Is teaching overseas for you?
"Finding a strong match between the International school and the candidate is extremely important. International schools are not only looking at the candidate’s educational background and teaching experience, but the match between the philosophy of the candidate and that of the school. Two years of teaching experience and current teaching certification are generally required. Additionally, international schools are concerned with finding candidates that will be able to adapt to the unique challenges of living and working in the host country. It is equally important for the teaching candidates to carefully research the school and country and ask many questions in order to make an informed choice. International teaching can be extremely rewarding and has many advantages, but it also has its challenges. If considering teaching internationally it is important to research the advantages and disadvantages of international teaching to determine if it is for you. International teaching isn’t for everyone; however, many educators have made a career of teaching and living abroad."
- Deanna Emond
Elementary School Principle
International School of Abuja, Nigeria
Elementary School Principle
International School of Abuja, Nigeria
What qualities are directors looking for in teacher candidates?
When skyping with principles and former heads of schools who have been actively involved in teacher recruitment in their schools, I noticed a general trend in the personality traits and attributes they described a teacher should possess to teach overseas. These were:
Resilient, emotionally stable, self-sufficient: Teaching in many parts of the world can be extremely challenging for those who are used to a 1st world lifestyle. You will experience culture shock each time you move to a new continue as you try to settle in to your new home, and the experience of culture shock is different for each individual. These traits (resilient, emotionally stable, self-sufficient) help you fit in to your new home much faster and with less frustration. Living in a place where everything is foreign can weigh heavily on you, and many people experience depression because they do not feel part of the world around them. What I have come to understand about living in other cultures, is that the quickest way to feel part of that culture is to attempt to learn the language. Language is the center of every culture, and if you can speak and interact with the locals, as well as the expat international community, you will adapt to your new environment much quicker. The process will always take months for you to finally feel at home, but you must be open to change, resilient, emotionally stable, and self-sufficient.
Michael Winkelman wrote a great article about culture shock and strategies to make the acculturation process smoother. You can find it by clicking this button:
Michael Winkelman wrote a great article about culture shock and strategies to make the acculturation process smoother. You can find it by clicking this button:
Flexible, adaptable, creative: Along with the challenges of adapting to a new culture, it can be challenging to adapt to the changes which occur at the school and classroom level. The makeup of students in private international schools is very different from students in other school systems. Your student population is generally made up of:
Third Culture Kids (TCK's): Third culture kids are expats from any area of the world whos family has relocated to a new culture for a variety of reasons. Many of these kids may have made multiple moves throughout their lives and have experienced and been immersed in cultures across many continents. Their perspective on global and local issues will be quite well rounded and different from many individuals whose perspective on many issues comes from a single cultural lens. All of these third culture kids will be unique in respect to what cultures and experiences they draw on to formulate their personal cultural identity profiles. As a teacher facilitating learning with TCK's, you must be flexible, adaptable and creative yourself. These students tend to learn best when they can draw on their experiences and the experiences of their peers to construct knowledge together.
Foreign nationals: A large portion of an international school's population is made up of foreign nationals. These students often experience difficulties with teachers who are unable to teach from an international perspective and instead rely upon their teaching experience with their national curriculum. Unlike TCK's who make up the rest of the student body, their experiences, understanding of the world around them, and way of knowing is constructed solely by the culture in which they have been immersed in all their lives. The difficulty for teachers arrises in connecting to these students when they are new to the country, the culture, and the international lifestyle themselves. You must be flexilbe in your teaching strategies, adaptive and responsive to your students, and creative in your approach to teaching.
Third Culture Kids (TCK's): Third culture kids are expats from any area of the world whos family has relocated to a new culture for a variety of reasons. Many of these kids may have made multiple moves throughout their lives and have experienced and been immersed in cultures across many continents. Their perspective on global and local issues will be quite well rounded and different from many individuals whose perspective on many issues comes from a single cultural lens. All of these third culture kids will be unique in respect to what cultures and experiences they draw on to formulate their personal cultural identity profiles. As a teacher facilitating learning with TCK's, you must be flexible, adaptable and creative yourself. These students tend to learn best when they can draw on their experiences and the experiences of their peers to construct knowledge together.
