Teaching abroad

[devilsadvocaat]

Hi,

My husband and I are both teachers, we have two boys age 3 and 5.
I often dream of living somewhere else for a year or two, seeing a different life, showing the boys the world a bit before they get near to secondary school.

How easy is it to do? We'd want to go somewhere where they boys would be safe. We'd happily home school them and one of us work.

Any ideas where to begin?

Thanks :)

Register with the TES and look at the teaching overseas threads to get a feel for which countries you might like. Lots of the bigger British international schools will advertise in the TES, others will use careers fairs.

Overseas contracts tend to only be for two or three years, so beware giving up your permanent contract in the UK for something that might not work out.

I agree with registering with TES. The forum on Internationalschoolsreview.com is also pretty useful.

Lots of schools like to hire teaching couples, so you have a good chance.

Most good schools will offer schooling for your dc's. My school offers one place per teaching parent. I think that is fairly normal.

I'd say go for it but do it now before your DCs get too much older. We moved to Singapore last year and are moving back on Monday! It's been tough - the whole "kids are resilient" thing hasn't' really proved true for us. I personally think that's what we try to convince ourselves and bless 'em they have tried to put a brave face on it. I'm glad I tried it, as we too had an itch to scratch. But I think it is easier if they're younger (although maybe there are different issues I'm not aware of). Mine are 10 and 8. Also, choose your school very carefully. We made a bad choice, but could not have known that at the time.

Good luck!

We moved when ours were in Junior School. We know plenty of people who have brought older children out to Singapore too. Some arrive just for sixth form. So it is never too late even if you decide against it now.

thanks everyone!
did you all learn the native language? what did you do with your home back home?

What do you teach?
I've taught overseas for 15 years. I had my daughter overseas moved back to the UK for two years and hated it, so now back overseas.
If you have children you have to choose a school that will suit them as well as you. If you are a teaching couple you will get free schooling for the two children in most schools.
As others have said the TES teaching overseas forum is very useful.
You are however too late for most jobs for the next academic year.

I'm the non-teaching half of a teaching couple living in South America, the lifestyle is fantastic and we travel loads. Toddler DC has settled in well into new routine.

DH got his job through the Council of International Schools, they have recruitment weekends in London each December (I think).

we both teach Primary.
did you sell your house? or rent it out?

I haven't learned more than the basics, I can buy food in the souq, give directions to a taxi driver, and communicate to my cleaner (mostly through a phrasebook,) but my Arabic is pretty awful.

We speak English all day at school and are friends are either expats or middle class egyptians who speak English.

No house to sell, we rented before we moved overseas.

I have never bought a house. Renting is probably better initially.
Where do you want to go?

I don't know.
I want to find out what it's like to live somewhere completely different.
I'd want to be somewhere where everything is well established tho.

We've been abroad for the past 13 years.DH is a teacher and our DD was born out of the UK.
She has been to five schools in 6 countries. The life suits her ATM. She is 12 next week and I think the next move will be our last.

Really rip? Are you going back to the Uk or will the next move be your permanent home?

DH and I are both international teachers - been to 5 countries, and no plans to go home. Love the lifestyle. We have been very lucky with our schools.

Council of International Schools and Search Associates are the big two and they have recruitment fairs in London in January every year. There is also a May/June fair so if you are quick you might make it for August!

Look for schools that are accredited by COIS or NEASC etc. Curriculum is generally US (in the American Schools), English (in the British Schools) or IB. We stick with the IB and we are very happy that our DC will be doing the IB.

There are big differences in packages between schools, so you need to be careful to clarify everything (salary, housing, medical, travel, pensions etc).

HTH!

thanks very much

Not sure TBH Alligator. The UK is so depressed and DHs age is against hime.
Could be another overseas one for us, then retirement in either India (unlikely due to visa issues), the Philipines or Thailand.

Wow, Rip retiring...dh is always going on about where to retire to...we have another 15 working years at least!

Op I know several people that went overseas for a year and now will never go home.

I don't always love the country I am in, but I do love my school and the lifestyle.

It's tricky. I don't think we have enough pension to enable us to have a decent standard of living in the UK, so it's likely to be overseas.
The biggest problem will be our DD. She is not yet 12. We would like her to go on to further education - she is keen ATM on studying medicine...

I applied for a job before I left the UK, and got one here in NZ. They waited for me to come - I couldn't get here soon enough as far as they were concerned.
There are LOADS of jobs for UK trained teachers in New Zealand. No problems with language and transferable qualifications and great lifestyle for kids. They pay is comparable and you would have access to Australia and the whole of South East Asia as a travelling experience. We came here via China.
Half of my school here (state, ordinary, normal kids) are overseas trained.