in touch with tic february 2015

IN TOUCH WITHFebruary 2014

TEACHING OVERSEAS RENEWS PASSIONSarah Brown rediscovers her love of teaching in the United Arab Emirates

OUR MAN IN ASIAMeet Tim Creber - head of our new Asia recruitment office

WHERE SHOULD I TEACH?We reveal the top ten countries for teachers to move to in 2015

Over 25 years of experience working with international schools.

For more information visit:

www.ticrecruitment.com

http://www.ticrecruitment.com/schools

CONTENTS

4 NEWSWe meet TIC’s new Asia-based consultant Tim Creber and we reveal which countries have the most international schools.

5 TEACHING OVERSEAS RENEWS PASSIONWe chat with Sarah Brown, a teacher we helped place in Dubai two years ago. Her new career path has reignited her love of teaching.

9 WHERE SHOULD I TEACH?Our team reveal which ten countries are the top destinations for teachers to move to in 2015.

11 LATEST VACANCIESWhere in the world do you want to teach next year? Check out our latest vacancies to find out where you could be.

IN TOUCH WITH TIC - FEBRUARY 2015www.ticrecruitment.com

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TEACHERS INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY

http://www.ticrecruitment.com

NEWSTIC introduces new Asia-based consultantTim Creber is TIC’s Asia Consultant. He is based in Thailand and works directly with international schools throughout South East Asia and the Middle East, advising and supporting them with their recruitment strategies and plans.

Expert support for teachers and leadersTim also supports TIC teachers who are working in South East Asia and the Middle East, and those who are applying to jobs in the region. In addition, Tim and the entire TIC team work closely with teachers who are already working in international schools and who are planning their career progression into middle or senior leader-ship; providing advice and recommending them to the best schools.

All recruitment support for teachers and leaders looking for interna-tional school jobs is provided by TIC free of charge and Tim is well placed to help them. He has taught in, led at, and recruited for British international schools and Interna-tional Baccalaureate World Schools since 1988; working in the UAE, Oman, Myanmar and Thailand. Dur-ing his time with international schools throughout Asia Tim has been involved in the recruitment of hundreds of teachers and leaders so has much experience and knowledge to offer.

Flying the flag for Leicester CityTim originates from the UK where he taught for fifteen years before emigrating. He continues to be a keen supporter of Leicester City Football Club who, he says, need as much as support as possible! Are there any other Leicester City supporters in Thailand we wonder?

UAE tops international school numbers listThe United Arab Emirates is the leading country for international schools, with 507 schools teaching over 455,000 students, it has been revealed. According to research by ISC, the leading body in international school research, there are 245 international schools in just Dubai alone.

China follows the UAE with 480 international schools, where there is increasingly high demand from local parents for an international education for their children.

Elsewhere, India, Pakistan, Japan, Spain and Saudi Arabia all have over 200 international schools offering all or part of the curriculum in English. Spain leads Europe with 204 international schools, 46 of which are located in Madrid.

Countries with over 100 international schools include Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia in South East Asia; Qatar in the Middle East; Hong Kong in East Asia; Mexico, Brazil and Argentina in South America; Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, France and Switzerland in Europe; and Nigeria and Egypt in Africa.


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TEACHING OVERSEASRENEWS PASSION


FEATURE

Sarah Brown is a secondary school maths teacher from Nottingham, UK. She’s an ‘empty nester’ – her children have left home. She previously taught in Qatar and is currently in her second year at Latifa School for Girls, a British national curriculum school in Dubai.

Here Sarah talks about the experience of moving to teach overseas:

“Before teaching internationally I was working in an inner city school in Nottingham. I was burn-ing myself out; working from half six in the morning and not finishing until ten at night.

I’d always wanted to work abroad. All my children had grown up, so I decided to bite the bullet and applied for a job in an international school in Qatar.

I enjoyed working with a variety of nationalities in the school and what I really loved was that the students in Qatar were motivated to learn. They looked forward to coming to school and wanted to work hard. This was so different from my experience teaching in the UK! In Nottingham I spent most of my time trying to manage the students’ behaviour. In Qatar, I spent most of my time teaching.


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TEACHING OVERSEASRENEWS PASSION


FEATURE TEACHERS INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY

Moving to DubaiAfter two years in Qatar, a job became available through TIC at Latifa School for Girls in Dubai. Latifa School is for Arabic girls only. The school follows the National Curriculum of England. Al-though most girls are fluent in English, it’s their second language.

