Hi Guys,
My husband, (currently Head of Maths/Science), and myself, (currently Lead year 3 teacher and Literacy/Numeracy Coach) have many years of experience in Australia. We are wanting to get into international education but will be bringing three littlies ages: 7; 6; and 3 with us. We have registered with teacherhorizons but are not getting any bites. We knew we'd be up against it with three kids, but we have a huge amount of teaching and leadership experience, as well as excellent references. I have some PYP training but hubby doesn't. He currently teaches HS Maths; HS Physics; and HS Chemistry in Australia, but would love to get into IB as he is very excited by it. Should we pay the money and sign up with Search? (We've heard that in our situation they may not be overly helpful - due to the three kiddies). Also, is it too late to secure something for September? Are we just wasting time, as some have said on this site or do we legitimately have a chance to get a decent package somewhere and pick up IB; or British or American curriculums? We would need a safe, family-friendly location, and access to maid or other home help if both working, but other than that, not too fussy.
We really appreciate your advice and time,
aussiegrover
Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
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aussiegrover
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:10 pm
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
Never really heard of Teacher Horizons. Go Search (www dot searchassociates dot com and also join TIEonline. Plan to go overseas for 2015 - 2016 and get your references etc in order with Search. Do not do the Oz fair - go to Bangkok for best results. With your experience as a couple, your third child will not be that much of a hindrance, especially because he/she will only be in KG I at that point.
Keep us posted and good luck (also, if you are only going for British/Australian curriculum schools, you are limiting yourself to about 30% of all international schools - broaden your horizons!
Keep us posted and good luck (also, if you are only going for British/Australian curriculum schools, you are limiting yourself to about 30% of all international schools - broaden your horizons!
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aussiegrover
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:10 pm
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
shadowjack wrote:
> Never really heard of Teacher Horizons. Go Search (www dot searchassociates
> dot com and also join TIEonline. Plan to go overseas for 2015 - 2016 and
> get your references etc in order with Search. Do not do the Oz fair - go to
> Bangkok for best results. With your experience as a couple, your third
> child will not be that much of a hindrance, especially because he/she will
> only be in KG I at that point.
>
> Keep us posted and good luck (also, if you are only going for
> British/Australian curriculum schools, you are limiting yourself to about
> 30% of all international schools - broaden your horizons!
Thanks so much for your reply Shadowjack.
We would prefer to use a different curriculum and really build our experiences. We are disappointed that we've missed out this year. We have been loyally sticking with teacher horizons, who seem really nice, but just don't seem to be able to get any interest. Will take your advice and join Search this week I think. Never know, maybe we might be able to jump in if someone else breaks their contract at the last minute.
Can I just confirm that you think we would have a good chance to break into the international circuit if we were to join Search? Also, how did you find your Search associate? Were they helpful in getting you interviews etc.?
Thanks again,
aussiegrover
> Never really heard of Teacher Horizons. Go Search (www dot searchassociates
> dot com and also join TIEonline. Plan to go overseas for 2015 - 2016 and
> get your references etc in order with Search. Do not do the Oz fair - go to
> Bangkok for best results. With your experience as a couple, your third
> child will not be that much of a hindrance, especially because he/she will
> only be in KG I at that point.
>
> Keep us posted and good luck (also, if you are only going for
> British/Australian curriculum schools, you are limiting yourself to about
> 30% of all international schools - broaden your horizons!
Thanks so much for your reply Shadowjack.
We would prefer to use a different curriculum and really build our experiences. We are disappointed that we've missed out this year. We have been loyally sticking with teacher horizons, who seem really nice, but just don't seem to be able to get any interest. Will take your advice and join Search this week I think. Never know, maybe we might be able to jump in if someone else breaks their contract at the last minute.
Can I just confirm that you think we would have a good chance to break into the international circuit if we were to join Search? Also, how did you find your Search associate? Were they helpful in getting you interviews etc.?
Thanks again,
aussiegrover
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
Any international school teachers in the "circuit" join Search (or ISS). They're the most reputable, I wouldn't join any other recruitment agency. Our Search rep has always been good and personable, you get yours depending on your region. We've never really needed him more than asking a few questions and letting him know where we got hired.
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
My husband and I also have three children. We signed up with Search this year and they were very encouraging that we were strong candidates, even though we were worried about having three children. We had several interviews, both through Skype and at the Cambridge job fair, and ended up with two offers. I would think that with your husbands math/science area you would be successful.
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grdwdgrrrl
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 6:26 pm
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
aussiegrover wrote:
> Hi Guys,
> My husband, (currently Head of Maths/Science), and myself, (currently Lead
> year 3 teacher and Literacy/Numeracy Coach) have many years of experience
> in Australia. We are wanting to get into international education but will
> be bringing three littlies ages: 7; 6; and 3 with us. We have registered
> with teacherhorizons but are not getting any bites. We knew we'd be up
> against it with three kids, but we have a huge amount of teaching and
> leadership experience, as well as excellent references. I have some PYP
> training but hubby doesn't. He currently teaches HS Maths; HS Physics; and
> HS Chemistry in Australia, but would love to get into IB as he is very
> excited by it. Should we pay the money and sign up with Search? (We've
> heard that in our situation they may not be overly helpful - due to the
> three kiddies). Also, is it too late to secure something for September?
> Are we just wasting time, as some have said on this site or do we
> legitimately have a chance to get a decent package somewhere and pick up
> IB; or British or American curriculums? We would need a safe,
> family-friendly location, and access to maid or other home help if both
> working, but other than that, not too fussy.
