Want to teach abroad. Where?

[teachingabroad]

Me
Years of experience. Always said when DC left home I would want to teach abroad.

Marriage is failing. Don't want to leave for good just yet.

Any idea where I can go? Would be a woman on my own, otherwise would consider anywhere.
Aim for a 2-5 year stint. Then come back to UK.

Anyone settled happily elsewhere? Or know of somewhere to fit my vague description?

There's a very interesting book called Cleverlands by Lucy Crehan about schools in zeveral of the PISA test countries.

Lots about the underlying beliefs and expectations in different societies and how these are reflected in practice. Very human and readable. Highly recommended.

In my 20s I had a great time TEFL teaching in northern Italy for three years (and went on my own). A friend went to Madrid and another friend to Prague. It was all fairly badly paid though. You'd be better paid at a proper international school in a major city but you might largely be teaching expats.

If you wanted to get to know local people then maybe explore the local school system. Back then it was hard to get into the Italian one but things may have changed. Or are you more looking at English language countries? I'd imagine Australia might offer some good opportunities for teachers following their recent recruitment drives esp in Western Australia. https://migration.wa.gov.au/

Do consider Asia. I taught in Hong Kong for 2 years and had a ball! I also have friends who taught in Malaysia and Thailand and loved it.

@Silveroriole I'll take a look, thanks.

Been a teacher 20 years. Have an MEd, Senco qual and main subjects.
Would prefer to use my skills not TEFL.

When were you in Hong Kong @CeciliaMars?
I haven't been to Asia.
Africa lots.
Europe even more,
USA and Australia both.

Never Asia. I would consider it.

@teachingabroad I worked in Discovery Bay. But there are loads of good international schools in Hong Kong. It's a fabulous place! And from there, you can visit lots of other countries in Asia.

Schools in UAE are crying out for qualified SENCos. I was at a BSME meeting just this week and several schools there are trying to recruit for Head of Inclusion posts. Your package would include accommodation and there are lots of teachers in their 40s and beyond, it's not all ECTs. I've been here over 5 years and it's the safest place for a woman alone. DM me if you like.

The best money these days is in Asia, not the Middle East. The market in ME has become oversaturated and lots of schools are struggling with falling rolls - there aren’t the numbers of expats to fill all those places anymore. I know of a few people who have been made redundant from ME schools and had to scramble to leave the country very quickly due to visas being connected to the job.

I’ve never taught abroad but I’ve taught in international/American schools in the UK almost all my career. As such I’ve met a lot of colleagues who have taught abroad and all have loved the experience. I will probably do it myself at some point.

Colleagues have all talked highly of Hong Kong as a destination, with many being there for several years. Singapore and Thailand have also been popular choices and no one has had anything negative to say about them. The schools there tend to be British or IB schools, well resourced and high paying with lots of perks like housing.

Less far afield I have had colleagues spend long periods of time working in Switzerland, which has a huge array of international schools that pay very well - certainly the highest in Europe. Other colleagues have raved about the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

I also know people who have worked in the US - Nord Anglia (company owning a huge number of international schools) has several British schools across the US in major cities. Harrow has just opened a boarding school on Long Island if New York is appealing.

It depends what kind of lifestyle you’re looking for, I suppose. The world of international education is great - totally different from teaching in a British private or state school. It’s much more relaxed, more creative, and the kids are so open minded and bring so many different perspectives to the classroom from their travels. And your colleagues will be people from all over the world, and you tend to form close bonds quickly as lots of them are away from home and looking for new friends.

There are a few search agencies you can use to help you find jobs, and there are international school job fairs in London every year for jobseekers, where recruiters from international schools come over to meet people. There’s also lots of info out there online.

It’ll be a wonderful adventure for you!

As far as the UAE is concerned, there are more schools opening than closing, the AD Charter School programme is expanding year on year and if you would like to be an inclusion leader rather than a class or subject teacher, the opportunities are definitely there. While it is true that salaries for teachers have fallen, Charter Schools pay above average and there are plenty of top tier schools offering similar packages.