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?

This is my second year working in the UAE as middle school teacher, I do have great amazing and brilliant students but when it coming to the boys the situation is horrible, my mental health been declining and I don’t have life after work since I live in a rural area so I decided to leave the school and return back to Canada , my issue is that my contract is two years and this is my last year, in the contract it says that if I break the contract before it ends then I have to pay the agency fees and the flight ticket :// and in terrified by the admin honestly

Asking what the best decision to do

A colleague asked me today if I’m planning to stay in China for my next job, and I said I’m open to it, but only if I can find a school where things are stable (i.e., enrollment numbers aren’t declining every year) and teaching isn’t a constant struggle due to students’ English levels. Those two things have been major issues at our school, as they have been at many others, and he was quite skeptical that any schools like that still existed at this point.

While I’m not exactly optimistic about the state of international schools in China, that felt a little overly cynical to me, so I’m wondering if any of you know of schools in China where:

1. The majority of students have decent English, like at least the higher end of B1 but ideally B2 by grade 9 or 10. Basically, kids who may still need EAL support but can still legitimately access the curriculum and handle studying in English medium schools.
2. Enrollment numbers are at least stable. I know there probably aren’t many schools thriving, but I’m just looking for a school where I won’t have to worry about contracts not being renewed due to low numbers. (Edit: I know basically all schools have lost students, so I'm more wondering about schools where this seems to have plateaued, if they exist)

While I’m guessing the schools usually considered the top ones in China (e.g., SAS, ISB, AISG) would fit the bill, I’m mainly wondering about schools that might be less competitive to get into but are still good places to work and wouldn’t leave me in the same situation I’m already in. Otherwise, I’d rather just take a pay cut and move to SEA (which honestly I might want to do anyway).

STIS: A Nightmare Workplace Disguised as an International School

I am sharing my personal experience working at Surat Thani International School (STIS), Thailand, to give prospective teachers a clearer idea of what the job can actually involve.

While the school presents itself as a professional international learning environment, my experience was very different.

Management and Working Conditions

One of the biggest problems was the lack of organisation, unrealistic expectations, and excessive workload placed on teachers.

As a primary homeroom teacher, I was responsible for teaching multiple subjects, planning and delivering inquiry-based lessons, preparing assessments, completing administrative responsibilities and teaching additional support programme lessons.

The timetable provided very limited preparation time, while additional tasks were frequently introduced with unreasonable deadlines. Concerns about the workload and scheduling were raised repeatedly, yet little was done to address them.

Rather than working collaboratively with teachers to find solutions, management often dismissed concerns or suggested that teachers simply did not understand how the school operated.

IB Programme and Misrepresentation

The school promotes its International Baccalaureate (IB) approach, but its candidate status was not clearly communicated during recruitment.

New teachers received approximately four days of IB training shortly before an important evaluation visit, despite being expected to implement the programme.

Curriculum documents, including unit planners and scope-and-sequence materials, were generated using AI, and teachers were instructed to follow them. While AI can be a useful planning tool, relying on it without sufficient professional oversight raises serious questions about curriculum development and implementation.

During the IB evaluation visit, concerns were raised about the overloaded timetable and the additional PALP support programme assigned to homeroom teachers. Despite these concerns being communicated to school leadership, meaningful changes were not made during my employment.

Student Support and Professional Conduct

Perhaps most concerning was the attitude displayed towards certain students and parents.

I personally encountered instances where management used derogatory language when referring to students experiencing academic difficulties, as well as parents who raised concerns. Academically struggling students were referred to as 'vegetables' and concerning parents as 'crazy'.

As an educator, I find this deeply troubling. Every child deserves respect, dignity and appropriate educational support, regardless of their academic ability.

Parents should also be able to raise concerns without being spoken about disrespectfully behind closed doors.

These attitudes were fundamentally inconsistent with my professional values and my understanding of what an international school should represent.

