A change of venue for the 2013-2014 school year!

[thirstyinthedesert]

I have been lurking here forever!
Can you please weigh in on my chances of finding an international teaching position!

Single
EU Passport

15 years teaching experience in your average American school district in the southwestern US. This includes:
5 years in Elementary
5 years in Middle School
5 years in High School (where I am currently teaching)
Certified K-12
Areas of certification: English 7-12, German 7-12,
Areas of endorsement: Reading Specialist K-12, Language Arts 6-8, Social Studies 6-8

My last five years at the High School level I have been teaching German IB full time. I am not a native German speaker.

I would appreciate any and all thoughts and opinions!
Danke!

[expatteacher99]

I would think your chances are pretty good. You have a lot of experience at various grade levels, IB experience, you're single (I'm assuming no kids, right?), and you have an EU passport that could open up some doors. But get on it! The recruiting season for the next school year has been happening for months. :)

[PsyGuy]

Not very good. Here are the problems, your a german teacher and your not a native speaker. In ISs the number of foreign language positions is small, and any of the upper tier schools are going to want and can get a native language speaker.

German isnt a very popular language and all your IB experience is in German

Reading specialist is again another very small niche field, most schools dont need them, so they dont have them. Only the real big elit schools (and in that case mosty american schools) have them and those positions (and schools) have low turnover.

You have some pluses, you have an EU passport, a lot of experience and IB experience. Your best bet is looking for a a middles school or MYP literature/humanities position at a smaller school somewhere in the EU, and use the german as a bonus marketing point for the school (they could always expand their offering by offering another language). Those jobs are really going to come out in May.

[wombat83]

I have limited international experience, but can perhaps comment on the state of play with German IB teaching, especially in Europe:

*European schools do offer IB German, both as language A and B. Your experience will stand you in good stead. I had interviews lined up with good international schools in Switzerland, Germany, UAE and the Far East this year: like yourself, I am not a native speaker.

*Some European schools would want a second language (French in my case). The chances of a school just wanting a German teacher are possibly quite low. However, you have other strings to your bow!

*In the UK, German teachers are still in demand. Again, schools tend to be looking for another language (Spanish and French are popular). Look on www.tes.co.uk if you are interested in UK posts: you might need some GCSE/A-Level experience though.

There are jobs out there and schools do want good non-native speakers: a faculty of just native speakers is, in my opinion, not necessarily a good one!

Viel Glück! :D

[lifeisnotsobad]

Dear thirstyinthedesert,

To counter SighGuys claim...I would say you have a very good chance, particularly within Europe where German IS a popular second language (Language B). Many schools actually prefer to hire non-native speakers of language B as those teachers can be more in tune with the language B learner's needs. Different issue for teaching German language A of course, where a native speaker would have the advantage.

The fact that you have a European passport and other areas of teaching experience would make you an even more attractive candidate on the basis of your CV.

[durianfan]

I'd say you have a pretty good chance, but apply NOW. You can teach German Language B and German ab initio. You can also teach English, although you will have to learn to adapt that subject to the IB curriculum. So there are several subjects you can teach and you have IB experience. You should be able to get something.

[thirstyinthedesert]

Thank you all very much for your replies. Yes, I am single and no kids. I realize that I am very late in the game for the next school of year 2013-2014. If I waited until the 2014-2015 school year, what agencies do you recommend I sign up with? ISS was recommended to me over SEARCH because I have an EU passport. Also as far as salary is concerned, if I was hired at an IS, would I have to start at the bottom of the pay scale? I have 15 years public school teaching experience.
Thanks again for your replies and honesty. I have learned so much on this forum from you all!

[DCgirl]

I would recommend Search over ISS. ISS has a lot of American schools and it looks like you want to focus on Europe. Also, you probably would start off high on the pay scale. Your years of teaching would all be recognized at my school. You would be at the top of the pay scale.

[shadowjack]

The schools I have worked at overseas would cap you. I do not believe that most international schools automatically give you the maximum for your teaching experience. One of my former schools gives 5 steps up the payscale - but one step = 2 years teaching experience.

My other school started you off anywhere between 1 and 7, depending on years of experience, where 1 year = 1 step on the grid.

My new school starts you off up to 8 on the scale, but not higher.

[jstwatchin]

I am going to piggy-back on this thread instead of starting a new one because my experience is almost exactly the same as thirsty's, right down to our location.

Only exceptions: I AM a native speaker of German (along with English) and instead of a reading endorsement, I have an ESL endorsement (CLAD) and part of my elementary teaching experience long ago was in bilingual Spanish classes. My current high school is also not an IB school, though I have worked with a local IB bilingual immersion school in the past.

Does any of this make a difference or would the same answers still apply?

[seashell]

I actually think you both may be a bit competitive within Germany. Teachers unions in Germany are very strong and local schools pay very well with less work than an International School, hence most qualified native German speaking teachers choose to work in the local system and many Int'l Schools scrounge for thier German teachers (not the top tier schools).

You also (I'd assume) have a more North American work ethic. I like my host country colleagues, but none of them hesitate in the slightest to be written off sick for a week or more and that often has a knockdown effect on the rest of the school.

I'm on the ground here in Germany.

[Canada11]

I would recommend Search over ISS as they are the larger of the two. Most teachers would agree as the Search fairs fill up quickly (unlike the ones run by ISS). More schools also use Search. I joined ISS last year and regretted it. I joined because I used ISS in the mid 90's and was satisfied but a lot has changed over twenty years. ISS is no longer the authority and Search is now the leader. Many of the schools that sign up with ISS also sign up with Search but there are hundreds of schools that register exclusively with Search. That being said, I also attended the AASSA job fair in Atlanta and loved it. AASSA caters to schools in South America.

[musobabe]

To the OP: if you are interested in the EU, there are a few MYP English/Humanities/Languages vacancies coming up at the Search London spring fair. Worth a try!

[jstwatchin]

[quote="seashell"]I actually think you both may be a bit competitive within Germany. Teachers unions in Germany are very strong and local schools pay very well with less work than an International School, hence most qualified native German speaking teachers choose to work in the local system and many Int'l Schools scrounge for thier German teachers (not the top tier schools).

You also (I'd assume) have a more North American work ethic. I like my host country colleagues, but none of them hesitate in the slightest to be written off sick for a week or more and that often has a knockdown effect on the rest of the school.

I'm on the ground here in Germany.[/quote]

I haven't even thought of teaching at a regular German school! All I keep hearing is about people going through certification over there and then having to wait years for a job! Also, I checked out the projections of some of the local education authorities and they look quite dire for someone not already in the system. Not sure how my own credentials/degrees would carry over anyway, but would appreciate any input available from anyone in the know.