The International Schools Review Forum

What do you think about applying to "an elementary position" (general) vs. "the grade 5 position" (specific)? Or, "I can teach in the classroom or I can teach x special class" - does it appear as desperation or flexibility?

All depends on the specific situation re. the school and their openings. (You haven't explained particularly well so will have to read between the lines).

If a school has openings for Elementary in general and G5 specifically a lot would depend on your experience and preference. If you have exp. in Upper Elem. then go for G5 position. You could always inform them that you would consider other positions available. And vice versa if you have Lower Elem. exp. only.

OR

You could send a 'general' application for an Elementary Teacher and let them fit you where they think will suit.

To clarify, I love all grades and could also market myself for music, though I haven't taught it and don't have a music degree. What I'm wondering is, if I know the specific positions available, and am happy to fill any position, would recruiters be more pleased with a specific application ("Great - this teacher knows what he/she wants") vs. a general application to any position ("gee, it sounds like this teacher just wants to get a job").

I think people are likely to disagree but I am curious where the majority lies (in terms of ISR posters), and maybe the majority just thinks no one cares either way. :)

Everything I have read says, make sure you post a specific position in the subject line of your email.

I would suppose later in your email, you would market your other skills and highlight them as well on your CV.

You should either apply twice with different position vacancies or combine them into one vacancy. I recommend applying individually for each vacancy.

Many schools screen their applications through HR or a staff member, before being forwarded or recommended to the particular admin responsible for hiring in your position. Its possible (very unlikely however) that your email will only be forwarded for one position, and overlooked for any similar positions.
A school may also employ various types of digital screening. So emails with "5th grade" may go automatically to one email folder, and those with "primary" may go to another mail folder. The program is very unlikely to copy your email to both folders.

I disagree. With the advent of google docs and suchlike, it's very easy for a school to keep a single register of all applicants, even if multiple people are doing the screening.
I go through tons of applications as part of my workload. I have to read each carefully and make suitable notes on our school's register. I dislike multiple applications. If you can teach more than one post, I'll note it. If you want to be considered for more than one post, say it. Even if you don't say it, I'll probably pick up on the possibility from your overall CV, and I'll know what's available in my school (probably better than what's posted on various websites, since internal movements and hirings and late resignations might not be updated yet externally), and I'll make a note in my summary.
If you send multiple applications, It won't change the situation, it'll just give me more work since I have to visit your file more than once. When faced with a couple hundred applications, efficiency is very much appreciated.

Thanks for the responses. It's good to hear different viewpoints. I was wondering if it might appear that the teacher isn't "picky" enough (for lack of a better phrase - targeted enough?) if he/she is available for various positions. It sounds like Psyguy and sid think flexibility and ability/willingness to teach different grades/subjects is perfectly fine, and maybe even beneficial. Did I interpret correctly?

Flexibility is great. Overreaching is not. "I can teach history, economics, physics, swimming, maths, arts and French" is ridiculous, unless you actually have credentials and experience to back up that claim. You may laugh, but I see far too many applications for posts that are completely unsuitable based on credentials and experience. Most often, it comes down to a complete lack of understanding that passing high school chemistry is not adequate preparation for teaching high school chemistry. It makes one sound foolish to suggest that one can teach well beyond one's demonstrated scope.

@junglegym

I agree in general with sid, being qualified in multiple areas is valuable to a school. I too have had a signifigant number of applicants for a position that dont know what qualified means. In some linstances though qualified means different things. My school in Italy hired an ITC teacher who wasnt a certified teacher, but they had a decade of programing and marketing experience with children's software. That said there are a huge number of applicants that feel because their hobbies, or grossly limited experience makes them qualified to teach something. Im still amazed at the number of native english speakers that think just because they teach ELL at a language school it makes them qualified to teach in an IS.

Sorry for the exposition, none of this applies to you. Your qualified to teach 5th grade or any other level of primary (though generally whena school is looking for a primary teacher they want someone with recent experience teaching that specific grade). Schools do look for specific content teachers, as schools tend to be 60/40 (respectivly) split on self contained primary and departmentalized primary. There are primary teachers who just teach math and science. Al alternative to this is co taught classes. Where one teacher teaches say 4th and 5th math/science and another teacher teaches 4th and 5th english/humanities, in one classroom and the students going to another classroom for fine arts and P.E.

@sid

You send much more technically gifted then a fair number of admins i have met. Many of them would not know what google docs is. You also are more personally involved as much of the screening for a large majority of admins is delegated to junior staff. In my experience the HOD only wants to see the finalists.