{"id":2177,"date":"2013-08-08T20:17:57","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T20:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=2177"},"modified":"2013-08-10T14:36:04","modified_gmt":"2013-08-10T14:36:04","slug":"how-do-i-get-into-international-education-1-is-it-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/how-do-i-get-into-international-education-1-is-it-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Get into International Education #1: “Is it for me?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"images\"<\/a>In the news recently, you may have seen the advertisement for a company looking for four couples to make a one-way trip to Mars. There were over 10,000 people who applied. It\u00b4s not clear what their motivations were, but perhaps some of those adventurous genes can be found in international teachers. You can rest comfortably, though, in the assurance that an international teaching assignment is not, necessarily, a one-way trip. Whether you are a new or veteran teacher or administrator, the exciting world of international education is both challenging and rewarding. This article is the first in a series that will help you decide if it is for you and how to prepare for success in the endeavor.<\/p>\n

The first thing considerations are: Do I have what it takes, and what are my motivations? Part of our psychological makeup as creatures of habit, mean that change is very difficult. Don\u00b4t believe me? When was the last time you changed your hairstyle or wardrobe?\u00a0 On the other hand, change, can bring invigoration and excitement which leads to greater motivation and focus. So let\u00b4s look at some of the characteristics of a successful international educator. Stamina is vital. Think of your first year of teaching. International education is definitely not a \u201ckick back and relax at the beach,\u201d kind of job. In short, cannot be viewed as \u201cjust a job.\u201d It is an adventure requires a energy and and a state of mind that thrives on seeing the opportunities in the daily challenges. Our Mars-bound friends will no doubt discover that in their three year training and conditioning program, their success is as dependent on this mindset as is that of an international educator. Creativity and a proactive approach will let you get ahead of the next curve ball thrown your way.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_3137\"<\/a>Another characteristic of success is flexibility\u2014not the yoga kind, although many find that helps too. As creatures of habit, change is difficult for everyone. As an international educator, you may find that you are on the receiving end, instead of the giving end of \u00a0\u201cwe’ve always done it that way.\u201d You will almost certainly be asked to step out of your comfort zone, whether it is in the classroom, or with foods and customs. In preparation for the Mars trip, these lucky souls will be learning everything from gardening to medicine. It is unlikely that you will need those skills, but a broad tool chest of skills and interests will definitely make life more interesting and effective. Bear in mind that every educator and every school have different perspectives on how to do things, and no one has a monopoly on \u201cthe best.\u201d No one enters or should enter international education on a crusade to change the world. As shocking as it may be, our way \u2014 or my way \u2014 or your way, is not always the best. A successful international educator will be open to alternative ideas. Ultimately, that is what makes us all better at what we do. Above all, flexibility and curiosity which will be discussed further in an article on dealing with culture shock, will provide a much richer experience.<\/p>\n

Effective and happy international educators also possess stick-to-itiveness\u2014that perseverance that allows one to shake off the frustrations and challenges and keep an eye on the goal. Jumping into international education successfully, is not something done on a whim. Rather, it is for the long haul. Challenges are everywhere, from home country to the farthest reaches of society. Those challenges are amplified by a multitude of other issues, which will be addressed in later articles, but the bottom line is that even when things seem overwhelming, a successful international educator will grab hold and keep pushing ahead. So, whether your motivation for entering international education is a career move, an adventure or a chance to discover the world, you are there to teach children. But just as importantly, if you are open to it, you will learn much more than you teach.<\/p>\n

The life of an international educator is a wonderful one, full of adventure and boredom, excitement and frustration, challenge and reward. But without a doubt, it is a remarkable opportunity that will provide an amazing insight into the world in which we live. A friend of mine, and long time international educator, said it best, we \u201cdo an ordinary job in extraordinary places.\u201d Life is not about the destinations, it\u00b4s about the journey.<\/p>\n

