The American International School of Mozambique is a private co-educational day school for students from early childhood through grade 12. AISM is an IB World School with authorization to use the PYP, MYP and IB Diploma Program. The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools accredits AISM. The U.S. State Department Office of Overseas American Schools provides recognition and support. AISM is a member of the Association of International Schools in Africa and the Association for the Advancement of International Education.

Mission
The mission of AISM is to inspire students to offer students an excellent education that will inspire students to reach their potential, develop their skills and talents and become responsible members of the world.

Facilities
AISM is located in a school zone in a suburb of Maputo. The campus is secure and closed. There are over 40 classrooms, 2 libraries, 4 technology labs, a conference center, a Fine Arts Complex, a soccer field, a playground, a 25-meter outdoor pool, a tennis court and an outdoor cafeteria.

Curriculum
AISM is an IB World School and offers all three IB programs. The Early Learning Center offers an early childhood program that is consistent with the practices and principles of the IB. Students at AISM study core subjects as well as other subjects such as music, art, physical education, technology and Portuguese. These subjects are brought together in the IB interdisciplinary themes. Students from grades 3-9 take ACER, a standardized test for international students. Students in grades 10-12 can take the PSAT and the SAT. Students in the IB Diploma program take exams each May.

Extra-curricular Activities
The school offers an extensive after school program for all students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The program is semester-based. Among the activities are soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Senior students take part in tournaments outside Mozambique.

Technology
AISM has four computer labs.

Professional Development
No information is available on professional development although IB schools must have extensive professional development activities in order to be authorized to use the IB programs.

Employment
Prospective employees need to have the minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, certification, and at least three years of experience. A Master’s degree and IBO training is preferred. No information is available on working conditions, salary and benefits other than to note that pay and benefits are competitive and AISM is a great place to work. Applicants should send a letter of interest and a resume to:

Dr. Mary Jo Heatherington, Director
American International School of Mozambique
Rua do Rio Raraga, 266
Bairro da Costa do Sol
Maputo, Mozambique

About Maputo
The school is located in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. The city has approximately 1.25 million residents and lies along the coast. The city has a multicultural population, partly due to it being a port town. While Bantu and Portuguese cultures form the majority of residents, there are also residents from the Arab, Indian and Chinese cultures.

Maputo has a tropical savannah climate with a short rainy season that runs from November through March. The warmest month is January and the coolest month is July.

New residents might want to take a stroll along the wide boulevards to admire some of the old colonial palaces interspersed with modern high-rises. Among the city’s attractions are the National Art Museum, the Mercado Central market, and the Museu de Historia Natural. Maputo also has several beautiful beaches.

International School Suva

The International School Suva is an independent, co-educational day school in Fiji that provides educational services for students from pre-school through Year 12. The school has authorization to use all three IB programs.

ISS has over 470 students from 35 countries. There are over 50 full-time faculty members.

Mission
The mission of ISS is to provide an excellent education in a multi-cultural environment where they develop the skills and values necessary to become positive and responsible global citizens.

Facilities
The International School Suva is located in Laucala Beach Estate which is just outside Suva. The school has modern classrooms, a library, 3 computer labs, a science lab, a full time counselor, a uniform shop, an ESL Centre, a multi-purpose hall that includes an 800 seat theatre, drama and music rooms and sporting facilities such as badminton, etc.

Curriculum
The International School Suva uses a mix of curricula. They have all three International Baccalaureate programs, and the PYP is the entire basis for the primary curriculum. The middle years curriculum has two components – the IBMYP and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education which the school notes complements the MYP. Secondary students have the IB Diploma Programme as well as the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) program. Students receive the Year 12 ACT Certificate if they follow the ACT.

Extra-Curricular Activities
The school offers a wide variety of extra curricular activities. Teachers sponsor these activities, and they take place either at lunchtime or after school.

Technology
ISS believes in integrating technology throughout the curriculum. The school has 1 computer for every 2 students, and each classroom has at least 2 computers. The school has fast broadband, and it is working on getting wireless broadband throughout the school. Students take regular computer classes through Grade 8; after that further technology classes are electives.

Professional Development
No information is available.

