EARJ would probably be considered a tier 2 school compared to Graded which is definitely tier one in terms of pay, professional development, resources, etc. Sao Paulo is a much safer and sophisticated city as well. I'm pretty sure Graded pays a lot more than EARJ but that being said, both schools pay staff in Reals which has depreciated 50% over the past year which makes it challenging to save money. To keep and attract teachers, Graded offers significant signing bonuses. I think the quality of staff is much higher at Graded than at EARJ. As for Lincoln, the school is a bit of a mess and it's going through difficult times. I'd say your best bet would be Graded if you want to teach in Brazil. You might not save like you were in Asia, but you will be working at an amazing school with high standards.

I was in the same situation as you are in now and in the end I decided to go to the AASSA fair in Atlanta as I had my heart set on a job in South America. At the AASSA fair I had several job offers and ended up at a great school. As a result, I never ended up going to the fair in Bangkok. When I was at the AASSA job fair, there were more American teachers than international teachers looking for jobs so your chances are pretty good if you have lots of international experience vs. experience just from the States. Most schools that attend the fair in Atlanta will want to wrap up their hiring then and there. As a side note, the majority of the schools at the fair are tier two or tier three schools and the packages they offer are dismal (as low as $20 000/year). I think teachers go to these tier two and tier three schools to get experience. That being said, there are lots of great jobs to be had... you just have to choose the right one for you. But if you want a job in South America, attending the AASSA fair in Atlanta is a definite must.

Graded School in Sao Paulo is amazing and I would definitely consider it a first tier school. The quality of the staff and the facility is incredible. The package teachers receive is probably the best in South America.

The AASSA recruiting fair takes place at the beginning of December: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=352 It's a great fair with lots of schools that are very serious about hiring.

Most top schools are looking for teachers with international overseas experience and your time spent in Korea teaching English won't count but don't despair... there are schools out there that will hire first year teachers which is basically what you will be when you complete your program. Upon completion, you should have no problem getting a job as long as you are willing to go anywhere and accept a lower salary. Everyone has to start at the bottom and it takes time to work your way up to your ideal dream job! Good luck!

For flights within Asia and Australia, try Air Asia's website. You can get really great deals with this low cost carrier.

Tier one schools in Hong Kong would be #1 CIS (Chinese International School) and #2 CDNIS (Canadian International School). Hong Kong International School is a distant third and it's debatable whether or not it's tier one. Renaissance College and Discovery College might be good schools but somewhat unheard of in the international circuit.

The American School in Guangzhou is definitely not a tier one school. Guangzhou is definitely not a tier one city as it has absolutely nothing to offer except pollution.

South America's tier one schools are few: Graded in Sao Paulo and Nido de Aguilas in Santiago. I think Escuela Campo Alegre in Caracas and Lincoln in Buenos Aires were top schools years ago but due to their country's economic woes, they are former shadows of what they previously were.

Definitely go with Search Associates. I think you'll have way more options with them. They have more schools and more jobs. SA is very popular so you have to register early for their fairs or risk not getting in.

Thanks all for your input! It looks like the school has completed their hiring for this year, but maybe next year!

Does anyone know anything about the International School of Macao?

I can't comment on the schools in Myanmar, but I have recently visited the country and absolutely loved it! If you are looking for a cool teaching experience and you don't care about whether or not a school is tier one or tier three, I'd teach in Myanmar in a heart beat. The people are beautiful, kind and polite. The country has lots to offer tourists... Bagan (thousands of temples), Inle Lake, beaches, hiking! The country is progressing and just getting better and better.

@LorneBr... You'll definitely enjoy China if you are looking for a unique experience. I've been living in China for six years now and even though I'm ready to leave, I have no regrets. When you get here, you'll definitely want to travel the country. A great site (basically the Chinese version of Expedia) to book flights is called Elong. http://www.elong.net/
Check it out. Enjoy China!

Living in China can be difficult and Qingdao will have its own unique challenges. I don't think Qingdao or the international schools in that city are well known. Personally, I would never live or work there (unless you think you're not tier one teacher material). But if you're just taking a leave from your current school to experience something different, sure why not live in Qingdao. The experience will make you appreciate your life back home!

I would recommend Search over ISS as they are the larger of the two. Most teachers would agree as the Search fairs fill up quickly (unlike the ones run by ISS). More schools also use Search. I joined ISS last year and regretted it. I joined because I used ISS in the mid 90's and was satisfied but a lot has changed over twenty years. ISS is no longer the authority and Search is now the leader. Many of the schools that sign up with ISS also sign up with Search but there are hundreds of schools that register exclusively with Search. That being said, I also attended the AASSA job fair in Atlanta and loved it. AASSA caters to schools in South America.

My principal was interviewing a young woman for a position that opened up mid year. The interview took place on a Saturday in the principal's office. It wasn't unusual for the principal to bring her dog in with her on the weekends when she worked and this Saturday was no exception. During the interview process, the principal decided to give a tour of the school to this young woman which is when I bumped into them in the hallway. While I was being introduced, the principal's dog ran up to the young woman and peed on her leg. Awkward. We all just stood there not quite believing what had just happened. The young woman, obviously grossed out, was at a loss for words. The principal, without missing a beat, said, "I guess I have to offer you the job now." The young woman accepted.