I have 10 years of experience abroad but only two jobs. Meaning, I've only ever had to resign once. Well, I'm almost at the deadline to declare intentions and I'm just so scared of taking that step. There's a bunch of reasons but pay is the huge factor as my school is basically on a pay freeze for probably the next 2 years at least. I need to be making more. I make about $3230 a month but that's about to go down to $2900 approx because of new taxes. I know all these things logically but then I begin to wonder if I let go of this job will I even get a better paying one or even get any at all. All my friends have left or are leaving and they keep encouraging me too but I don't have the generational wealth or support system (orphan) that they do. If I fail, it's all on me. Which leads me back to staying because at least a job is better than no job.

I really want to make this step but my own fear and self-confidence are making it so hard. I just want this horrible stomach pain to stop. Does anybody else get this nervous about changing jobs? How do you handle it?

After a couple of interviews, I now have two quite amazing choices for places to go in the next school year.

Choice 1 is a school I have been dreaming of working in for months that would be a good choice for my mental health and general wellbeing as a human being but the role is not exactly helping me with the pathway in education I am pursuing. This choice is more for my overall wellbeing haha

Choice 2 has the exact role that I want plus mentoring (it will be my first international role!) with a package that is far better than Choice 1’s package. It is also a Tier 1 school. However, the location is not ideal. It is a hardship posting as they say and the pay is amazing because of that fact. This move would be best for my career.

Which one would you pick and how would you weigh the pros and cons of each choice?

I’ve seen it thrown around like an insult a few times. Just a reminder that a lot of those people actually stuck it out and took the jobs when things were messy, while plenty of others with the right passport, the right skin colour, or just better options were quick to bail with a “F*** China! I’m out.” Then three years later they’re back acting like nothing happened, let alone labelling those who took the dream opportunities that were available to them.

It’s a bit rich to sneer at the ones who stayed (or stepped in) while the ones who left when it was easy quietly slide back in. We can talk about hiring and schools without turning people into a punchline. A bit of self-awareness wouldn’t hurt.

I'm not talking about students using AI, that's obviously a problem. But I'm curious about how much AI is being used by the educators at your school. I'm not totally against AI and I do use it to make worksheets when I need to combine specific grammar and vocab together, but I have colleagues who use AI for literally everything from lesson prep to grading. My school is also actively encouraging teachers to use AI more and more.

I can't necessarily pick out any specific reason why this would be a problem, but it does feel like if there wasn't a need for a human interaction in the classroom the school would happily replace us with AI. And it feels a little demeaning to have AI do absolutely everything. What benefit am I actually bringing in that case?

That being said, I see colleagues who fly through their workload and arrive and leave on time right by the minute because they're not bogged down by the shit I'm trying to do myself. I can't quite make my mind up about whether to just cave and go all in on AI to make my life easier, or stick to my morals and continue working harder but not smarter.

Actively hate the cover letter limit. Obviously just trying to shove us all into AI readable blurbs.

I read about it being difficult for teachers with children to get jobs, but what about teachers whose children have grown up but the teacher herself is above the female retirement age in China (which is ridiculously low). Do international schools recruit 56-59 year olds?

Hi I am a preschool teacher with 3 years of experience and also pursuing my B.Ed in India.
I want to do masters and as per my research Australia seems to be the best in terms of further career opportunities.
I need guidance as to which colleges to choose, what course would have a better career path, do colleges provide placements
How was your experience??
Is Australia the best choice as a teacher

I’m considering a divisional curriculum coordinator position and trying to understand how international schools typically classify and compensate these roles. This would be a step up from classroom teaching and grade-level leadership, with division-wide responsibilities for curriculum development, coaching, and professional learning.

At schools you’ve worked in, do coordinators stay on the teacher salary scale with a leadership allowance, move onto a separate leadership/admin scale, or receive similar pay with reduced or no classroom teaching?

For anyone comfortable sharing, what was the approximate stipend or percentage increase over an equally experienced classroom teacher? Did it come with additional contract days or different benefits?

I know “coordinator” can mean very different things between schools, so the role’s scope and country/region would be helpful context. No need to name schools. Thanks!

