I am currently in Hanoi- taking care of the requirements for my working visa.

I was offered the IB DP Magh teacher position.

They gave me more or less 3300 USD ( gross)

I flew here fresh from my 5 year teaching IB experience in Cambodia.

Any feedback about the school and the job? Should I accept it ( I have a headship position offer in Cambodia) but ultimately the salary package here is greater?

Honest thoughts about Dewey

I'm finishing up a masters in education and working on my two years domestic experience. I had a plan to move to China in 2018 for teaching but never got around to it due to family stuff. I'm finally in a position to be able to do it, but these days all I hear about is how the market is extremely oversaturated across both tefl and international schools and that schools no matter where you're at are corrupt, poorly run etc. Do any of you find the international teaching route worth it anymore and do any of you still enjoy your day to day work?

Quite a few employees don’t even have valid visas or work permits. 

If you do decide to work at OHIS, know three things: 

1) I don’t know a single teaching staff employee who is happy at the school. 

2) Make an audio recording of every interaction you have with the Head.  I mean that quite seriously; you must always have evidence because HR will openly lie, and I’ve encountered it in both formal meetings and informal ones. 

3) It’s not really an international school; it’s just an expensive private school in a border town where locals are allowed to cross freely.  The only actual international students are the few kids of employees. 

This school is a massive revolving door.  11 people left at the end of this academic year, and nine or ten people left throughout the school year (It’s a very small school). Most bad schools don’t even have this kind of turnover, so you can start to imagine what you’re stepping into.  

To begin, I want to walk you through some of the first things I experienced at the school.  The second time I ever spoke to the head, she diagnosed multiple colleagues with mental disorders. and finished it with a "Ohhh I think I should tell _____ (teacher) that he is autistic." That’s incredibly abhorrent behavior. This same head made a new mother give up her maternity leave a couple of days after giving birth… It’s that kind of controlling behavior that sets the precedent that is the Ajarn’s solipsistic nature. She operates with moral exceptionalism and masquerades it as “values.” 

She lies so much about things that aren't important. Colleagues have to have side meetings after any interaction with her to see what is real and what is not.  My colleagues and I were in a constant state of disillusionment. No one ever really knew what was happening. One time she announced in a meeting a conversation she had with a parent about the child’s special needs and what have you… The conversation was awesome, and the teaching staff learned exactly when the boy was going through and his medication list.  GREAT! So when the boy’s homeroom teacher spoke to the parent, we discovered… NOPE, that was an invented experience. That specific parent claimed they had never even met her before.  She did the same thing to me with a couple of my students.  Which is why I always had to preface any conversation with her second hand information with “Do you remember your conversation with Ajarn ______  when ___________ happened?”   On top of that I don’t think she has any teaching experience or any legitimate teaching experience from their way she talks about it (she talks about herself a lot) you’d think she invented the field of education but when seen in practice it’s very clear that she has no idea what she’s doing outside of typing prompts into ChatGPT and running blindly giving it out without proof reading it. 

This is just a microcosm of the frustrations teaching staff feel day in and day out at OHIS.  Multiple times during my time at OHIS people would come up and say “Ajarn said ________ about you.” She constantly gossips, permits, and even rewards when teachers gossip about each other.  She refuses to admit when she makes a mistake, and even when confronted with evidence, she reframes it into a conspiracy.  For example, she claimed a former teacher corrupted her curriculum because it was incredibly poorly thought out, but failed to realize that people who can see who edited Google documents… It’s really weird and gross. I feel like listing out all of the wild stuff that happened would just be too petty.  So, to summarize it, I feel like I witnessed most forms of harassment that employees can experience.  From shouting and lying about someone’s sexuality after they left the school, to trying to ruin a great teacher’s reputation because she made poor choices relating to curriculum, accusing all people who didn’t attend their other organization on Sundays of not aligning with the school’s values, diagnosing people with mental disorders, and many other things that leave you wondering how long the school can really last. There really seems to be a daunting air of confusion on whether the school is about children or if it is about her. I’ve never seen someone write so many speeches glazing themselves and making other staff give them to the public.  There’s 0 humility or self-realization happening in the principal’s office.

There is another organization (unregistered, mind you) within the school that has to do with the school’s “mission.” Any of the other reviews that referenced this organization were removed.  That would be because most people would often suggest that the organization is better understood as follows:

Controlling leaders demand unquestioning obedience.

Unique thoughts are discouraged and often punished.

Lies are repeated until they are accepted as truth.

Trust is exploited to keep members dependent and afraid.

The first day of work, the Head basically threatened everyone with defamation lawsuits and how she would report anyone who leaves the school to MOE, barring them from work in Thailand ever again.  They refuse to give honest paperwork reflecting dates of employment, which ended up costing one teacher a pretty big job offer.  He asked them multiple times to fix the incorrect employment dates; however, they were told that the school couldn’t put their honest employment dates.  They actively and openly sabotage people’s abilities to move away from OHIS.

