FAME - The Musical

I have just returned from viewing the Senior Musical at my school. This year they chose to do FAME, a real memory tweeker for me. I grew up watching FAME on tv every week. They were very true to the music of the time, well, except for the rapping of the lead character.

It was funny seeing the students play characters who were teachers. I wonder which teachers they used as inspiration for their roles?

The most surprising part of the evening was the band that played through the whole musical. They were really good. These are the only kids in the kids that I teach that you might say are rather challenging. And, by international school levels only, at a regular school these boys would be angels. I enjoy teaching them because they are real characters. And, as I saw this evening, they're talented.

It's great to work in a school that can produce a musical like FAME and have the full support of the students, parents and faculty. The two performances were sold out; I got my ticket from a student who had discovered other commitments after buying the ticket.

I'm glad I went, it was a fun show.

Teaching in a Muslim country.

There are over 4000 international schools worldwide. Many of them are located in countries where the official religion is Muslim. In light of recent events, this may put some teachers off from applying for teachng positions in these countries. I hope this article will shed some light on what your life would be like living in a Muslim country.

You would probably be expected to follow the Arab calendar for holy days and holidays. The people I know who have taught in Muslim countries have worked 5 days a week, but the weekend was always either Thursday and Friday or Friday and Saturday. Additionally schools are usually shut for a short holiday to celebrate Ramadan.

Depending on how strictly a country follows the teaching of the Koran, families where the main income earner is a female may not be able to find teaching positions. This is because some Muslim countries have work permit regulations that preclude women from being ‘head of the household’. In these countries, teaching couples are welcomed.

In most countries men and women will be expected to dress modestly. For women, this may mean wearing a head covering, or it may simply mean being covered from shoulder to knee.

You may be expected to live in a compound. This will mean that you and your family will live in a gated community with other expatriate families. This can often work out very well for families as there will be other children to play with and the very nature of a gated community should afford parents some piece of mind with regards to a child’s safety.

Teaching in a Muslim country is a personal choice. You should ensure that you know what cultural differences you will experience before you sign a contract. One source for researching culture shock and the differences between what you're used to and what you can expect in a new country are the Culture Shock! Guides.

What Your Procrastination is Costing You!

I'm currently looking at the TES Jobs website in another window, and I've discovered that there are 229 international schools advertising jobs there this week.

I've looked at several adverts and many of these schools are advertising more than one teaching vacancy.

What are you waiting for? Check out the TES Jobs website today!

If you have any doubts that there are hundreds of fantastic opportunities out there for you to further your teaching career, go to TES Jobs and see what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter whether you are American, Australian or African, these are international jobs for international professionals.

Today there are teaching positions being advertised in:

• Indonesia,
• Taiwan,
• the Cayman Islands,
• France,
• Denmark,
• Spain

And those are just the ones I found on the first page before investigating further.

TES Jobs is the first place you should look to see what international teaching posts are available. Don't hesitate, go there and check it out now!

How old is too old?

And on the other side of the coin, how young is too young? I'm talking about teaching abroad, of course.

I received an email from a lovely lady called Marlene who is very keen to move her teaching career abroad, but is concerned that, at 57, she is too old!

Here is an excerpt from my book, The Complete Guide to Securing a Job at an International School that deals with just this topic:

"Age (at both ends of the scale)
Age might be an issue in some countries because of visa requirements, but usually more mature people are attractive to international schools because they are believed to be stable.

On the other hand, many schools operate a salary scale that makes less experienced (which frequently means younger) teacher financially attractive to schools.

If you are used to being on the top of the pay scale, you might want to ask if the salary step you start on is capped. I have heard that some schools require all new teachers to the school to start on the same salary step, regardless of years of experience."

As I told Marlene, there are some schools that will not offer you a new full-time teaching contract after you turn 60, and there are some that will. Also, there are some countries which will not grant you a new working visa after you pass the age of 60. However, for every country or school that won't you will find a school or country that will.

If you are approaching 60, don't let this information put you off teaching abroad. Even if the country you desire working in the most is one that has the over 60 rule, you can certainly pack a number of unforgettable experiences into the years before you reach the big 6-0.

Mature teachers have a lot to offer schools and many recruiters recognise this fact.

The Inaugral Blog - Mission Statement

This is my inaugral blog. I've decided to introduce my manifesto, or at least let you know what my mission is...

I teach overseas, in Thailand to be more precise. I have been working in the education sector for 10 years and have spent most of them teaching abroad. I love my job!

My mission is to help other teachers kick-start their international teaching careers.

I started working on this mission in November last year when I finished writing a book on the subject. I also write a newsletter each month with a selection of helpful tips on teaching in international schools and living abroad.

Currently I'm working on creating an audio product which will be a compilation of interviews from a broad selection of my teaching colleagues. So that educators who are thinking about moving abroad and supporting themselves with a teaching position can get the 'inside scoop'.

My plan for this blog is to bring my experience and thoughts to the masses - that's teachers who are interested! And hopefully help some people along the way.

Til next time...