PsyGuy wrote:
> @boss14
>
>
> ITs dont really grow up, all the same personalities you found in secondary
> school as a student are the same ones you find on IS and DS faculty. You
> have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses. Outside of primary very few ITs
> get into education as the goal, its usually a result of not being able to
> monetize their education or failure/dissatisfaction with the
> private/corporate sector of what their degree qualifies them for.

I get what you're saying (and I also note the "very few", there), but that's a sweeping generalisation that's actually pretty demoralising (oh! the irony!).

"You have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses." Do you? I've just worked with a cross-section of people. Some are stuck-up, but others are sensible human beings.

"outside of primary". Actually, I know just as many Primary teachers as Secondary who got into teaching because it's "easy" and something to do with their degrees. And, in fact, since Primary doesn't require any specialism, I would say moreso than Secondary it's what people without a specific interest in teaching aim for.

"its usually a result of not being able to monetize their education". Except a lot of International schools require a teaching certificate or education degree - many of the schools I applied for even asked if the Induction Year had been completed. So these are not teachers who have just decided willy-nilly to move into the education field because their main career was badly paid.

"Probably the best ITs to work with are those that are second career ITs who already retired and did whatever it was they did and were successful at it,". Because nothing makes my point in my previous post like someone assuming the younger teachers are crap.

International Teaching is a fantastic way to see the world whilst doing something you love, and getting out of your home country. The UK (for example) is a depressing place, that has consistently failed to give a monkey's uncle about teachers - to tar the good (nee, amazing) teachers who are taking jobs abroad for the adventure and pay with the ones who don't care? What an awful thing to do in a thread whose subject is "Negativity in the workplace".

boss14 wrote:
> How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs?
> Wouldn't it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching
> instead of in your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?

Teaching requires a lot of emotional strength, and a massive amount of self-confidence. You're also not seen doing your job a lot of the time, because you're on your own (or with teaching assistants) in class. All of this combined means that a senior staff member or department colleague can question your judgement, your skills, your teaching methods, your behaviour management, in subtle ways that never rise to the point of being put on probation or being giving more training, but that do effectively bring you lower and lower over the academic year. I've known teachers who ignore the staff-room whenever possible, because the back-stabbing and "subtle" negative comments are just too much. I've known schools where racist comments are flung behind people's backs just loud enough for the target to hear them, but not so loud that senior staff hear them.

Teaching takes a lot out of you, and a truly toxic school environment is the most awful thing in the world whilst you're deep in it, even if you keep out of the office politics and are a Good Person.

Other things that are useful:

1) Always keep in mind at least two good things, one academic and one personal, that you can look forward to every week. Whether it's a date with a partner, socialising with the good staff, a fun class or extra-curricular activity you run. It'll help you keep positive during the low points.

2) Try and have a good non-teaching friend who doesn't mind you ranting about the bad stuff. It'll keep you from bottling it all up, and the fact that they're a non-teacher means that you won't just rant at each-other about work. You can finish the work day, complain for a half an hour, and then talk about other things. Works wonders.

You may have already been asked these - they're common enough for me - but still...

How do you approach teaching lower ability and special educational needs students, as well as gifted and talented pupils?
Where do you see yourself in "X" number of years?
What are the main problems you run into during lessons or exams?
How do you deal with difficult parents?
How do you feel you'd acclimatize to the local area/culture?
Do you have a favorite area of your subject to teach?

Assuming the role is in a country where English is an Additional Language (or in a heavily non-English language ethnic area), and you're teaching in English, you'll probably be asked how you deal with varying degrees of language proficiency, and how you ensure learning through a language barrier. Understanding definitions of words, and that sort of thing.

If you have a partner...

What does your partner do?
Would they be looking for work?

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