Anyone an EAL teacher at an international school in Thailand or elsewhere abroad? I'm curious what it's like compared with an average TEFLer when it comes to pay, benefits, work environment, etc. From what I've read it seems like EAL staff at international schools collaborate with subject teachers, co-planning and co-teaching. I understand that it is more of a support role, so there may be less teaching involved as opposed to a subject teacher. It seems that there are special pay scales at international schools for EAL support, without flights or accommodation in some cases. Why? Do they tend to work less or have less responsibility? There could be some pull-out ESL involved as well. To be honest, I don't really know much about this, but I'm very curious.
Can anyone with experience or knowledge about this sort of gig offer some insight/encouragement?
EAL Teachers at International Schools in Thailand
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: EAL Teachers at International Schools in Thailand
First of all, are you a certified teacher, or do you just have CELTA, TOEFEL, etc?
To work at an accredited international school, not just a language school with international in its name, you need to be a certified teacher (at least at the good ones to be in a classroom situation). As to what they do, they coordinate with classroom teachers, do push in and pull out, run diagnostics, teach skills according to student level, not teacher level, do individual and small group lessons on pull out, liaise with admin and the Inclusive ed and PYP coordinators, and more.
At a reputable school, there should be no difference in salary. Teaching scales should be transparent and known to all. Every school I have been at has been that way - not sure I would take a job at one that didn't have a scale that was available to all staff to see.
Just my two halalas,
shad
To work at an accredited international school, not just a language school with international in its name, you need to be a certified teacher (at least at the good ones to be in a classroom situation). As to what they do, they coordinate with classroom teachers, do push in and pull out, run diagnostics, teach skills according to student level, not teacher level, do individual and small group lessons on pull out, liaise with admin and the Inclusive ed and PYP coordinators, and more.
At a reputable school, there should be no difference in salary. Teaching scales should be transparent and known to all. Every school I have been at has been that way - not sure I would take a job at one that didn't have a scale that was available to all staff to see.
Just my two halalas,
shad
Reponse
I mostly agree with SJ, there is a great deal of quality of experience as you move down the tiers. At a certain point in the third tier your going to find language schools that just put international in their name.
An ESOL IT at an upper tier IS will have the same duties and tasks as a LS teacher doing resource or a class teacher with a scheduled course load. Like any teacher their subjects are different but they have the same types of tasking. They will be on the same faculty compensation scale as any other IT, and will qualify for an OSH package as any other IT.
Some ISs (very unusual) have a separate scale for SEN/LS and they put ESOL on that scale, which would result in a different salary.
ISs do hire local ESOL instructors for "support" positions in which case you are more a teaching assistant or assistant teacher, and the experience will be very similar to what you would find at a language school.
An ESOL IT at an upper tier IS will have the same duties and tasks as a LS teacher doing resource or a class teacher with a scheduled course load. Like any teacher their subjects are different but they have the same types of tasking. They will be on the same faculty compensation scale as any other IT, and will qualify for an OSH package as any other IT.
Some ISs (very unusual) have a separate scale for SEN/LS and they put ESOL on that scale, which would result in a different salary.
ISs do hire local ESOL instructors for "support" positions in which case you are more a teaching assistant or assistant teacher, and the experience will be very similar to what you would find at a language school.