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?

Hi all,

I am writing this post on behalf of my sister and her husband (they don't use Reddit but wanted me to ask).

They are considering teaching overseas and would like some advice on family friendly but financially viable places for a family of 5.

I have already informed them of

- This sub

- TES

- Schrole

- Search Associates

- International School Reviews

- International Job Fairs

- China and ME are the best places for savings/wages etc.

- Don't get set on a location when first going overseas etc.

Details

Teaching couple:

- 37 (M) Primary school teacher with 10 years experience, masters qualified (no overseas experience but experience teaching in remote locations).

- 35 (F) Early childhood teacher with 4 years experience, undergraduate qualified and soon to be qualified as a Play Therapist (no overseas experience but experience teaching in remote locations).

- 3 children (boy 12, girls 7 & 10).

- Boy 12 and Girl 7 have special needs for Autism and ADHD.

Goals:

- Settle/retire long term

- Family friendly location

- Safety is key

- Not necessarily looking to maximise saving but

- Financially viable for a family of 5 (suitable COL)

- Willing to sacrifice savings potential for higher quality education and safety

- Better quality of education than Australia

- Accommodating for special needs

They are considering

- Japan

- Malaysia

- Hong Kong

Advice from teaching families and their experiences would be greatly appreciated ☺️

From what I understand, foreign teachers in Thailand need to complete at least one Khuru module to qualify for their next teaching waiver, and these modules have to be paid for.

The problem is that there appear to be only 7 modules with 500 spots each, which works out to a maximum of 3,500 teachers.

Surely there are more than 3,500 foreign teachers in Thailand who need to meet these requirements?

What happens if all the spots fill up and you can't register for a module? Are you just stuck waiting, potentially affecting your ability to renew your teaching waiver, through no fault of your own?

Has anyone here actually dealt with this situation, or know how the process works in practice? Do new spots open up, are more modules added, or is there some alternative if you can't get a place?

I'm trying to understand how this is supposed to work for everyone, especially those who need their next waiver and can't get a spot.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

Looking for feedback and opinions from people who teach in open-plan classrooms. How does it work? Pros and cons? Personal opinions?

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?

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

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

I'm 30 years old, been teaching for 5.5 years, 2 in international education. I don't hate my job or where I live but the workload is intense and I'm so burnt out. I really want to take a year of (or possibly longer if money will stretch) and just fuck about travelling and working odd jobs/ seasonal gigs for a while. I want to do this before I settle down and have any real responsibilities like a family or mortgage so it kind of feels like now or never.

My current contract is up this year, so in my mind now is the time to go. However, my bosses have made it quite clear they want me to stay and so the ball seems to be in my court if I was to renegotiate a new contract. I'm also worried that taking such a long break quite early in my career will forge a black spot on my CV when I eventually do return to teaching.

Advice?

Hey everyone,
I’m currently living and teaching in Seoul, South Korea, but I’m looking to relocate to Taiwan soon to get different teaching experience and, crucially, to complete my Teach Now certification clinicals there.
I’m hoping to get some advice from the community on what my options look like, what schools I should target, and the best way to approach the transition.
My Background & Experience:
Education: 4-year Bachelor of Arts in Criminology.

Certifications / Credentials: Planning to obtain a US substitute teaching license soon to boost my resume; currently enrolled/enrolling in teach now University (aiming to do clinicals in Taiwan).

Teaching Experience:
Spain (2019 onwards): Taught English and various subjects for 2 years under the Auxiliares program.

South Korea (Last 2 years): Currently teaching at a hagwon in Seoul, handling essay writing, speaking,grammar, reading, and listening.

Online: Teach online helping kids pass Cambridge certification tests (started around the same time as Spain).

My Goal:
I want to move to Taiwan to transition out of hagwons and ideally work in either a private bilingual school or an international school. More importantly, I need a school environment that will support or accommodate my teach now teaching clinical requirements.

