I came into teaching as my second career at the age of 31. After 4 years teaching in a US public school (granted a good one in a good but expensive district) and receiving my certification, I was itching to move overseas again. I started my IS career at 35, spent 6 years abroad, returned to the US for a couple of years and realized I really wanted to be overseas again (for financial reasons as well as diversity of opportunity). I don't think I'll teach in the US again.

Tlee10:

One other thing to consider is that at many smaller schools (let's say 800 or less - K-12), there are often opportunities for administrators to be teachers. I actually think it's a good thing for administrators to teach a class or two each year to keep the perspective of what it's like being a classroom teacher and what the real needs of students are.

SAS,

First, you will have great difficulties going through Taipei. I looked at doing that a few years ago on a return from SE Asia to the US. Find an alternative route.

What about a drive to Phoenix, spending the night at a hotel (La Quinta has a great pet policy) and flying out of there to LA? You shouldn't need to drive all the way to LA. You also have the option of shipping your dog as cargo on the same flight.

Many airlines will not take animals during the summer because they don't want to spend the money for the needed care and transfers of your pet in the heat. I have moved in the summer to and from tropical places with three pets traveling in the hold. Look for an airline that will keep your pets in an air conditioned room before boarding and boarding your pets last so they are not waiting outside in the heat to be put on the plane.

Lufthansa is very good. I've found Thai to be great for pets. This summer, I'm traveling KLM.

I agree with Shadow Jack about arriving at your US departure city a few days early and staying at a hotel. Take your dog out and have fun. Maybe this way, you could fly from the east coast on a better route.

It is going to be expensive. That's the reality for those of us traveling with our furry family members. It will be more stressful on you than them. It will work out. Take a deep breath. Release. Now look at what you can do, not what seems impossible.

Good luck.

I agree with durianfan: sign up for joyjobs, check TES, check CIS, and check the IBO jobs page. There are still jobs posted.

My first IS posting job offer, in a European school, came in June because I began the process late. The school was not a bad one for getting my feet wet in the IS market. A few years back, I got a job offer near the end of May. There are still options, but also, there is the possibility, you might not get an IS job for next year (at least at anything other than a nightmare school). Have a contingency plan, but don't assume it's all over for the 2013-14 academic season. Good luck!

I agree with fine dude.

I was in a previous career before becoming a teacher and now I teach in my field. To get my certification, most of my courses were done online. No one has ever questioned the validity of this, and I've taught in several countries.

Justlooking, there are still good positions that come up in the next few monts. I had a couple of decent 'Tier 2' offers as late as the end of June. Unless you don't want the stress of a last minute placement, you might still get an overseas position. Good luck.

Breaking News: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/20 ... 13334.html

I hope that the cyber attacks that affected South Korean banks don't impact those of you over ther.

I find both Expedia and Travelocity reliable. Booking directly with an airline can be useful. Since I move with pets, I always go through the airline. But, if you can find a good travel agent, they are priceless. I have one that is a friend of the family and she has gotten me great pet deals, and even notified me of an airline strike and already had me rebooked before I new it was an issue. A good travel agent is worth their weight in gold.

[quote="buffalofan"] That flight no longer exists. Thai also used to do a NYC to Bangkok direct flight, but this route was also stopped years back.

To the OP, shouldn't your school be sorting this out for you?[/quote]

Good to know, buffalofan. It's been 3 years since I taught in Thailand. Too bad those flights were canceled. In that case I would agree to fly via Dubai to the east.

Kudos, PsyGuy. I wanted to give you credit for a detailed, well thought-out, non-judgmental post. These are the kind of postings you do that are very helpful to newbies on the IT circuit. I've been a TOK teacher and I always encourage my students, as well as others I meet, to consider things from multiple perspectives and that there may not be only one right answer. Such is the case with international education. When you provide the opportunity for readers to consider multiple perspectives, you do them great service. I know that is not always the case with your postings, but I really do appreciate when you do provide this kind if info for educators.

I happened to really like flying Thai Air from the west coast direct to BKK. I traveled with a dog and cat and Thai took phenomenal care of them!