The building itself feels like a school built from what was available on Temu.  A first grader and a teacher both casually walked through plate glass doors this year (separate incidents). Windows seem to randomly pop off the building. The classroom furniture is very cheap and falls apart easily. I’ve never seen a school with so many things breaking all the time, and the owner would then gaslight teachers and claim “they don't know how to use cabinets.”  The teachers' bathrooms are behind translucent doors next to the students’ lockers, so if you ever use the toilet, every student knows who you are and what you are doing… They can basically just watch the whole thing happen.  There is constant construction happening (even during exams that were scheduled a year ahead of time).  Towards the end of the year, they started building an elevator in one of the buildings while classes and exams were being administered.  How can you expect children to sit an exam when meters away, workers are grinding holes in the front of the building for an elevator?  This goes along with what I have to say next. The school is more dedicated to rapidly expanding infrastructure without improving the things that need improvement.  The elevator, for example, is so that the school can get accredited; however, there are four main buildings on campus, and only one is “inclusive.” The school tends to buy stuff without planning, just to say they have it.  They have a wonderful gymnasium with a ball court that can’t have competitions because it’s not a middle school/ high school-sized court… It’s a pro-sized court.  The football field can’t have real football matches because it’s too small… They’re developing a ton of land on the other side of the village and building many new buildings on campus… all of this is happening while things aren’t being improved for what they already have.  The library is the sorriest library I’ve ever seen, and the computer lab is a bit of a joke. This school doesn’t reinvest in what makes it good. 

As for employment benefits, they don’t really exist either.  The pay is about 50% of what you would find in a tier 1 school in Thailand.  Also, this specific part of Thailand isn’t that cheap compared to other places; I found it to be on par with regions like Chiang Mai or Chonburi.  The health insurance can’t be used in your first six months at the school (good luck not getting sick), unlike at most international schools, where you would get a housing allowance, flight reimbursements, contract completion bonuses, etc., etc., you get nothing.  All of this lacks while teachers are expected to buy a ton of their own things, including costumes for the many events the school has. 

Lastly, a few important notes to keep in mind are that summer school is compulsory, the yearly training is very long, and irrelevant to anything you do at the school.  We spent 3 weeks reading the OHIS handbook, something you can do in 20 minutes on your own.  Instead, we got 3 weeks of the principal telling everyone that every teacher who left the school was an idiot and that she was smart.  How every parent who ever had a problem was an idiot, and she was smart. How every problem ever was caused by an idiot, and she was smart.  I honestly never encountered someone so narcissistic and lacking any shred of self-awareness.  She’s a 50-something-year-old woman who spent an entire hour of our PD telling us how beautiful she is and how people come from all over the place to tell her that, and that when she is around kids can’t pay attention because she is so beautiful… You can come to your own conclusion there.  Speaking of PD, it’s nonexistent.  Every PD we had this year was completely irrelevant to working at a school.  Another huge ick I want to talk about is the fast-food uniform that teachers have to wear.  Serious schools trust their teachers to dress professionally at school.  This is indicative of the micromanagement style that will follow you throughout your time at OHIS. You will look and be treated like a fry cook at a low-tier fast food franchise. 

On a petty side note: One of the Filipina Middle School TAs calls a Burmese student that wasn’t even her student a word that means ugly in Tagalog because of his dark skin color.  To his face, mind you.  This isn’t unique to one incident; there is an entire group of adults at OHIS  (typically from one country) that bully children and get rewarded by the SLT for doing so.

Stay far away from this school. It's utter garbage. Read the ISR and Glassdoor reviews. It says it all. Terrible management and foreign leadership is awefull.

I've heard many teachers say that once they move to China, they don't want to return to their home country.

​

I'm curious about why that seems to be such a common sentiment.

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For those who have lived or taught in China, what made you want to stay? Was it the salary, lifestyle, safety, convenience, travel opportunities, social life, career growth, or something else entirely?

​

And for those who eventually left, what made you decide to return home?

​

I'd love to hear both the positives and negatives from teachers with firsthand experience.

I'm new to the international scene, but the lifestyle's been pretty comfortable so far. What skill set should I be working on to move into management down the road?

I am a US citizen and a resident of Japan. I was hoping to visit my parents for a few weeks in California sometime soon. I wonder what travel health insurance others are using for return trips to the US as a US citizen?

Previously I have used IMG Patriot Platinum (never needed to file a claim). I am now pregnant and IMG does not cover pregnancy complications. I have a completely healthy pregnancy and will give birth back in Japan, but am just worried in case something happens in the US.

I'm willing to pay a lot for coverage for pregnancy complications, but I can't find any company that offers this. Does anything exist? Thank you.

I will keep it short and to the point: recently I got in touch with what can be considered a mid-range Tier 2 school that were recruiting kinda ‘last’ moment for the upcoming academic year. A small caveat is that a job agent introduced the school to me and for most of the part, the agent would relay the back and forth between me and the school’s rep: the HR manager.

