Thanks, pretty much settled on applying to tier 3 schools in SA and SE Asia to get experience in Social Studies/IB/etc. I'm certified to teach geography, history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, or just about anything that falls under social sciences...just need to get experience (and that's pretty much impossible with the teaching market in the US). Mainly interested in building experience and having a decent work-life balance. Once I'm settled down I'll probably look into places that pay more in exchange for harder work.

Not too concerned about savings for the first few years. The 24k figure was just a rough guess based on what I've heard about ESL in Vietnam (25hr/wk at $25/hr = $2500/mo plus tutoring on the side and living expenses around $750/mo). The only thing keeping me from the ESL route is that if I have to move back to the US, it won't do anything for a domestic teaching career. Flights aren't a dealbreaker either...can always just travelhack with credit cards to get cheap flights.

I appreciate the advice on China and the Middle East, but I think I'll save those spots for later in life when I'm married and saving up to retire. I've had a lot of exposure to upper-class college students from those areas, and the culture just doesn't appeal to me at all. (I also don't want to get mesothelioma or something from breathing the air and drinking the water in China.)

I'm thinking that if I go abroad next year, it'll probably be a 3rd tier school in South America. If I stay home, I can probably get hired easily as an ESL teacher in a public school...two years ago, I had instant offers from DC/DC Metro area pretty much as soon as I handed them my resume at job fairs and they saw "ESL" (ESL is a revolving door in urban schools). I don't think I'd enjoy that experience very much, especially if it didn't get me any closer to a Social Studies job. Would a few years as a SS teacher at a bottom-of-the-barrel 3rd tier school be worth more in terms of moving to a better school, or do good schools kind of look down on experience in lower-tier schools? I don't mind spending some time there and just enjoying life, but sooner or later I'll need to make money.

@shadowjack

Most applications in the US specifically ask that question. Your idea seems like a good workaround.

That school was the entire two years. South/Central America sounds good to me; the location is interesting and low pay would be fine in exchange for experience and lower expectations. Nothing about my CV would stand out from the pack unless the HR person had connections to my school ("public ivy" basically just means a really big school with good academics that most people know of, if only for the sports teams), and 2 years really isn't a lot of experience anyway. I actually thought the 24k figure would be on the low end based on the way TEFL teachers go on about international teaching as if it's a guaranteed goldmine for anyone with a certification and some experience :D Really wouldn't mind saving no money at all if the location and work environment were great, though.

@expatscot

Thanks for the advice. The Middle East is a hard, non-negotiable "no." My last contract was an isolated desert school with 28 teachers, and I was recruited at a job fair over 2,000 miles away after a 5-minute interview. Should've been a red flag but I was just happy to avoid the "7-years of subbing" horror stories that seem common among social studies teachers in my area. Hard work, no social life, and nowhere to drink away my sorrows. I've already put in my time at a hardship post and I really don't want to do it again :D

My experience is that Social Studies was fun and didn't feel like work, whereas English was boring and a pile of busywork every day. In English, literally everything was subjective, while Social Studies was mostly objective with a research paper every quarter or so. 100 essays every other week on top of classwork can pile up pretty fast. If a school's English setup was more along the lines of objective multiple-choice tests based on readings, I could handle that, but I'd be really bored.

I'd take a lower-tier package if it came with lower stress levels. In fact, I'd probably prefer that over a better package with higher stress levels. I don't want to move overseas to be overworked/mistreated for a low wage, though. I can get plenty of that at home in the US :D Do tier 3 schools tend to have a more laid-back atmosphere, or is it the same sort of work for lower compensation?

Looking for advice on what sort of schools I should be applying to.

Age: 29 (single/no kids)

BA: History w/ English Minor (well-known "public ivy" in the US)

MEd: Will complete next year. Credits from induction program will put me halfway through, but need to select a college and focus area.

Certifications: 7th-12th grade Social Studies, English, and ESL (California Clear/Permanent + Pennsylvania Lvl I)

Extracurriculars: Boys varsity soccer head coach (very low-level team, but took them from 2 wins over the last 5 years to 10 wins in the 2 years I had them)

Experience: 2 years 9th-10th grade English + student teaching 7th-8th Social Studies (no AP/IB experience)
....School was WASC/AVID/PBIS certified. Experience in cross-curricular Common Core assessment planning, AVID committee, and curriculum design. Excellent results from my students on Common Core state tests. Good evaluations both years. Very good letters of recommendation from admin. Possible dealbreaker: I was bumped out by a more senior teacher last year (the school cut 25% of the teaching positions), so I have to report a "resigned in lieu of nonrenewal" on my applications. Not sure how that affects me going forward.

What I'm looking for:
-Location in Southeast Asia or South America (looking closely at Vietnam and Cambodia)
-Ability to save 24k+ per year
-3-4 months vacation with flights back to the US
-Strongly prefer Social Studies over English...I don't find English all that interesting and the grading is brutally time-consuming
-Experience in IB/AP/whatever is needed to move up to highest-tier schools
-Eventual position in an "elite" school, pretty much anywhere except Africa or the Middle East
-Good working conditions:
....Freedom in choosing materials, creating assessments/lessons, etc. Not interested in the "I teach, you take notes and memorize answers for the test" style. Not interested in being micromanaged by admin, and especially not interested in schools that allow parents to run the show.

So...where do I fit in, do my expectations need to be adjusted, and what should I do to become more competitive?