Got your teaching license? Do you have any teaching experience? If you do, you can get a great teaching job in an international school overseas! Footprints offers placements to certified teachers in great international schools in Asia, primarily China, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong.
International schools are generally schools that provide an English-medium education for children ages 3-18 in countries where English is not the native language. These schools were traditionally populated by children of diplomats or those parents who were working with major multi-national companies.
For many reasons there are more ex-pats living abroad now and as a result, there are many more international schools. Where before you had to have years and years of teaching experience, one or two years will now suffice and you can get a great job in an international school.
Most international schools will follow American or British curriculum but there are more and more international schools that are drawing from Canadian curriculum or from other countries. As a certified teacher, getting experience in an international school or in a public school is a fantastic resume/portfolio builder as this is relevant transferrable experience for you.
Types of International Schools
- Independent International Schools
Independent International Schools may be operated by a single corporation or sponsored by the United Nations and their affiliated agencies. Some may be religious or proprietary schools with boarding facilities, but the majority of these schools are private, non-profit institutions with considerable parental involvement in their governance.
All Independent International Schools offer instruction in the English language and there are usually American, Canadian, British, Australian, and/or New Zealand trained teachers represented on the faculty.
With the exception of corporation-affiliated schools located in hardship settings, where salaries and benefits are often extremely generous, most schools tend to pay staff teaching abroad sufficient to provide both an opportunity for saving and a reasonable standard of living in the host country.
Resources at these schools vary from school to school as do the facilities. Some are incredible with pools and huge athletics departments while others are simple 5 room buildings that focus exclusively on education.
- Department of Defense Dependents Schools
The U.S. Department of Defense operates around 200 elementary and secondary schools located primarily in NATO countries, usually on American military bases in Europe, Great Britain, the Mediterranean area, Japan, Korea, The Philippines, Cuba, Panama, Canada and other Atlantic region locations. Teachers and administrators for DoDDS schools are hired in the United States and candidates must have American training and certification.
Once hired to teach abroad in a DoDDS school, you will be a U.S. government employee and most likely represented by a union. Your students will be the children of military and civilian personnel working on the base. Salaries are very competitive with those in the U.S. and the benefits are excellent. As federal employees, DoDDS teachers teaching overseas pay all federal and social security taxes required of citizens living within the United States.
- U.S. Department of State Affiliated Schools For Teaching Overseas
There are nearly 200 American overseas schools recognized by the U.S. State Department's Office of Overseas Schools. Located in many of the world's capital cities, most were established to serve the families of American citizens working abroad and offer a great option for teaching overseas.
Over the years, rapidly changing political and economic factors in many countries have had a strong impact on teaching abroad in these schools. Many are now educating children from many different countries. Several studies indicate that in the last ten years the typical American overseas school has experienced a drop in its American population from two thirds of the student body down to one-half or one-third of the total student enrollment. Thus, teaching overseas often means teaching international students.
- British International Schools
Like American International Schools, British International Schools are located in many cities around the world. The follow the British education system and generally offer the International general Certificate of Secondary Education, currently the world's most popular international qualification for 14-16 year olds including progression to IB Diploma Programme (an internationally recognized education programmer the serves as a university entrance course).
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“Tomorrow is the big day! I finally get to meet my co-teacher and see my apartment! I just wanted to write to say thank you so much! To you and to all of the Footprints staff. I have talked to many people here about they agencies they went through and I feel like I was really well prepared in terms of what to expect. I really appreciate all of your help in answering my questions and helping me to navigate the extensive paperwork! Here's to a great year in South Korea !!! ”
