Course of action for a teacher with a fresh master's

[LafferCurve]

Hello,

I'm posting because I have a slightly unusual employment and schooling history, and am not sure about my course of action in finding a teaching position for fall 2014.

Basically, I'm about 30 years old; my first job out of university with an economics degree (plus liberal arts minor) was as a mathematics teacher in New York. After one year and one summer, I resigned as I knew I didn't want to teach mathematics, and took a job as an LSAT teacher. Since then I've had irregular teaching and tutoring jobs as well as 2 years as an ESL teacher overseas. All told I have about 4.5 years of full-time classroom experience; one year of that was with a provisional license at a public school, the rest private.

I'm currently getting a master's in education, and next June I expect to receive dual licensure for business and social studies, 7-12. I'm 90% sure that I want to go abroad to teach again, rather than staying in the USA. I'd like to teach AP economics, or at least, I'd imagine that's my most marketable skill as I have a B.S. in econ. Of course I'm willing to teach history if it's the right position, but I'd like to build experience in AP econ.

So, can anyone recommend a course of action for getting a good job? I have a decent amount of classroom experience and my academic credentials are good, however I've not taught in my new subject areas, though of course I am knowledgeable in those fields. I've heard some recruiters (Search Associates maybe?) tend to require experience post-certification, and some job postings ask for the same thing, however in some locations (I looked at jobs in Kazakhstan since I speak Russian) when I actually wrote to recruiters and principals about that requirement, they said "you have experience, so if you had a license we would certainly consider hiring you." I've already had offers to teach AP economics at lower-tier schools in China, for example, but in the end I decided to do the master's instead, such that I'd have more options and better long-term prospects.

In terms of areas I'd like to go; Russia and CIS is okay since I speak Russian, I also speak some Spanish and wouldn't mind South America/Brazil, would maybe consider Europe and I've heard that Asia might be the best, especially for a new teacher: good schools, good lifestyle and saving opportunities. In short, I'm fairly flexible. I'm mainly looking for a good lifestyle (normal workload is okay, but nothing too punishing as I have artistic hobbies I would like time for). Money is a consideration, but certainly not the primary one. Good lifestyle is more important than upward mobility per se.

Not sure what else to say; since my post is a bit broad, let's say the two main questions are:
1. Where would an AP Economics teacher be most marketable for the best jobs?
2. What recruiters or other services should I use to find those jobs?

In short, if anyone wants to offer advice about a good course of action to take someone with my work history and credentials in a good direction, I'd really appreciate it.

[LafferCurve]

I suppose that post was fairly informative, however I started reading a couple other threads and thought I might include a bit more, just to nip potential questions in the bud.

1. I'm an unmarried male
2. Though my licenses will be in business and social studies, I'm likely qualified to teach basic mathematics (algebra, geometry) in a pinch. Similarly, I could likely fill in for TESOL and also for literature/writing, as I have knowledge/experience in those fields.

[shadowjack]

Forget AP, IB Economics and Business and Management will be your bread and butter. However, you have no real experience teaching, so my advice would be to do your two years in the US and then head out. Otherwise you are going to end up at a not-so-very nice school in some place you likely don't want to be.

Experience allows you to be more selective about where you will or won't go, and having that US job means if you don't find something, you still have your job to fall back on.

Just my two cents.

[PsyGuy]

You dont have 4.5 years of experience. None of your irregular teaching, LSAT, or ESOL instruction count. You have one year as an certified math teacher, and its dated by about 3.5 years old. The standard bar for an IT is 2 years post certification experience in an accredited classroom.

AP or IB Economics Business studies is going to be the most marketable route for you. There is nothing wrong with AP. The problem is that AP is the curriculum at the bottom tier (local curriculum schools in Asia) and the very top (Elite American schools), IB is what fills in the middle (1st and 2nd tier) and allows you to bridge your career from entry level to the elite schools.

The issue with your previous inquiries is that "considering" to hire you, isnt hiring you. The issue isnt about meeting the requirements but being competitive and marketable. EE (Eastern Europe) has a low number of ISs. Since you seem fluent in Russian it would open up opportunities in local/municipal schools, which would expand your options. These schools dont offer OSH packages though, on a local package you would be getting salary and social welfare benefits (pension/medical). You would also be competing with local teachers,who are going to have stronger resumes.