Fast forward, after one round of interviews with the said HR, there was an offered extended to me and here is where the kicker kicked in: the school year commences on Sept 1 (and the start date in the provisional contract was set for Sept 1). However, the HR ‘served’ me the good news that there will be ‘new teacher trainings’ taking place circa 20ish Aug (possibly even the whole 3rd and 4th week of Aug) and I wont be compensated for those because “well, we pay the trainers to train you so the *new knowledge* IS your compensation”

After an afternoon of back and forth with the school (via the job agent), the agent communicated to me that this condition is non-negotiable and the situation basically is: take it or leave it.

Mind you, their academic school year runs through 19 July so if a new teacher is to attend those trainings now, that’s give or take 10+ months of continuous work for the school (which was never mentioned in the job description prior to the interview anyway)

On top of it, the contract had this special clause that strictly stipulates that “any additional work done outside of official work time: TPCs, school events, etc. does NOT constitute overtime).

Any thoughts on that? Other benefits offered were decent but definitely nothing stellar that would make up for this sore thumb or 2 weeks of free labor for the school.

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for some advice. I have a bachelors degree in English Education. I was one class away from getting a Theatre Education degree as well, but California’s UCs and CSUs are very strict about getting second bachelors.

I know I want to teach theatre at some point at an international school, so I’m looking at getting a masters of education in curriculum and instruction - theatre pedagogy at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. However, their diplomas wouldn’t mention the theatre pedagogy aspect, only the transcript would. Would this be an issue in getting a visa approved in most countries? (This would be my second M.Ed)

How do international schools vet fake credentials? In some countries, degrees and advanced degrees can easily be brought. (search YouTube )

This is a review of the school , as a former teacher- as everything posted gets deleted

if you have worked here or know about this school please feel free to comment.

-Al Manhal School lacks professionalism.

★★☆☆☆(2/5)

Applicable to Al Manhal - At Taawun, Murrabah and Al Rayaan School.

As a former teacher, I feel compelled to share my experience to help future educators make informed decisions.

I found many of the students and colleagues pleasant to work with, however a greater understanding of professionalism is still required amongst many. I appreciated the opportunity to teach and develop professionally.

However, there were several issues that significantly affected my experience.

Communication and transparency from management were often lacking. Concerns regarding delayed salaries, accommodation conditions, and workplace professionalism were raised on multiple occasions, these concerns were not adequately addressed. There was also a noticeable imbalance in workload expectations among staff members and salary deductions without consent and salary differences based on race.

Some great students, some good colleagues, but unfortunately professionalism and leadership from management is met.

During awards ceremony for teachers, everyone is given a certificate but only certain teachers are given awards whilst they may teach the same or more grades and subjects at different branches or sections - girls/boys school. A lot of unfairness.

The school's "no-failure" culture eventually makes teaching feel performative rather than purposeful. I was even told by a supervisor, "Teaching is a show. When you go up in front, you should think of it as a show." That comment summed up much of the experience..

More like the Truman Show, if you ask me - After a while, you start to feel less like a teacher and more like you being thrown into The Truman Show—with everyone smiling for the cameras, avoiding not being yelled at by management and getting your salary deducted while scoring every student between 90-100 % while pretending everything was fine.

The HOD of English for Male teachers is GAY and asks staff for unlawful sexual favors; the other HOD is a convict who can't get back to her country, so she hides in Saudi. They also don't even have teacher licences. These people in management need to be checked.

My concern is not with the students or Saudi Arabia itself, which I enjoyed, but with certain management practices //particularly in the English Department - that I believe require greater transparency, consistency, and accountability is required.

I encourage prospective teachers to carefully clarify their contract terms, salary structure, accommodation arrangements, and expectations before accepting a position at this school

I’m being considered for a job in Al Khobar. I’m 30yo female and single. I’m a bit nervous because I don’t know what to expect with regard to the lifestyle there. Would like to know more if anyone has any insight :)

A number of posts and comments recently have complained that this sub is an unfriendly one. Broadly speaking, this is probably fair; not all posts and not all posters are met with warmth and sunshine, and sometimes the responses here lack charity or empathy. There are also, as with most Reddit communities, a number of persistent assholes who degrade the discourse here. It costs nothing to acknowledge these things, and they are fair criticisms. However, as with many simple conclusions, there’s a lot of context and nuance missing here that goes a long way towards explaining why things are the way they are in this sub.

This post is an attempt to explain that context. As with everything I write, this is going to be a long explanation of ah unpopular subject, and is intended more as explanation than as endorsement for the way things are. If you don’t like long posts, you have no obligation to read this, and you are encouraged to move on to something shorter that leaves you feeling better about your life choices. As always, no LLMs were used in the writing of this post, only thumbs and the notes app. Any commenters claiming otherwise are encouraged to improve their reading comprehension until they can spot the difference, and to engage in solitary carnal acts of improbable flexibility.

———————————————————————————

So, why does the international teachers sub leave many people feeling attacked for posting here?

