Hays Travelogue

The teachers we have met seem to fall into three broad categories. There are young teachers who are seeing the world and having a heck of a good time before they settle down. There are mid-career teachers who are making a career out of international teaching. They have taught in several countries and know which schools are good and which to avoid. Then there are older teachers like us who are seeing the world and having a heck of a good time before they retire. Some, in fact, are retired from long term careers, and are teaching internationally in order to fund their travel lust.

If you are interested in international teaching, there are some good resources to know about. Most hiring is done through placement services at job fairs. Here is a list of some of the better-known services.

PLACEMENT SERVICES

The International Educator

Search Associates

International Schools Services

JOB FAIRS

The recruiting season is about to begin. Here is a list of job fairs. More information is available on the Search Associates website.

SYDNEY
Dates: 3-5 Jan, 2008

BANGKOK - JANUARY
Dates: 6-9 Jan, 2008

LONDON - FEBRUARY
Dates: 1-4 Feb, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
Dates: 1-3 Feb, 2008

TORONTO, CANADA
Dates: 8-10 Feb, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO
Dates: 8-11 Feb, 2008

CAMBRIDGE FAIR - 2008
Dates: 14-17 Feb, 2008

DUBAI, U.A.E.
Dates: 6-8 Mar, 2008

ISTANBUL
Dates: 11-13 Mar, 2008
Organizer: Ray Sparks

BANGKOK - APRIL
Dates: 4-6 Apr, 2008

LONDON - MAY
Dates: 2-4 May, 2008

BETHESDA FAIR 2008
Dates: 18-20 Jun, 2008

THE INSIDE SCOOP

The placement services will help you prepare for the job fairs, but you also need a way to find out about the schools you are interested in. Their websites and recruiters might say one thing, but teachers who have worked there might say another. There is one controversial site, International Schools Review, that has this kind of insider scoop. The reports are anonymous, and therein lies the controversy. Anybody can say anything. However, in the absence of unions or professional associations for international educators, any information is better than no information. Our rule of thumb is this: the more entries — good or bad — a school has, the more cautious you should be. On this website, no news is probably good enough news.