Foreign nationals: A large portion of an international school's population is made up of foreign nationals. These students often experience difficulties with teachers who are unable to teach from an international perspective and instead rely upon their teaching experience with their national curriculum. Unlike TCK's who make up the rest of the student body, their experiences, understanding of the world around them, and way of knowing is constructed solely by the culture in which they have been immersed in all their lives. The difficulty for teachers arrises in connecting to these students when they are new to the country, the culture, and the international lifestyle themselves. You must be flexilbe in your teaching strategies, adaptive and responsive to your students, and creative in your approach to teaching.
American International School of Abu Dhabi Student Population MakeupThe American International School of Abu Dhabi (AISA) had a great pie chart showing how their student population was broken down by geographical area. I felt like including it here because I felt it was representative of most international schools I have been in. As you can see, half of the population is made up of local nationals and others from nearby nations. The other half of the student body is made up from expatriates from all corners of the world. This diversity will make your teaching experience both extremely challenging, and extremely interesting! Learning how to use this diversity as a resource for cooperative learning is the greatest tool of an international teacher.
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Team player, command of subject area and teaching methodologies, commitment to professional development, passion for teaching: Directors of international schools want teachers who are passionate about teaching. Teachers overseas are almost always there by choice because contracts only last two years. They are not locked into contracts to complete a 30-35 year commitment to get the maximum benefit from pension plans, etc. There is a lot of flexibility in where you can teach, how long you can teach, and what subject areas you can teach. Teachers overseas are expected on many levels to collaborate to make the student experience better overall. This may involve: professional development meetings, curriculum development committees, involvement in co-coaching, after school clubs, etc. Directors seek teachers whose teaching philosophy matches their own, and who they think will fit in well with the current community of teachers the school employs. Teacher candidates must demonstrate the ability to work well with their peers, have a command of their primary and secondary teaching areas as well as teaching methodologies, an ongoing commitment to professional development and lifelong learning, and primarily, a passion for teaching.
The Advantages to Teaching Overseas
Money:
Below is a breakdown of the Saskatchewan salary grid for teachers.
Below is a breakdown of the Saskatchewan salary grid for teachers.
Class IV: A professional "A" teachers certificate and a minimum of 4 years of post-secondary education.
Class V: A professional "A" teachers certificate, a bachelors of education degree, and a second bachelors degree. Or a professional "A" teachers certificate, a bachelors of education degree, and one year of graduate studies Class VI: A professional "A" teachers certificate, a bachelors of education degree, a second bachelors degree, and one year of graduate studies. Or a professional "A" teachers certificate, a bachelors of education degree, and two years of graduate studies. Or a professional "A" teachers certificate, a bachelors of education degree, and an honours degree. |
Now, to calculate your income after taxes deduct 32.5% from whatever classification you are and the years of teaching experience you have. For example, if you are a class IV teacher with no teaching experience (step 1) you would make $51,476 before taxes. After taxes this would be an income of $34,746.
The steps based on experience, and education (masters, doctorates, etc) are roughly equivalent pay raises in the Saskatchewan salary grid as you would expect in international schools. Salaries for a class 4 teacher range from $35,000-$55,000 per year and is tax free. This is equivalent to a salary of $52,000 to $82,000 a year in Saskatchewan (roughly the same as the provincial salary grid after taxes). As mentioned earlier, most contracts last 2 years in international schools and at that point many teaching families move on to experience a new part of the world. In order to retain quality teachers, international schools offer bonuses for 1 year contract renewals which follow a 7 step program. What that means is after each single renewal, you receive a pay raise of 3-5% (depending on the school). After 7 steps this translates to a 21-35% salary increase on top of normal international school teaching pay grid. Once you have reached the top of the pay grid (15 years teaching experience), you will be making roughly 50-65k per year depending on the school. With the loyalty bonuses, after 7 contract renewals (9 total years in that school), you would be making $60,500 - $84,500 in a tax free salary which is far more than you can make in Canada as a teacher. This is why once teaching families find a school and a culture they are comfortable staying in, it becomes really hard to leave. If you keep moving every two years, however, the salary grids in terms of earnings after taxes are almost identical. In order to determine then if one salary is better than another you must then look at the benefits associated with working in both educational systems that will impact you financially.