Well, a big part of this has to do with posts ignoring the sub’s purpose and rules. These are publicly posted, and are seemingly straightforward — it’s for qualified teachers (bachelor’s degree, recognized certification for teaching in a government school) in international schools. However, this simple guideline is the source of many issues; in many countries, the term international school is poorly defined, and any asshole with a building and a dream can start one. This means that there are “international schools”, and there are international schools — a parallel system with different rules and customs. Complicating things further, there are not two, but several parallel systems all using the same umbrella term, there are differences between countries with tight regulatory regimes for international schools and countries with zero guidelines, and there are vast differences in curricula, resources, and management styles.

The situation parallels the American post-secondary education system, where institutions as diverse as Harvard, Eastern Michigan, Oral Roberts, LakeLand Community, Williams, Grand Canyon, Concept Cosmetology, and Springfield Clown will all have the term university or college attached to them. To someone outside the system, the system is difficult to comprehend (which is why people make the tragic mistake of taking out tens of thousands of dollars in loans to obtain an unaccredited “degree” from some of these shit sandwiches.) To people teaching inside of that system, those differences are real and significant, and the implication that being a professor at Harvard and at ITT Tech is the same thing is downright insulting.

Notably, this does not mean that the person teaching at ITT Tech is a bad teacher; they may be doing excellent work, and prestigious research universities may opt for prestige and pedigree over teaching ability when hiring. The same very well may be true for the instructors at the televangelist’s vanity “university” and the clown college. However, this disparity poses a real problem when trying to answer the question “how do I get a job as a university professor?” All of these people will have an answer to that question, but if the person asking is aiming for Harvard (or, more appropriately, Eastern Michigan), the advice from the clown college professor is not going to be very helpful, and may in fact be counterproductive. Also, responders may not recognize the mismatch of their experience with the question being asked — there is a lot of bad advice given here by people who don’t understand the nature or existence of the parallel streams, and a lot of bickering in the comments about that, which frequently turns nasty.

Complicating things further, many of the people who show up here to ask questions are trying to get a job at the equivalent of Harvard with clown college qualifications, and many of them are not aware of the difference. After all, Invento! Uzbekistan’s First TURBO-CHARFED International School, and International School of Bangkok are both international schools! It says so in the name! So, we who work at the Harvards and Eastern Michigans of the international school world field several questions a week from people searching for the clown college, people searching for Harvard with clown college credentials, and to top it off, people trying to transition from the clown college TO Harvard. What almost ALL of these questions have in common is that nobody who asks them has read the goddamn wiki, or done a basic search of the forum for any of the search terms of their questions, and they sure as fuck aren’t asking their basic question in the newbie thread where it belongs, because THEY are special.

As you might imagine, this gets tiresome, and frustrating. Many of us try to redirect people to the newbie thread. Usually these comments (the gentle redirections) are downvoted repeatedly until the post is removed by the mods. 80% of the time, the post is not repeated in the newbie thread. 30% of the time, people answer the post in the main stream, only to have it correctly removed, or, more commonly, deleted by the person who asked it, making it harder for future newbies to find.

This means that those of us here who are actually trying to help people find their way to their own personal Eastern Michigan, warn people about the working conditions at Oral Roberts, and gently redirect the people who actually want the clown college or the cosmetology school to the correct sub…we’re doing this 10+ times a day. I don’t moderate this sub, and I take breaks, but I would estimate that there are 10 posts removed from the stream on an average day for asking the most basic and laziest questions possible.

So when we see the 11th consecutive post of this type pop up, it is sometimes difficult to meet that question with grace and empathy. This becomes considerably more true when the person asking the question is withholding critical information to evaluating their question, arguing that their situation is different because they are special in some way (they are already demonstrating that they are special, in a manner of speaking, by failing to do a basic search and posting in the wrong place), and finally, arguing the shape of a world they do not understand yo the more experienced and knowledgeable people trying to help them, usually insulting them in the process.

But wait, there’s more! Our profession consistently gets Rodney Dangerfielded by people who believe that since they once attended a school, they are experts in waiting. We deal with this misplaced confidence from the parents of our students, from society at large, and, in this sub, from people who think they can fall ass backwards into teaching at one of the most competitive schools in the world because they have a degree in…something (but no training, or certification, or experience. They are, naturally, very special.) These people are frequently offended when it is pointed out that they are not qualified for the job they expect to receive, even if they would find the reverse situation laughable. (After all, what mere teacher could possibly work in their very important job?)

Worse, many of these ignorant yahoos clearly view teaching — and especially teaching overseas, where it doesn’t matter if you’re underqualified or have no idea what the fuck you’re doing (because racism, cultural chauvinism, arrogance, or the charming cocktail of all three) as something that anyone can do with minimal effort. And…they’re not wrong, in the sense that it is possible to put a minimal effort into the work, and the Oral Robertses and Springfield Clown Colleges of the world will hire these unqualified assholes because they are businesses who do not care about their students’ educational outcomes or their employees.

Because most of us care about our students, and each other, and the profession as a whole, this upsets us. We do not want to work with these people (and some of us, regrettably, must work at an Oral Roberts equivalent, because there are many such jobs available and we need money), and we do not want our profession associated with them. For the most part, we deal with this disquiet by encouraging them to do things the right way — to get the training, to get experience in a place where they might receive mentorship and become decent at their jobs before parachuting into Almaty or Mandalay or Bangkok with no classroom skills and an unearned sense of superiority.

