Teaching overseas?

[roughtyping]

Hi,

Just wondered if anyone could give me any advice or their experiences of teaching overseas with a family. I have one DS, 8, and my fiance. We live in Scotland. I'm a primary teacher, OH works in fingerprints for the police but for various reasons, we want to move. I would love to give DS this opportunity - it's something I would have loved to do as a child.

We're just really starting to look. Not sure where - I'm backing away from Dubai/Middle East though.

We wouldn't go for a couple of years - so we'd be married and so we could save. I would imagine my job would be the main wage.

Any experiences?

TIA :)

Just to add, we have friends living in Australia - a couple in Sydney, a couple and a family in Melbourne and a family somewhere (!) in Victoria. We also have a friend currently teaching in China, and a friend I went to uni with lived in Japan teaching English. They all love where they are...

Also, any links to sites with jobs would be excellent!

Have you looked at the TES forums?

Yes, not for a couple of weeks though - will go back. Had a wee quick look at the TES jobs as well, not many jobs - think it's the time of year though?

TES is best from Dec/Jan to May ish when all the jobs come out.

Most International Schools use Search Associates or ECIS in their recruiting - they hold annual job fairs in various places (there are some in London in January).

There are some amazing places out there - have been doing it for 10 years now - it is fab!

I worked at the British school in Beijing for a few years as a local hire TA. The teachers and their kids generally loved the experience. Things to keep in mind is that some schools in asia ONLY recruit from job fairs. Also the recruitment season starts early. My friend applied in hong kong and was told by many schools in January/feb that it was too late to apply - their applications closed last day of the autumn term!

Make sure your ds's education is included in your package - it usually is but not always. In china you would expect return flights, accommodation, visas, and education for any dc.

Also watch what kind of visa your DH travels on. If he goes on your visa it may mean he cannot work and it's very difficult to switch visa categories in some countries.

Finally there are some countries where you can live well very cheaply so you would be better off coming now, saving as much as you can whilst over here. I had frieda here who travelled overseas every school holiday, had a cleaner, ate out every night (often cheaper than cooking due to cost of foreign ingredients) were still making double mortgage payments back home plus paying off student debt.

In Malaysia and really loving it so far :)

Annual family flights, education for up to 2 kids, healthcare and housing allowance standard here.

When I started looking a friend advised me to decide on area and look on schools' websites. This is how I got my job.

Look up the international school websites, they usually advertise job offers.

I have been teaching in an international school in Spain for ten years although i only intended on staying a year. I have really enjoyed the experience, my children love the life and we are only a short, cheap flight home. My only concern now is whether I could get a job back in the uk!

DH is a teacher. For the last 12 years we'd been abroad. Me and DD came back a year before him so that he could finish his contract. he came back to the UK last month and was unable to find a job.
We are off to KL in two weeks time.
He found his job in the TES (I think). In the past he has been to Search and ECIS. The cheapest country, with the most potential for savings that we lived in was Thailand.
Do choose your school very carefully.

On the TES website their is a forum for teaching overseas, there is a lot of information here.
I am now working in my 5th international school, all of my jobs were found in the TES.

I taught in both Mexico and Malaysia - absolutely loved it. I am desperate to go back with my children, but my DH is really unkeen and doesn't want to become a house-husband / teach English / work for a pittance etc. But I would thoroughly recommend it (very jealous!)