Contract extension bonuses: mentioned above.
International schools provide an overseas benefit of 10-15% of your salary as a bonus annually. This is similar to LOA pay we have here in Canada. This puts international school salaries a solid 10-15% above the Saskatchewan pay grid if you are hired as an overseas hires (through one of the international recruitment agencies or through privately contacting schools). Local hires do not receive this benefit.
International schools provide retirement pension planning in the form of cash bonuses annually in the amounts of 5-10% of your salary (school dependent).
International schools provide furnished housing for their teachers. This includes covering all utility expenses. This leads to considerable savings for teachers in comparison to Canadian teachers who must pay rent/mortgages/utilities.
Most international schools provide vehicles for their teachers. If they do not, they generally provide interest-free loans for teachers to purchase vehicles and support the teacher in finding and selling vehicles to members of the international community.
International schools generally work with the various embassies in the city to provide teachers with access to exclusive stores, restaurants, clubs, fitness centers, etc., that are available only to members of the respective embassies. Teachers are given special treatment and access to these facilities because they are so well respected in the community.
Generally, in third world countries where you are likely to be hired, the cost of living is not even remotely close to the same cost in Canada. In Canada, we have some of the highest prices for every day expenses in the world.
Schools pay for your flights to your home of record and back annually (this includes transportation for your dependents). Additionally, any activities which require you to travel for the school (sports, professional development meetings, model UN conventions, etc.) are paid for by the school.
International schools provide shipping allowances for their teachers to make sure they are able to transport all the goods they need to feel comfortable in their new homes.
International schools provide health insurance and disability insurance. Most schools use tiecare.
Professional development allowances. International schools want you to continue your education as professional teachers. They provide allowances for food, housing, flights, etc., as long as you show why the conference or PD will be beneficial to you as a teacher. Additionally, schools often require you to share your experiences and learning’s with the staff when you return.
For an example of the salaries and benefits you can expect overseas you can visit these schools websites:
The International School of Dakar
The International School of Abuja
Lahore American School
The steps based on experience, and education (masters, doctorates, etc) are roughly equivalent pay raises in the Saskatchewan salary grid as you would expect in international schools. Salaries for a class 4 teacher range from $35,000-$55,000 per year and is tax free. This is equivalent to a salary of $52,000 to $82,000 a year in Saskatchewan (roughly the same as the provincial salary grid after taxes). As mentioned earlier, most contracts last 2 years in international schools and at that point many teaching families move on to experience a new part of the world. In order to retain quality teachers, international schools offer bonuses for 1 year contract renewals which follow a 7 step program. What that means is after each single renewal, you receive a pay raise of 3-5% (depending on the school). After 7 steps this translates to a 21-35% salary increase on top of normal international school teaching pay grid. Once you have reached the top of the pay grid (15 years teaching experience), you will be making roughly 50-65k per year depending on the school. With the loyalty bonuses, after 7 contract renewals (9 total years in that school), you would be making $60,500 - $84,500 in a tax free salary which is far more than you can make in Canada as a teacher. This is why once teaching families find a school and a culture they are comfortable staying in, it becomes really hard to leave. If you keep moving every two years, however, the salary grids in terms of earnings after taxes are almost identical. In order to determine then if one salary is better than another you must then look at the benefits associated with working in both educational systems that will impact you financially.
Contract extension bonuses: mentioned above.
