Scenes From A Possible Future
“It’s a great gig.
”
One August day for teacher in-service in Vienna (Austria, not Virginia), incoming staff met for a glass of new wine in a heuriger (tavern) in operation since 1643…
One March 5 in Thailand, we had real elephants (SEE Horton) to help the library celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday…
One May Day in Moscow (Russia, not Idaho), we stood with the dwindling number of WWII veterans wearing chestfuls of medals as they celebrated Russia’s victory over the Nazis…
One freezing Christmas we wandered the back streets of Jerusalem and explored Crusader castles with our middle school kids…
Teaching in the international schools means adventures like these can be your life, too. My goal for this blog is to inspire and prepare you to make that leap. But first, let’s start with why this lifestyle speaks to you in the first place.
Motivations To Teach Overseas
“Ordinary life does not interest me.
”
Why does the teaching + travel lifestyle appeal to you? Scan briefly through this overview and see which best describes you. We will revisit each of these motivations later in fuller detail. But for now, see where you might fit:
Maybe you’re a real traveler with a lifelong string of extended trips/expeditions/lengthy stays overseas/stints as an exchange student or PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer.)
Maybe you travel the minute summer vacation starts and the kids pour out the door. You have taken dozens of trips but the endeavor is beginning to pall. It’s dawned on you that being a tourist does not make you a traveler; you want a more authentic experience.
Maybe you are feeling restless. You see your career stretching ahead in the same well-worn routine year after year until retirement. On bad days the thought turns your mind turn to sludge. There must be more to life than this.
You graduated, got your teaching certificate and have a couple of years under your belt. But holy guacamole; you are absolutely buried in student debt or stretched with monthly expenses. You coach for a pittance and teach driver’s education in the summer but are barely making a dent. Digging out of debt seems hopeless.
You truly love kids and teaching, but the education system in your state seems painfully dysfunctional: high-stakes testing, budget cuts and layoffs, larger and larger class sizes, shrinking staff and financial support, classroom overloaded with mainstreamed and ESL students, lack of parental backing, serious discipline issues. You ask yourself, “Now why exactly did I become a teacher??”
You are retired but not tired. You started right out of college, taught straight through for 30+ years but feel way too young for grandkids, golf, and gardening. You have the itch to take a big bite out of life while you still have time and energy.
Which category best describes you?
Once you scratch the surface of why you want to teach overseas, it’s time to examine the when.
Starts At a Crossroads
“The journey of a thousand miles
starts with a single step.
”
Every single international school teacher I know has a story to tell about what led him or her to this lifestyle in the first place. I’ve gathered just a few stories of first steps and the theme is crossroads.
Needed a Change
Ann was in the grip of a midlife crisis after the kids graduated high school; she’d raised them by herself following a bitter divorce and needed revitalization. So she signed up to recruit with SEARCH Associates, one of the two largest recruiting agencies.
After a job offer in Bahrain was rescinded (she was too old) and Taiwan didn’t work out (prefers primary kids to upper elementary), Ann ended up in Saudi Arabia.
She needed a complete change, which is exactly what she got. Things became difficult after 9/11 and her father became ill, so she broke contract and returned to Portland Public Schools for a few years. But then a colleague from Saudi called to say, “There’s a job in Moscow,” and she was off again.
So here we have a decision based on a change in life situation - an empty nest. Ann could easily have stayed in Oregon until retirement but seized the opportunity to take a new path.
You also might be resting on such a fulcrum.
Didn’t Know It Was Possible
Michelle was teaching in Longview, WA with 24 years in public schools, and taking summer classes to update her certification. Two professors suggested, “Hey, think about teaching overseas; you have lots of AP (Advanced Placement) experience which should help you with IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum.”
She had literally never heard of the international schools. She only knew about DoDS (Department of Defense Schools) from a friend and was impressed with all the traveling he was able to do. So Michelle signed up for a job fair through ISS (International Schools Service), the other large recruiting agency. By August she was at the Anglo-American School of Moscow (AASM). Then Dubai, UAE and Chiang Mai, Thailand – and eventually back home to Montana.