Employment
The school lists openings on its website. No other information about employment is available.

About Fiji
Fiji is one of those places that those of us who are enraptured with the tropics dream of as the ideal place to live. Fiji is an archipelago that consists of about 106 inhabited islands, including Viti Levu and Vanua Levu that account for most of the population.

Suva is the capital of Fiji. It has a population of around 140,000. Visitors to Fiji need to be aware of pickpockets and scams – isn’t that all too familiar these days in tropical paradises?

There are a variety of cuisines available in Suva, especially Indian food due to the large Indian population in Fiji. If you are a Western fast food junkie, you can find McDonalds and Kentucky Friend Chicken.

Fiji has a tropical marine climate with slight temperature variations throughout the year. The cyclone season is from November through April.

The American School in England is an independent, coeducational college preparatory school providing educational services to students from Nursery School through Grade 12. It is located just outside London and was established in 1955. The school has boarding facilities. TASIS is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

There are over 750 students that represent 40 nationalities. Of this 750 students, 600 are day students and 150 are boarding students. There are 100 teachers of which about 75% are Americans; the rest are British.

Mission
The mission of the school is to provide an outstanding international education and instill the values of responsibility, compassion, truth, and justice.

Facilities
The campus is 18 miles southwest of London; take a look at the photos on the school website. The whole place looks like my idea of an international school. Facilities include: sports fields; tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts, gyms, a theatre, computer and science labs, three libraries with internet facilities, music rooms, modern classrooms, boarding facilities, and much more.

Curriculum
The curriculum is a mix of English and American curricula with some IB thrown in. The elementary curriculum is based on Core Knowledge. The school is a college prep school with high standards and high expectations. TASIS England offers the American high school diploma with Advanced Placement courses, as well as the IB Diploma. There is an ESL program.

Extra Curricular Activities
The school has many competitive sports teams for senior students including basketball, rugby, soccer, cross country, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, cheerleading, golf and dance. Other activities include drama, art, music, and special interest clubs.

Technology
TASIS England has a complete network that links all parts of the school together. There is wireless coverage around the campus including in the boarding facilities. The IT program focuses on creativity and communication; students learn about technology in the context of projects for classes such as math or history. This is a school that understands and employs an integrated approach to IT.

Professional Development
Teachers are expected to complete professional growth requirements yearly.

Employment
TASIS The American School in England is looking for teaching candidates that are skilled, experienced, and highly qualified. Teaching candidates need to have at least three years’ full-time experienced with at least a BA, although advanced degrees are preferred. Teachers who do not hold an EU passport need to have at least three years of consecutive teaching in an American curriculum school in order to qualify for a work permit.

The school is especially looking for teachers with IB, AP and boarding school experience. Teachers at TASIS The American School in England are expected to also serve as advisors, coaches, sponsors of activities and chaperones for weekend trips. Additionally, about 20% of the faculty serve as faculty residents in the dormitories. Detailed teaching responsibilities are listed online.

Teachers who are US citizens are exempt from British Income Tax for the first two years. Teachers have to pay an 11% tax for the National Insurance Contribution (similar to US Social Security). Salaries are competitive and are determined by the Headmaster based on experience and qualifications. Teachers receive credit for up to 16 years of experience.

Benefits include: private health, dental, long term disability, personal pension, full tuition for school age children, up to £1000 relocation expenses, and all housing and utilities and meals if the teacher is part of the boarding team.

Applications for employment are online. If you are interested in applying for a position, you should send a letter of application, a resume, and the application form to: headmaster@tasisengland.org
or send a fax to: Headmaster: +44 1932 560493
or post to:
Headmaster
TASIS The American School in England
Coldharbour Lane
Thorpe
Surrey TW20 8TE
England

About London
What is there to say about London that anyone who would want to be an international teacher doesn’t already know?

Hong Kong Academy was founded in 2000. It provides education services for students from Pre-K through Grade 10 with plans to add two more grades in the next two years. It is an independent, non-profit, co-educational day school. HKA is accredited by WASC and has authorization for using the PYP from the IBO.

The school has a low student/teacher ratio and classes are kept to a maximum of 18 in the Primary School. Students are predominantly expatriates.

