Thanks, Expatguy. I appreciate that. Mind filling me in on the proper way to do a link? Do I need to use a special format? Or just keep the 'h-t-t-p-:' off the front?

I apparently also have no idea how to do links. I don't know why only one appeared as an actual blue link and I have no idea how to get this BBCode stuff to work. If anyone wants to enlighten a technical illiterate, please do.

Hey y'all! I am an international teacher working in Essen, Germany, and a two-year lurker of these forums. I've always enjoyed the questions and advice here and so I thought I'd throw two cents in for our area: Germany's Ruhrgebiet.

We have lots of great international schools here that are often recruiting. I have friends at many of the schools and I know quite a few are looking for teachers for next school year (2011-12). I thought I'd mention a couple that I have friends at and that I know are recruiting.

There is an amazing new international school in Essen called International School Ruhr (http://www.is-ruhr.de/eng/). It'll be in its second year, but the teachers who work there absolutely love it. The team is made up of highly experienced teachers and they rave about their boss, Sharon Sperry, who came out of retirement to develop the school. The support of the teachers is high and each is given substantial resources. They even received a very large grant from RWE to expand the upper level science program. I am not sure if they have posted anything yet, but I know they are looking for at least two sixth level teachers to expand the school.

Another great option is the International School of Düsseldorf (http://www.isdedu.de/). (And, yes, I know Düsseldorf isn't technically in the Ruhrgebiet but it's worth mentioning.) ISD is an incredibly competitive school to get into, both as a student and an employee. But they have been around for a long time and are considered one of the best international schools in Germany. They are currently looking for teachers and they go to most of the major job fairs (http://www.isdedu.de/faculty_and_staff_ ... ent_2.html). And, hey, Düsseldorf is considered to be the 6th best city in the whole world to live in (http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/qu ... ing_Tables).

We have a lot of other good schools in the area you should check out, but I must say, we're not perfect, and we have that one bad school: International School Heiligenhaus. I have never heard so many terrible stories about a school in my life. Last year, over 35 teachers left. Yeah, there were only 28 positions.... Check out the reviews here on ISR. They speak for themselves. If you are considering it or just interested in why it's so bad, I'd check out this website -- The Facts About International School Heiligenhaus: http://internationalschoolheiligenhaus.org/

If you are interested in coming to this area, we also have an amazing international English-speaking community (http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/ind ... wforum=141). In our area, they do book clubs, a women's group, and meet and greets (normally at bars). There's even a fun bar in Kettwig-Essen that's run by a Brit and a Yank that does English comedy nights every once in a while.

The area is absolutely beautiful, Essen was last year's cultural capital of Europe, and there's tons of fun things to do. And for you Yanks, we have some of the best healthcare in the world!