The biggest issue for you, is that your experience which makes up about 50%-60% of a candidates resume is very lite. There isnt anything to predict that you would be successful is your degree and your certification. Third tier schools and schools in hardship regions are going to be the most productive for you.

I would really recommend you stay in the states and build the requisite 2 years experience in teaching economics and business related courses. However, since economics is usually a social studies elective course and most public schools cant make a full time schedule around just economics you would need to be marketable asa general social studies teacher which would include history etc. The demand for those teachers is very low, and without coaching experience you could be waiting years for a social studies position.

A strong option would be contacting SA and getting in touch with their intern coordinator. It would get you SA database access to aid in your search of those lower tier schools and by attending the SA BOS fair you may get lucky and get an offer for an internship at a tier 1 school.

[LafferCurve]

For what it's worth, I appreciate your advice on staying in the USA, and I thank PsyGuy for mentioning the internship program. However:

[quote="shadowjack"]you have no real experience teaching[/quote]
[quote="PsyGuy"]You dont have 4.5 years of experience. None of your irregular teaching, LSAT, or ESOL instruction count. [/quote]

I'm sorry, but this is some high-horse bologna. I'm aware that there's a difference between working as a certified teacher and working non-certified positions (I should, as I was formerly certified, with all the training that entails), and I [i]specifically[/i] stated that I'm aware I don't have 2 years post-certification. But let's not butcher the English language and say that classroom teaching experience for professional outfits is "not teaching" or that it's not "real" experience. Take the average certified teacher with 2-3 years teaching and I can almost guarantee that I'm as good or better at classroom management, planning and assessment techniques, questioning methods, and all sorts of skills which apply to any classroom. It's ridiculous for you to assume that my CV is bad or that principals and recruiters are all lying to me en masse like it's some massive conspiracy; you know nothing about my academic record or other work experience.

In any case, what you both mean is that principals in international schools might be likely not to see my LSAT and ESL experience in a terribly positive light. To that extent, it's a useful thing to know for interview purposes, and hopefully I don't run into any principals who have their heads stuck so far down in the sand they think classroom experience that didn't happen in his or her school or a school just like it is the pedagogical equivalent of digging ditches.

[teacherguy]

Don't take it personally my friend. Both responses are just stating a simple fact of teaching overseas. Previous experience not DIRECTLY related to what you'll be teaching means nothing in most international schools. You might be the world's best teacher, but if it's all ESL (or whatever) as an unlicensed teacher, you'll be considered new, i.e. "no experience." It's just the way the system works. A principal might know you have teaching skills, but he/she won't hire you. Or probably won't. All the school will look at is experience as a certified teacher, in your area of certification. (There are exceptions to that rule of course, but it'll all still boil down to experience teaching, full time, as a licensed teacher.)

I'll give myself as an example. I've been a history teacher overseas for a while now. I returned to the USA to get certified to teach special education. Two years later I began applying for international jobs again, as a SPED teacher. I applied at 75 schools that had openings. Out of 75 inquiries I got replies from five schools. Three of which only replied to tell me I wasn't qualified. One told me to get back to them in two years. The final one asked if I'd be interested in their social studies opening. My years as a history teacher meant nothing. As far as most of these schools were concerned I was technically a "new" teacher, as I had not taught SPED before. Now, I'm a licensed teacher with years of successful international teaching experience, but wasn't qualified enough to even justify a response from 70 of the schools I sent CV's to. You've got 4.5 years of teaching. But it isn't licensed teaching. So it will count for almost nothing.

You need to have a thick skin to succeed in international teaching. Don't take sh*t personally. I've had interviews where after ten minutes I was simply told, "You're not right. Goodbye." I've had good starts via email correspondence with directors, only to be completely ignored after a few weeks. I've, in my career, sent out at minimum 800 CV's and cover letters. I've maybe gotten replies from a tenth of those I sent them to. (Maybe.) It's a cutthroat job market. Very few people have the time for niceties. As you enter the field as a newbie, and you are, you'll mostly get ignored. Get used to that. And get used to people saying things you might not want/like to hear.

