Trojan,
One thing to remember with overseas schools - you are a commodity. Some years your 'flavor' is in demand, other years it isn't. Nothing to do with the prestige of the school.
There is one thing to consider from an overseas school's viewpoint:
What if your wife is keen on going where the school is, you are keen, but, when you get there you find that your wife's only connection to anything is you. Your staff is tight, but don't know your wife and end up doing stuff with other staff couples who are both teachers (kids or no kids). How does you wife feel then?
Second scenario - you go, same as scenario 1, but your wife realizes after two months of basically doing nothing and not having much to do as the dollar has dropped in value again (don't laugh - with this crisis nobody knows what is going to happen and the US is TREMENDOUSLY in debt. My friends lost 20% of their salary over the past couple of years due to the dollar's decline, though it is better now).
If you wife is unhappy, you will be unhappy. If you are unhappy, your work will suffer. If your work suffers, you end up wanting to leave. If your wife leaves, usually you will leave.
Just to be realistic, this happens. Not saying it will, not saying it won't, in your case. Just that it is one of the things that schools have to take into consideration.
Married, with Children
All good points, and trust me, we have thought about them too, from our perspective. It's a big risk, to be sure.
Basically, more people = more variables, so I can see why schools would like to increase their chances of a match by passing on me and my family.
With that said, I sure hope a school takes a chance on us, one that we are remotely interested in.
Basically, more people = more variables, so I can see why schools would like to increase their chances of a match by passing on me and my family.
With that said, I sure hope a school takes a chance on us, one that we are remotely interested in.
As the t-shirts here in China say, "Impossible is Nothing!"
I landed an international school job straight out of teacher training, with a non-teaching wife and two dependents. After we finish this contract we are confident we will move on to another good contract.
Good luck to all intrepid parents out there.
With My Best,
Charles Chalmers
I landed an international school job straight out of teacher training, with a non-teaching wife and two dependents. After we finish this contract we are confident we will move on to another good contract.
Good luck to all intrepid parents out there.
With My Best,
Charles Chalmers
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markholmes
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 10:54 pm
Would you mind sharing which school you ended up at after your teacher training? I am in a somewhat similar situation. Both my wife and I will shortly complete our B.Ed.s and we have one daughter.
There are no jobs where we are, so we have the choice of moving to the frozen north of Canada or move directly overseas. However, we are concerned about the quality of overseas schools that take teachers with no experience (although in truth we have four years overseas ESL experience each, but pre-certification).
holmes5668@hotmail.com
There are no jobs where we are, so we have the choice of moving to the frozen north of Canada or move directly overseas. However, we are concerned about the quality of overseas schools that take teachers with no experience (although in truth we have four years overseas ESL experience each, but pre-certification).
holmes5668@hotmail.com
As a follow up to my original post:
Am married to non-teaching spouse with a bouncing 15 month old little girl. I did go to UNI in January and I did end up landing a job at a school in Mexico that I'm pretty psyched about. The director was very kind and is already paying for me to receive some training before I go. I've also been put in touch with a variety of staff and all have been extremely friendly and acommodating.
It can be done!
Am married to non-teaching spouse with a bouncing 15 month old little girl. I did go to UNI in January and I did end up landing a job at a school in Mexico that I'm pretty psyched about. The director was very kind and is already paying for me to receive some training before I go. I've also been put in touch with a variety of staff and all have been extremely friendly and acommodating.
It can be done!
Trojan's new job
Congratulations! Now you are obligated to use your new experience to guide others! Not really, but do help keep others informed about your experiences. Everyone has their own point of view and it helps me to hear as many as possible. I may wish to teach in Mexico one of these decades. :)