I'm curious if IB experience is seen as a significant advantage versus other Canadian curricula if I were to return to Canada to teach later.

Khalida,

Impressive experience you have accumulated. You seem very open, so let's discuss your situation. Keep in mind, I am still a beginning teacher. I only have 2 years under my belt.

I see the following factors: age and relevant classroom experience. I think while the age cap for some schools is above 54, I am not convinced that it's going to be a level playing field. I've taught at two schools where the only people around your age are the principal, vice-principal or superintendent. During the two job fairs I have attended in the past, I only saw one older woman (Of course this is only speculation). She seemed disappointed and discouraged when she stood up from the interviewing booth. For relevant classroom experience, this will be a challenge convincing them that your previous classroom experience still applies since you left so long ago. You sound solid, but in my experience they are generally fairly specific in what they want. From my fair experience, some wanted 2 years of teaching minimum and some didn't; some didn't count my high school experience as applicable for a middle school teaching post. However, at my current school, which is quite large and at the bottom of the "tier system", I have seen English majors teaching high school math classes and elementary trained teaching high school classes.

I hope my opinion helps out. Good luck and let us know how it goes - good or bad.

Mr. C4ke,

May I ask how big your class sizes are? 5 different content classes sounds extremely tough. Is that the average load for IB?

Shadowjack,

What does 50 of 70 blocks mean? Do you mean you teach a subject class for one semester? How often do you see the same class?

My current non-IB timetable is: 70 minute periods and I teach 4 of 5 periods a day. Two different courses is the average. Each course lasts one semester.

What do timetables for IB teachers look like?

Has the wheel started moving for anyone else? I got contacted from a different school yesterday evening, but nothing from Yew Chung yet.

I think it would hurt your prospects: A teaching couple and one dependent becomes a teacher and two dependents.

I'm very new to the International Baccalaureate scene, but I wanted to know what the advantages are for students which finish the IBDP versus students who graduate from international schools that have, for example, a Canadian curriculum?

In my currently Canadian school, students mainly enter Canadian universities upon graduation, but some go the states and some go to Europe. Is the IB curriculum only different for the way a student "learns"?

Rob thats interesting how you were hired so late. I have always wondered how teachers handle looking for jobs after March. With the two schools I have been working with, I must let them know if I am returning. Rob, and anybody else who has been hired after March, did you tell your current school that you are leaving? The sound of waiting until August to get a job sounds nerveracking.

I don't have any physical locations to share, but I am fortunate to have found certain people.

At my current school, I work closely with a coworker who acts as an unofficially mentor. Very lucky to have a person who believes in the same philosophy as me: Keeping your heart in the right place.

I just attended a job fair recently as professional development and met a director who also fosters that same attitude. We will see if I get that job ;) I am excited because in my early career as an international teacher I haven't seen much support from administration for teachers yet.

Interesting post.

If we assume that Migratingbird signed the contract with the first school and then receives an offer from the second one, what are peoples thoughts now?

Maybe. I interviewed with them in Hong Kong last weekend and they told me that all current vacanies are tentative now.

@ Eion_padraig

I haven't heard of accredited ESL teachers in the international teaching setting yet because I haven't seen accredited courses for just ESL. I just see accredited content teachers trying their best to teach their content courses while dealing with students with poor English. As a result, these weak students, if they do graduate, do so 1 or 2 years later.

Sorry I should clarify. I have taught at two Canadian international high school schools. At the first school, Canadian certified teachers received full pay while the ESL teachers made less than half of that because they taught at the non-accredited middle school which fed into and was connected to the high school. At the second school, Canadian certified teachers received full pay, while ESL teachers made half because they taught under a foundation program which fed into the high school.

From my limited experience, the bottom is it's a different contract mainly because they have different credentials.

As long as the school sponsors your visa and you don't work for them I think he is.