The International Schools Review Forum

Realizing that being a teacher also means one has the opportunity/obligation to take on duties related to after school clubs, various extra cirricular activities and coaching sports teams, I'm wondering if there is a trend either way of schools compensating teachers for these extra duties, or is it just expected to be provided w/out additional compensation? I've coached before and it can really take up a lot of hours for which I've been modestly paid. I get the impression that extra pay may not be offered by some/most international schools. Are my impressions incorrect? It would be a real mind shift to [i]not[/i] be compensated for these extra duties.

Coaching, clubs, after-school activities, supervision duties, assisting students outside of classtime etc are not extra duties. They are part of teaching. (Except in the US, where teachers have been so de-professonalised that they have the hourly-worker's approach to employment.) Perhaps you are also thinking of payment per student? payment per class? payment per assignment set? payment per parent-teacher meeting? payment per book read while you consider the possibility of thinking about possible new and different topics and approaches (which should in turn be compensated of course)? Baker's 1265 hours? I'm glad you are not in my school.

Nice response Debbz! I am glad that I don't work in 'your' school...I do believe that Conant was referring only to extra-curricular activities and not "supervision duties, assisting students outside of classtime etc". These were elements that you chose to read into his question.

Conant - I think that there is a definite divide regarding the payment of staff for coaching. International Schools with an American 'flavour' will almost certainly pay staff a stipend for coaching, while those with a British influence will most likely not. In the latter example it is usually expected (contracted) that all staff will offer an after school activity once a week. However, in my experience there are a growing number of 'international' schools (i.e. those that could perhaps be described as Anglo-American) that do pay for coaching. It is always a question well worth asking at interview if you are keen to coach.

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I've had both experiences, my current school pays both coaches and activity sponsors while previous schools, both international and Canadian, didn't. With the exception of my Canadian experience the expectations were written into the contract and were monitored either very closely on a term by term basis or at the end of the year when the principal sat down with us and asked what we did outside of the classroom. I would guess that at most schools it is an expectation that might span 1 to 4 quarters with no direct stipend.

Thanks to the three of you who clearly understood my valid questions and provided thoughtful and informed responses. All three were very helpful.

One school I was at asked that we coach at least one after school activity (9 weeks) without pay. We knew this was expected of us when we signed our contracts.

My current school has us fill out a form for any additional recess duty, before, after school duty we do that is not on our schedule and we get paid for it ($20/Hr).

All after-school activities are voluntary and stipened. Any overnight trips for tournaments are paid as well (including a reasonable daily food stipend).