pgrass wrote:
> Four or five preps is standard in many international schools. It is usually
> the North Americans who complain / are concerned about the amount of preps
> they have.

Be careful not to characterize North Americans as complainers, pgrass. There are reasons why many of us are concerned with the ratio of contact and planning hours.

Teachers in the U.S. spend approximately 80% of their time teaching compared to around 60% in other OECD nations. In the highest performing countries, teachers spend as little as 35% of their time delivering instruction. It's important to me to have enough time to plan carefully, reflect, collaborate, and improve my lessons.

(See Figure 1 on p. 3)

https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/def ... achers.pdf

If you choose to get a master's, make sure it's in a specialization that you really enjoy (e.g. leadership, curriculum design, technology, etc.) Don't do it if your only reason is to be more competitive in the international school market. Like other posters have mentioned, good experience and student results should be enough for that.

@MedellinHeel-- I certainly did. I understand that EFL work is stigmatized in the international school world, but honestly, why should I leave out three years of experience writing lesson plans, delivering instruction, planning summer/winter camps, grading homework, communicating with parents, getting along with faculty, etc.? ---And ALL of it in a foreign country!

At least full time EFL work experience puts you ahead of newly certified teachers who've never lived abroad and only worked at Wendy's. Figure out which EFL skills are directly transferable to teaching your subject area and emphasize those in your bullet points. For example, differentiating instruction for diverse learners, using technology to deliver instruction, tailoring lessons to fit students' interests and learning styles…

I think it's best to put your education and certification first. You want them to know immediately that you meet the minimum requirements. Think about how many applications internationals school must receive from people who lack the proper certifications/credentials. Save them the trouble of searching for it on your resume. Once they see that you're certified, have a B.Ed./M.A.T. whatever it is, then they can look carefully at your skills, work experience, etc.

My graduate advisor gave me this advice in January… I found a job at an accredited international school in March. Just like you I had EFL experience in Asia, but no post-certification experience. Good luck!

As a newly certified teacher fresh out of a MAT program, this thread has really sparked my interest. I've just been hired at a fully accredited, albeit new, international school. I've been thinking a lot about the kinds of challenges I might face in this context as opposed to a public school in the United States.

As a student teacher, I had three different preps with around 35-40 students in each class. Several of them had learning disabilities, were English language learners, and had diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The most stressful aspect of it all was coming up with effective procedures for managing such large class sizes. At the international school class sizes range from 14-16 --mostly highly motivated students. This brings a huge sense of relief.

Although this will be my first year working as a certified subject teacher, I do have three years of EFL experience in the country where I'll be teaching. I don't expect to have any issues with the culture. I'm more concerned about finding unofficial mentors in my department who are willing give me feedback and support. I will also be expected to advise clubs and extracurriculars. This is something I might not have been required to do as a first year teacher in the U.S. Lastly, since the school is relatively new I'm sure I will play a role in its development which will also add to my workload.

Of course I feel some anxiety, but overall I'm thrilled to have this opportunity. I'm willing to work as hard as I need to in order to succeed. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can, as quickly as I can, from other teachers with more experience. Just my two cents.

Thanks again for the responses.

@inman:

Great suggestions. I think I'll try some combination of both options.

@jbierstecker:

I'm sorry if my comments about Christian schools seemed harsh, that really wasn't my intention. I only meant that schools with a 'very specific Christian mission' would probably not be a good fit for me anyway. I certainly wouldn't lie about being Christian. Although I do feel like my Christian upbringing fostered the kinds of values that more inclusive Christian schools would appreciate. Thank you for your response about the other non-Christian schools in Seoul.

@Tyshine:

I'm glad to hear you're having a good experience at Chadwick. How did you arrange your practicum with them? Did you approach them directly? Did your university/ teacher ed program arrange it?
Can you tell me any more about the interns? Are they paid? Are they offered housing? Do interns essentially work as teaching assistants? Are they assigned to a specific teacher? Or to a department? Any info you have would be helpful.
Also, are you planning to apply as an intern or teacher at Chadwick when you finish your program?
Lastly, what is your commute time to central Seoul? Is it possible to live in Seoul and work at Chadwick?

Thanks!

@shadowjack:

-My wife does not have US citizenship--at this point I'll be happy to get a job, even if it's local hire status.

-What constitutes a 'real curriculum'? What should I look for? Academic subjects taught with a particular set of standards in mind? Or just anything that's not an EFL curriculum?

-We can't stay in the U.S.--my wife has a career in Korea. She's worried if we stay here any longer she'll become obsolete. We have considered schools in Jeju, Incheon, Daegu, and Busan.

@CaliPro:

-I think I'll apply directly this year and see what happens. After I'm more competitive (and financially secure), I'll attend a job fair and apply only to Korean schools.

@buffalofan:

-Sounds like it's pretty tough to get a job in Korea. Were these top schools that you heard about...20 interviews per applicant? I could see that with Seoul Foreign School, or Seoul International School, but not so much with the lesser Korean owned and operated schools. I hope not, anyway.

@inman:

-I like the idea of going direct, but assertive. I'm flying to Korea mid-January whether or not I have a job. Do you think it would be too assertive to actually walk into schools and ask to speak with principals?

@hairsonfire/inman/calipro:

-As far as the Christian thing goes... I agree with hairsonfire, I really wouldn't want to work in a climate that would exclude people on the basis of their faith or lack thereof. On the other hand, I'm not in a position to be choosy.

-As inman mentioned, some schools are uber-Christian e.g. want a letter from your minister along with a conversion statement. Others have more of a simple affiliation--Asia Pacific International school, for example, says they actively recruit Christian teachers but base their hiring practices primarily on a candidate's skills and abilities. I consider myself agnostic, but I was raised Christian. I don't see the harm in emphasizing my Christian upbringing during an interview. Anyway, it is frustrating that faith is such an issue for so many schools. Is this specific to Korea, or typical in other parts of the world?

Thanks a lot for the responses everyone. Much appreciated. : )


.

Qualifications:

-BA English
-MA Secondary Education (language arts)
-Initial Utah State Teaching License
-3 Years of EFL experience in Korean Public Schools (for what it's worth)

Issues:

-Zero post-certification content area experience
-My wife is a non-teaching Korean national who insists on living in/around Seoul.
-I'm not a Christian

Questions:

1. Would it be worthwhile to attend job fairs if I'm limited to working in South Korea? Or should I apply to schools directly?

2. Should I even bother applying to top schools, even as a T.A. or Intern?

3. Do international schools hire long-term substitutes? Is subbing a viable foot in the door?

4. I know that trailing spouses can be problematic, but my wife is Korean and will not require a visa. In fact, she's able to sponsor my visa. Will schools see this as an advantage? Or will it negatively affect my compensation package? How will it work in terms of housing?

__________

I really don’t want to go back to teaching EFL while my newly developed skills atrophy. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.