Similar to my experience in Qatar, working at Latifa School allows me to spend most of my time teaching. I have the freedom to be inventive, which I enjoy and always strive to do.

The department is very supportive – we help each other out by sharing and practising ideas.

Many of the teachers are local and have been at the school for over ten years. They helped me to find my way in Dubai and put me up in accommodation for the first month while I found somewhere to live. We’re a big community!

Latifa School for Girls is supportive of me developing professionally. The school allows staff to attend relevant continuing professional development courses. I’ve completed a Project Manage-ment online course and have started another for Life Coaching.

I’m still able to keep up to date with changes in the curriculum happening back in the UK while I’m here in Dubai. I read blogs such as ‘Just Maths’ and keep in touch with my old colleagues in the UK. I’m also a member of the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), to help me stay informed.

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https://www.ncetm.org.uk/

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/



My future as a teacherThe school has renewed my contract so I’m now in my second year at Latifa School. In an ideal world, I will stay and teach internationally forever – I’ve got another 15 years worth of work and I may as well make the most of it! However, I’ve got two grandchildren in the UK so will probably go back eventually.

If and when I do go back to the UK I will be more aware of students in the classroom who speak different languages. When I worked in the inner city school in Nottingham, we had a lot of stu-dents from Eastern Europe whose English was not great. I had no experience teaching English as a second language then. Since working in Dubai with students whose second language is Eng-lish, I’m now more experienced and qualified to do this back in the UK.

I’ve also been using a lot of memory skills when teaching the girls in Dubai, to help them to remember key ideas and words. These are techniques that I will definitely bring back to the classroom in the UK.

Living in DubaiI’ve really enjoyed making new friends in Dubai. I joined the Internations group which helped me to form a social network. I now have a wide and varied social circle – I have Emirati friends, teachers from the UK, and expats employed in other areas of work.

The weather makes a big difference in encouraging people to be more sociable. It’s also so easy to try new things out here. I’ve taken up skiing – there’s an artificial ski slope in a shopping mall in Dubai!

It’s relatively cheap to live here and this was a motivator for coming here. It’s tax free and my accommodation and utilities are paid for by the school. All the money I earn is mine to spend.

I’ve managed to travel while being here too. Travelling wasn’t a major reason for me to come here, but is something I’ve discovered I enjoy while being here.

I’ve been to all the different Emirates, Lebanon and to Australia too. During the next school holiday I’m going to Sri Lanka. Most school holidays I go somewhere else. Dubai is a great base as everywhere is so accessible from here.

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http://www.internations.org/



Personal gains I’ve acquired a new adventurous mindset while being here and I’ve gained confidence. I’m more confident in myself personally; as a maths teacher and as a leader. I’m aware that I can go into most situations and be fine!

As for being adventurous, I’ve taken to carrying my passport inside my rucksack. When I have free time, I’m contemplating going to the airport and getting on a plane and going somewhere - anywhere, for a couple of days! I wouldn’t have done that three or four years ago. Now I have a real sense of freedom.

Advice about teaching overseasMy advice for teachers considering teaching internationally is to research the culture of your country of destination, and go with an open mind. I did my research and managed to fit into the Dubai culture fairly easily.

TIC Recruitment definitely provided me with good support. They helped me to find a school that was right for me.”


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BLOG TEACHERS INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY

This article was originally featured in the TIC Blog. For more advice on applying to international schools, visit www.ticrecruitment.com/blog for weekly informative articles.

The world is your oyster when it comes to teaching these days. International schools can be found in virtually every country on earth, in most leading global cities, and sometimes in the most exotic of places - next to a beach in Barbados or alongside the jungle in Borneo.

Here are ten countries which offer many great opportunities for teaching:

United Arab EmiratesThe leading country in the world with over 500 English-medium international schools teaching everything from the National Curriculum of England, to American-oriented curriculum and the International Baccalaureate. The UAE has a very large and vibrant expatriate community, with expats here from all over the world enjoying the cosmopolitan lifestyle and tax free salaries – providing a great chance to save if your package is right. There are some exceptional interna-tional schools in the UAE, particularly in Dubai, offering very good salaries and benefits for qualified and experienced English-speaking teachers.

QatarAnother country in the Middle East where teaching opportunities are exceptional. Many local families want their children to be educated at the international schools here because of their high standards so demand for places is high – and that means demand for good teachers too. In addition, there’s a brand new city, called Lusail, currently being built with many international schools planned. Opportunities therefore are extensive, with tax-free salaries and often very good benefits.