In the next article, we will look at the nuts and bolts of getting started\u2014specific steps to prepare you for opening the doors.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a>This article was submitted by guest author and\u00a0International School Community\u00a0member:\u00a0John Brown<\/a>.
\n(John\u00a0has held both administrative and teaching positions for over 20\u00a0 years, with the last five being in international education. He is a well respected presenter at regional, national and international education and technology conferences as well as a consultant, who has helped set standards in teacher training and assessment, use of technology in the classroom, curriculum development and effective management practices. A graduate of Tarleton State University in Texas, USA, with graduate studies at North Texas State University and Texas Wesleyan School of Law, he is currently teaching IB Psychology and Spanish at an international school in Portugal. His current projects include development of an online tutoring system for Spanish, consulting on development of a National Language Policy for the United States, and research into the effects of early language learning on brain development. You can contact John at jbb0906@gmail.com<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the news recently, you may have seen the advertisement for a company looking for four couples to make a one-way trip to Mars. There were over 10,000 people who applied. It\u00b4s not clear what their motivations were, but perhaps some of those adventurous genes can be found in international teachers. You can rest comfortably, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1746],"tags":[40,56,29,30,57,1286,601,33,1747,535,45,60],"class_list":["post-2177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-do-i-get-into-international-education","tag-culture-shock","tag-international-educators","tag-international-school","tag-international-school-community","tag-international-teacher","tag-international-teacher-life","tag-international-teacher-travel","tag-international-teaching","tag-john-brown","tag-life-of-an-international-teacher","tag-life-overseas","tag-teaching-abroad"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/images.jpeg?fit=275%2C183&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-z7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7684,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/international-school-teacher-blogs-education-rickshaw-two-teachers-that-work-in-china\/","url_meta":{"origin":2177,"position":0},"title":"International School Teacher Blogs: “Education Rickshaw” (Two teachers that work in China)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"December 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you inspired to start-up a blog about your adventures living abroad and working at an international school? Our 49th blog that we would like to highlight is called \"Education Rickshaw\" Check out the blog entries of these two international school educators that work in China: A few entries that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blogs of International Teachers"","block_context":{"text":"Blogs of International Teachers","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/blogs-of-international-teachers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screenshot-2019-12-11-19.48.52.png?fit=1200%2C595&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screenshot-2019-12-11-19.48.52.png?fit=1200%2C595&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screenshot-2019-12-11-19.48.52.png?fit=1200%2C595&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screenshot-2019-12-11-19.48.52.png?fit=1200%2C595&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Screenshot-2019-12-11-19.48.52.png?fit=1200%2C595&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":608,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/highlighted-article-american-teacher-killed-at-international-school-in-iraqs-kurdistan\/","url_meta":{"origin":2177,"position":1},"title":"Highlighted article: American teacher killed at international school in Iraq’s Kurdistan","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, we found this article about some shocking news of an intenraitonal school teacher being killed by one of their students at an international school in Iraq.\u00a0 Check out the details of the event below: \u201cAn American teacher was shot dead Thursday by his Kurdish student at an American international\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Highlighted Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Highlighted Articles","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/highlighted-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/04\/screen-shot-2012-04-18-at-10-30-10-pm.png?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6121,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/member-spotlight-37-tr-ponnumuthu-thankaraj-veteran-international-school-teacher-india\/","url_meta":{"origin":2177,"position":2},"title":"Member Spotlight #37: Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj (A veteran international school teacher from India)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Every so often\u00a0International School Community\u00a0is looking to\u00a0highlight one of our members in our\u00a0Member Spotlight\u00a0blog category.\u00a0 This month we interviewed Tr. Ponnumuthu Thankaraj: Tell us about your background.\u00a0 Where are you from? I am a Mathematics Teacher and I love teaching mathematics for slow learners as well as gifted ones. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Member Spotlights"","block_context":{"text":"Member Spotlights","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/member-spotlights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/aefaef.png?fit=745%2C559&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/aefaef.png?fit=745%2C559&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/aefaef.png?fit=745%2C559&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/aefaef.png?fit=745%2C559&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4476,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/blogs-of-international-school-teachers-travelling-teacher-at-chatsworth-international-school\/","url_meta":{"origin":2177,"position":3},"title":"Blogs of international school teachers: \u201cTravelling Teacher\u201d (A teacher working at Chatsworth International School)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"May 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you inspired to start up a blog about your adventures living abroad? 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Check out the Intentionality Education Group website for the latest job vacancy postings. \u201cSpecialists in International Teacher Recruitment, Consultancy and Training\u2026the company was a response to the massive growth in the number of international schools on a global\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Great Resource"","block_context":{"text":"Great Resource","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/great-resource\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/02\/screen-shot-2012-02-20-at-10-18-14-pm.png?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6324,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/international-school-teacher-blogs-two-apples-day-two-teachers-working-seoul\/","url_meta":{"origin":2177,"position":5},"title":"International School Teacher Blogs: “Two Apples a Day” (Two teachers working in Seoul)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you inspired to start-up a blog about your adventures living abroad and working at an international school? 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