As far as where to teach or how to go about it. Just get your M.Ed. Then decide your next move. You can put in two years teaching in the USA. But you can certainly get a job overseas without any "real" teaching experience. just know it'll be at a pretty bad school. That's just the way it works. There are schools that'll take anyone with a pulse and a teaching license. (Re: tier 3 Chinese schools, and 99% of the schools in the Middle East. Hell, probably 75% of all international schools.)

Everyone has a place they'd "like to go," but if you want the experience you'll go wherever there's a job. Apply for every opening there is in your field. EVERY opening. You'll be ignored by most of the schools anyway. Put in your two years in purgatory, then move up the ladder.

Workloads go up as you move up the ladder BTW. Lower tier schools have far lower expectations on your time than the upper ones do. At the best schools you can expect that they'll own you 50 to 60 hours a week.

[LafferCurve]

I wouldn't describe myself as thin-skinned, it's just I feel some posters in this forum are very apt to jump in with a certain attitude which is counterproductive when giving advice or attempting to provide mentorship. Yes, telling the truth is important, but if what you mean is that "principals aren't going to give much credence to X experience," and you say "you have no experience," just what's the point of butchering the language towards the negative like that? I've seen someone here say "I've never lived abroad before," and he/she gets replies like "oh man, the principals aren't going to like that," then I come on here and say "I taught ESL two years abroad" and people say "oh man, the principals aren't going to like that." In short, some people, who may well have their sh*t together nowadays act like it was always like that. Not all of us are obsessed with the "tier 1/tier X" pissing contest, we think education is a decent profession and for whatever reason want to live abroad; some of us are at the beginning of our careers and would just appreciate a bit of mentoring. Again, I'm not saying this because I have particularly thin skin, but I think a person with thin skin would possibly not like posting here very much. Atmosphere and being collegial matters in a professional forum, that's my two cents.

I've definitely thought about staying in USA, I'm not 100% sure I'll go abroad, but since I've already gotten job offers in China for example, and I would be interested to go there, I might just jump in. I just didn't want to start without the license, in which case it would be very difficult to climb the ladder or in which case I would have way fewer options if a contract went sour. The master's is for long-term mobility you might say, and for the sake of CYA.

And yes, I'm fairly open. I mean, yeah, probably my dream is to work near the beach in Brazil or maybe a ski resort in Switzerland, but I'm perfectly aware that it's probably not going to be my first posting. I put down Asia not because it's my first choice, but because I'm aware that it's a big industry there and not hard to get on the bottom rung.

And the part "75% of International Schools will take anyone with a pulse" combined with "you'll get a job at a bad school" makes it seem that you consider 75% of International schools to be bad. Is that a fairly accurate number?

[eion_padraig]

As for your final question, there are a lot more international schools that I wouldn't want to work at than places I would. Looking around the city I'm in now, I'd say 1/4 of the schools would be places I would work at is accurate.

Part of the issue is the division between local schools with an international curriculum and international schools aimed at educating primarily international students not from the host country. There are a number of countries where the "international schools" are actually host country schools, public and/or private, where local students are being taught. Some of those countries are places I personally would not want to work because of the general quality of management of host schools in the country. These include China, Korea, Thailand, Kuwait, hell... most of the Middle East.

Granted, there are lots of schools back in the US that I wouldn't want to work at either because of they're poorly managed. So perhaps the message is there are lots of crappy schools located abroad just as there are back in one's passport country.

To not end up in a bad school, one has to be savvy and when one is desperate, then people tend to ignore their instincts.

I do think there tends to be a negative stigma attached to ESL teachers in the world of international schools. Most people I've met in admin positions never did it. And as someone who spent a few years doing ESL, there is a wide variation in what teaching ESL abroad means so I understand the skepticism. Is it fair for them to paint ESL teaching abroad with such a wide brush? I don't think so, but it's what happens.

For what it is worth, I think two years in the US will position you much better for good places overseas (2nd and 1st tier).

Good luck.