Hi All,
For many of us we'll be moving to a new country for a new job in the next few weeks. I'm also sure that there are some 'newbies' on the forum. As such - I thought it might be good for people to share some pointers about moving to a new school and especially moving to another country. Who knows - even us old hacks might learn something.....
I'll post my ideas in a day or so.
New Year - New Job - New Start
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
Avoid like the plague the veteran--and there seems to be one on every faculty--who wants to tell you all the problems with the school, the kids, parents, admin, country; who to "watch out for;" who can't be trusted; what dicey or possibly illegal work-arounds he's privy to... Don't allow anyone to color your own perceptions and opinions. His worst enemy could be your best ally.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
Avoid the 50+ divorced women who are overseas for the first time and have as their main priority: finding a man.
Many don't seem to understand what that wedding ring on your finger means or that - in Asia - those single 50+ guys have a whole gaggle of 20 something Chinese, Thai, Indonesian - fill in the blank - women who will fawn over them.
Seriously, it gets to the point where you have to be impolite and not even say hello to them.
Many don't seem to understand what that wedding ring on your finger means or that - in Asia - those single 50+ guys have a whole gaggle of 20 something Chinese, Thai, Indonesian - fill in the blank - women who will fawn over them.
Seriously, it gets to the point where you have to be impolite and not even say hello to them.
Response
1) Never listen to your admin team, they are all evil. Their job is to get you to do more work, under the dark cloud of doom, that your reference depends on it, and you can be dismissed on a whim.
2) Never take work home, spend your own money or stay late.
3) Find your support system and cliche early. There is safety in numbers. You dont have to be a good IT you just cant look like a bad IT.
4) Stealing is an important skill. Take ideas, lesson plans, etc from wherever you find them. As long as the documents fit in the binder no one will care what your doing in the classroom, or where you got the lesson plan from.
5) Make friends with the parents and ownership. If they like you and you have access to them, you can ignore admin/management.
6) Give up on academic integrity, parents believe they are buying high marks/grades, not education. If your going to eb a gate keeper you will be living on borrowed time, only as long as you are a little more benefit than trouble to your admin/management team.
7) Be really nice to the secretaries. They have a lot more power than you think.
8) Make friends with the support staff especially the locals. Take an interest int he IT staff and the librarian, you will need their favor one day.
9) Die with the lie, never admit to anything. Have an exit plan, you need to be able to leave the country in a couple of hours.
10) Never take advice, you have experience, and instinct.
2) Never take work home, spend your own money or stay late.
3) Find your support system and cliche early. There is safety in numbers. You dont have to be a good IT you just cant look like a bad IT.
4) Stealing is an important skill. Take ideas, lesson plans, etc from wherever you find them. As long as the documents fit in the binder no one will care what your doing in the classroom, or where you got the lesson plan from.
5) Make friends with the parents and ownership. If they like you and you have access to them, you can ignore admin/management.
6) Give up on academic integrity, parents believe they are buying high marks/grades, not education. If your going to eb a gate keeper you will be living on borrowed time, only as long as you are a little more benefit than trouble to your admin/management team.
7) Be really nice to the secretaries. They have a lot more power than you think.
8) Make friends with the support staff especially the locals. Take an interest int he IT staff and the librarian, you will need their favor one day.
9) Die with the lie, never admit to anything. Have an exit plan, you need to be able to leave the country in a couple of hours.
10) Never take advice, you have experience, and instinct.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
I disagree with PsyGuy
Accept any and all social invitations for the first weeks. Get out and about. You can wait to unpack your shipment and hang up paintings. More important to meet people, make friends and develop a network. At the beginning of the year, there are usually lots of invites, but if you turn them down, they will dry up quickly.
Remember to invite people too, no one cares if your flat is a boring tip, just serve coffee and cookies, or head out somewhere.
Accept any and all social invitations for the first weeks. Get out and about. You can wait to unpack your shipment and hang up paintings. More important to meet people, make friends and develop a network. At the beginning of the year, there are usually lots of invites, but if you turn them down, they will dry up quickly.
Remember to invite people too, no one cares if your flat is a boring tip, just serve coffee and cookies, or head out somewhere.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
Is PsyGuy not admin as well? Seems he's been on recruiting trips, and of course there's the candidate rating scale.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
He claimed to be admin for a while, with several different jobs in fairly quick succession, but later stopped making those claims. Must be back to teaching now.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
Here are my basics
1) The first year is always the most challenging. As such - don't try and over extend yourself
2) Focus first on getting your life in order (apartments and such) which will allow you to fully focus on your job later
3) Don't be afraid to ask for advice on where to live and where to get things. A few small questions now will save you hours and much heartache later.
4) Take your time in making strong assumptions about people
5) Remember that ALMOST EVERYTHING will take longer or be more challenging when overseas. Think it will take 10 minutes to get a sim card. Guess again. Is it easy to open a bank account? Umm - it depends on which way the wind's blowing.....
6) As mentioned above - try and go to events organised by other people as those invitations dry up quickly. I'm confirming this through experience
7) Don't be afraid to ask questions on why things are done - but many IT from what is perceived is the better schools detest being told they are wrong or there is a better way of doing things - even if you are correct. As such - don't make too many waves at the start.
8) Remember, the squeaky wheel gets oiled by the nagging wheel gets thrown out. If there is a major problem let people know and state how it can be fixed (aka - I don't have a photocopy card yet - how can I get a photocopy card) but complaining about it will get you nowhere
9) The office workers and general maintenance are some of the most important people in the school. Treat them well and often it can be repaid many times over.
1) The first year is always the most challenging. As such - don't try and over extend yourself
2) Focus first on getting your life in order (apartments and such) which will allow you to fully focus on your job later
3) Don't be afraid to ask for advice on where to live and where to get things. A few small questions now will save you hours and much heartache later.
4) Take your time in making strong assumptions about people
5) Remember that ALMOST EVERYTHING will take longer or be more challenging when overseas. Think it will take 10 minutes to get a sim card. Guess again. Is it easy to open a bank account? Umm - it depends on which way the wind's blowing.....
6) As mentioned above - try and go to events organised by other people as those invitations dry up quickly. I'm confirming this through experience
7) Don't be afraid to ask questions on why things are done - but many IT from what is perceived is the better schools detest being told they are wrong or there is a better way of doing things - even if you are correct. As such - don't make too many waves at the start.
8) Remember, the squeaky wheel gets oiled by the nagging wheel gets thrown out. If there is a major problem let people know and state how it can be fixed (aka - I don't have a photocopy card yet - how can I get a photocopy card) but complaining about it will get you nowhere
9) The office workers and general maintenance are some of the most important people in the school. Treat them well and often it can be repaid many times over.
Re: New Year - New Job - New Start
Grab any opportunity that can bring extra income: sports, tutoring, positions of responsibility. Some teachers give up on these during their first year to 'fully' focus on teaching and learning. Not worth it.