My experience is simply based on the fact that I know 2 people with the exact same qualifications. One working at one of the top schools in Shanghai and one working at a 2nd tier school in the Kuwait. I know a 3rd person who is not even a qualified teacher and only has an AA degree in ECE who is in a leadership position at a 2nd tier pyp school in Singapore. If you are in the right place at the right time--anything can happen and schools are a bit more flexible with ECE positions. My experience having primarily been in ECE divisions over the last 9 years overseas. The school I worked at in Sinagapore had over 500 students in the ECE division, which is 10x bigger then my entire school now. I don't think you're limited with only an ECE credential if you target larger int'l schools.

If you look at the curriculum for the site-supervisor certificate from CA it's not that different from a teaching certificate. http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl797.pdf

A lot of people would say I should have never been hired. I have NEVER taught school in my home country. Did my teaching practicum overseas and was hired as a first year certified teacher from overseas directly after my practicum, though with 2 years experience as a teaching assistant at a wonderful international school.

Do you have 2 years of teaching experience? most schools will be looking for that, but I know a few people who have been hired straight out of their training for example in Kuwait or China. Most international schools have a preschool program and I know a few people (2) who have the exact same qualification as you and are working internationally. Some schools might be confused about what a site supervisor permit is so in your cover letter you might want to explain it. It also really depends on where you want to go and where you are willing to start. Schools in Asia and Middle East will be easier to get jobs at your first time around. I personally have never been to a job fair and have always gotten my positions by checking schools websites and tieonline. Tieonline's database can be searched by age/year level you want to teach.

I did my student teaching while working as an assistant teacher at a tier 1 international school. It was great because I had actually been working with the kids the entire year! I've never even worked at a school in the U.S.

You do need to check that the school you'd work at is accredited and the Uni I did my certification through also required that it be on the list of assisted schools from the U.S. State Dept. I have no idea if that would be every program, but you should definitely check with the University's policy if you are considering working at a 3rd tier while getting your certification because it may be that you can't do your student teaching there.

1. Best overseas food: Japan because not only is Japanese food awesome I've never had a bad meal in Tokyo
2. Strangest overseas food you have tried: I'm vegetarian so it doesn't get too crazy. I guess dragon fruit! Once was served fresh seaweed just picked out of the ocean, but couldn't get it down (or on the chopstick for that matter).
3. Best beer/spirits: Am currently a fan of German Radler, beer mixed with Sprite and the only way I can tolerate beer
4. Best festival/event: Give me a Hanami Spring Day
5. Best place you went for vacation while overseas: Darjeeling

I did mine through drexel online several years ago. Cost a mint, but in opportunity costs has been priceless. To be honest very, very easy program and thankfully I had already been teaching as a homeroom teacher and assistant teacher when I was taking the course because some people who had no classroom experience were out of their depth and the program doesn't really give a lot of opportunities for working in classrooms except for the practicum. It took me 4 quarters 2-3 courses per quarter to get my PA teacher license. I did not complete the M.A.

Keep in mind that stuff can get moldy, weird moths can appear, etc. If you have a place to leave it at home probably a good idea. Or store them in those air tight bags that you seal with a vacuum.

You will want just a few cold weather items 2 sweaters, a jacket, a pair of boots for those winter vacations in colder climates or flying home in the winter. One year I had to direct my parents to meet me at at the airport upon flying home with a wool jacket as I´d left all this stuff in the states.

Shoes can also be a problem. I had several pair go moldy while living in Singapore.

Although I believe you can usually find what you need in your location. Things in the U.S. are a lot cheaper and you can definitely find your size. Bring cotton!

My school didn't take taxes out and I got a tax bill from the government at the end of the year. Was a little more than 1 months salary for the entire year if I recall.

I lived monthly off about 2,000 SgD and the rest was savings or travel money. Keep in mind I drink very little alcohol and don't eat meat. My closest grocery store was also a Fair Price which is heaps cheaper than the more upscale Cold Storage.

I left OFS a few years ago...

I was on 6600 SgD a month and had about 4 years teaching experience. We also got a 1 month bonus the second year I was there.

A 2,000 SgD housing allowance, which I´m told has gone up.

They are completely random about hiring and don´t go to any hiring fairs, yet manage to get a really good staff.

They are on leased land and there are a large variety of rumors about when that lease will be up. It´s not like the school will cease to exist...it may just go from having one of the best locations in Singapore to being nearly in Malaysia.

Well if you don't mind not being "in Tokyo" Yokohama international school is probably "the best" IB school in Kanto. With Tokyo International School and K International School also being good and with a generally younger staff.

ASIJ would be hitting the jackpot and I would definitely have them on your radar. They are somewhat unlikely to hire someone without any previous international experience though, but a well-qualified math teacher would interest them.

ASIJ did not do much hiring because there was a RIF (reduction in force) in place, nearly everyone was able to get a new position within the school because there was turnover. A few teachers were laid off though, which is a lot worse than having turnover I think...

There were a few hires also, but mostly locally (trailing spouses, some part time positions etc.)

I'm going home for holiday in 3 weeks time. I haven't been back to Seattle in about 18 months. I am not getting to excited about it yet. Just hope mom meets me at the airport with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and we stop at Taco Bell on the way home (Hi I'm 12).

My school is an international school so we don't have any beamter, we've had difficulty getting certified German teachers due to this fact. Our pay and benefits just can't compete with the local system.

My good friend just got beamter status a few months ago and all her friends who are doing teaching studies are also getting it. I think the government is saying they are moving away from it, but it may not actually be the case. NRW has especially strong teacher representatives in the government though so that may not reflect what is happening in the rest of the country.

Lots of the smaller international schools in Germany aren't really clued into the whole "international scene" yet. They like to wait till they have the exact numbers before they hire staff and as these schools are growing they often don't know what those numbers are until quite late in the year.

They don't seem to understand that international teachers are a) waiting on them to make their decisions and b) most of the hiring is done between November-February. Even though I plan on returning to my school this next year I still don't have a contract yet (and yes I don't like it, but I like my job so fingers crossed that everything works out). When I was initially hired in 2010 I was waiting on a few schools other schools in Germany and one of them got back to me in June asking if I was still interested...

I don't know much about Phorms, but based on their website they seem very German with the bilingual education and half of their staff being German nationals. I would be very curious about their German staff though. German teachers can easily become Beamters, which means lifetime government employment at a high pay with a higher pension. There is no reason a well trained German teacher wouldn't go this route.

A good friend of mine sent her daughter there while waiting for a placement at the Australian school, from my understanding they are owned by the same company and the Aussie school has a good reputation.

I "lived" in Singapore for two years. I didn't consider it much of a life after a while. Shopping mall after shopping mall isn't really my thing. And although Singapore is known for food, I don't know it was mostly never GREAT food. I usually know exactly where I want to eat in any city I'm returning too, I'd have a difficult time thinking of someplace in Singapore.

Things I miss...
1. the 20 meter lap pool right outside my condo.
2. taking taxi's everywhere
3. fresh papaya and watermelon juice

Things that are terrible...
1. being asked how much you are payed or pay for rent by ever taxi uncle.
2. the slave labor of the bangladeshi and filipino foreign workers.
3. the narrow frame of reference that most Singaporeans have--Maylasia, Thailand, Indonesia so dangerous, lah. Just go to Sentosa!

Sorry Centennial, like most people on this board I value being anonymous. I can only say I'm in North Rhine Westphalia, which is very different from Bavaria--won't see any lederhosen here!