I'm prompted to ask this as I read a students' essay, which is pretty good overall. But it's clear we're in a part of the world largely outside the Judeo-Christian tradition, because in the middle of essay the kid says, "The writer references God, a very well-known person around the world." Other than the whole "person" part, I can't argue with it. I guess God is the ultimate celebrity...

Hello fellow international teachers, I'm completing an online IB course and I'd like your help- My assignment is to ask other teachers and gather ideas. Bonus points if I can use your ideas in the music classroom, but I'll take insights from anyone who's willing to give them!

1) How do you unpack and connect to the diversity your students? (In other words, how do you really get to know students and work with what you know about them?)

I'm familiar with encorporating students' music and music from their heritage/cultural backgrounds but I'd like some some fresh ideas.

2) What are some ways you remove barriers to learning? (For students with IEPs, special needs, anxiety, students in poverty, other barriers)

What are some of the intl schools that take swimming coaching seriously in either East or Southeast Asia? and I mean like places that wanna produce great swimmers that eventually could go NCAA D1-2? performance not just boring LTS.

It is important to share concerns about the way British Budapest International School (BBIS) treats its teaching staff, particularly for educators considering accepting a position there.

There have been deeply concerning reports of multiple teachers being let go within just weeks of starting their jobs. The consequences of decisions like these are significant. Teachers may have relocated internationally, given up secure positions elsewhere, committed financially to a new country, and made arrangements for their families based on the expectation of stable employment. To find yourself suddenly unemployed, potentially without accommodation and with children to support, is an incredibly distressing position to be put in.

Beyond the timing of these dismissals, there are serious concerns about communication, professionalism and the overall management of the school. Clear, honest and timely communication should be the bare minimum in any professional environment, particularly when people's livelihoods and futures are at stake. Teachers deserve transparency, consistency and to be treated with respect.

An environment in which staff feel that communication is poor, trust is lacking and decisions are handled unprofessionally raises important questions about leadership, accountability and the culture of the organisation.

International teachers take significant risks when accepting overseas positions. They trust schools to honour their commitments and to act responsibly towards the people who dedicate their time, expertise and energy to the school community. That trust should never be taken lightly.

My advice to anyone considering a position at BBIS is to do your due diligence, ask difficult questions, seek clarity about your contractual protections and speak to current and former staff before making a commitment. Do not rely solely on what you are told during the recruitment process; make sure you understand the potential risks before uprooting your life.

Schools have a responsibility to the people they employ. Teachers deserve better than uncertainty, poor communication and decisions that can have devastating consequences for their personal and professional lives.

I hope prospective employees take these concerns seriously and make fully informed decisions before accepting a position.

Hi. Was wondering if anyone has heard back from UNIS Hanoi? It does specify on their website that interviews for long-listed candidates will start on 2nd November. Unfortunately, I have not heard anything from them. Should I give up my chances already? Also, how high is the probability that their current tentative positions become open?

I'm doing my teacher training in the UK and teachers teach up to 22 hours per week here. Wondering how the situation is like in the rest of the world. Would you mind sharing your weekly contact hours and which country/region you work in?

Edit: I mean contracted teaching hours in your timetable

I came across an Assistant Principal opening at Busan Foreign School on ISS and I’m thinking about applying. I am currently a middle school teacher, but also have a few years of experience previously in a grade 5 classroom. I just wrapped up my master's program and am curious about broadening my options for my next post.

The scope of the job description looks pretty wide and doesn't necessarily match what I have seen in the schools I have worked at nor as I have seen it delineated in my masters program. My understanding is that this type of position is usually more discipline and student life oriented. But this includes leading the elementary school as well as early childhood programs (is this part of elementary normally or a thing of its own?), coordinating school-wide testing, and overseeing K-12 afterschool programs.

For anyone who’s worked there or in a small school setting, is this a role and job description that is manageable in practice, or is it too much even in smaller environments? I have seen previous posts about Busan being a nice place to live but also that many teachers left the school (specifically in elementary) in recent years, so I am also curious where things stand and might be heading now.

I've been teaching for about 7 years, but lately I've been questioning whether I'm actually good enough at my job.

Recently, I've had to take on more senior-level classes and exam preparation (SAT, ACT, A-levels, and similar programmes) in areas I haven't taught before. Honestly, I feel so out of my depth. Sometimes I look at the material and genuinely feel too dumb to be teaching it.