Check with other teachers from the school, but it is not unusual to pay upfront for relocation costs and then get reimbursed. It is because of teachers like higgy who take a job offer and don't show up. Schools need a way to make sure their new hires show up. Now, there are schools that might try to take advantage of you. This is why you need thing in writing and you should confirm with people who work at the school. Fortunately, I have always been reimbursed. Some times it took more than a month after I got to a school, but I never had issues and I've always bought my own tickets.

And, I occur with Sid. A signed provisional contract means you've agreed. Communicate with the school to find out if everything is confirmed on their end. My guess is they had no problems with your references and they assume everything is in motion for you to join next year. Contact them and let them know you want to begin researching for your move there. If you do not want the job, tell them right away. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

I'm not sure if I'm reading this correctly or not. The school is willing to pay for Category 1 training? I suggest seeing their policy on PD. many schools will pay for PD only if you are going to stay an additional year. If you don't stay, then you need to repay all or part of the cost associated with training. Now, if that IS NOT the case - you don't lose out if you don't stay an additional year- I say go, get the Cat 1. Don't pay out of pocket for Cat 2. Either the school will waive it (especially if you're a good teacher), or they will not renew your contract. If they don't renew, you are now IB trained and more marketable for your next posting.

CAVEAT: I don't know the school you refer to. Even though I lived and taught in Thailand, I don't know the reputation of Wells. Heed warnings of other posters that there may be other issues with a perspective school.

It's been awhile since I've posted, but I have been lurking and reading many of the exchanges. One of the reasons I was not posting was I too have been searching for a position for next academic year. I began my search and submitting CVs in October. I had few call backs, and one job I was assured was mine never surfaced. I have no clue why I was not contacted again. For awhile I worried my referees were not speaking well of me. But just two days ago, I got two job offers at really good schools! The last few days have been stressful trying to figure out which to accept.

I'm not really writing to toot my horn. I really wanted to tell those of you out there still waiting to not give up hope. My advice is, if you don't already have contacts that could help you, to make sure administrators have easy access to what you do really well. Incorporate technology into what you do. Set up a wiki or website where you can share what you do. (Please make sure that you have parental permission to post any pictures or videos of the kids!!!) Be an innovator. Keep at it. I'm convinced things will work out for the best. Good luck to all of you still looking.

I've travelled around the world with my 75 pound dog and a cat. I actually travelled with three pets at a time. It's stressful, but definitely doable. I can't help on the ME or N. Africa. I did travel to Thailand.

Find out about quarantine periods. In many Asian countries, there is no quarantine. The exceptions are Malaysia (could be 3 weeks), Indonesia and Brunei (6 months). Some islands in Indonesia don't allow import of pets.

Another factor to consider is housing. If the school provides it, they might not allow pets. If you select it, you can probably find people to help you get a pet-friendly home.

Think about pet food and vet services. Also, Pet care. I was very lucky in Thailand. My maid spoke no English, I only spoke taxi Thai, but she loved my dogs (I had two then). I paid her $10/day to stay overnight with my animals. She went about her business during the day (her other cleaning jobs), and she or her son slept over and gave the animals lots of love at night.

Airlines: Thai was wonderful. I've always had good pet service on Continental. Delta was okay. It was the leaving the animals over night in their warehouse I was furious about. Lufthansa, KLM and Korean are all supposed to be good with pet service.

Research exactly what requirements you need to enter a country with a pet. Typically rabies vaccine between 30 days and 365 days old, other typical vaccines, and a 'state certified' vet exam usually 7-10 days before flight. If leaving from the US, some countries require paperwork from APHIS. It is also a good idea to have a microchip that can be ready by international scanners.

Do NOT drug your pet before flight. Don't leave them with a collar on either. Put a paper collar around the neck with yours and your pet's name on it. Have absorbent material in the crate and attach a small bag of food and a water bottle to the outside. Some airlines will let you have a water dish attached to the inside, some won't.

I worry every time I do this, but all my animals have done well and gotten over the stress quickly. We even survived my Doug's crate opening on the tarmack of the Bangkok Airport with him running around trying to find me. It was NOT Thai Airline's fault. They were great getting me down there and helping me get my dog back. On a different flight, Thai personnel created this elaborate base-box around my cat's crate so we could set up a way for him to have water.

All should be well! Good luck!