Yes, definitely sign up for the ISS. I don't think they have a limit on candidates, as Search does.

But, you need to register with ISS first, and that takes some time. They need university transcripts and original recommendation letters, sent directly to them by referees. They will accept faxed letters from referees. Write them an e-mail, explain your situation, and they might give you some leeway with due dates.

I'm pretty sure ALL the schools going to Search Bangkok will also be attending ISS. Most do not want to hire at Search, knowing ISS follows, so you won't really loose anything by missing the Search fair.

If nothing else works, contact the schools you are interested in, explain your situation, and see if you can set up an interview in Bangkok at the time of the fairs. I bet most schools would be very willing to interview you. If you already have a file with Search that schools can check, you really won't be disadvantaged that much by going this route.

Good luck!

Sorry, that's ASIJ........I wrote AISJ several times in my last post. My mistake....it is ASIJ.....but, we are talking about the same school, the American School in Japan.

Smog in Tokyo? It it one of the worst? Have you been to Tokyo?

I lived in Tokyo for 3 years, and I can tell you, without question, there is not a lot of smog or air pollution. Considering the 30 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area, it is probably, on a per-person basis, the cleanest city in the world!


Tokyo is clean, even disregarding the huge population! Japan manages people, and is able to provide a health environment to the massess, better than any other nation in the world!

I have travelled and lived all over Asia, and without a doubt, Tokyo is the cleanest city in all respects, except perhaps for Singapore, of any major city in Asia.

In addition, AISJ is outsdie of the city, further removing you from whatever little polution might exist inside the city, from car exhuast, and the like.

AISJ is known as one of the top schools in Asia. Married couples would live in a house, unheard of for most citizens or other foreigners in Tokyo, especially in the city.

It is in the suburbs, but well connected by subway. It takes maybe 45 minutes to get to Shinjuku, the nearest urban center of Tokyo.

The plus of living in the suburbs is that nature is not as far away (you will feel a huge need for this if you live deeper in the city), and the cost of living is about half of what it would be in the city center.

AISJ is possibly the highest paying school in Asia as well. But, again, this is Japan, not Thailand, so it is all relative......

I hope this helps!

It also depends significantly on the country and culture you are in, and what you are looking for.

Although it may be easier for single males in Asia to find a "date", if your looking for something meaningful, single guys in some Asian countries can be as frustrated as single females.

Cultural differences can be challenging to the point of making anything long lasting unrealistic, particularly in the East Asian countries, Japan, China and Korea.

Although you may get a lot of attention, and opportunities for dating are not that hard to come by, I know of many single guys who have had strings of short relationships, ending in confusion and frustration from cultural diffferences, and cultural expectations.

Remember, if you date someone in another country/culture, you are the person who is expected to understand how things work, know the expectations, and adapt. This is a real challenge, particularly when those expectations are not well known, nor communicated by the partner involved.......

I've known lots of singles, males and females, even those who admire Asians, who have decide to go back home, and find a partner there, even an Asian one. Their thinking is that cultural issues might be less of a problem there, understandably.......

I hope this helps!

(this post is starting to look like Dear Abby :-)

Thanks for the reply and valuable information maxsaidno.

I was focusing on the larger schools in Asia becasue that is the area I have the most experience and am interested in. I agree, stereotypes can be misleading and damaging, and that wasn't my intent.

I guess I am wondering about the specific nature of the workload and demands. How are the demands and expectations in a large, well established school different than those in a smaller school undergoing significant development and changes?

I'm assuming (pehaps wrongly) that the focus of a teacher in one of the schools in questions is more specific in nature, but the expectation is for very high performance in that area?

I have heard that teaching in these circumstances can be very rewarding, as you are able to affect a high level of student learning in the classroom, which is what many of us (myself included) got into education to be a part of. The well defined structures and ample educational support all work toward this end..........

Do I have it right? :-)

Thanks

I have read many reviews about high stress and demanding workload at most of the top American International schools (Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai ect).

Can someone comment on the nature of the high workload and/or stress.?

I have worked in several small-medium sized schools. These schools often are at the stage where they want to offer the huge program that a 2000+ student school offers, yet don't have the resources or facilities to achieve it.

Of course, the burden of accomplishing these high achieving programs rests on the shoulders of the teachers and therfore the workload is exceedingly demanding.

How can the workload and demands at the larger schools possibly be higher than those at smaller but still demanding schools? A person/teacher can only do so much.......

It would be great if someone with experience in these schools could give some input into the nature of the workload at the top large international schools in Asia which have caused some reviewers to comment,

" x American school works you to the bone!"
" Teachers are expected to work hard but are well compensated"

I'd say these sentiments about high expectations and demanding workload would be shared by many teachers working in smaller, less reputable international schools.

Again, how is it different in the large, well established American International schools?