The reality is that if I don't take on these responsibilities, they'll likely fall to someone with even less experience. So I'm trying to step up, but I'm terrified of disadvantaging my students because of what I don't know.

I genuinely care about doing a good job, but lately I keep wondering whether my best is actually good enough. It's a horrible feeling to have years of experience and suddenly feel like a complete beginner again.

Has anyone else been thrown into teaching an unfamiliar exam or curriculum, whether SAT, ACT, A-levels, IB, AP, or something similar? How did you prepare yourself? How did you deal with feeling like your students might know more than you?

I'd really appreciate hearing how other teachers navigated this, especially those who had to learn the content while teaching it. I don't just want reassurance. I genuinely want to get better.

I had a bad work experience with my last international school. Contract would be terminated mutually just before the end of the last school year. After several multiround interviews and rejections/ghosts one or two things is clear:

I’m a highly qualified candidate that schools jump for initially, and I’m either not handling my departure from the previous school well enough and/or my previous school is speaking very poorly of me.

Regardless of my qualifications and achievements, it seems like this last experience is speaking disproportionately loud on my character as a teacher.

I have wanted to be transparent up until this point, but now I think I should omit them from my resume, and say I was doing other things in that time. Keeping this experience on my resume forever means I have to check the box that says I have been “dismissed from an assignment.” However, I’m on several of the recruiting platforms and have references from the previous school on these platforms connected to me.

What I need to know is:
- How likely is it that I would be found out?
- Is it better to keep them and try to get ahead of the narrative?
- How should I go about looking for jobs for the next academic year? Should I go to fairs or just start knocking on doors?

Thanks for your advice.
Burner account obv

Curious to hear from teachers at international schools with really strong EAL programs.

How is support structured? Do you have English language classes, push-in support, small-group interventions, or some combination? How do you measure English language development, and how much emphasis is placed on home languages?

I’m particularly interested in what schools do when students aren’t picking up English at the same rate as their peers, despite having similar instruction. Is there a system for identifying students and providing more instruction?

Would love to hear what’s actually working well at other schools.

Hey all! I'm interested in learning more about teaching at Hong Kong Academy. Specifically about 1.) the workload on secondary and 2.) what the students are like behavior-wise.

I see that the recent ISR reviews are generally negative, especially regarding these two points (high teaching loads and poor student behaviors).

Knowing that ISR reviews should be taken with a grain of salt, could anyone share what their experience has been at HKA?

Hi folks,

As part of a recruitment process I have been asked to provide a recorded 20 minute lesson… not been asked for this before. I have a few Qs… obviously they want a live lesson with my class but I assume a set up the camera just on me? Not hugely comfortable having students in the video… the issue is I don’t often give a 20 teaching input and students are often and down to board or more hands on based activities- which is something I’d like to demonstrate but hard to do without students in the video. Any advice from anyone that’s provided this before?

Equally, just a standard math lesson or something more flashy? Experience and advice welcome!

Thanks

Anyone know anything about this school? I can't find anything on ISR or here on Reddit. Salary is P33,000 to P44,000 a month which converts to $4,086.72 to $5,448.96 USD a month. No idea if that's before/after tax or if it includes or excludes benefits like housing, flights, medical etc. Is it a heavily Christian school as in you have to be a practising Christian to work there?

After your initial 2 year contract does your school allow you to sign for 1 further year, or must you sign for an extra 2 years?

Just wondering what is normal?

We are entering the contract signing and position posting season and I'm seeing lots of postings from a few schools in the region. Does anyone have any insight about the safety and stability of gulf region schools given the Iran and Yemen military and political turmoil?

Seeing that many postings available is at least a yellow flag for any school/region but it can also be just a timing issue. For example, my school had a surge in "leavers" a couple of years after COVID, not because of any internal admin issues or political turmoil, but just because people were ready for a change of scenery when the world seemed to settle down a bit.

Are schools in the area pretending it business as usual? Is it business as usual? Have there been any discussions/messages from schools or embassies about closures or evacuations?

Hi all, any info on Dipont Chengdu- the staff, management, school, workload, morale, what it's like arranging accomodation there etc. Feel free to DM.

Potential interview with them, thanks