our veteran international school teachers have submitted a total of 400 comments (September 2023) on this comment topic.  Here are a few that have been submitted:

“All units are expected to be completed on Toddle. We worked with Kim Brandon quite a bit this year on how to build units using UBD. When we first contracted with Toddle, they were completely unequipped to deal with UbD. Since then, our new Director of Learning has been working with them to curate a system specifically for our school. As of now, this new AISL UbD platform is still under construction, so units are patchy, and standards aren’t always linked…” – American International School of Lagos (Lagos, Nigeria) – 52 Comments

“Subject Leads work closely with the Head of Primary to map out the curriculum. This leaves time for teachers to just deliver it engagingly! The first week of each term has become an Immersion Week, in which the theme is introduced and all learning is cross-curricular and hands-on. This Immersion Week is planned by the Subject Leads, which is a great ‘welcome back’ for all teachers…” – International School of Seychelles (Victoria, Seychelles) – 63 Comments

“Teachers are expected to keep ManageBac units up to date, as well as use this platform for teaching and keeping track of learner progress. These units are then updated from year to year. Primary teachers post and document work on SeeSaw, while secondary teachers/learners use ManageBac for similar tasks. Departments are also tasked with collaborating during bi-weekly collaboration meetings…” – Utahloy International School (Zengcheng) (Zengcheng, China) – 140 Comments

“The trend has been that teachers create curriculum. Recently, admin has considered ordering and using programs and curriculum recommended by teachers…” – American School Foundation of Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico) – 150 Comments

“Teachers have been told to rewrite the entire curriculum from scratch across grade levels. Toddle is the newest platform, along with UBD. There have been multiple PD days spent writing on chart paper about what our understanding of curriculum is…” – American International School Riyadh (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) – 69 Comments

“The school curriculum is based on the Australian National Curriculum, adapted to meet our local context. The IB MYP framework provides the standards, aims and objectives for each subject as well as the “how” for the teaching methods (concept inquiry-based, interdisciplinary units, etc). Teachers are expected to develop their units using these tools and their understanding of the student’s personal development needs (this is a year-level team discussion and goal setting each term). ManageBac is the current platform used for documentation of curriculum as well as communication with students and parents regarding learning, tasks and evaluation…” – Roong Aroon International School (Bang Khunthien, Thailand) – 42 Comments

How is the curricular work at your international school? Submit a comment on your school today!

Is Jakarta a hidden gem for the International School Educators?

Around the world, there are cities (like Jakarta) that have a bustling international school scene. Many times there is an American school, a British School, and an international school that uses an international curriculum.

The big question always is…how do the comments about each school compare to each other? This feature of the ISC website helps international teachers discover those best kept secrets amongst international schools.

This blog series looks at comparing some of these comments, all coming from international schools in the same city.

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Jakarta, Indonesia

Currently, we have 32 schools listed in Jakarta on International School Community.

19 of these schools have had comments submitted on them:

Australian International School (Indonesia) (39 Total Comments)
Beacon Academy (Indonesia) (32 Total Comments)
British School Jakarta (73 Total Comments)
Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School (203 Total Comments)
Global Jaya School (94 Total Comments)
Jakarta Intercultural School (86 Total Comments)
North Jakarta Intercultural School (118 Total Comments)
Sekolah Victory Plus (143 Total Comments)

Professional development allowance details.

“PD opportunities exist which is taken care of by the school…” – Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School

“In-house PD done consistently. IB PD is based on needs and staff should take turn to get it…” – Global Jaya School

“Great PD opportunities as long as they align with the school’s destiny plan…” – Jakarta Intercultural School

“Everyone has gone through a ton of IB trainings over the last few years. There are some outside opportunities as well that Coordinators pass around and encourage people to attend…” – North Jakarta Intercultural School

Image by Abd Katon from Pixabay

School Campus

“SVP also has a brand new multipurpose gym but has not yet fitted the gym with equipment. Currently, the dance clubs and yoga clubs are enjoying using the new facility…” – Sekolah Victory Plus

“The Kemang campus is very green and small; great for the kids to get around…” – Australian International School (Indonesia)

“The new campus is purpose-built. The campus is 2.3 hectares. It is in the inner-city of North Jakarta. The neighborhood is a shopping and business district…” – Beacon Academy (Indonesia)

“Located in Bintaro, 7km southwest of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, on a spacious, 18-hectare estate. There are dedicated areas for Primary, Secondary, and specialist studies, such as Languages and Performing Arts. The theatre complex includes two stages, a dance studio, and rehearsal and make-up rooms. BSJ is also one of the best-resourced schools in Asia for sports. There are five tennis courts; extensive grass and artificial playing fields; covered areas for games; and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The Sports Centre contains courts for basketball, volleyball, and badminton; a gym and weights room; and a dance studio…” – British School Jakarta

What types of budgets do classroom teachers/departments get?

