[quote="ann"]Hi,

Has anyone signed for IB online workshops ? Should I go for it if i have never worked in a IB school ? Is it better than IB training provided by the school ?
Thanks[/quote]

I have participated in both kinds of workshop and I prefer the online ones, especially when I was first learning about the MYP (ignore the introduction workshops.Do something like planning a unit workshop). I like the relaxed pace, and the lack of having to deal with the know-it-alls who always attend the in-person workshops. If you take the online ~3-6 week workshop seriously you will get much more out of it and learn much more than a two-and-a-half day in person workshop.

If done right they can be extremely helpful in getting you noticed, and creating things to talk about during your interview.

It is easy to do in most subjects. Don't listen to Psyguy. I don't think he knows anything about modern mathematics teaching.

Don't include crap like pictures of you teaching, or pictures of your kids working.

Include samples of resources that you have created, samples of student work. I always create a few activities per class per year with my portfolio in mind.

Attach this to your CV when you apply, even though it probably isn't asked for.

Think about what questions you will be asked at the interview. You know you are going to be asked about differentiation. Refer to some of the activities in you portfolio and talk about how you differentiated. You will probably be asked about technology. Make sure you have some examples of student work which has been created by technology. On two pages you can fit 20 - 30 scaled down screenshots of various activities you have done in class.

I would give some example screenshots of what I have successfully used in both of my previous job searches, but I don't wish to give the game away too easily.

[quote="FrenchGurl"]Thank you, they are asking me what my pay expectations are. What other benefits should I ask for, or would be typical especially for a living allowance?[/quote]

If you really want the job and you really want to live in Japan I think you have to be realistic and say something not greater than 400,000 yen (salary and housing combined). I am guessing it is St Michaels or Marist Brothers so they are not the best paying schools in Japan. You will still be very comfortable on this salary and Kobe is a great place to live.

Really they should be offering you a salary according to their pay scale though.

[quote="CaliPro"]Could one live outside of tokyo and commute in for work to cut costs etc?

Would one be able to save 1/2 their salary?

Are those figures pre tax or after tax?[/quote]

Many schools are not in the centre anyway (centre meaning within the Yamanote loop line). Saving half a salary is not unrealistic. You can live extremely comfortably on 200,000 yen or even 150,000 per month, plus rent.

[quote="KellyGuy"]mbovi, I'll ask you rather than starting another thread.

Teachers at my school here in Brazil have tried to scare me about the workload for teachers in Japan: "you'll be working 70 to 80 hours a week!" That sounds completely ridiculous. 80 hours a week is, what, working 12 hour days Monday through Saturday, plus another 8 hours on Sunday.

And they aren't talking about time spent grading and planning at home, they are talking about spending all that time AT the school.

What's the reality in your experience? I gather that teachers stay in Japan for many years once they land a good job, and I can't believe they would do that if they are working much more than a regular 40 hour week.[/quote]

After eight years in Japan in my experience you work no more and no less than elsewhere.

Schools don't tend to distinguish between having one masters or having more than one. You will get the same salary.

If having more than one was actually an issue then just tell them you have one.

Common sense really, which I guess you don't learn in a masters prgoramme.

[quote="hikkaduwa"]Sunderland (UK) has an online PGCE course.

You pay more; GBP 6000, but it is completely online.

I was looking at this option myself and 2 of my colleagues have done this course and were really happy with it.[/quote]

That is a PGCEi which doesn't carry QTS and many schools won't accept it.

[quote="PsyGuy"]@pgrass

Yes

Its not "the" list, its my list.

Your free to include and exclude whatever schools you wish in the exercising of your opinion. My own counsel will i keep on who is and who is not to be in the upper tiers.[/quote]

Care to share what you know about it? Please explain why it is on your list.

[quote="PsyGuy"]@pgrass

Salary potential is not the sole determining factor in school quality, and thus what tier it is.

Furthermore, a school could have 30 steps on its salary scale from $1000 to $15,000 in $500 increment steps and advance a IT one step for each half year and that salary would not "impress" many ITs.
Conversely, an IS could have 2 salary steps of: (1) $50,000 (Interns) and (2) $100,000 (Teachers) and freeze everyone at step 2 and a great many number of ITs would be very happy with that salary scale.[/quote]

I worked at the school. It shouldn't be on the list. Do you even know anything about it?

[quote="PsyGuy"]@pgrass

I imagine there are a few ITs in the world who think ASIJ shouldnt be on my list either.

There are schools in Northern Europe (municipal schools) that dont have a salary scale at all. Teachers get paid one salary regardless of experience, based on every teacher having the same general job description and function.[/quote]

I fail to understand your point.

[quote="PsyGuy"]My list in no particular order:

My list would be:
ASIJ
Lycée Français International de Tokyo
Tokyo IS
Yokohama IS
Fukuoka IS
Nagoya IS
Nishimachi IS
Hiroshima IS
Kyoto IS
Hokkaido IS
Canadian Academy
British School-Tokyo
Canadian IS

These are the tier 1 (including elite/premier) and upper 2nd tier schools I would consider in Japan.

[/quote]

You have a couple of shockers on there that really shouldn't be: One of the Canadian ones definitely shouldn't be there. You are talking about a school that allows a maximum entry of step 2 on the salary scale which then remains frozen for the entire time you are there. Oh, and you don't get paid for the summer until after a few years of service.

[quote="buffalofan"]pgrass thanks, do you have any thoughts about Nagoya international school? Seems to be a lot of mixed opinions on the paid section of the site.

I'm looking to get to Japan in 2014 as well.[/quote]

No thoughts about it. A friend's friend works there and seems happy enough. I should've included it on my list I suppose of the best (possibly the only?) option in the Nagoya region.

Tokyo/Yokohama region:

Yokohama International School (IGCSE/IB)
American School in Japan (AP)

Kobe/Osaka region:

Canadian Academy (IB)
Osaka International School (IB)

Off the beaten path:

Hiroshima International School (IGCSE/IB)
Fukuoka International School (IB)

There is also a possible United World College opening soon in Karuizawa I believe.

And what was the structure? (Note that we are talking about UK PGCEs)

Have you done a PGCE? I have, as have the others who commented on your nonsense.