Its your age, your either:
1) Too old for a school to get you a visa with immigration (ages are typically between 55 and 62) depending on the country.
2) Too expensive or unable for the school to insure.
3) Seen as a short term investment or a "tourist teacher" where your priority is really traveling.
4) Lastly, i dont know how to put this, but someone "younger" is less of a potential "risk" of a "life ending event".
What does the school do if over the standard 2 year contract (youll be 64 by then) if you end up breaking contract for that big teachers lounge in the sky? Sorry, thats justa lot of potential problems a school would rather pass on when considering a new hire.
finding a job on my own
psyguy
OUCH Psyguy! I feel like I might as well make my funeral arrangements. I appreciate your honest input though (I think). Maybe I should just move to Ecuador and live off my retirement. There are advantages in being "matured."
Sorry
Really, if your retiring from a full career of service in the classroom. Go somewhere warm, go fishing, enjoy the grand kids, and enjoy your twilight years you earned it
Yes there are advantages to being matured, there are also disadvantages as well, including that an 8 year old student asking why your asleep in the cafeteria and you fall over croaked out, from a coronary.
I realize your very optimistic about your mortality, but your just asking a school too take and increased potentially problematic risk, with out a compensatory return in benefits.
Yes there are advantages to being matured, there are also disadvantages as well, including that an 8 year old student asking why your asleep in the cafeteria and you fall over croaked out, from a coronary.
I realize your very optimistic about your mortality, but your just asking a school too take and increased potentially problematic risk, with out a compensatory return in benefits.
Personally, I feel a person's health and vitality are more important than any particular number. I've worked with teachers well into their 70s, who were happy to be in the classroom and everyone was happy with the results. On the other hand, many people of that age would not have the vigor to work the long hours, face that many children each day and keep the youthful, flexible spirit needed to be effective. So I would want to look carefully at whether the candidate had what was needed. Same as any candidate, really.
On the other hand, I am currently in a country with a mandatory retirement age. My school won't hire anyone who would have less than three years with us before mandatory retirement. It's just not worth it to the school. It's not personal or my choice, it's just the way it is. A good number of countries have mandatory retirement, so you'll want to look carefully before applying.
On the other hand, I am currently in a country with a mandatory retirement age. My school won't hire anyone who would have less than three years with us before mandatory retirement. It's just not worth it to the school. It's not personal or my choice, it's just the way it is. A good number of countries have mandatory retirement, so you'll want to look carefully before applying.
Psyguy
Psyguy, you must be a young guy to have such an impression of what 60 year olds are like. I have twice the energy of my students. I hike and bike and am still "hit on" by men twenty years younger. I've never seen teachers in their 60's "hanging over the tables asleep in the cafeteria collapsing from coronaries". What I have seen is new teachers in their twenties going berzerk during a mental melt down, ripping curtains off the walls, shrieking, throwing the contents of their desk drawers at the students, and having to be taken off the premises by security. I have actually been witness to three of these break downs. Of course, I don't even need to start on the stories of the young teachers in some of my schools who were sleeping with their students, drinking and drugging on the job. This year alone, six of our young teachers got pregnant and left for three months. This required the expense of substitutes and kids learned nothing for three months. Gee, I don't know. If I were a director, I'd put my money on the teachers who had a proven track record of responsibility, endurance, and sound judgement. You mentioned that I had a positive attitude about my mortality. I do...my mom is 92 and still gardens, walks around the block every day, and rode a 4-wheeler this Thanksgiving. My dad, who was 5 years younger than my mom, died this summer. By the way, I'm not bashing young teachers. The universities are producing some excellent educators. I'm just saying, age is only a number.
Reply
@sid
So its a business choice of your school. They COULD choose to hire someone who would have less then three years before mandatory retirement. They have CHOSEN based on their - of the costs and benefits not to do so. They could if the CHOOSE to do so, the law doesnt prohibit them from doing so if they CHOOSE to do so.
@Roundtrip
Im not trying to offend you, or suggest Im an authority and what it is you can and can not do. Im relaying the rational and concerns that recruiters have regarding age. Nothing in your comment changes any of that, Im sorry. It may be an unwarranted and inaccurate prejudice, but that doesnt make it any less real.
So its a business choice of your school. They COULD choose to hire someone who would have less then three years before mandatory retirement. They have CHOSEN based on their - of the costs and benefits not to do so. They could if the CHOOSE to do so, the law doesnt prohibit them from doing so if they CHOOSE to do so.
@Roundtrip
Im not trying to offend you, or suggest Im an authority and what it is you can and can not do. Im relaying the rational and concerns that recruiters have regarding age. Nothing in your comment changes any of that, Im sorry. It may be an unwarranted and inaccurate prejudice, but that doesnt make it any less real.