“Very large budgets for faculties on the whole. School is looking at budgets coming out of covid and trying to ensure value for money. This will likely mean some budgets are decreased to the ‘right’ amount…” – British School Jakarta

“Budgets are within norms for classes and dept. of this size of an I international school…” – Australian International School (Indonesia)

“Each teacher gets 2mio rupiah to use how they want for their classrooms. Other, bigger purchases require approval…” – North Jakarta Intercultural School

“There is a huge budget for parties though not related to academics. No such budget is available for class teachers or heads…” – Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School

Image by Iqbal Nuril Anwar from Pixabay

Explain how salaries are decided (e.g. is there a pay schedule? extra step for master’s degree? Annual pay raises? Bonuses?).

“Gratuity at the end of the contract. 2 months for a 2-year contract / 4 months for a 3-year contract. There is a pay step, there are annual rises, but you will not get it in writing as it is sensitive information…” – Global Jaya School

“No performance bonus. No annual pay rise. No transparent salary structure exists…” – Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School

“There is a transparent salary schedule for all employees…” – Jakarta Intercultural School

“There is a salary scale, though the school owners, like many Indonesian companies, insist that it is kept top secret. An extra step for a Master’s degree…” – Sekolah Victory Plus

Average class size for primary and secondary. Describe any aide support.

“In the senior school (yrs 9+) the numbers are in the late teens. Some subject areas have very small classes…” – Beacon Academy (Indonesia)

“In primary and secondary, class sizes are normally around 20…” – Australian International School (Indonesia)

“24 max in the secondary school with lower class sizes in many subjects and lower class sizes for DP where the aim is 12 or fewer at HL and 16 or fewer at SL…” – British School Jakarta

“Many students exit. Less numbers now in each class. The class size is between 10 – 24. If the number of students in a class exceeds 24, the class will split into two classes…” – Global Jaya School

(These are just 5 of the 66 different comments topics that are on each school profile page on our website.)

Image by Febri Amar from Pixabay

If you work at an international school in Jakarta, share what you know. Consider becoming a Mayor for unlimited free premium membership!

Nine Reasons How International Schools Create a High Morale Amongst its Staff (Part 2)

“Morale and attitude are fundamentals to success.”
― Bud Wilkinson

A school can be a complicated place. There aren’t many jobs where you surround yourself with hundreds of children every day!

But like any other place of “business”, a school needs to think about how they will keep their staff feeling good about where they work and how they are doing their job.  We all know that teaching can, at times, be quite stressful for the teachers.

When you are feeling good about your workplace and job performance, everyone benefits; namely the students, but also your colleagues and bosses. But when teachers are stressed out and with low morale about working at their school, typically nobody benefits.

Image by Steve Cliff from Pixabay

You can, of course, be in high spirits on your own doing. But it is important to feel valued by the whole school community as that plays a factor as well. Feeling like you are part of a team can help you stay optimistic at your school.

What, then, do international schools do to make sure their staff is feeling valued?

International School Community is full of thousands of useful and informative comments…48609 (11 September 2023) to be exact. We scoured our database of comments, and we found nine that stood out to us as being some of the coolest ways to show appreciation and boost staff morale.

