The International Schools Review Forum

I am a high school math teacher with 8 years of international experience - China and Malaysia - in IB HL and SL math as well as TOK. I want to return to Asia and work at a good school - doesn't have to be a great school.

I am undecided as to whether to attend the Search fair in Bangkok or Cambridge OR even fly myself over to Bangkok before the fair and travel around Asia and interview at schools directly - I would like to return to Malaysia but Thailand or Vietnam also interest me.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Qualified mathematics teachers with IB experience are highly sought after in all school systems.

If I was you, I would contact schools that interest you from October onwards - express a willingness (in fact a desire) to discuss your application/interest in the school via Skype.

If a school replies and asks what fair you intend to go to, tell them, but add that you hope to secure a position ahead of the fair - it worked for me. I think I wrote something like - "I have applied to attend the Search Bangkok fair but am hoping to secure a position ahead of the fair. If you are interested, I would be delighted to speak to you via Skype." The principal replied to suggest a time and a week later I had a job offer. This was in mid-October.

If your focus is Asia, Search Bangkok would be preferable - however, it is a long way from the US if you are travelling from there. Really, with your subject area, you are going to find a job. However, some of the uber schools in Asia may be staffed by the end of the Bangkok fair - they really do try to fill those hard to fill positions before the fairs.

Good luck with your job search:)

Also be careful about visiting schools and then signing contracts. At some schools, the fact you came to visit them and signed a contract results in you being a local hire.

No need for a job fair. Recruiters will contact you!

Thanks to all for your replies.

Just to note, I posted during the winter that I went to the Search Cambridge fair and received NO interviews.

Should I just apply on my own and keep schools away from my Search file - maybe a poor reference is the cause of my lack of success at this fair?

Suggest that you apply independently of any recruiting agencies, targeting schools you're genuinely interested in. Begin prior to the Christmas break. An I.B. maths teacher should have no trouble in finding a job. Search Associates are good for their database.

Climberman,

I think your idea might be ok, but sign up for Boston anywhere. Bangkok is far too expensive a proposition unless you are sure a school there will hire you - and we know that is a longshot.

Send out resumes to all schools you are interested starting in late September.

Good luck.

ANOTHER IDEA:

Can I get people's opinion on my attending the London Fair. I am IB Math HL and I want to teach IB. While I really want to go back to Asia, maybe this fair is a good fit for me.

Any advice?

Thanks for any help.

And I speak pretty good Mandarin Chinese.

Give me some ideas, teachers.

Any other help anyone can offer?

An earlier post mentioned that you suspect your Search file might contain a poor reference. While Search won't give you access to the references, your rep. can and should advocate for you by letting you know you need another one from an additional source and simply replacing a problematic one.
The London fair is reputably good for IB teachers, but not necessarily for ones wanting to go to China. As other posters said - contact these schools directly. Once their openings are known, you should be able to get Skype interviews prior to any fair. Good luck.

Thanks, Rudolph.

Can anybody else give their ideas?

Thanks to all.

You want to teach IB and you want to use your Mandarin. This might be one of the better options you have not considered - http://www.uwcchina.org/
What do you think?

Climberman wrote:
> ANOTHER IDEA:
>
> Can I get people's opinion on my attending the London Fair. I am IB Math HL
> and I want to teach IB. While I really want to go back to Asia, maybe this
> fair is a good fit for me.
>
> Any advice?
>
> Thanks for any help.

I would say not a good idea. I attended Search London January earlier this year and while it is a good fair, you may be disappointed if you really want to get back to Asia. The schools there from Asia had little (and in some cases, nothing) available. Bangkok would be a better choice.

Nikkor:
Thank you. I do not really want to go back to China - pollution - but I do want to go back to Asia.

Buffalofan
Thank you also. Bangkok would be very expensive and take me out of school - I am currently teaching high school math in Massachusetts, USA. - for a week. Unless I had a really good idea that schools would have a high interest in me I could not justify the expense/time.

Please note that I posted previously that I attended the 2014 Search Fair in Cambridge and aside from a school in Kuwait, I did not get even 1 other interview.

Which leaves me with another question: Can I get a bad reference in my Search file deleted?

Thanks to all for your help and to any others who reply with their advice.