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"]@sid
So its a business choice of your school. They COULD choose to hire someone who would have less then three years before mandatory retirement. They have CHOSEN based on their - of the costs and benefits not to do so. They could if the CHOOSE to do so, the law doesnt prohibit them from doing so if they CHOOSE to do so.[/quote]
We could choose to, yes, but what sense would that make? Why bring someone in if that can't legally stay a reasonable amount of time?
If we're looking at technicalities, I suppose that we would look at someone with less than three years to go, if we were really in a bind and/or if that candidate was just absolutely perfect and we felt they could really accomplish exactly what was needed in less time, but that's the exception, not the rule. And of course, if the applicant was accepting of the reality that they would have to move on soon. Not everyone is interested in that, and were I in a similar position, I would be questioning quite deeply whether it would be worth my while to take a post that would boot me at 60 and leave me looking again when I would be approaching even more countries' mandatory ages of 62, 64, 65... Better for me at 58 to take a post where I know I can stay until I'm ready to retire.
Here's hoping the OP, you, me and everyone are in a position to retire whenever we want, and not have to face all this!
So its a business choice of your school. They COULD choose to hire someone who would have less then three years before mandatory retirement. They have CHOSEN based on their - of the costs and benefits not to do so. They could if the CHOOSE to do so, the law doesnt prohibit them from doing so if they CHOOSE to do so.[/quote]
We could choose to, yes, but what sense would that make? Why bring someone in if that can't legally stay a reasonable amount of time?
If we're looking at technicalities, I suppose that we would look at someone with less than three years to go, if we were really in a bind and/or if that candidate was just absolutely perfect and we felt they could really accomplish exactly what was needed in less time, but that's the exception, not the rule. And of course, if the applicant was accepting of the reality that they would have to move on soon. Not everyone is interested in that, and were I in a similar position, I would be questioning quite deeply whether it would be worth my while to take a post that would boot me at 60 and leave me looking again when I would be approaching even more countries' mandatory ages of 62, 64, 65... Better for me at 58 to take a post where I know I can stay until I'm ready to retire.
Here's hoping the OP, you, me and everyone are in a position to retire whenever we want, and not have to face all this!
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pacificsurf619
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:41 am
- Location: Japan
I worked with a wonderful woman in her late 60s in my last school and she was a fantastic teacher. She taught Kindergarten and was always very active with the kids and both them and the parents absolutely adored her. Then one day she did not show up anymore and no one really could find out what happened.
Reply
@sid
You stated "It's not personal or my choice", when in fact it is a choice. You didnt resign when you discovered your school practiced age discrimination did you?
"Making sense" is a subjective valuation. It would make sense if you were an IB school and had an authorization inspection, and you wanted a teacher for a couple of years who was so good they get phone in a perfect day in their sleep. There are scenarios and circumstances that would make that type of hire an attractive fit...
You stated "It's not personal or my choice", when in fact it is a choice. You didnt resign when you discovered your school practiced age discrimination did you?
"Making sense" is a subjective valuation. It would make sense if you were an IB school and had an authorization inspection, and you wanted a teacher for a couple of years who was so good they get phone in a perfect day in their sleep. There are scenarios and circumstances that would make that type of hire an attractive fit...
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"] You stated "It's not personal or my choice", when in fact it is a choice. You didnt resign when you discovered your school practiced age discrimination did you?.[/quote]
Umm... what?
It's not my choice whether the country has a mandatory retirement age. I do have a choice whether to resign, but that's hardly the same thing.
And let's be clear, it's a law. The school is following the law. It's a bit much to jump from there to 'your school practiced age discrimination'. You can call it that if you like, as I suppose technically it's accurate to call it state-supported age discrimination, but the connotation of the phrase is rather loaded and does not seem appropriate to me.
This conversation has gotten silly. I think I'm out.
Umm... what?
It's not my choice whether the country has a mandatory retirement age. I do have a choice whether to resign, but that's hardly the same thing.
And let's be clear, it's a law. The school is following the law. It's a bit much to jump from there to 'your school practiced age discrimination'. You can call it that if you like, as I suppose technically it's accurate to call it state-supported age discrimination, but the connotation of the phrase is rather loaded and does not seem appropriate to me.
This conversation has gotten silly. I think I'm out.
Reply
I can understand why youd read only what you wanted to, Ill try to make this a short summary.
1) You stated "It's not personal or my choice"
2) You have a mandatory retirement age in your region.
3) Your school CHOOSE to not hire teachers earlier then that mandatory retirement age. This is the discrimination part.
4) When you discovered your schools discriminatory practice, you made a PERSONAL CHOICE to stay, as opposed to resigning.
1) You stated "It's not personal or my choice"
2) You have a mandatory retirement age in your region.
3) Your school CHOOSE to not hire teachers earlier then that mandatory retirement age. This is the discrimination part.
4) When you discovered your schools discriminatory practice, you made a PERSONAL CHOICE to stay, as opposed to resigning.