> We really appreciate your advice and time,
> aussiegrover
Look at The TES. tes.co.uk they don't just have uk curriculum adverts they also have I.B. For example, Jerudong in Brunei just advertised. We were offered a job two years ago from them and we're a Math teacher with a trailing spouse and three small kids. Malaysia is also good. We know at least two other teaching couples with three small kids that are working there.
> Hi Guys,
> My husband, (currently Head of Maths/Science), and myself, (currently Lead
> year 3 teacher and Literacy/Numeracy Coach) have many years of experience
> in Australia. We are wanting to get into international education but will
> be bringing three littlies ages: 7; 6; and 3 with us. We have registered
> with teacherhorizons but are not getting any bites. We knew we'd be up
> against it with three kids, but we have a huge amount of teaching and
> leadership experience, as well as excellent references. I have some PYP
> training but hubby doesn't. He currently teaches HS Maths; HS Physics; and
> HS Chemistry in Australia, but would love to get into IB as he is very
> excited by it. Should we pay the money and sign up with Search? (We've
> heard that in our situation they may not be overly helpful - due to the
> three kiddies). Also, is it too late to secure something for September?
> Are we just wasting time, as some have said on this site or do we
> legitimately have a chance to get a decent package somewhere and pick up
> IB; or British or American curriculums? We would need a safe,
> family-friendly location, and access to maid or other home help if both
> working, but other than that, not too fussy.
> We really appreciate your advice and time,
> aussiegrover
Look at The TES. tes.co.uk they don't just have uk curriculum adverts they also have I.B. For example, Jerudong in Brunei just advertised. We were offered a job two years ago from them and we're a Math teacher with a trailing spouse and three small kids. Malaysia is also good. We know at least two other teaching couples with three small kids that are working there.
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aussiegrover
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:10 pm
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
jensensei wrote:
> My husband and I also have three children. We signed up with Search this year and
> they were very encouraging that we were strong candidates, even though we were worried
> about having three children. We had several interviews, both through Skype and
> at the Cambridge job fair, and ended up with two offers. I would think that with
> your husbands math/science area you would be successful.
Thanks for your encouraging words jensensei. I am interested to know if you had British Curriculum experience, given that you went to the Cambridge job fair? Unfortunately we don't have British Curriculum experience and hubby doesn't have any IB. I've looked at a number of British International School websites and they seem to expect you to have British qualifications and curriculum experience, which we do not.
We'd love any ideas from all of you about schools that offer these curriculums, (or American), that are open to teaching couples with three dependents and no curriculum experience with these curriculums. We really need to get into one that values great teaching and leading experience over curriculum experience I guess. After all, a great teacher can teach with any curriculum, but just because you've used a particular curriculum, doesn't automatically make you a great teacher!
Thanks again for the reply. Would love to hear more,
aussiegrover
> My husband and I also have three children. We signed up with Search this year and
> they were very encouraging that we were strong candidates, even though we were worried
> about having three children. We had several interviews, both through Skype and
> at the Cambridge job fair, and ended up with two offers. I would think that with
> your husbands math/science area you would be successful.
Thanks for your encouraging words jensensei. I am interested to know if you had British Curriculum experience, given that you went to the Cambridge job fair? Unfortunately we don't have British Curriculum experience and hubby doesn't have any IB. I've looked at a number of British International School websites and they seem to expect you to have British qualifications and curriculum experience, which we do not.
We'd love any ideas from all of you about schools that offer these curriculums, (or American), that are open to teaching couples with three dependents and no curriculum experience with these curriculums. We really need to get into one that values great teaching and leading experience over curriculum experience I guess. After all, a great teacher can teach with any curriculum, but just because you've used a particular curriculum, doesn't automatically make you a great teacher!
Thanks again for the reply. Would love to hear more,
aussiegrover
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
aussiegrover,
there is a Bethesday job fair in late June, but it is hit or miss. You have 3 big fairs during the year - early January in Bangkok, late January in London, and early-ish February in Cambridge, outside Boston.
Don't worry about curriculum - the big issue is experience, certification and extras. Tes Jobs iis ok, but again, the only schools that advertise on TesJobs are the British curriculum schools (or those British schools which offer IB). Again, don't limit yourself. Use Tesjobs - it is free, but there are a fair number of porkies told there, especially from smaller, lower tier schools.
You might also join the paid side of ISR where the reviews are - use your experience to read into them. Not all that glitters is gold, and not everything bleak is bad, if you know what I mean.
Good luck and keep us posted!
there is a Bethesday job fair in late June, but it is hit or miss. You have 3 big fairs during the year - early January in Bangkok, late January in London, and early-ish February in Cambridge, outside Boston.
Don't worry about curriculum - the big issue is experience, certification and extras. Tes Jobs iis ok, but again, the only schools that advertise on TesJobs are the British curriculum schools (or those British schools which offer IB). Again, don't limit yourself. Use Tesjobs - it is free, but there are a fair number of porkies told there, especially from smaller, lower tier schools.
You might also join the paid side of ISR where the reviews are - use your experience to read into them. Not all that glitters is gold, and not everything bleak is bad, if you know what I mean.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Re: Australian teaching couple trailing three kids - advice
We do not have experience with British curriculum, nor do we have IB experience. We did end up at an IB school that is willing to train us. I was very pleased with how much our Search Associate helped us and encouraged us throughout the process. I think we are in similar situations, in that we have a lot of teaching experience and leadership, but not in IB.