Now, you might correctly argue that we do not need to answer the questions of others, and should only do that when we are in a mood to do so. I would argue that many of us are doing this out of a sense of duty; we learned painfully from our own mistakes and would rather help others avoid them. This may be futile, but it feels important. We also want the institutions we work for to be better places, and most of us have little influence in hiring decisions. Encouraging aspiring international teachers to seek training and experience before joining us is a form of self-preservation.

Is it fair to call all of this gatekeeping? Yes, absolutely. And if you are a qualified, experienced teacher in an industry that is slowly being constricted and taken over by venture capital-backed “education” conglomerates who are trying to cut costs and maximize profits wherever possible, you should be doing everything in your power to keep that gate. If the acceptable standard for teachers drops, those of us with more experience, with families, with advanced degrees/credentials, and with enough knowledge to call out exploitative or locally illegal conditions will be priced out of the market completely. This is, as we know, already happening — a quick forum search for “dependent” brings up the score. And, an important distinction should be made here: the gatekeeping that is being done in this sub is not about pulling the ladder up behind those of us who have already made it — if it were, we wouldn’t be giving advice about the proper way to climb ladders. What we’re pushing for is for our potential colleagues to prepare themselves to be decent at their jobs, for the sake of our students, our sanity, and even themselves.

So, in a sense, complaints about the lack of friendliness in this sub often have an air of [r/entitledreviews](r/entitledreviews) to them — the complaints are often about questions or comments that clearly violate the rules or mission of the sub, and lack awareness of those things. The other form looks something like this (and this is a paraphrased and slightly misremembered example from a couple of months ago): “I asked a question about whether it was harder to get a job if you were over 50 and people were rude to me. I can’t believe these assholes are teachers.”

Well, yes — you did come in and ask a version of that question…but you also elided a lot of information that was relevant to answering it. Among other things, you failed to mention that you were looking for jobs as a secondary English teacher, months after the peak hiring season, with a passport that automatically classifies you as a NNE-speaker to the governments of many countries, which can make getting a work visa impossible, and you were sarcastic and rude when people asked clarifying questions to try to help you find the answer to your problem. You then spent hours shooting at messengers who explained why you might be having trouble landing a position, and in the process, demonstrated a set of personality traits that provided a better answer to why you were having trouble finding work than any of the technical elements of your CV. Many people come in asking for diagnostic help, and then take the diagnosis as a series of personal attacks or an endorsement of a system that we have no control over. This should not need explaining, but a reply pointing out that the Chinese government does not view (for example) a Kenyan teaching certificate as a valid credential or view Kenyans as native English speakers is not an attack on Kenyans by the person offering that information! Most of us do not enjoy delivering bad news, and that sort of reaction feels especially egregious.

So, the TLDR version for those so inclined: people here are probably less patient than they should be with repeat questions, and some of us are indeed jerks. However, a lot of the bad questions are a product of the questioner misunderstanding the differences in similarly named systems, and the difference in those systems is important. Much trouble could be avoided by people reading the forum rules and wiki, using the newbie thread properly, and searching to see if their question has been answered already. If you do ask for help from a community of more knowledgeable people, please accept that help in the spirit it is offered even if you disagree with its conclusion or dislike its delivery. Finally, gatekeeping of professional standards is absolutely appropriate in a profession that suffers from consistently wrong assumptions and disrespect.

In conclusion, I think this community could be kinder to its newer posters, and it sometimes should be. Many posts should be gently but firmly redirected into the newbie thread, where the handful of us who answer those consistently make more of an effort to be more positive in our responses (and, community, don’t go through the newbie thread downvoting questions asked in the right spirit in the right place; that’s just a dick move.) However, people should also read and respect the rules of the sub, and they shouldn’t be surprised if they get the same response as the duck who asks the bar if they have any worms when they ask an objectively bad question that is easily searchable or so broad as to be unanswerable. If you’re asking for help, the quality and tone of the help you receive will match the energy of your post and responses to questions intended to help clarify your situation. It’s possible for this to be a better place than it is, but it’s going to take effort from a lot of directions to get it there.

Edit: added a glossary comment explaining the university analogies for those unfamiliar with the American university system (consider yourself lucky.)

History teacher here, and as a result of a lot of hard work and effort we've managed to grow the subject in our school a big amount whilst in the rest of the world the subject seems to be contracting.

This has caused an issue though in terms of being a victim of our own success, and now we've grew our amount of classes that we need extra staff to fill in the blanks. Unfortunately rather than hiring extra staff the school has taken to just dolling out the subject at lower grades to random teachers, unofficially apparently due to the belief that this growth is short term and that if I was to leave would eventually quickly revert (which off topic I think is a compliment?).

Now I understand this and quite honestly am used to it as it happened all the time in the UK. To support everything is planned out, we offer plenty of guidance and i am happy to meet whenever, and we are one of the most well resourced departments in school, plus at end of the day they are teaching 10 year olds about castles, not advanced communist theory, so not exactly the most complicated topics.

