I would suggest that you be honest and be able to speak to the reader and writers' workshop models. We know about the current practices in some US schools so it will not come as a surprise to any recruiter.

If I were you I'd concentrate on incorporating good teaching practices into your conversations....it will soon become evident you know what you are doing. Equally important in international schools is flexibility and the desire to build relationships with students, parents and colleagues. Pedagogy is important but so are the "soft skills". Relax, exude caring for students, explain how you use formative assessments to guide instruction and you will be fine. You will also want to toss in specific examples of how you have differentiated for students at the far ends of the learning spectrum.

It is impossible to predict what recruiters will ask or what they are looking for. I have been asked my birth order in my family and the title of the most recent book I have read!

Do not forget to smile and keep your options open for locale. Good luck!

People seem fairly content at Mt. Kiara in Malaysia. Colegio Americano in Guatemala has sent on people who say positive things about it.

My transition was a bit rough. I'm actually from a state with excellent education so when I landed at a small international school with no curriculum in place and a principal who had no training in education, it came as a rude shock. I wasn't the easiest person to get along with because it 7 days a week with administrator that had no idea what she was doing. Teachers would come to me for advise.

Almost 20 years later, I can't imagine going home. I've been blessed that since then I landed at schools with very high standards and lots of PD opportunities. The biggest difference in my mind is the involvement of parents. If you've been at an inner city school, you know you fight to get parents to be involved. In the international school world, you wish more of the moms would work. Not trying to be sexist - just making observations from my experiences.

Another big difference is the absence of significant behavior issues. HS kids . but pregnancies are almost unheard of and the kids tend to be pretty friendly. If you get to the right school, you can really enjoy being around the students and not have to play disciplinarian all the time.

Reading this forum really makes one aware of the disreputable schools (and teachers) that are out there. It's interesting that two of the schools that homeandaway mentioned, I've never heard of. I've been on the circuit for almost 20 years and in Asia. To be fair, it appears they may be British schools and that's not a group I know much about. For me, the message is to carefully research the schools and stick to the "top two tiers". (Please no more discussion on this - it's a mental rating system in which there is no shared ratings.)

By that same token, if teachers are going to act unprofessionally by doing runners then they can't expect to be considered by any schools but those that don't have a great reputation. If teachers stopped applying to the bad schools, perhaps the schools would have to change their ways.

I really can't blame schools for avoiding people who have an "us and them" attitude when it comes to work life. I currently work at a school that is filled with solid professionals who work well together, like kids and get the job done. The administration is supportive and the school just has a great "feel". I would be happy if my head didn't choose to hire someone who might add a difficult personality to the mix.

Those of you who need to start over, when you get your new job, keep your head down, work hard and don't make waves. Stick out the contract plus one more year if at all possible and then you'll soon be on track to move up the tier ladder in international schools. I know it would be rough but if your only option is a bottom of the pile school, I'd head back to your home country for some solid experience. At least you'd have legal protection.

Most of the world works on phone chips. If you're buying a phone in the US, be sure it can be "unlocked". Bought a Samsung at T-Mobile and used overseas phone chips and pay as you go chip in the United States with no issues. Talk to your local phone companies.

Sorry, no personal experience but have good friends that have been . One of the down sides can be that people tend to stay due to the "golden handcuffs" and that leads to a culture like some schools in Europe and U.S. - old timers become entrenched and change is very, very difficult.

If you are being recruited straight out of the States that's quite a coup. You could go there, save big bucks and then pick your next posts based solely on where you want to be.

You may wish to ask questions about the school calendar. My understanding is that it's different from most schools and that the work year is quite a bit longer. Not a deal breaker but you'll want to know going in.

I am very happy with my experiences ergo I consider myself successful. The allure of PYP is waning as I have more and more exposure to the nearly cult culture. Rigid paperwork and rules don't really mesh with my personality - I know there have been many iterations of PYP and MYP that bear no resemblance to its original intent. Hence the new Common Ground Curriculum. Time will tell how many schools will pick it up. I will post a link to an article about it and then let's turn this thread back over to educ8nc to get counsel about moving overseas.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ex ... round.html

In my 16th year of int'l teaching and four top schools under my belt. I've not had PYP experience or training and have never felt that it impeded my job hunt or signing with a great school. Now that I'd like to break into Europe, the game changes a bit but there is always the possibility that if you can speak to inquiry based learning and integrated units, they will consider you. Your other credentials look great and as long as your confidential recommendations support you, you'll come away with something. Just a tip about the Common Core - I'm not sure how widely it is being adopted in the int'l schools. The VERY U.S. schools are looking that way but not those with a real mix of teachers, students and administrators. I believe the IGSCE is only at British curriculum schools and that wouldn't be a good fit anyway.

Top schools will not interview you while you are still under contract with another school. I don't see it being any better even if you get the school to release you. Sorry, but the best schools would choose others before you no matter how you leave your present school or what excuse you give. It would just be too big of a risk. If you want to be in a top school, it's best to stick it out and then recruit with two years' experience and a history of contract completion. If you are completely miserable, move on but do not count on getting to a top school until you've been somewhere else for 2 + years.

Great idea to post the stories...bad idea to post photo of actual student. I cannot see any benefit to be gained with the photos and lots of pitfalls.

70 days as per local laws -- this is 70 continuous days - not work days

Thanks, Psy Guy, you put this much more eloquently than I. Like it or not, a college counselor in international schools is judged by the acceptances and financial aid that students receive. The person who is most familiar with the system will be able to help students best.

Schools have to educate parents that it's about finding the right school for each student - not everyone is a good fit for Harvard or Yale. No, I've not been a counselor but have seen all of the literature put together by int'l schools touting their college acceptances and heard the discussions about what the schools desire in their HS counselors. The thread was not about the job but in advising the person seeking a job. Cindy deserves to hear straight talk from a variety of sources.

Good college counselors are at premium. If you can demonstrate you can get seniors money and acceptance at good universities, you're golden. My understanding is that the counseling world involves lots of networking so experience will always be valued; however, there seems to be a shortage on the international circuit so if you've got good references, you have a good shot.

All over the map - we've been asked our birth order, if we play golf and once in a while about our teaching.

As an experienced, male primary teacher you would be very competative for top international schools in Asia (or elsewhere). You are part of a rare breed and schools really like having the balance. The game changes if you're looking for a local school.

Search is as good as any of the recruitment agencies. The only thing they do is connect job seekers and schools. Don't expect anyone to help you land the job - it's all about your experiences, your references and how you present yourself. We tend to sign up with both, despite the expense, so that we have access to both databases and then only attend one of the fairs.

If your goal is a top school, the salaries, benefits, etc are non-negotiable. They have to be transparent and are pretty up front about what you are signing up for.

Good luck!