International schools provide an overseas benefit of 10-15% of your salary as a bonus annually. This is similar to LOA pay we have here in Canada. This puts international school salaries a solid 10-15% above the Saskatchewan pay grid if you are hired as an overseas hires (through one of the international recruitment agencies or through privately contacting schools). Local hires do not receive this benefit.
International schools provide retirement pension planning in the form of cash bonuses annually in the amounts of 5-10% of your salary (school dependent).
International schools provide furnished housing for their teachers. This includes covering all utility expenses. This leads to considerable savings for teachers in comparison to Canadian teachers who must pay rent/mortgages/utilities.
Most international schools provide vehicles for their teachers. If they do not, they generally provide interest-free loans for teachers to purchase vehicles and support the teacher in finding and selling vehicles to members of the international community.
International schools generally work with the various embassies in the city to provide teachers with access to exclusive stores, restaurants, clubs, fitness centers, etc., that are available only to members of the respective embassies. Teachers are given special treatment and access to these facilities because they are so well respected in the community.
Generally, in third world countries where you are likely to be hired, the cost of living is not even remotely close to the same cost in Canada. In Canada, we have some of the highest prices for every day expenses in the world.
Schools pay for your flights to your home of record and back annually (this includes transportation for your dependents). Additionally, any activities which require you to travel for the school (sports, professional development meetings, model UN conventions, etc.) are paid for by the school.
International schools provide shipping allowances for their teachers to make sure they are able to transport all the goods they need to feel comfortable in their new homes.
International schools provide health insurance and disability insurance. Most schools use tiecare.
Professional development allowances. International schools want you to continue your education as professional teachers. They provide allowances for food, housing, flights, etc., as long as you show why the conference or PD will be beneficial to you as a teacher. Additionally, schools often require you to share your experiences and learning’s with the staff when you return.
For an example of the salaries and benefits you can expect overseas you can visit these schools websites:
The International School of Dakar
The International School of Abuja
Lahore American School
Travel and Adventure
I think the appeal of the adventure is something that speaks for itself. Most teachers are attracted to international teaching because you get to see the world while doing what you love: teaching. The experience of being immersed in a culture for an extended period of time is completely different than visiting the place for a week as a tourist. Additionally, as a teacher we have many opportunities to travel for a long weekend or a week and explore areas within the country for a long weekend or do an extended week long trip to a country nearby. |
Lifestyle
International teachers generally life a lifestyle that is far above the capabilities of their salaries in Canada. It is not uncommon for international teachers to have maids, cooks, gardeners, guards, and drivers. In the international community, you are expected to employ at least a few locals. These local hires make exponentially more working for expatriates in the positions mentioned above then they would be able to find elsewhere. Generally, these individuals make between $2,000-$4,000 per year and often their services and salaries are shared amongst 2-3 teachers. For example, a maid will take care of 3 teacher’s homes daily (2-3 hours per home) and the teachers will split the cost of the salary evenly. It is expected for teachers to give substantial bonuses at Christmas and the end of the school year (~$500 each time).
International teachers generally life a lifestyle that is far above the capabilities of their salaries in Canada. It is not uncommon for international teachers to have maids, cooks, gardeners, guards, and drivers. In the international community, you are expected to employ at least a few locals. These local hires make exponentially more working for expatriates in the positions mentioned above then they would be able to find elsewhere. Generally, these individuals make between $2,000-$4,000 per year and often their services and salaries are shared amongst 2-3 teachers. For example, a maid will take care of 3 teacher’s homes daily (2-3 hours per home) and the teachers will split the cost of the salary evenly. It is expected for teachers to give substantial bonuses at Christmas and the end of the school year (~$500 each time).
As mentioned above when discussing benefits, teachers are very well respected and cared for in the international community. Teachers often have unlimited access to embassy facilities which often includes exclusive resorts, restaurants, and family centers. If large hotels have the most desirable facilities schools, with the support of embassies, will have hotels province membership status to teachers so they can use these facilities for free.
