New Zealand

[Shortyneedsacoldremedy]

Does anyone have experience of teaching in New Zealand? The whole process of applying and the realties of expat teacher life there?
I would be relocating with children for context-I know the difference between teaching abroad minus family so am now looking for real life pointers in making the move with kids! Am only interested in NZ, possibly Australia. All comments welcome!

I am a kiwi teacher, but have also worked in the UK.

I can't comment on being an expat or visas etc. but applying for jobs is just a standard application and interview scenario. No need to to a lesson etc like the UK! Some parts of NZ are very hard to get a job in (Christchurch), others are much easier (Auckland if you can afford the cost of living, rural areas, some regional towns).

Happy to answer any questions you have about actually teaching here.

I’m a UK trained teacher who moved to NZ about 20 years ago. A good place to start is with the Teaching Council and look at what you’d need to do to get registered - this can be a bit of a process as you’ll likely need to get your qualifications assessed to see whether you’re eligible to register.

Are you a primary or secondary teacher? If secondary, your subject will influence how easy it will be to get a job - Maths, science, technology are in demand. As the other post mentioned, some areas of NZ have more demand for teachers than others. If you want to get a feel for what jobs are out there, check out the Education Gazette website where job vacancies are advertised - though there won’t be a huge amount going at the moment as it’s early in the year. Also be aware that schools are unlikely to consider applicants who aren’t in the country, unless you’re going for something where there’s a shortage of teachers.

Another thing to think about is the increasing focus on biculturalism and the expectation on teachers to use Māori language and incorporate Māori culture and knowledge into their lessons - you’d want to be showing some awareness of this in any applications and a willingness to learn.

Good luck! Happy to answer any questions 😊