There are 40 jobs posted on SA (Music - General) and 20 on TIE Online.

Of the schools posted on TIE online, most are cross-posted on SA. Of the ones that aren't, there is only 1 school that I (personally) would apply to.

Hope that helps.

I highly recommend you teach what you love. It is not particularly difficult to get a history posting, if that is your thing.

My little sister is graduating from teacher's college next year and wants to get into international teaching. I wrote this up for her, but I thought some new members here might find it useful (and edited the language to make it less personal). Feel free to share any comments/disagreements/improvements that you think should be changed.

1. International Schools

What is an international school?

Unfortunately, there is no consensus about how to define an international school. At its most basic level, an international school is any school that promotes international education. To be considered an international school, a school must generally follow a national curriculum or international curriculum that is different from that of the host country. The language of instruction is (usually) English, teachers are (usually) certified in their home country, and the schools tend to place an emphasis on global citizenship.

What are the different types of international schools?

International schools tend to fall into one of several categories:

Non-Profit Schools
Non-profit schools are schools that use their surplus revenue to further achieve their mission or goal, rather than distributing surplus income to shareholders as dividends or profit. They are sometimes subsidized by embassies or corporations in order to provide education to their employees. Non-profit schools are usually controlled by a board of governors composed of parents, teachers, administrators, or members of the community. Because all money is reinvested into the school, they tend to be better equipped than other types of schools.

For-Profit Schools
For-profit schools are educational institutions operated by private profit-seeking businesses. These schools take in tuition from students, administer a school (facilities, staffing, services, etc.) and return all profits to the owner or shareholders. Because revenue is leaving the school, these schools are often (but not always) less well equipped than non-profit schools, and are often accused of making decisions on the basis of maximizing profit rather than educational values. For-profit schools form the largest group of international schools.

International Departments of Public Schools
Some public schools have an international department attached to them. Students from the main school choose to (or are selected) to take part in a foreign curriculum taught by foreign teachers. The students in these programs tend to be entirely host nationals.

Department of Defense Education Activity Schools
The Department of Defense operates a school system for the benefit of dependents of US military personnel stationed overseas. Recruitment of teachers for schools at military bases overseas takes place separately from other international schools and is done by the Department of Defense Education Activity.

What are the Differences between International Schools and Language Schools?

International school teachers are professional teachers that are certified to teach in their home country. They teach a specific curriculum in international schools outside their country of origin.

Teachers at language schools do not require professional certification (a teaching license). They generally teach language acquisition or business English to students, but not according to any set curriculum.

As a general rule, the pay tends to be significantly better at international schools, and years of experience at language schools do not count on the salary scale at international schools.

2. Curricula

International schools tend to use one of the following curricula.

International Baccalaureate (The Cult of IB)
The International Baccalaureate is an international education foundation founded in 1968 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The IB consists of 4 distinct programs: the Primary Years Program (PYP), the Middle Years Program (MYP), the Diploma Program (DP) and the Career-related Program (CP). The program is centered on the IB Learner Profile. Students are awarded an IB diploma for passing the program, and many schools offer university credit for successfully completing DP courses with high marks.

American Curriculum
American international schools tend to follow the US Common Core curriculum, although many also use state-specific curricula as well. Secondary schools often offer many Advanced Placement (AP) courses. If these courses are passed successfully, many universities will offer university credit for them.

British Curriculum
Many schools offer the A-Levels or International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) as a curriculum. The variants of the A-Levels offered internationally are administered by Edexcel and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).

Canadian/Australian Curriculum
A smaller number of schools offer provincial curriculums from Canada or Australia. Upon completion, students will receive a Canadian or Australian diploma.

Others
A smaller number of schools offer Japanese, Korean, German, French, Swiss, Indian or other curricula, often in a language other than English.

3. Tiers of International Schools

While the UK ranks secondary schools according to test results in the school league tables, there is no definitive ranking system in international education. Instead, an informal system has evolved based partly on evidence and partly on reputation.

What Makes a Good International School

Ownership: As a general rule, better schools tend to be non-profit schools.

Curriculum: The best international schools tend to use the IBDP (with a few notable exceptions such as Singapore American School which uses the AP curriculum). Many Brits disagree with this criterion.

Student Body: Better schools tend to have more diverse student bodies (number of nationalities) and fewer host nationals (less than 20% of students). There tends to be no one country that dominates the student body (often Koreans or Chinese students).

Exam Scores: Better schools tend to have higher exam scores compared to other schools in that region.

Salary: Better schools tend to have higher salaries compared to other schools in that region. However, sometimes lower tier schools offer a high salary because of difficulty recruiting teachers.

Housing: Better schools tend to offer better housing (with the exception of Europe).

Benefits: Better schools tend to offer better benefits compared to other schools in that region.