9.  International School of Ulaanbaatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) – 37 Total Comments

“We have events committees that all teachers are required to be part of. Some of these committees host whole school parties and events. We have our annual Winter Party and Tsagaan Sar (Mongolia’s traditional White Moon celebration usually in February). This past year the Athletic Director held a staff vs. student volleyball match after school which was a huge boost to our community…”

8. Singapore American School (Singapore) – 370 Total Comments

“The incredible WOW (Work on Wellness) team is constantly arranging outings, workshops, sessions, and activities to bring the community together and provide enriching experiences for staff (and often their family members too!) From Film Festivals to Art workshops to nature tours, meditation retreats, and nature excursions, there’s always something on offer. Most are free, some have a small charge…”

Image by Alfred Derks from Pixabay

7. American School of Madrid (Madrid, Spain) – 106 Total Comments 

“ASM offers staff the use of the school gym when students are not using it. There are also several offerings of events organized and advertised by staff members. These can be sewing classes, wine tastings, horseback riding days, attending a concert, etc. There are also whole school community builder afternoons once a month…”

6. Raffles American School (Johor, Malaysia) – 37 Total Comments

“Firstly, each teacher has their classroom. We have a pantry and teachers’ lounge with a fridge, microwave oven, coffee, couch, board games, books, etc. for teachers to unwind and relax during their prep time or at the end of the day. In Secondary school, we have the Raptors award (along with a complimentary coffee voucher in Parents Lounge Cafe) given by the principal to an outstanding teacher of the week, then passed on from the winning teacher to another outstanding teacher of the week. We have a Social Club committee that will discuss, plan, and execute fun activities for teachers and staff. We also have Community Sports every Thursday run by either a Faculty member or a parent and participated by all – students, teachers, staff, and parents…”

5. NIST International School (Bangkok, Thailand) – 330 Total Comments

“In the secondary school there are “Friday Snacks” catered by the cafeteria every Friday morning during the break. (Sometimes subject departments also contribute to the “snack fest.”) Some teachers grab their snacks and run, but many take the opportunity to socialize with colleagues at the end of the week and take a quick pause in the day. At our Tuesday “nuts and bolts” meeting, there is always coffee and pastries for faculty. There are also coffee stations around the school with free coffee/sugar/milk/tea. I also think it’s a nice touch that fridges around campus are always stocked with milk so that if you do make your coffee, you don’t have to bring your own…”

4. QSI International School of Tbilisi (Tbilisi, Georgia) – 58 Total Comments

“We have two staff parties a year, often at fancy restaurants in the city. There is a social committee that supports the staff by giving new parents baby items and raising money in case there is a death in the family. New teachers are paired with old teachers as mentors. New teachers are treated to a tour of Georgia as part of new teacher orientation…”

3. BASIS International School Guangzhou (Guangzhou, China) – 22 Total Comments

“The school goes way and beyond to create a harmonious environment for teachers. They have happy hour every Friday afternoon, with a beer fridge in the teachers\’ lounge. This is locked for most of the week, except for Friday afternoons. The school regularly organizes social activities. Every Thanksgiving, the school organizes a retreat to some resort for a night and has a banquet, giving away high-value prizes. They throw a similar banquet for the lunar new year and give away many prizes…”

Image by alfbel from Pixabay

2. International School Luxembourg (Luxembourg) – 57 Total Comments

“There is wellbeing committee, a Ministry of Fun, social events around the holidays, new hire gatherings, and training for things like peer mentorship and mental health…”

1. American International School of Lagos (Lagos, Nigeria) – 52 Total Comments

“Every Friday during our WeLearn2 professional development meetings, there is coffee and cookies. Sectional meetings are occasionally used for writing report cards. The elementary principal sometimes passes out treats after a long day of work. The school hosts staff parties before the winter break and end of school, recognizing teachers who have worked at the school for several years…”

If you would like to share what your school does to create a high staff morale, log in to International School Community and submit your comments. For every 10 submitted comments, you will get one month of free premium membership added to your account!

Making an International Move with Pets

Embarking on an international move to teach abroad, whether for the first time or when seeking a new location, is always filled with excitement and unknowns. Making an international move with pets can compound unknowns, and add anxiety. However, with some leg work and a good amount of patience, taking your pets when you move abroad is possible.

Researching the laws for the import of pets for the countries you are interested in is essential. You may find that the pet import rules are less stringent than you thought. On the other hand, the country you were interested in may make it extremely expensive, difficult, or, more rarely, even impossible to bring in your pet. For example, a few countries place strong restrictions on dogs coming in from other countries with a high risk of rabies, and a several-month quarantine may be necessary. For other countries, a rabies titer test may be required, and the whole process from vaccination to blood draw to test results could take months. With prior research, you can focus your time and energy on seeking jobs in countries where bringing your pet will be feasible. 