Michelle didn’t even realize that teaching in the international schools and getting paid for it was an option. When she was encouraged and even recruited, this vision of the future fell into place. The seed had already been planted and was ready to sprout.
My mission is to plant this seed for you so it can sprout when conditions are right.
How To Choose a Type of School
And Area of the World
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else. ”
So now you know that teaching in an international school is a real possibility. You could be meandering the back streets of Shanghai or buying cheap stehplatz (standing room) tickets to the Vienna Opera on your weekends instead of going to Costco.
However…a great deal of prep work is required between reading this blog and that first day in your overseas school. The process is just like painting a house: power wash, scrape, sand, patch, prime - all before you can lay on a lick of paint.
So let’s briefly consider the whys and how the implications shape your job search. Again, we will revisit these topics in fuller detail later.
Top Three Reasons
Make Lots Of Money
If making a lot of money to pay off debts or save is your first priority, you might want to stay away from EU (European Union) countries where the cost of living and taxes are high; instead aim towards the Middle East or Southeast Asia.
2. Have Adventures And Travel
If travel is at the top of your priority list, then you might be happy with a less-prestigious school where you don’t have to work quite so hard. But proximity to good airline or train connections needs to be factored in.
Maybe you are just in it for an adventure and your top priority is to revitalize your life; you are just burnt-out and restless. In this case pretty much any school, any country would do nicely. Change is refreshing.
3. Teach In A Really Good School
Genuinely dedicated education professionals might put quality of school as their top priority. Do you want to teach a diverse, academically ambitious student body in a school with tons of financial, technological, staff and parental support with highly qualified fellow teachers?
If that is exactly what you are looking for, narrow your job criterion to top tier embassy and not-for-profit schools, no matter where.
This dynamic is also at play for teachers who feel increasingly burdened by the education system in their home country: the lack of support, the high-stakes testing, and the students who don’t really care. You want a reputable and not-for-profit international school.
Additional Factors To Consider
“To make a good decision, you actually need to think about it, the contours and the consequences.”
Host Nationals
For want of a better term, the internationalist is looking to live and work in a world outside the Western bubble. Your top priority is to readjust your worldview.
If this goal tops your list, closely examine the percentage of host nationals; look for a genuine international school with a diverse student body. Much more on this later.
Culture
Culture, or rather lack of access to culture, can be a deal-breaker. There are a number of schools where a teacher can make a lot of money, but the campus might be isolated or on a guarded compound or far from museums, restaurants, music, and city life.
If culture matters greatly to you, avoid this category of school. But if you are focused on raising the kids or prioritize access to outdoor activities, these schools might work just fine.
Personal Reasons
If any of a wide range of personal reasons tops your list, carefully research the culture of the school. That means reading reviews and contacting current and past staff or friends on the international circuit who know of the school.
If you are going with a spouse and children, their happiness is crucial. If you seek new friends and a sense of community, stay away from schools with a poisonous atmosphere.
Establishing whether this is the case is, of course, extremely difficult until you arrive and it’s too late. Just practice due diligence in advance.
Your Background
You might have a very particular interest or background and then your list of schools will narrow and shrink. If, for instance, you speak fluent Spanish or French, you might aim for South America or Africa, respectively.
If you were an exchange student in Ukraine or a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) in Cambodia, you might want to return as a teacher. Naturally, this severely limits your chances of getting a job.
One-Year Contract
If your school will only give you a one-year leave or you’re not ready to fully commit to a two-year contract, you’ve also severely restricted your options. In fact, you have probably limited yourself to a hard-to-find emergency position or to a lesser school.
“If the shoe fits, wear it. ”
The more honestly you work through this preliminary self-reflection, the better your chances of finding a good fit and being happy overseas.
We will revisit these factors in more detail throughout the blog. In the next post let’s begin by discussing in more detail one of the top three reasons to teach overseas i.e. money.