I know it's a complex and tough situation for you, but for the sake of perspective, let's think about how we would feel should a foreign hire in the U.S. make way more than the "local" U.S. citizens.

I hope this doesn't belittle your situation, but I thought I'd share a different perspective :)

All the best and think long term :)

I sure will, Ichiro.

So far, UNI has been great! I feel that they are genuinely concerned for my success, with their information and communication. A great feeling/help for a first-timer.

Oh, do you folks recommend a suit, or will nice pants, sweater, shirt, tie, polished shoes be ok? Trying to stay comfortable but yet professional is my goal.

Hope that the best is yet to come :)

Till the UNI fair!

Been preparing since Feb 2009; researching and getting stuff ready etc. Can't believe that it will be here in 14 days :)

Anyone else heading to the fair? Any tips and schools in the list that we should be cautious?

Yabadabadoooo :)

Thanks for the reply, 10/6. It is certainly disheartening that education can be "exploited" like that overseas. However, I think it also happens here in the US, with some colleges that "hand-out" diplomas.

I will be attending the fair in UNI, and I've checked out most of the schools that are coming. They seem legit and their websites professional (except for a few of them) Being newer at this, I certainly hope I can discern between the not-for-real schools from the ones that I dream of :)

I really liked how you reminded me again that the irreplaceable experiences and the non-quantifiable rewards are some reasons I enjoy this profession. I wish to stay "naive" in my ideals for as long as I can :)

I have 8 years of teaching experience (7 Senior Education Specialist at a local zoo + 1 year in Singapore) and will be graduating with a masters (student teaching begins in 1 week. woooot!)

I will be embarking on my first overseas placement and have been researching and preparing since May 2009. However, the more I research, the more "confused" I become. I started my search with Europe in mind, but now, I am ready to head almost anywhere. The challenge I am encountering now is, there are so many pros and cons to all these places and in trying to be open-minded, I seem to have "lost" the initial ideas that I had when I started my search.

This long-winded introduction leads to my questions:
I am wondering, from you veterans out there, what were some of the more important things, that I might have overlooked, when it comes to applying and accepting offers from your first school? What were your thought process like? Any advice and tips?
Also, what were some things that you wished you thought about/knew and somethings that you wish you did...

Thanks for being looking back and sharing your reflections :)

Ack - there goes my "ideal" world of teaching :) I was thinking more along the lines of strategies, professional training, admin. support etc. but I think drinking and sinking to despair works too lol

Those are definitely great points, JIS.

Quick question, Interteach - If the level of English taught and spoken is quite low, are subjects still taught in English?
Consequently, what are folks doing to "tackle" or continue to be effective teachers in this challenge, i.e. the challenge of teaching in English to a class of mainly local students (assuming that the teacher does not have an ELL endorsement.)

I can definitely see what you are saying, Interteach. I guess it's kind of like a double-edged sword: I want to learn/enjoy local culture but I don't want to do that in a school that is almost all locals...

Also, I understand what you are saying, Overhere, and I agree that the experience would be difficult for kids. However, just for discussion purposes, can't we liken that difficult experience to how new immigrants/foreign students might face in our classrooms here in the US? If I had kids, I might send them to a school with 90% host country students, just so they can have a new learning experience.

In searching for an international school, what are the pros and cons, if any, of a school with mostly local students and staff? And along the same vein, what are the pros and cons with a truly international student body and staff?

What are folks' experiences and thoughts on "international" schools with 90% local students? There is nothing wrong if the school is mainly local students and staff - I was just curious how that experience compares to that of a truly international setting.

I am trying to keep an open mind and I hope different view points/experiences from you folks can help me have a better picture.

Thanking you all in advance :)

Hello folks,

I've been reading this forum for a bit and am wondering about the housing that schools provide and I look forward to reading about your experiences. I aim to teach internationally (hopefully in Europe) in the Fall of 2010.

I know housing varies from country to country, and school to school, and I am not expecting 5 star hotel luxury accommodations. However, I am curious to learn more about what to expect - will it be 4 white walls with minimum furniture and outdated appliances or will it be an environment that is somewhat comparable to a typical apartment in the U.S. I've researched a lot of international schools and although some mention that housing is provided or subsidized, I have not encountered any that describes or has pictures of their housing.

I am not sure if we can post pictures here and since pictures sometimes say a thousand words, I will gladly furnish my email if you have pictures to share.

Thank you again and I hope we get many responses :)