Additionally, it is necessary to learn about the housing options available to you. If you will be living in school-provided housing, do they allow pets? If not, will the school provide you with a housing stipend to seek out your own? If finding your own housing, reach out to your future colleagues or join local Facebook groups for the city you will be moving to for insights into daily life with pets there. Often, these groups can be sources for information such as which neighborhoods might be more dog-friendly, what cultural considerations to keep in mind, and recommendations for veterinarians, pet sitters and boarding facilities, etc. If you have a dog, also think about housing aspects. For example, is a single-family home or townhome with a garden a possibility? If you are in a high-rise apartment complex, will you be able to get your dog outside easily for walks or bathroom breaks?

The most nerve-wracking part of the international move process may be actually transporting your pet to a new location. Some airlines allow small dogs and cats to be carried onto the plane if they meet the weight and carrier dimension restrictions. Other airlines will not allow pets in-cabin due to cultural reasons or customs restrictions. Either way, if you have a larger pet, the pet will most likely need to travel in the hold as excess baggage or cargo. Typically, traveling on the same flight with your pet as excess baggage will be much more cost-effective than shipping your pet separately from you as cargo. You can make your pet more comfortable in its crate by gradually getting them used to spending longer periods of time inside it. Usually, it is necessary to book the pet ahead of time, as there are limits on the number of pets in the cabin and/or in the baggage hold each flight. Often you will need to make your flight reservation and then call airline customer service to actually book your pet onto your ticket/reservation. 

Moving with your pets can add a layer of complexity to an international move. However, with prior research and a great deal of flexibility, you can help ensure that your pet can join you on your next adventure abroad.

Getting ready to check in at the airline desk.
Long dog walks on the beach in Morocco.
A garden for the dogs at home in Vietnam.

This article was submitted by ISC member, Stephanie Shiers. She has over 10 years of experience teaching English as an Additional Language and Social Sciences in the USA, Morocco, and Vietnam. Currently, she is working as a High School Social Studies teacher at St. Paul American School Hanoi in Vietnam. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education.

Ten Commandments of Relocating Overseas #7: Try to understand the host country’s perspective.

Try to understand the host country’s perspective.

It would be quite the task to encapsulate an entire country’s significant culture, or even try to boil it down to a few key points. The thing is when you try to define nationality, you resort to simply creating a stereotypical object, which might embrace everything, but really fails to bring out anything significant. It’s the illusion that we can create anything objectively.

But maybe it’s an ancient romantic hope that globalization hasn’t completely devoured us all, and then spit us out as these uniformed clones that all march to the same beat. But when you scratch beneath the surface, and look beyond the fact that we’re all listening to Adele, going to the movies and seeing Transformers #1001, or buying our clothes at H&M, maybe there’s this thing I call “country habitus”?

Habitus can be described as some kind of objective consciousness; how we react, how we think, or how we experience. It’s the significant! It is what describes and sets us apart, it’s our lifestyle somehow put into a template. Habitus is derived from French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and is usually used to summarize people into certain groups based on symbolic capital, which again is how we act based on our status and prestige in society. Can the same be transferred to a country?

To each other, international school teachers often talk about certain common traits in the various countries they have lived in or traveled to.  Albeit very generalizing and objectively, there might be truth to what we say sometimes. You often hear that Scandinavians are very happy people, that Germans are very pragmatic and industrious, or that Americans are much more hospitable than Europeans in general. These are of course very favorable traits, but maybe the traits change depending on who you are, maybe some think that the Scandinavians are very somber and dark, that the Germans are very stubborn and unwavering, and the Americans are ignorant and too self-absorbed. The thing is that you want to paint a good picture of yourself and showcase the best and most favorable traits, while still maintaining something significant. Your own country’s habitus.

We always somehow reflect ourselves in what we think we are, and what we definitely think we aren’t. We belong to a certain kind of culture, maybe only for a short period of time, and then move on. But in that culture we can reflect, feel we fit in, and feel a kind of cohesion, both as an individual and also as a people of a country. We bring our habitus with us wherever we go.