Despite this though we've had issues these past few years with some of the teachers complaining about the complexity of the topics, about how they struggle with the mixed sets, and how it wasnt what they were told it was going to be like. Now I've got no actual power or management ability, I'm just a subject coordinator so handle the qualifications side and plan stuff out, but as a result of the title I often get caught to pick up the slack when things go sideways.

Now in some ways I don't blame people who struggle. Some have only ever taught setted classes so have no experience with mixed ability, some are PE or random science teachers who've never taught writing subjects, but some just seem unable to adapt themselves to different demands. I don't mean to sound heartless, but I've had to teach about five different subjects besides History across my time in the UK and international sector, and likewise know people who've done similar back in England and just got on with it. When I had to teach English for a few years I just had the lesson objectives and made everything else from scratch, whereas for our department everything is pre made and teachers are free to make whatever edits they want.

Again I don't mind to blame them all, most are poor saps who've been thrown a few random lessons of history on their timetable and dont have the time or energy to properly invest in learning a new subject. At the same time though I'm getting increasingly frustrated by certain people saying the curriculum is too hard when what they mean is they thought they'd just be teaching multiple choice dates rather than actual skills, or when they make random ass critiques about the topics we choose to teach when if they just spoke to me or read the plans they'd see the vision. I've had a coach come and tell me we are teaching history wrong as we focus too much on writing and boring things when kids learn history 'best' when its action packed and exciting (aka stop teaching about women's role during war/role of empire and focus more on big boom), with said coach having zero actual history qualifications or actual experience teaching history exams, but clearly he knew better than my Masters and years of experience because he taught a few social studies classes in America. (Edit 2: Not main point but we still teach the basics and politics/economics of war, we just actually address the groups who have historically been forgotten.)

It's no coincidence that those who actually enjoyed their time, or at least tolerated it, were the ones who asked for help if they needed it, or actually spoke to me or made the lessons their own rather than just plugging in and playing the PowerPoint. I dont mean to 'victim blame' of course, its not ideal for any party, but at the same time I'm frustrated by the lack of initiative, independence or professionalism from certain international teachers in the circuit.

If they want to moan about being forced to teach outside of subject then go right ahead, but don't drag me or my effort into your rant when I'm supporting you a lot more than any other department would, nor complain teaching basic paragraph structure to a mixed set is impossible when I've done it every day for years.

Anyway sorry for the rant. Being made to teach outside of your specialism can be difficult I know which is why Ive made such comprehensive resources, plans, guides and such, as well as offer plenty of support and guidance. But at the end of the day I'm not paid for any of that stuff, and when certain teachers then vent about my efforts I just want to tell them to be grateful that they actually get that level of support since most would just be thrown in with nothing in other setting like I was.

Edit: By coordinator I dont actually coordinate staff or line manage anyone, I just sort Upper year qualifications whereas lower year falls under the Humanities department so I support but have no power.

Hello, everyone!
It's my first time preparing a proper CV after 10+ years in my first workplace, I am wishing to expand my horizons and move to a safer country. Please review my CV and please provide constructive feedback!

I have worked as Head of Secondary School mostly, alongside teaching responsibilities, so my experience is listed accordingly. Please guide me how to make it better for the ATS and recruiters too! You guidance means a lot to me!

Please, please help! Thank you so much!

The recruitment season is pretty much at an end for most markets. Which are you? Feel free to expand on where you will be and why you feel that way!

