pgrass wrote:
> I good mathematics teacher has, among other things, natural mathematical
> ability and is confident in this ability. You can't learn this ability from
> any course. The fact that you are asking means that you shouldn't be
> teaching any extended courses.

I smell a troll. Were you born with the quadratic formula memorized and an innate understanding of algebra? Mathematical skill is acquired by rote memory and practice, nothing more.

MedellinHeel wrote:
> Latin Culture / Women > Kazakhstan Culture / Women
>
> Not even close.

It's a matter of taste, Dash.

MedellinHeel wrote:
> Kazakhstan would have to pay triple for me to even consider it, and this is
> with all the protests going on.

Why? Kazahk women are hot.

sid wrote:
> If you disagree with the corporations, the ethical choice is not to do
> business with them in the first place. Stealing from them by defaulting
> means they will pass the costs on to other clients. It doesn't come out of
> the executives' salaries, it comes out of the pockets of hardworking honest
> people.
> I may not agree with corporate policies either, but I don't kid myself that
> stealing from them is somehow justified, or will somehow make things
> better. It's not, and it doesn't.
> As for independent thought, you're not scoring very highly, unless by
> 'independent' you mean 'self-centered and selfish'.
>
> I did a bit more research. Many states can cancel your teaching license if
> you default. Oops. That wouldn't be good.
> As for being arrested at the border, it is possible, though of course rare.
> Key thing may be the at the border part.
> NZ has already made big headlines for doing this, and while the US doesn't
> do it much! it is possible.

How am I steeling from corporations? . In case you have been asleep for 5+ years, the student loan industry has been nationalized in America. Uncle Sam is just running the printing press to pay its debts. The measly $50K I owe won't make a lick of difference in the grande scheme of things.

A few states can suspend your teaching license for defaulting but in practice this is never done. Taking teachers out schools because they're poor is bad politics.

No student loan defaultee has ever been arrested for defaulting. It's not a crime. Give me one example to the contrary..

I may be selfish but you are comically uninformed. I hope to one day have the privilege of teaching your children to make sure the next generation is a bit more level-headed.

sid wrote:
> SpedMaestro wrote:
> > If you're planning on making a career of international teaching then why bother
> paying
> > them back? I know I won't. The only thing that it effects is your credit score,
> > an irrelevant number outside that sinking ship called the US of A,
>
> If only that were true (I still wouldn't do it, as it's wrong).
> But in any case, it's not true.
> If you default on your student loans, you face all the normal issues associated with
> any debt you don't pay: harassment from collection agencies (who will contact your
> family and friends repeatedly if they can't find you), inability to get further loans
> (like when you want a mortgage), legal action, garnishment of your wages or any
> assets in the US, penalties added to your debt in addition to the compound interest
> racking up every day. You might not have any assets now, and you might be right in
> thinking that 'they' can't do anything to you now, but life is long and most
> international teachers don't stay overseas forever. It's far easier and cheaper to
> take care of this now, then to face the far larger problem in 15 years when your
> perspective is a bit different.
> And here's the kicker, particularly if your loans are from US government programs: if
> you default while overseas, they can flag your passport and arrest you on re-entry to
> the US. Arrest, as in handcuffs, one phone call, jail until you make bail (which
> would almost certainly involve you turning in your passport as a person at high risk
> of flight), not allowed to leave the country until your legal case is finished,
> revocation of your teaching license after conviction of theft/fraud/whatever the
> actual charge is. So even if you manage to stay away for years and years, when you
> finally turn up for your mom's medical emergency, expect to be caught. It'll make a
> great CNN story.
> Taking money from someone, promising to pay it back while intending to run away
> instead, that's out and out theft. It shows moral bankruptcy. Please don't apply to
> my school, I don't want you teaching my kids.

As you yourself said, all the downsides of defaulting only apply if you have U.S based income or assets. I don't. Defaulting is not criminal and no one has ever been arrested for it. You're making that up.

Morality is a very relative concept these days. Some of America's largest corporations and financial institutions failed to honor their obligations, nearly brought down the global economy and insisted on being bailed out by the tax payer. If the elites and the government are morally bankrupt, then why should I abide with their rule book?

What school are you working at? I would gladly apply and teach your children the value of independent thinking and not being a slave to a morally corruption financial system....

schoolcounselor wrote:
> eion_padraig said:
> "Based on your postings, I'm not looking at this from as quite a gendered,
> hetero-normative perspective as you either. I have gay and lesbian friends who also
> deal with this issue as international teachers. Some of the issues they have are the
> same, and some of the issues they have are different."
>
> Exactly what I was thinking, thanks for saying it. Not every single ex-pat has a goal
> of getting married (and/or can legally marry) and/or is expecting to have children
> one day. All flavors of folks across the gender spectrum are looking for love -gay,
> straight, middle-aged, divorced, etc.

Well, lets be frank here. Vast swaths of the world are not as tolerant as the West is towards alternative lifestyles. In fact, even talking about it could be dangerous. I don't know why a gay/lesbian would become an IT because outside of Europe, they wouldn't receive a warm welcome.

If you're planning on making a career of international teaching then why bother paying them back? I know I won't. The only thing that it effects is your credit score, an irrelevant number outside that sinking ship called the US of A,

Well, as a single teacher, you're in the minority. Most of your coworkers are married and have a different notion of fun, at least different from mine. I have met other expat guys I've befriended but that's usually do to a common appreciation for the local culture. The fact of the matter is most expats are...boring.

^The dating market place is turned upside down outside of the U.S and the western world. In much of Asia, Eastern Europe or LatAm, a single male expat has more options than he knows what to do with. It's overwhelming at times.

For women teachers, its something to seriously consider. What's more important to you? Living in exotic locales or finding a life partner? In most expat destinations, the odds of the latter happening are stacked against you.

eion_padraig wrote:
> > What is the point of traveling the world only to date other expats?
>
> Who said only? I dated locals, found the cultural expectations with those I dated to
> vary too widely from my own for my liking. I ended up meeting a teacher from a
> different country from my own. There are still some gaps, but nothing near as large
> as they were with locals.
>
> I think there is a lot to consider regarding this issue and clearly one's personal
> goals and expectations are going to shape the choices one makes.
>
> I've know a few teachers bemoan the difficulty of meeting people overseas who
> returned home to find it tough there, only to return overseas because they weren't
> any happier back home.

The typical teacher seems to live in an expat bubble,its annoying. If you can't put up with cultural differences in a mate, then why put yourself in a situation where there are only a few Western guys who are generally otherwise engaged?

marieh wrote:
> SpedMaestro wrote:
> > Asia is pretty bad for expat women or so I've heard.
>
> Not at all! I've known lots of female teachers who met their significant others while
> working in Asia. Some us even ended up getting married.

I didn't say it was impossible, just not the best odds. Western men tend to like Asian women, whereas Western women don't seem to like Asian men and visa-versa. Do the math...

What is the point of traveling the world only to date other expats? I am guessing that you are a woman. As an expat man, I avoid other expats, particularly the women. It takes away from the experience. My advice is go local. Though I guess this depends on the area, Asia is pretty bad for expat women or so I've heard.

Hey CaliPro(aka Dash:-),

How is the job search going? Still planning on going to the Middle East?