Age: Better schools tend to be older.

Administration: A bad administrator can break a school. Beware of schools that have a host national as a head of school.

Staff Turnover: Better schools tend to have little turnover.

The Tier System

The international school community tends to rank schools according to a tier system, with a tier 1 school being among the best schools in that region. Be aware that there is no consensus on what makes a school a tier 1 school, and that there is no definitive list of tier 1 schools (this is only one person’s interpretation).

Tier 1 schools tend to be the school of choice in a country/region, both for students and teachers. They are non-profits and generally use the IB for their senior students. They generally have both high tuition fees and academic expectations for students, and high salaries and expectations for teachers. Facilities and test scores tend to be top notch, and there are few (if any) inexperienced teachers and little turnover from year to year.

Tier 2 schools tend to be good schools, but with some flaw. They might be a for-profit school. They might have weaker students (academically). There is likely to be a significant number of host nationals attending the school, and there may be significantly more EFL students. The vast majority of schools are tier 2, and there is a relatively large range in quality of tier 2 schools.

Tier 3 schools tend to have significant flaws. They might consist of entirely (or nearly) host national students with English as a second language. The salary might be significantly below the average for an area. Benefits might be below the international standard. The workload might be very intense, and the relationship between teachers and administration might be tense. There will most likely be high turnover each year.

The Halloween Theory
Many international teachers subscribe to the Halloween theory: the more emphasis that is placed on Halloween, the worse the school is likely to be. Halloween is a western holiday, that requires relatively little investment by schools. Schools with stronger extracurricular programs tend to highlight those instead.

4. Recruiting

Recruiting Organizations
The two premiere recruitment organizations are Search Associates and International School Services. Both require between 300-500 USD to join. Both organizations maintain a database and organize fairs.

The International Educator (TIE) provides a listing of jobs and a newsletter and costs approximately 40 USD a year.

Other recruiting services include the Council of International Schools, Teach Away, and Teach Anywhere.

At the very bottom, some international schools recruit through Dave’s ESL Café.

Many candidates apply directly to schools without using a recruiting service.

The Season
The season begins in October, peaks during January and February, has a late season bump in March and April as European schools do their recruitment and is almost over by May.

As a general rule, better schools recruit earlier (outside of Europe) and schools begin by filling their most challenging positions. English, social studies, and elementary/primary teachers will be hired slightly later.

Fairs
Many candidates are hired at hiring fairs. Both ISS and Search Associates run separate fairs at roughly the same time in the same places. The Bangkok fairs are aimed at rockstars (experienced ITs in difficult to fill positions without dependents). The London fairs cater primarily to positions in Europe. And Boston is generally aimed at new ITs. The other fairs tend to be smaller and aimed at regional schools (the Dubai fair caters towards jobs in the ME, for example).

5. Candidates

Many new teachers wonder if they will competitive on the international circuit. Here is a basic outline of what makes a teacher a stronger candidate.

Subjects
The subjects that are traditionally the most difficult for schools to fill are:

Most difficult:
Secondary Math (DP/HL)
Physics (DP/HL)
Chemistry (DP/AP)

Less difficult:
Biology
Economics
History
Psychology
Geography
Middle School Mathematics
Special Education
ESS/Environmental Sciences

Least Difficult:
Elementary
English
Languages (French/Spanish/etc).
Humanities/Social Studies
PE

Certification
International school teachers need to be certified (the vast majority of the time).
Usually, this certification needs to come from an English speaking country (US/Canada/UK/Australia/New Zealand/South Africa/Ireland)

Ages
Certain countries start restricting residence visas at the age of 55.

Education
Graduate degrees make you more competitive.

Partners and Dependents
Schools generally prefer to hire married teachers without dependents. This allows them to save money on housing.

Trailing spouses add costs (insurance, flights, etc.) and therefore schools tend to dislike them. Schools may or may not have had bad experiences with unhappy spouses convincing teachers to break contract. In areas with an unsavoury reputation (ie: Thailand), schools may consider a trailing spouse a stabilizing influence.

Children are the most expensive for schools, because they take the place of a fee-paying student. However, some schools that consist mostly of host nationals may want to increase the number of foreign faces at their school.

Generally, the best schools consider partners and dependents the least, with for-profit schools placing the most emphasis on it.

In many regions of the world, a homosexual or non-married may be a deal-breaker.

Experience
Most countries require at least two years of teaching experience to acquire a visa. Some require at least five years teaching experience. Better schools generally require more experience.

Experience with either the IB or AP system is considered a positive, especially if your student’s had strong scores at previous schools.

Many schools avoid “tourist teachers.” These are teachers who have a string of two-year placements.

Extracurricular Activities
A history of directing specialized extracurricular activities is considered a positive. These include MUN/GIG, robotics or coaching athletic teams.