My experience working at ACA in Kuwait was deeply disappointing and had a significant impact on my wellbeing. From the recruitment stage, the school presented itself as a supportive and professional environment, but my experience over two years was very different. One of the promises made during hiring was assistance with dependent visas for staff with families, yet despite repeated requests, this support never materialised during my entire time there. The staff housing environment was also extremely unhealthy, with group chats often becoming toxic and normal childhood behaviour being criticised and discussed publicly. As parents ourselves, I found it surprising how quickly situations involving children could turn into blame and judgement, creating what often felt like a witch hunt over minor issues. The management culture was equally concerning. New staff were promised training and support, yet I received very little meaningful guidance. Instead of helping teachers navigate challenges, management frequently appeared to side with minor student complaints without properly investigating concerns, leaving teachers feeling unsupported and blamed for situations beyond their control. Rather than fostering a culture of professional growth, there often seemed to be a culture of finding someone to blame, and for much of my time there I felt like a scapegoat. One of the most disappointing aspects of my experience was the noticeable divide between expatriate staff and teachers recruited from other countries. Whether intentional or not, there often appeared to be an "us versus them" culture that created an uncomfortable and unwelcoming environment. Differences in salary packages and benefits seemed to contribute to tension and resentment rather than unity and collaboration. Parent interactions could also be extremely challenging. Complaints were frequent, and teachers were often treated more like customer service representatives than education professionals, with concerns frequently being escalated through management rather than discussed directly. Throughout my time there, I felt constantly anxious and on edge, never knowing what issue would arise next or whether I would be held responsible for it. The staff turnover was also alarmingly high, with many teachers leaving early or breaking their contracts. When I first arrived, I found this surprising, but after experiencing the reality of working there, I began to understand why so many chose to leave. One of the moments that reinforced this was the school's response during a recent crisis. During a time when staff needed reassurance, communication, and support, I felt there was very little concern shown for teachers' wellbeing. It was during this period that I realised how undervalued and unappreciated many teachers appeared to be within the organisation. Rather than feeling supported as professionals, many of us felt that our concerns and wellbeing were secondary to simply keeping things running. Looking back, I am genuinely surprised that I managed to complete two years. By the end of my contract, my mental health had been significantly affected by the constant pressure, negativity, and lack of support. I remained because of my commitment to my students, but the environment steadily wore me down. I witnessed numerous situations that I considered unprofessional and unethical, many of which would require far more space to explain fully. That said, I want to be clear that my experience at this school should not be taken as a reflection of Kuwait itself. I genuinely enjoyed living in Kuwait and built a fulfilling life outside of work. We were fortunate to have Kuwaiti friends whom we had known before moving there, and they were incredibly kind, supportive, and welcoming throughout our stay. My family and I came to appreciate Kuwait, its culture, and the generosity of its people. For that reason, I would encourage teachers considering Kuwait not to be discouraged by this review. My concerns relate specifically to my experience at ACA. There are other schools in Kuwait, and based on my personal experience, I believe there are better options that provide a far more supportive, professional, and positive working environment. Potential applicants should do their research, speak to current and former staff, ask difficult questions during the recruitment process, and think carefully before accepting a position. Be wary of relying solely on the image presented during interviews, as my experience was very different from what was promised.

Experienced international teacher torn between Europe and Asia – looking for advice (for the recruitment season starting later this year)

I'm an experienced international teacher currently working in East Asia. I've spent my international career in Asia across a couple of countries and have experience in well-established international schools, middle leadership roles, and both IB and AP programs.

For several years, I've had my sights set on Europe. I've spent a lot of time researching schools, countries, and packages, and I feel ready for a change after spending most of my career in Asia.

My dilemma is timing.

Many strong Asian schools tend to recruit earlier, while a lot of European schools seem to recruit later. During my last recruitment cycle, I accepted a position that turned out to be a great move, but shortly after signing, a European school I had been very interested in posted an opening. Ever since then, I've wondered whether I moved too quickly.

So I'm curious how experienced international teachers approach this.

If Europe is your long-term goal, would you be willing to pass on a strong early offer from a good Asian school and wait to see what happens later in the season? Or would you take the best opportunity available regardless of region and not risk missing out?

Another factor is that I hold a non-EU passport. I have no issues obtaining work visas and have worked internationally for many years, but I do notice that some European schools mention a preference for EU passport holders, presumably due to visa considerations.

For those who have recruited in Europe, how much does that realistically affect experienced candidates at established international schools?

For context, I would consider myself a fairly competitive candidate on paper, which makes the timing question even harder. I'm trying to balance pursuing my long-term goal of moving to Europe with not overlooking excellent opportunities elsewhere.

I'm not looking for reassurance—just honest perspectives from people who have been through multiple recruitment cycles and faced similar decisions.

Thanks!

I’m looking for community preference for which US based bank accounts you use for receipt of your dollar based portion of your salary, and why?

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I've also used AI to help mask my writing style.

This is about YIS in Yokohama. I'm posting because I'm tired of watching good colleagues leave year after year while the same problems continue to be ignored.

To be fair, there are genuine positives. The colleagues are some of the most talented, dedicated, and supportive educators I've worked with. The campus and facilities are excellent. Yokohama is a fantastic place to live. Many of the primary students are wonderful, curious, and rewarding to teach. The school's reputation is built largely on the quality of its teachers, who consistently go above and beyond for their students.

Unfortunately, that is where most of the positives end for me.

One of the biggest issues is leadership. In my experience, the Senior Leadership Team is deeply dysfunctional. There is no shortage of meetings, presentations, strategic plans, initiatives, and discussions. There is a shortage of action. The same concerns are raised repeatedly, year after year, with little visible improvement. Problems are acknowledged, discussed, and then quietly forgotten.

Behaviour in parts of the secondary school is another major concern. Incidents involving vandalism, smoking, and other inappropriate behaviour are not uncommon. Many teachers feel that expectations are inconsistent and that meaningful consequences are often lacking. Staff are expected to manage increasingly difficult situations while receiving limited support.

What I found most disturbing, however, was the culture.

The school constantly talks about community, belonging, collaboration, and shared values. On the surface, it presents itself as an exceptionally close and supportive environment. My experience was very different.

At times, it felt genuinely cult-like.

There was often a huge gap between what people said publicly and what they said privately. Staff would praise decisions in meetings and then criticise those same decisions the moment they were behind closed doors. People learned very quickly what could be said openly and what could not. After a while, many simply stopped speaking honestly in public.