Mission
The mission of HKA is to provide an excellent international education by nurturing and developing students to think critically, be ethical and work to develop themselves as individuals as well as members of the global community.

Facilities
HKA is located on Hong Kong island on the campus of the former Lingnan College. The school has an indoor sports hall, an art room, a library, computer and science labs. HKA is in the process of finding a new location for a new purpose built school.

Extra Curricular Activities
The school has a wide variety of after school activities. Some of these activities include: arts and crafts, chess, choir, dance, soccer, tennis, cricket, golf and more.

Curriculum
HKA uses an international curriculum that draws from the best teaching practices around the world. Teachers use an inquiry based approach. The Middle/High School employs a traditional specialist based approach with block scheduling, electives, and a lap top program. The Primary School uses the PYP, and the Middle/High School has candidate status for the MYP and IB Diploma.

Technology
HKA is heavily invested in using technology and integrating it throughout the curriculum. It has a one-to-one laptop program for students from Grade 6 and up. All teachers who work with students from grades 6-9 also have Macbooks. Students from fifth grade through eighth grade have electronic portfolios and the school is developing digital portfolios for students in the lower grades as well. HKA has a large number of Mac laptops and has some wireless capabilities on the campus. Every classroom has ceiling mounted LCD projectors as well as desktop computers.

Professional Development
HKA is committed to professional development. It uses a variety of approaches to PD including inservice, professional conferences, and visiting consultants. In addition to school planned PD, teachers are given individual professional development allowances. The school closes early every Wednesday for PD sessions that include team planning. Additionally, HKA has a partnership with Lehigh University that provides onsite graduate courses for teachers. This is a school that obviously places a high value on professional development.

Employment
This is a school that is not afraid to be quite upfront about the pay scale, benefits, and expectations for teachers. HKA is looking for teachers that are certified in their home country, are committed to professional development, have at least two years of experience, and are innovative.

The school lists openings on its website. Applications are taken throughout the year. HKA attends the main recruitment fairs although the majority of its teachers are hired at fairs in Asia and North America.

Interested teachers can send a letter of interest, a resume, and supporting documentation such as a statement of philosophy and letters of recommendation along with a recent photo and send it to:
Dr. Andy Page-Smith, Director
by e-mail to recruitment@hkacademy.edu.hk or
fax to (852) 2891-4461

The school has a salary schedule online. Salaries run from a low of USD 32,000 for beginning teachers to a high of USD 62,000. Teachers have to pay taxes on their salaries; these can run from 9-12% of your income.

Benefits include: a housing allowance, economy airfare at beginning and end of contract, economy airfare to home of record for summer leave, matching 10% retirement contribution, 10 sick days per year, international medical and hospitalization insurance, workers compensation, free tuition for dependents, work and residency visas, relocation allowance of HK$ 6,000 per single and HK$ 10,000 per couple, annual professional development allowance of HK$ 8,500 that can be accumulated for up to three years, free Mandarin lessons, shipping allowance of HK$ 8,000, a maximum of five days of leave to attend recruiting fairs, bereavement leave, and personal leave.

Once I took a look at this school’s website and what they have to offer in terms of curriculum, salary, benefits and an environment that sounds welcoming to teachers, I wished that I was younger and still looking for employment.

Finding a position in an international school is generally more difficult than getting a job teaching English. The overseas teaching field is highly competitive. Most schools attend one of the main hiring fairs which are held several times a year. You can expect to need to have at least two years of experience and a current teaching credential. Many schools have IB programs and want IB experience. Some schools only hire Americans, others only British or Australian, but generally you will find a mix of nationalities in international schools especially in the large ones like Jakarta International School, Singapore American School, or the International School of Bangkok.

The main teaching fairs are run by International Schools Services, Search Associates, the Council of International Schools, and Northern Iowa. I only have experience with ISS and at that I only attended one fair in 1989. Fairs are usually quite crowded; teaching couples have an edge generally on single teachers as they can split up and cover twice the ground. Single parents are at an extreme disadvantage when looking for jobs overseas. Even singles without children are not hired by some schools. A lot of this has to do with housing considerations. You can find specific information on each of the organizations mentioned above on their web sites along with online forms that you can fill out or download. One other site that you may want to consult in your search for teaching positions is TIE – The International Educator. TIE publishes a newspaper that has job listings as well as articles about teaching overseas. You can also use their online services.