4. Contracts

A standard contract is for two years, with single year extensions after that.

Salary
Salaries range from approximately $20,000 USD at the worst paying schools in Latin America to $100,000 USD to the best paying schools in Western Europe. However, when comparing salaries between schools it is important to consider both taxes and the cost of living (which both vary hugely from region to region).

If paid in a foreign currency, be aware that there may be significant changes in its value over the course of a contract.

Flights
Schools should provide either yearly flights, or a flight allowance for you and all dependents.

Housing
Schools will usually provide housing or pay a housing allowance. A housing allowance may or may not be enough to cover the full cost of housing. Many schools will pay for utilities. Schools in Western Europe do not usually pay for housing.

Medical/Dental
Good schools will cover international medical care. In Western Europe, with a strong healthcare system, this may or may not be necessary. If you are going to less developed country, your school should cover emergency medical evacuation.

Dependents
Your school should cover the visa and insurance costs for all dependents.

Settling-In Allowance
Many schools provide a lump-sum payment on arrival to help you settle in. These range from several hundred to several thousand USD.

Taxes
Tax rates vary around the world from zero in many countries in the ME to approaching 50% in some countries in Western Europe. In some countries, taxes will increase after two years of residence. Especially in Europe, your child’s free tuition may be a taxable benefit.

Some schools will pay for your taxes.

Retirement
Many schools will pay into a retirement fund. These range from 0%-15%.

5. Regions of the World

These are general observations about international schools in different parts of the world.

Western Europe
Many consider this the premier destination for international school teachers. However, it may be difficult to get your foot in the door because of low turnover, and later-than-average recruiting (strong candidates not specifically aiming for Europe will often already have jobs by then). The high salaries are offset by the high cost of living, lack of housing allowance and high taxes. This makes it difficult to save money.

Eastern Europe
Similar to Western Europe in terms of culture and history, but with lower salaries, cost of living and taxes. Some schools will provide housing. However, there are significantly fewer schools in Eastern Europe than Western Europe. Tied with South East Asia as the second-most sought after destination.

Latin America
The lowest salaries of all the regions and a disproportionate number of schools that cater to host nationals. Many teachers consider students from the region difficult to work with. The cost of living, because of import tariffs, can be higher than expected.

Africa
Many consider this a hardship post. Salaries tend to range from low to average. The cost of living is much higher than expected, especially for imported goods due to heavy import tariffs. In many areas, safety is a serious concern

East Asia
Salaries range from average to high (especially in Japan). Cost of living is variable, with Japan being the highest and China (especially outside of Beijing and Shanghai) being the lowest. The students are considered to be especially diligent. Pollution, especially in China, may be a serious issue. Without two years of experience, China is one of the few places where it is possible to get started internationally.

Southeast Asia
After WE, this is probably the second most sought after destination because of the amazing weather and beaches. Salaries range from low to average, but the cost of living is as low as it gets. Singapore is an exception with both relatively high salaries and a very high cost of living.

South Asia
Salaries tend to range from low to average. However, the cost of living can be very low. Pollution and, for women, safety may be a concern.

MENA
Many consider this to be a difficult region in which to work. Salaries and cost of living range from relatively low in Northern Africa to relatively high in the Persian Gulf. This area contains a disproportionate number of for-profit schools, and many teachers consider students from this region difficult to teach.

8. The Master List of Tier 1 Schools

This is my list. Others’ opinions may vary.

East Asia
Western Academy of Beijing
International School of Beijing
Shanghai American School
American School in Japan
Yokohama International School

South East Asia
Jakarta Intercultural School
Singapore American School
International School of Bangkok
International School of Kuala Lumpur
UNIS Hanoi

South Asia
American Embassy School of New Delhi

Latin America
Graded School of Brazil
Lincoln Community School
International School Nido de Aguilas
Escuela Campo Alegre

MENA
American School Dubai
American School Doha
American Community School Doha
American British Academy of Oman

Africa
American International School of Johannesburg
International School of Tanganyika
International School of Kenya
Lincoln Community School

Western Europe
American School of Paris
American Overseas School of Rome
International School of Geneva
Zurich International School
Vienna International School
International School of Amsterdam
International School of Brussels

Eastern Europe
International School of Prague
American School of Warsaw
American International School of Bucharest
The Anglo-American School of Moscow and St. Petersburg

The gold standard is being able to teach HL Physics/HL Chem/HL Math.

But teaching a subject you aren't passionate about isn't necessarily the best idea.

Assuming you're traveling to the fair, that seems like a big risk when the fair is included in your Search fees.

SEN is an interesting position (in a recruiting sense) because the demand is so top-heavy. Good schools tend to have multiple SEN positions, while weaker schools have few or even none. And because better schools tend to recruit earlier (except Europe), the job openings will be posted earlier (compared to other positions) with less of a late season scramble.