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WHERE SHOULD I TEACH?

www.ticrecruitment.com/blog

www.ticrecruitment.com/blog



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VietnamTalk to many international teachers and they’ll say they love Vietnam! It’s a beautiful andfascinating country with white sandy beaches, great weather and a lively culture. Vietnam a country that is developing fast but the cost of living remains relatively low. Several new international schools are planned for Vietnam and there are many great schools already well established here.

China

Right now, Chinese regulations restrict opportunities for local children to attend foreign-owned international schools (which are popular with the expats), but the demand for English-speaking education is massive in China and more and more Chinese-owned international schools are being established to respond to the needs of local Chinese families. As a result, within a few years teaching options in China could be massive. Most major cities in China already have international schools. It’s an amazing country in which to teach with fascinating culture, diversity, and incredible sights and places to visit. Your saving potential is high. There can be heavy pollution in some cities but do your research – some locations are not as bad as the media makes out.

ThailandThere are many exceptional international schools in Thailand, with lively, bustling Bangkok as the main hub. Thailand is a hugely popular tourist and expat destination because of its beauti-ful location, fascinating temples, delicious food, and friendly people with their mind-set of “mai pen rai” which means ‘don’t worry’! You’ll even see elephants strolling down the road here!



MalaysiaAnother great location for delicious food and friendly people, Malaysia is expanding significantly as a country for international schooling because of the support of the Malaysian Government. The infrastructure and communications here are excellent making it an easy place to live, with lush rainforests and Singapore close at hand.

EgyptEgypt remains a very popular destination for expatriate teachers, even with the political unrest. Most expatriates live in gated commu-nities and enjoy a very low cost of living here, meaning they can save a great deal in a short time. Tourism continues to be popular with the weather, water sports, rich history and culture a huge draw. There are many international schools in Egypt and you’ll find significant variety in their standards of learning and teaching. There are some outstanding schools and others that are not accredited or as good, so take care with your selection here.

SpainSpain is the leading country in Europe for international schools. There are schools in most of Spain’s coastal cities as well as in Madrid. However cost of living and taxes are high so it’s not a great location for expatriate teachers whose main aim is to save money. But if you want to work in a European country with rich culture, good food and great people, then there are good op-portunities for teaching in Spain.

OmanA very popular country for expatriates with sunshine every day, stunning beaches and moun-tains, an ancient and fascinating culture, and very hospitable locals. It currently has good ties to the UK and some very good international schools.

MexicoThe number of international schools in Latin America is increasing and one of the most popular destinations for teachers is Mexico. You’ll currently find most international schools in Mexico City and Cancun with very limited selection elsewhere. For those who do work here, it’s a great chance to experience an incredibly diverse country with some amazing tourist attractions.



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VACANCIES TEACHERS INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANCY

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Now is the time that international schools are hiring new staff for the 2015/16 term. If you’re ready to find your dream teaching position, check out our latest vacancies!

Here’s a small selection of what is currently available for 2015:

Year 4 teacher - TunisiaThis British school based in Tunisia is looking for a Year 4 teacher for an immediate start. The successful candidate should have a formal internationally recognised teaching qualification, also should have recent and relevant teaching experience. Physical Education experience would also be desirable.

Start: Immediately

Physics teacher - Doha Brit School, QatarThis international school in Doha is looking for an experienced Physics teacher to start in Sep-tember 2015. The successful candidate will be fully qualified with previous experience in a similar role.

Start: August 2015

English teacher - Azerbaijan This international school in Azerbaijan is looking for an experienced English teacher to start in September 2015. The successful candidate will be fully qualified with previous experience in a similar role. IB Diploma experience is desirable. The school has excellent facilities with purpose built campuses, including an 800 seat auditorium and music and art centres.

Start: August 2015

Head of Computer Science and ICT - Edron Academy, MexicoEdron Academy are seeking a fully qualified Head of Computer Science and ICT (to lead and develop the IT Curriculum at KS3, IGCSE and IB Diploma level) to join them in August/Septem-ber 2015. Applicants must hold a PGCE or BEd and must have some experience of teaching the National Curriculum of England.

Start: August 2015

To stay up-to-date with the latest vacancies, download the TIC App and check the Vacancies page of the TIC website regularly. New positions go up every day!


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http://www.ticrecruitment.com/vacancy/united-arab-emirates/primary/42414

http://www.ticrecruitment.com/blog/tic-launch-a-new-app

http://www.ticrecruitment.com/vacancies

http://www.ticrecruitment.com/vacancies




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in touch with tic february 2015

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