Once you have some experience teaching in an international school, you enter into a rather small world and you have a good chance (if you’re good at your job and have had good experiences with your principal and/or superintendent/director) of getting a job without attending a fair. I’ve obtained my last two positions this way: once by having a former principal hire me directly, and the second time by having him recommend me for another job. This saves you the considerable expense of attending a fair, not to mention the hassle and stress that goes along with these cattle markets.

How much do overseas’ jobs pay?

Salaries vary widely in overseas’ schools. Generally teaching English pays considerably less than working in an international school. English positions in Bangkok run from around 20,000 baht per month to 50,000. At the current exchange rate of about 40 baht per U.S. dollar, that means you would be making from between $500 to $1250 per month. Not a whole lot of money. As I mentioned before, jobs in Taiwan, Korea and Japan pay more.

International school positions pay more, but there is a wide range in salaries depending on experience and location. Generally the more favorable the location, the lower the salary. Schools in South America and Africa usually don’t pay as well as schools in the Middle East. The small ISS or company schools in remote locations usually pay quite well and have some nice travel benefits. School ads in the ISS and TIE newspapers often have salary ranges listed. In some countries you have to pay local taxes on your salary; this is often picked up by the school, but occasionally it isn’t. Americans teaching overseas don’t have to pay taxes on the salary that they earn outside of the country. A nice overseas salary would be something in the mid 40s range, tax-free of course.

Housing and other Perks

Housing is a big issue for overseas’ teaching. Housing is usually provided or at least compensated for. I have lived in small bachelor type apartments, ranch style type houses that you would find in a US suburb, a really dingy flat in Pakistan and then in a much nicer three bedroom one while working at the same school. One of the most common complaints from teachers is about their housing.
Some schools offer free cars, some will provide interest free loans if you want to purchase a car, while others have no transportation allowance included. At LAS, we were provided a car for $50 a month which went for service, insurance and fuel costs. Health insurance is usually provided for, and some schools offer retirement benefits while many don’t.

Are there positions in developed countries or only in remote or “dangerous” locations?

There are international schools just about everywhere in the world. All of the major capitals of the world have international schools and most of them are quite large. Jakarta International School, for instance, has several thousand students and hundreds of teachers. My current school has 53 students and eight teachers. As I mentioned above, some of the remote schools pay quite well in order to attract teachers. Schools in Pakistan pay well because of the problems of attracting teachers to a country that is considered by many to be dangerous, although this is far from true.

What is it like teaching overseas?

That varies from place to place. Big high-powered schools in major capitals with a student body whose parents include CEO’s and diplomats tends to be fairly stressful from what I have heard, but working in small schools can be just as stressful because of close parent contact and high expectations and demands. I’ve worked in a middle-sized school and three small schools, and I’ve enjoyed both experiences. My own preferences led me not to want to work in the larger schools, but I know teachers who have spent decades working in large schools and love it. There are certainly many more opportunities for entertainment, night life and shopping when you live in a large city.

Generally you can expect to have many of the same problems that you would have in a school in the States with homework, parents and administrators. You can also expect not to have to worry about gang violence, crazed people coming in off the street to shoot up the school, and all the other traumas of urban existence in the U.S. Some schools will have a large population of non-English speaking students. Drug problems may exist in larger schools, but are generally absent in the smaller schools.

Some schools follow a U.S. curriculum, others have an international one, and still others have a mix. Lahore American School followed a U.S. curriculum even though by the time that I left the school our student population was almost entirely made up of wealthy Pakistani students.

Teaching overseas offers a lot of opportunities for travel. For example, while I was teaching in Lahore, I would go back and forth to Bali on vacation and usually transited in Bangkok which I really enjoyed. Many of the teachers there explored the incredible Pakistan countryside and also vacationed in places like Malaysia, Burma, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam which were all quite accessible from Lahore except during the war in Afghanistan.

Teaching overseas can be a great life.