Teach Abroad Blog
Teaching abroad
International School Employment: What to Expect
International schools are prestigious; they pay the best, have the best facilities and only hire the best teachers, like we said: the best.
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes? What’s an international school all about? What makes them stand out from the rest?
Teaching in China
You may have just received an offer to teach at a great school in Beijing and in your excitement, you accept the offer without hesitation. Sometimes with our excitement, we become blind to the risks and precautions we need to take. What may look great on paper may not be in real life. Teaching in China has long been a popular choice of adventure for those who wish to experience a different culture as well as those who are looking to further their careers., however, it’s important to know what to expect and the reality of the situation. Here are a few things that you should take into account:
How to begin teaching abroad
First off, you need to make sure you’re ready. 95% of schools are going to require at least a 1 year commitment. Everyone is relying on you to fulfill this obligation. The school’s reputation with the parents is based on the quality of their teachers. The parents don’t want to see their kids changing teachers every 3 months. It’s not effective for learning. So, you have to go into it with the right expectations. If you spent extended time traveling abroad in the past, then you have probably already developed the right mindset and will be ready to face the challenges that come with living in a foreign country. If you haven’t traveled long term, then just expect a period of adjustment. Part of the commitment of Teaching Nomad is to set you up with schools that have quality programs designed to make this transition time easier.
Living Abroad
Settling in for a while
It has been quite a while since I’ve written anything on our blog so I figure that now that Brett is off mountain biking and I don’t have work for a few days, it would be a good chance to get caught up. Everything has been a whirlwind ever since we left Brazil, flew to Texas for a week, then Colorado for another week and then finally ended up in Shanghai, China after almost 24 hours of travel time. We never had jobs while we were traveling Latin America and now that I do it makes it a little harder to find writing time!
Renting an apartment in China
One of the first questions that many applicants ask when they start thinking about teaching ESL in China is: where am I going to live? Some teaching jobs in China offer housing as part of the compensation package, but some do not. This means that some teachers (usually with the help of their schools) will need to rent an apartment. As China grows and develops, the variety of housing options is multiplying. Part of the fun of teaching abroad in China is figuring out what option is right for you!
Teaching Abroad in China – Bargaining
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and teach abroad in China! One of the things that will be an asset to learn is the art of bargaining. Many of the prices you come across can usually be bargained down whether it’s for groceries, electronics, or even gym memberships. You will come to realize that with a little patience and persuasion you can easily save yourself money. Normally most people today utilize the Internet to find the best prices, online retailers usually can sell items cheaper than local stores while those that like to touch and test the product beforehand use it to find out the lowest local prices.