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Work Environment
Another very appealing aspect of international teaching is the work environment. Class sizes are often caped at 20 students in high schools and more often than not the average class size is in the 8-15 range. In elementary years teacher aids are provided in every classroom and often these teacher aids are as qualified to teach in their own countries as international teachers are in theirs. High parental involvement and the very high tuition rates often results in a serious and competitive learning environment where excellence is expected of students. Students are on average very well behaved and focused while at school; as a result, many international schools boast annual acceptances to very prestigious universities around the world.
Another very appealing aspect of international teaching is the work environment. Class sizes are often caped at 20 students in high schools and more often than not the average class size is in the 8-15 range. In elementary years teacher aids are provided in every classroom and often these teacher aids are as qualified to teach in their own countries as international teachers are in theirs. High parental involvement and the very high tuition rates often results in a serious and competitive learning environment where excellence is expected of students. Students are on average very well behaved and focused while at school; as a result, many international schools boast annual acceptances to very prestigious universities around the world.
The Disadvantages of Teaching Overseas
Homesickness.
Adjusting to a new culture.
Challenges of living in developing countries: Frequent power outages, water shortages, concerns about safety, unreliable internet, etc.
Adjusting to a new culture.
Challenges of living in developing countries: Frequent power outages, water shortages, concerns about safety, unreliable internet, etc.
International School Community
Most international schools are the hub of the international community. All families who have come to the country for work are connected to each other through the international school. School events bring these families together and provide them with opportunities to socialize and be involved in the community. These events are often very large and have great family turn outs. Some examples of school sponsored events to bring the community together that I have been a part of are:
Sporting competitions: In international schools sports are highly valued and competitive. International schools participate in regional sports activites during the regular season and compete internationally against other international schools. Competitions where 5-10 other international schools participated are hosting annually for soccer, basketball, volleyball, and swimming. Teams travel to the host school and compete over a 3-4 day period. Culture Day: In international schools diversity is celebrated daily; however, most schools do spend one day a year where families can share their culture with the rest of the international community. Fairs are help where families from each nation work together to set up a tent where they share their nations culture with everyone else! Every school I have been in has hosted amazing cultural celebration days where I got the chance to share my national pride with the rest of the community. Music Concerts: Every few months most internation schools hosts music concerts. All primary years (K-5) students perform as a class and middle and high school students involved in band, choir, or other music classes also perform for the community. During these events, art teachers also display art throughout the hallways and |
The Canadian International School in Singapore posted a great video of a drama festival they put together for thier community. The International School Theatre Association (ISTA) came to thier school and worked with their students and teachers to put together a great show for the community. I couldn't link the video directly in here for you all to watch but you can find it at this website: http://vimeo.com/58547562
EAL Programs and Programs for Students with Exceptionalities
All international schools have English learning programs for students whose first language is not English. These programs are either in the push in or pull out method. The pull out method is when students are pulled out of their classrooms to work with other EAL students in a group with a language specialist. The push in method is when an EAL specialist is invited into the classroom to work one on one with EAL students as they work alongside their usual peers.
Many schools do not have programs for students with exceptionalities. International schools are generally very careful to admit only students they are capable of serving. Some schools do have services for students with exceptionalities but generally they are unprepared to care for the additional learning needs of these children and their facilities may not be built to accomodate their needs.
Many schools do not have programs for students with exceptionalities. International schools are generally very careful to admit only students they are capable of serving. Some schools do have services for students with exceptionalities but generally they are unprepared to care for the additional learning needs of these children and their facilities may not be built to accomodate their needs.
Standardized Testing
Almost all international schools take part in international standardized testing. This testing allows international schools to show that their students are achieving excellence. Some of the common standardized tests used in international schools are the MAP Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and many College Board exams like the PSAT and SAT exams. You can click the links below to learn more about these standardized tests. In most cases, results are shared with participating students and families. These tests are also important for students to show universities that they are academically prepared for the rigor of university education.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP Test)
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
PSAT and SAT Exams
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP Test)
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
PSAT and SAT Exams