On a day to day basis, in what way does China restrict you

1. Internet. It's not just facebook that's blocked. Google is as well, as well as all its counterparts. Certain news sites, blogspot, youtube, and hundreds of others. It's easy to get around this with a VPN but this usually makes surfing quite slow, in a country where the internet is slow enough already.

2. Banking. Wiring money can take up to 3 hours. Even changing money is a pain, and foreigners are only allowed to change $500 per day (The Chinese can change up to $50,000 per day).

3. Taxis. There's a taxi shortage in almost every city, as the government controls how many taxis are on the road. Expect to wait and to fight over taxis in the middle of the street at times.

4. Heating. If you live up north, the government controls what time of the year your heating gets turned on, and you have no control over the temperature.

5. Travel. Want to take the train to Beijing or Shanghai? You cannot purchase tickets until 5 days before you leave, and just hope that they haven't sold out. The only exception to this rule is big holiday periods such as Chinese New Year, when you can purchase them 10 days before.


Oh and yes - I lived in Northeastern China for 2 years. Shanghai and Beijing are definitely the places to be, but even the latter has horrible pollution.

For a single guy? I would disagree with China - disgusting place and very restrictive. No one speaks English and the pollution is awful. Crap weather as well. Korea can be great depending on where you are.

I would say anywhere in Southeast Asia would be pretty good, depending on the salary. Japan as well.

Your experience in Korean hagwons will not count. The only experience that will count is where you work AFTER you are certified. Unless you really want to teach ESL, the K-6 gen. ed certificate will be much more valuable.

I would never use colleagues as references. Never. I have references from coordinators, principals, HODs, and a parent or two. I didn't think references from colleagues were even allowed.

Read the reviews. Apparently it will cost you quite a bit for startup, and there are some tax issues - you'll basically be in "tax prison" by not being able to leave for periods of time because of visa issues. Good school, good reputation, but read the reviews and ask the appropriate questions.

^^Yes, you could. But you need to give us your quals/experience so we can better advise you.

Also, not to be cynical, but the fact that you have children (and I assume a trailing spouse) does not make you a competitive candidate, especially in a country like Thailand. The top-tier and second-tier international schools here get hundreds of letters of inquiry and applications each month. Most are thrown away or deleted. Your best bet is to go to a job fair or settle for a school here that doesn't pay as much.

Without IB experience it's going to be tough to get any of the top schools to look at you. I work at one of the better IB schools in Thailand and everyone on staff has IB experience.

What subject do you teach? What are your quals/exp.? What curriculum do you know?

There are other schools in Thailand that are okay but again, the top ones are IB.

Your associate should have told you that the reference was bad -- he/she is not doing their job. You can always just delete the reference. How did you find out that it was a bad reference?

I'm also a Language A teacher. I prefer DP to MYP but have taught both programs. In terms of planning and implementation, DP is easier and more clear cut. It's easier to follow the syllabus that you set out. In MYP you've got AOIs, Interdisciplinary planning, and those awful unit planners. Hopefully it will get easier next year when the changes come. DP is harder work, though. More reading and you've got to get the works done in a timely manner to give time for assessments. A class of 20 can take weeks to do their IOCs and FOAs. Saying that, I just like the material more in DP, plus, the kids are older and can (usually) handle the workload.

1. All associates charge a fee for re-activating your profile. I don't know where you heard otherwise. If you paid the fee, then accepted a job at an international school (even without Search's help), then you have to pay the fee again if you want to re-register with Search. There's no getting out of it.

2. I don't think it's possible to switch. once you've chosen your associate. If you are re-activating your account, then you can choose a different associate (I think) but once you've paid, you are stuck.

3. I don't think it's all that important. I never really talked to mine at the fair and honestly he didn't really help me with recruiting before the fair. He did answer questions I had about possible job opportunities and whether or not I would be a viable candidate.

I don't think they'd ask, but they can see your age on your Search application (or TIE). Someone right out of teacher college who's 25 isn't going to get much attention. Recruiters want teachers who will stay. Single 20-somethings don't exactly have a reputation for staying many years at the same school.

If I were you I'd stay in the UK and get the NQT. I'm not sure why you wouldn't do that. Even with a PGCE you have almost no chance at getting hired in any of those countries except for maybe China, but in a lower tier city and school. Here's why:

1. You have no experience. ESL experience does not count and no one cares if you have a CELTA unless you're applying for ESL jobs.

2. Primary is not a competitive field. You'll be competing with people who are more experienced than you and with PYP experience (which you don't have).

3. You're too young. The reputation of people in their 20s is that they do not stay long at a job before moving to the next one, especially if they are single (as I assume you are).

50,000 baht a month will be tight in Phuket. You'll be poor and living in a small studio. BIS is on the north side of the island - not really accessible unless you have a motorbike or a car. There is no public transportation on Phuket.

Sorry to be so blunt, but again, I would strongly advise you to either stay in England and get your NQT, or take a job at a lower-tier international school (that does IB) in a 3rd tier city in China, the ME, or any of the -stan countries.

Busan International Foreign School is great - of all the schools in Korea that's the one I would choose. Branksome Hall Asia is the one on Jeju - it has terrible reviews so I'd stay clear. Also check the reviews of the schools in Seoul - they are a mixed bag, and most are very Christian-oriented. You will no doubt have to get references from your minister and such.

^I would say yes. You should appear clean-cut and professional. Facial hair is shaved or cut in a professional way. I saw very few men with long hair at the BKK fair.

Wear a jacket. If you don't, you'll be one of the very few men at the job fair without a jacket.