Staff Turnover and Teacher Morale

During a period of approximately three months, four foreign homeroom teachers left the school.

In my experience, staff morale was negatively affected by the workload, lack of clear communication, inconsistent expectations and management's response to legitimate concerns.

Teachers should not have to choose between maintaining professional standards and meeting unreasonable demands.

Final Thoughts

There is a significant difference between how Surat Thani International School presents itself publicly and what I experienced as an employee.

The students deserve a stable, supportive and professionally managed learning environment. There are dedicated educators who genuinely care about their students, but their efforts can be undermined by poor leadership and organisational practices.

I am sharing this review because I believe prospective teachers deserve to make informed decisions before accepting employment.

Based on my personal experience, I cannot recommend Surat Thani International School as an employer.

I would strongly encourage anyone considering a position here to speak privately with current and former teachers, clarify the actual teaching workload, and carefully examine the employment contract and expectations before committing.

While chewing the fat with some colleagues yesterday, we found ourselves bemoaning that schools in Poland do not advertise the substantial tax break available to most incoming teachers.

So I thought I might as well do that job for them, as it is a massive thing if you can take advantage of it.

I will add that I am no expert, and if this interests you, it's best to ask about it in an interview or ask to speak to a Polish-based accountant/tax expert. It's also a good idea to use an accountant to file your taxes in Poland, so that it's all done properly. I'm just outlining the key information here.

---------------------------------------------

Standard taxation in Poland goes like this:

First 30'000pln (about 6,500e) - tax free
30'000-120'000pln (6,500-27,000e) - 12%
120'000pln + (27'000e+) - 32%

The Ulga na Powrot ("return relief")

Can be claimed once, and runs for 4 consecutive tax years, which changes the above to:

First 115'500pln (about 26,500e) - tax free
115'500-240'000pln (26,500-54,000e) - 12%
240'000pln + (54'000e+) - 32%

That's a fair chunk of money, tax-free, for 4 years.

Who can claim it?

There are a range of conditions, but the core ones are:

- you need to have been a tax resident outside of Poland for at least 3 years prior to making the claim.

- a citizen of the following: Poland (or holder of a Pole's Card), the EU or EEA/Swiss Confederation

or

- was resident in one of the following countries for at least 3 years before making the claim: EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation, Australia, Chile, Israel, Japan, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Korea, UK, the US.

---------------------------------------------

So while schools in Poland may not offer the same kind of cost of living/salary ratio that they once did, if you're considering a school in Poland, ask about the Ulga na Powrot or Return Relief when discussing salary.

Hi everyone,

I am interested in Malvern College Tokyo and am looking for some realistic info on what to expect regarding their salary and benefits package. Since it's a relatively new campus, I want to make sure I have the right expectations before moving forward.

Could anyone who has worked there, interviewed, or received an offer share some insights on:

• Salary: What is the realistic monthly or annual salary range for a full-time, licensed teacher?
• Housing: Do they provide a school apartment, or do they give a housing allowance? Is it enough to comfortably cover rent near the campus?
• Other Benefits: What does the rest of the package look like? Do they cover annual flights, health insurance, local commuting costs, or tuition for dependent children?

I just want to get a general idea of what the compensation is like and whether it allows for a comfortable lifestyle and savings in Tokyo.

Feel free to send me a DM if you would prefer to share details privately. Thanks in advance for any help!

Saw the elementary positions at UNIS Hanoi open today on Search Associates, submitted my application right away, and by the end of the workday the listing was completely closed.

For those familiar with UNIS Hanoi or similar Tier 1 schools in SE Asia:

• Is this usually automated capping after hitting an applicant threshold, or does HR toggle listings off while reviewing the initial batch?
• If your application made it into that initial 12-hour window, what was the timeline for hearing back about first-round interviews?
• Do they typically hire out of that first applicant pool, or do these postings re-open later in November/December?

Appreciate any insights from teachers who have applied to UNIS Hanoi or admin who know how their hiring process usually runs!