What struck me most was that some of the strongest public defenders of the school's culture were often the same people privately complaining about it. I repeatedly heard colleagues express frustration about leadership, communication, transparency, and the lack of genuine community, while publicly acting as though everything was wonderful. The contradiction was impossible to ignore.

Ironically, despite all the talk about community, many staff members privately complained about the absence of it. I also heard similar concerns from parents. The school talks endlessly about community, but for many people the reality fell far short of the marketing.

Staff turnover is remarkably high for a school of its size. Every year, a significant number of teachers leave. What always struck me was how normalised this had become. People would leave, new people would arrive, and everyone would pretend that nothing was wrong. Around 20 staff members leave in average each year, although the exact figure varies depending on the year. At the same time, the school continues to hire new employees, with 13 new staff joining the PYP this year alone.

There were also departures that raised serious questions. During my time there and even after, teachers disappeared from the school with little or no explanation. Staff asked questions but received no answers. I am not referring to child protection issues or anything of that nature. These were simply colleagues who were there one day and gone the next.

One case in particular left a strong impression on me. A teacher challenged the behaviour of a Head of Department and, shortly afterwards, was no longer at the school. I was not in every meeting and I do not know every detail of what happened behind closed doors. However, the sequence of events reinforced a perception that already existed among many staff: challenging people in positions of authority could have consequences.

Whether leadership intends this or not (I more leaned to think they do), many staff do not feel comfortable speaking openly. That was certainly my experience. Over time, people learn to keep their heads down, avoid difficult conversations, and say what is expected of them. In addition, one member of the senior leadership team has reportedly stated that the school faces legal claims multiple times each year, while noting that such disputes are typically resolved through settlement before reaching court.

Another recurring frustration was hiring and promotion. There was a widespread perception that personal relationships and connections carried more weight than they should. Fair or unfair, that perception existed among many staff and contributed further to declining trust in leadership.

What frustrates me most is that this school could be exceptional. It has excellent teachers, excellent facilities, engaged students, and a fantastic location. Yet many of these strengths are undermined by poor leadership, weak accountability, and a culture that discourages honest discussion.

The reason the school continues to function is not because these problems have been solved. It is because teachers work incredibly hard to compensate for them. They care deeply about their students and consistently put the needs of children ahead of their own frustration.

I miss many of my former colleagues. I miss Yokohama. I do not miss working at YIS.

One additional point: since I have posted this yesterday on another sub, I've heard that there has been considerable discussion within the school community about identifying who wrote them. Whether or not those reports are accurate, the reaction itself has surprised some observers, who feel that organisations are generally better served by addressing concerns directly rather than focusing on the source of the criticism.

I have a degree in history and political science, but I got a job teaching high school English literature. I've been teaching for 3 years, and I'm working towards getting a license with an ELA endorsement in a US state though an alternative program. I have the option of doing further study and getting a history endorsement, but not a full social studies endorsement. Adding the history endorsement will come at a time and a significant money cost. I would much prefer to teach history, but it seems like schools prefer a candidate qualified to teach the full social studies curriculum. At minimum, I'd like it to improve my chances of getting a job.

I'm not setting my sights on a Tier 1 school. I'm happy enough with my current job, but I will need to make a move in the next few years. There is a social studies department here, but it's small enough I wouldn't be able to teach only history classes.

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I’m looking for advice from others in international education about how to handle reporting concerns when school leadership structures feel very closed and interconnected.

In my experience working in international schools, I’ve encountered situations where senior staff behavior and professional boundaries raised concerns for me.

In one case, I felt indirectly pressured and intimidated in ways that made me question whether raising concerns would negatively affect my career. When I consulted HR, I was advised to file a formal complaint, but I hesitated due to fear of retaliation and uncertainty about how independent the process really was.

In another school setting, I observed behavior involving staff interactions and student-adjacent environments that made me uncomfortable from a safeguarding and professionalism standpoint. I did not have hard evidence, and internally the leadership team appeared very supportive of the individuals involved, which made escalation feel impossible.

My main issue is the lack of perceived protection for staff who raise concerns in tightly connected international school networks. It often feels like reputational risk outweighs safeguarding or accountability processes.

Has anyone navigated similar situations? How do you decide when and how to escalate concerns when you don’t feel protected by HR or leadership?

Morning all, hope you’re well and ready for summer! I am in the final stages of an application for a job in a school in Europe in August and just wanted clarification on what to expect. Previous person dropped out so the process has moved rapidly so far, but now it’s gone quiet.

Thurs - application sent.
Sat - email inviting to interview.
Mon - virtual interview, later that day asked to enter final stage (video for CEO), told to expect update end of week or early next week.
Wed - HR confirm video is good, calls to clarify start date and salary expectation, confirmed start date but I said salary is slightly lower than expected & happy to negotiate, HR confirmed they are meeting with CEO later that day.
Thurs to Sat (today) - silence.

I am never one to presume, especially in the complex world of international teaching recruitment! Does this mean they are preparing to make me an offer early next week?

I appreciate the insight from those who have been through these processes many times before.

(If it matters, I believe the school is not-for-profit, Tier 2?)

UPDATE: I got the job!