“Try to understand the host country perspective”. When we arrive at our next international school post, we all come with our own perspective, our own upbringing, and our own culture. It’s very easy to dismiss others as being brought up the wrong way or having a culture that we don’t really understand at all, and thereby find useless or unnecessary. There’s a certain prestige in being elitist or being charitable, and having the sense that you contain and understand all traits. Bob Dylan once wrote: “Don’t criticize what you can’t understand.” Back in the 1960’s we assumed people were more open-minded and free-spirited, since then a lot has changed. This world has been through a lot, and maybe the distance between us has grown both smaller and wider. There is a huge difference between everyday life in South Africa and Scandinavia, maybe we all make status updates on Facebook and poke our friends virtually, but how we live, and how we are raised are still very different.

It may take some time for international school teachers to observe the host country.  To find and then understand the multiple perspectives of the host country is a challenging task.  After a two-year posting at an international school, you are bound to know more than when you first arrived there.

So objectivity or an Archimedean point may not completely exist. If we sat down with an entire country’s people and asked them to come up with one significant trait of themselves, it would probably be impossible.  And why even try to minimize an entire nation’s rich culture, just to make it more accessible? International school teachers encounter new perspectives every day, and what is the easiest way to deal with these? Emphatically!

This article was submitted anonymously by an ISC member. Check out the rest of the 10 Commandments of Relocated Overseas here.

New Teacher Orientation Must-Haves at International Schools #1: A Trip Around the City

In this blog series, we talk about the ins and outs of an excellent new teacher orientation program at an international school.  A new teacher orientation program can really play a very important part in your start at your new school, in your new host country.

Must-have #1: A Trip Around the City

A friend just told me that there is a hidden rule amongst international school teachers, and that is that you shouldn’t accept any visitors to visit your new home in your new host country within the first six months of living there.  I suppose that is true in some ways and not true in other ways. 

One time I did have a friend visit me during the first three months.  It was actually their first time out of their home country, so it was an important event in this person’s life. At the time, I don’t remember thinking, “Oh, this person shouldn’t visit me right now because I haven’t lived here for at least six months.”  I do remember thinking though, “How cool my friend is coming to visit me!” I disregard how horrible and ineffective I might be as a host for them.

We actually had a good time.  One pro of having a good friend come to visit you within the first three months is that you get to do some exploring of the city together.  One con though is that after one to two years of living in some place, you obviously then know better all of the cool and really fun places to bring people; places that you definitely didn’t know about during the first three months.  Isn’t it all about impressing your friends with your wonderful new city when they come to visit?!

So, back to the topic at hand. Should your new international school be organizing a trip around the city for all their new teachers?  The answer is YES! 

Sure, you could organize this trip yourself (for example just hop on the local tourist bus….see picture), but it is indeed a nice gesture when your new school does this for you (and possibly pays for the tourist bus fee).

It is great when your school does it because your school is the one that knows best how to do this kind of exploring around the city…because they have been living there longer than you!  Also, you might be in a country where you don’t speak the local language.  Your new school could bridge that language gap for you and the other new teachers that have started with you.  Additionally, it is possible that your new city might have not joined the whole touristic bus phenomenon that has “plagued” many of the big cities around the world just yet (though many do believe it is a great way to familiarize yourself with a city and to effectively get around the city…in a fast-like way…and also in a cost-effective way).  If this is the case, then getting around your new city via the metro system and/or bus system might prove to be a bit stressful depending on the city you have moved to (e.g. reading Chinese characters on the bus instead of seeing any bus numbers on it).  If the school can help be a “tour guide” for one day, they can show you all the ropes about getting around the city; thus preparing you to do it yourself next week (e.g. the bus you need to take to get to the big grocery store).

One international school I worked at organized a scavenger hunt for the new teachers that year.  All the new teachers were put in teams of three and were given a list of tasks to complete which involved doing a variety of things around the city.  Each group actually got different lists of things to do.  I think the different lists were so that the other teachers could see the other things that you could do in the city (for it would take too long for one team to do them all in one day).

There was a PowerPoint presentation later on at a whole staff meeting of the teams’ photos from the hunt.  It was very fun to go around the city with two other new teachers.  The individual tasks involved going to specific places of interest in the city, but they also involved finding places that you might go to as a real person living there (i.e. the post office) and completing a task at these places (i.e. buying a stamp). Of course, it was a great bonding experience too.  It was also very fun and funny to watch the presentations.

So, yes.  I hope all international schools around the world have incorporated a trip around the city for their new teachers in their new teacher orientation program.  If you work at an international school right now, we invite you to leave a comment about if your school provided you with a trip around your host city when you first started working there. Search for your school here to submit your comment!

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