Offer vs. Offer, which would you take?

vandsmith
Posts: 348
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:16 am

Re: Offer vs. Offer, which would you take?

Post by vandsmith »

offer 2. it's still early in your int'l teaching career.

good luck either way!

v.
coffeeman65
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 1:29 pm

Re: Offer vs. Offer, which would you take?

Post by coffeeman65 »

I want to thank everyone for their replies. This was a tough decision. I kind of knew which way I wanted to go anyway, but reading all of your replies and answering your questions helped my decide which offer to take.

I've decided to take Offer 1.

The savings potential and everything else were secondary to the difference in preps. I'm not particularly interested in bar hopping or social events every night, but a work-life balance is important to me, and Offer 2 is going through IBO accreditation right now.

At this point in my career I'm not sure if I have the skillset to successfully manage 6 different preps while going through accreditation and do a good enough job to get a positive reference, while maintaining a work-life balance that is sustainable. I want to have a long career in IE, so hopefully this will start me off on the right foot.

Thanks again.
MamfeMan
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:09 am

Re: Offer vs. Offer, which would you take?

Post by MamfeMan »

One nice thing about working where you can save money- Asia- versus where you can't- W. Europe- is the fact that you can throat-punch your debt for a couple of years and the next thing you know, you're unshackled from any monthly payments. It is a glorious feeling. My wife and I were completely out of debt early into the third year of our IT experience. When we started in IT, after several years of teaching in public schools in the States, I was living under the assumption that my grave would be sprinkled in the confetti of over-due notices. As it is, we have a new lease on our financial lives.

And Western Europe can wait. If you're in your twenties/thirties and you have a sense of adventure, I think it's better taking the road less paved, if you will. Do India. Do Africa. Do the spots that won't be so forgiving. I can travel in Western Europe when I'm retired, where I can quickly get to a good hospital if I break a hip or need to re-up my nitroglycerine pills. In the meantime, however, I'll take my chances with the invigorating "insanity" of the non-Western world.

As for preps, I had six my first couple of years and it was border-line ridiculous. But it was a small, intimate school and there was the fair assumption on my director's part that we were doing the best we could. It was frustrating pedagogically because there were the inevitable sacrifices in terms of quality of instruction. ("Sorry for the worksheet, Grade 8 social studies, but I was concentrating on the other FIVE CLASSES I WAS PLANNING FOR.") In terms of pressure, though, I think I felt less there than I have at schools where I've only had two preps.

Anyways, good luck on your adventure! Throat punch your debt! Don't give a flying *@$# about IB/AP and so on! And give the kids 100%!
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