YMMV.

This can really go a few ways depending on the post and the recruiter:

*Many top schools want the absolute best teachers they can get, regardless of spouse and dependents (to reasonable limits). An example of a school with a policy like this is YIS in Japan.

*Many Tier-2 non-profit schools and for-profit schools have more stringent financial commitments and try to minimize expenditures on dependents. They prefer teaching couples, and actively avoid dependent spouses and children.

Other things that might affect the situation:

*Schools in hardship locations may actively seek families because they are considered more stable and likely to stay for a longer period of time. This might also apply to places that more "wild" candidates might be attracted to (ie: Thailand).

*Other recruiters might have had issues with unhappy dependent spouses (depending on how isolating the conditions might have been) and actively avoid them.

*The best situation might be schools that will offer your DW work at the school such as being a teaching assistant.

*It also tends to vary by region with the ME tending to be more family-friendly, and Latin America tending to be less.

YMMV

Under the contract you are obligated to send a letter through Search. I usually do both, however.

October/November:
- Strong schools generally hire difficult to fill positions with strong candidates. More competitive positions (English/Primary) are often filled with the second-half of teaching couples where the other member teaches a more specialized position.
-JIS, for example, has usually filled 2/3rds of their positions by the end of November.

December/January/February
- Tier 2 schools begin recruiting all positions and the hiring fair season begins (with the main fairs being Bangkok and London).

March/April/May
- There is usually another push in this period by schools in Western Europe (who, due to labour laws, allow teachers to give notice much later than other schools), and by less-than-stellar schools or those in less-than-desirable locations that have had difficulties making hires.

After May, you are in a take-what-you-can get position.

Overly generalized, but that is the basic pattern I've seen.

Sitka

Hurry up and wait.

Once again, I can only speak on my own experience.

The visa process was pretty straightforward in China for me in China - but I think it varies a lot depending on a) the school and b) the particular visa office you're trying to do it through.

The visa process in the UAE was a nightmare, largely because of the difficulty of getting things authenticated while abroad. If you are married/have children, sponsoring them is an even bigger challenge.

I've been to, and lived near, both of these cities (although I don't have any firsthand information about either of those schools).

Shenyang is a big city (10 million plus). It is an industrial city, which comes with pollution and a relatively small expat population (although there are some good guys there). In the winter, it will be cold (although it is a dry cold, which isn't so bad). There are pretty consistent Siberian outflow winds. The cost of living will be low. You won't be driving, but will need to rely on public transportation. You are a five-hour train ride from Beijing, Dalian, or Harbin which are cool places to visit. There are a small number of Western restaurants (non-chain) and a few decent bars/clubs. If you're into Hockey, there is an ice rink and a team.

I've only been to Madinat Zayed once, but it is tiny (I'd guess 30,000 people) and right on the border of the empty quarter (the world's biggest sand desert). There will little pollution, but lots of dust, and it will be hot (it will be hotter than 50 degrees on a regular basis in September). There is a shopping mall, and little else to do there - although there is good fun to be had if you buy a jeep and like dune-bashing). There is little public transport, so you will need to buy a car. There is a bar at the Liwa Hotel a short drive away, but it is expensive. The cost of living will be significantly higher. You will be about an hour and a half from Abu Dhabi, and about three hours from Dubai.

Since there are few expats in both locations, I'm assuming the students at both locations will be nationals. You will have significantly less difficulty with classroom management in Shenyang (if you are a brand new teacher).

I think you could have a positive experience at both, but go in with eyes open. If you are not particularly independent you might not enjoy either.

Weigh your goals:
If you want a more authentic cultural experience, go to Shenyang.
If you want to save more money, go to Shenyang.
If you hate winter, go to Madinat Zayed.
If you're single, go to Shenyang.

YMMV.

Madinet Zayed is a small town on the end of the Rub' Al Khali (the Empty quarter). You are going to find it awfully isolating.

I've been to Dandong. It is a nice place to visit for a weekend, but it would be an extremely challenging place to live.

And that is putting it softly.

More sources:

From the book "The Changing Landscape of International Schooling: Implications for Theory and Practice" by Tristan Bunnel

UAE: 376
China: 338

From "International Education and Schools: Moving Beyond the First 40 Years" by Richard Pearce
UAE: 376
China 336


From the International School Consultancy Group:

UAE: 400
China: 352

From WENR (World Education News and Review)
UAE: 428
China: 410

From the Economist (http://www.economist.com/news/internati ... elites-new):

UAE: 478
China: 445

From the UAE's newspaper "The National":

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/education ... eport-says

From China Go Abroad Consultancy Group

UAE: 428
China: 417


...enjoy the reading.