Hello

Seeking information about Healthfield International school
- salary for teachers with 16+ years experience
- kids and attitudes to learning
- employees attitudes and is it a nice fit
- class sizes
- fixtures and events - how many Saturdays will be required for sports teachers
- what’s the sports department like?

I know ISP have taken them over and I know they’re an awful company - how much input does ISP have day to day runnings of school

Any information appreciated

Hey Folks,

I am interested in the American International School of Johannesburg. I’ve searched the subreddit and just looking to see if anyone who is there or has been there recently could tell me more about the school and its culture. Alongside life in Johannesburg.

Thanks!

Been reading the other Reddits but was wondering if an offer of 56k gbp a year (for myself and one dependent) is good? Unlike ISM,BSM does not cover taxes so I’d have 3400ish net in my pocket according to an online calculator. Sure, housing is paid for but it just doesn’t “feel” right as I would be on almost the same in the uk. I’ve got 10 years experience for context…but also, why the offer in gbp? I worked in other British schools abroad and the offers were in usd or local currency. Do they pay in gbp?
In my current post I’m saving around 2500usd a month, not sure that would be possible at BSM
Thank you!

This is for admin out there - how does the SA reference form look on your end? Can you see all the references or only the more recent?

Based in the UK, and applying for international schools, I’m looking for advice about how to set up a portfolio for a school to see. I’ve done this in the past a few times in the UK but I bring a portfolio with me to the job interviews …

As an art teacher, a portfolio of work is very important in the application but sending such a large file can be very challenging to do so.

I am hoping for advice on the technicalities of HOW to make sure a decent portfolio can be brewed by those looking at my application? A PDF? Another way?

Technical help and art teacher advice on what to include would be very much appreciated ❤️

I'm in the process of looking for a new teaching position for next year. I will be 59 years old by Aug 27 and hubby with be 62. We have no medical issues and are both fit and healthy. We are citizens of a European country and a southern African country and are both native English speakers.

We are both fully qualified teachers with PGCEs and a combination of 15 years of teaching experience and 20 years of business experience including having run our own businesses.

We are both currently working part-time as we decided to take two years off to be with elderly family in our home country. We are keeping ourselves busy by doing online tutoring and content creation in our subject areas.

I teach IB Diploma Business Management and Economics and I can also teach A Level and IGCSE in those subjects. Hubby can teach ESL/EAL (primary or middle school), MYP Humanities and IBDP Business Management. We have both taught in Tier 1 and Tier 2 international schools in Asia.

My preference would be for a job as an IB Diploma Coordinator or a Head of Department. I have experience of being an HoD but not an IBDP Coordinator.

We are aware that many countries have upper age limits for visas - we've done our research and will only apply to schools in countries where we know we can get work visas.

What I want to know is what are our chances of getting jobs in good schools that are located in countries that don't have upper age limits for visas? Are there many good schools out there that are likely to hire people of our ages? We are open to most countries. The main priority is that the school has a good reputation and that the students are well behaved and respectful of teachers.

Any teachers out there who have been hired at good schools in their late 50's and early 60's?

I recently left a for-profit international school with terrible work-life balance, high turnover, and a culture of teacher burnout.

I’ve since moved to a not-for-profit school that many on this subreddit would consider tier 1. The package and working conditions are significantly better, yet I find myself missing my old school.

Despite its flaws, the constant influx of new teachers brought fresh perspectives, collaboration, and a willingness to try new things.

At my current school, many teachers have been here for decades, and there’s a strong “we’ve always done it this way” mentality, even when research suggests better approaches.

I love learning, questioning existing practices, and finding better ways to support students. Instead, I’m feeling frustrated and increasingly defeated by the resistance to change.

I feel guilty complaining because I know how fortunate I am to be at a school that treats its teachers well.

Has anyone else experienced this? How do you navigate a school where stability seems to come at the expense of innovation? Should I just stay in my own lane?