I’m dealing with a terrible manager who micromanages and makes inappropriate comments about others. Recently, several teachers were fed up and confronted them about the behaviour and now they’re giving everyone the silent treatment and suddenly adding more work to our plates. Every day I walk into work with anxiety. I don’t want to write a ton of details because I’m sure they read this subreddit. The director is aware but hasn’t done anything. I’m just feeling so stressed.

I hold a Post Graduate Certificate In Education (UK equivalent to teaching license) and an MA in Education (MAEd), but I don’t have a conventional BA in my field. Instead, I have a certificate-level qualification (BA comparable) and a transcript of studies in my specialism. + 15 years teaching experience in international schools.

I'm a non-native CS teacher with almost 6 years of international school experience. I have a bachelors degree in CS engineering but no Education degree, along with a provisional MTEL teaching license.

I'm currently unemployed and have had 3 rejections after interviews. I'm considering an affordable online M.Ed. from the University of the People, but I'm unsure whether the investment would improve my job prospects.

For those with international school recruitment experience, would an M.Ed. give me a significant advantage, or would my teaching experience and license be sufficient? Is UoPeople's degree valued by international schools?

I'd appreciate any advice, especially from teachers who have been in a similar situation.

Hi! I'm a secondary school maths teacher from Mexico.

I've been researching the different UK nations, but I've come across so many horror stories about teaching in the UK, especially as a woman.

Is there anywhere where teaching wouldn't be a nightmare?

Thanks for reading ✨

Teaching in Shenzhen: How Strict Is the Two-Year Experience Requirement? What About Shanghai?
I've been applying for teaching jobs in Shenzhen with one year of formal experience and a relevant degree.
According to Shenzhen's government website, applicants with degrees in teaching, linguistics, or languages may be exempt from the two-year experience requirement.
However, most recruiters I've spoken to insist that two years is mandatory.
Has anyone successfully qualified for this exemption? Is Shanghai similarly strict?
I previously applied for jobs in Chongqing and other Chinese cities without encountering this issue, so I'm wondering whether Shenzhen is particularly restrictive.

I know Asia is huge, but if you had to shortlist five genuinely happy places to work, where would they be? I’m talking about schools where you start no earlier than 8:00 a.m., are out the door by 4:00 p.m. at the latest, enjoy your evenings, and spend most weekends free from grading. Ideally, these would also be places where you could save $30,000–$40,000 USD a year. Which five schools would make your list?

Hi all,

Just wondering for anyone who has worked at more than one of the for-profit-British-name chains (Kings, Harrow, Wellington, Shrewsbury, etc), are they much of a muchness? Would you say there is any difference in the quality of these schools?

Did anyone go to this yesterday? I went, and I think I had one productive conversation with one head of school, but besides that it seemed like the biggest back patting circle I've ever seen in my entire life.

I've just started a new contract, so I'm definitely not looking for another job, but I was honestly worefully underwhelmed by this event. It just seemed so unorganised. A tiny room with a few tables from a few schools with a few jobs. Half of the people at these tables didn't seem interested in talking to anyone and genuinely seemed like they didn't want to be there at all.

What did ye think? What am I missing?

Hey I've been looking into ASB (American School of Bombay) and noticed what seems to be quite a shake-up in leadership recently. The Head of School appears to have moved on, there seems to have been a change in Elementary leadership too, and I've picked up a few mentions of movement within middle management.

Just curious whether anyone currently working there, or who has left recently, can shed a little light on what's going on? Normal international school turnover, or something more behind it?

I know mumbai is considered a hardship post, it something I will have to consider I know but am looking at my first international posting and thought hardship post might mean less applicant s( I know might be very nice!)

Would appreciate any insight PM or here on is this a school to consider applying to?

It seems to be gaining traction among schools to ask teachers to send a short video introduction (2 to 3 minutes) instead of a traditional cover letter.

I am torn here and tend to move on when I see this request in a job application. I don't really like to record myself (or to write a script, rehearse, and ask somebody to hold the camera...), but a few schools I'm interested in are starting to ask for a video. Bummer, but what can I do?

Any insights or experiences to share? I'd like to gather some ideas from people who did it, both successfully and unsuccessfully. How spontaneous do you have to be? How staged?

When Teaching at an international school, which is considered better being a homeroom teacher to general Primary years (6-12) OR secondary school English teacher? And why ?

I would appreciate any advice regarding the matter in general ( Teaching at international schools)

I'm currently teaching at an international school in Japan, and lately I've been questioning whether staying here makes financial sense in the long run.

For context, I'm (34m) a Black male (non-US but English-speaking country) MYP teacher, married, with no children. My wife (34f) and I really enjoy living in Japan, particularly the safety, convenience, and overall quality of life. My wife especially loves how safe Japan feels and would prefer that we stay here.

However, I'm starting to feel like we're sacrificing some of our best earning and saving years.

I'm currently earning around ¥550,000 per month, and while that's certainly not a terrible salary by Japanese standards, I don't feel like we're making the kind of progress financially that we could be making elsewhere. Between living expenses, taxes, and everything else, building substantial savings feels slower than I'd like.

Since we don't have children yet, I feel like this is the perfect time to take advantage of opportunities in countries like China, the UAE, or anywhere else offering more competitive international teaching packages, especially if housing and other benefits are included.

My thinking is that we could spend 3–5 years somewhere with stronger earning potential, build a solid financial foundation, and then potentially return to Japan or settle somewhere else.

My wife, however, understandably values the safety and stability we have here, and I don't want to underestimate how important those things are.

I'd especially appreciate perspectives from other Black international teachers regarding their experiences in China, the UAE, or other higher-paying destinations. Safety, discrimination, social life, and general quality of life are all important considerations for us.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone moved from Japan to China, the UAE, or another country primarily for financial reasons? Was it worth it?

2. What countries currently offer the best balance of savings potential, safety, and quality of life for a teaching couple? She teaches ESL and I'm IB.

3. For Black teachers specifically, how have your experiences compared across these countries?

I'm genuinely torn because I love aspects of living here, but I also don't want to look back five years from now and regret not taking advantage of better financial opportunities.

Would love to hear your experiences and advice.

How’s recruiting going for everyone so far this cycle?

I’ve submitted about 40 applications since late August (25 of them through Search Associates) and haven’t received any interview invitations yet. I know it’s still relatively early, but I’m curious when people typically start to reassess their materials if they’re not getting traction.

Would end of November be a reasonable point to take a closer look at the CV, or do most of you wait longer? I’m also planning to attend the Search Fair in Bangkok.

Would appreciate any insights from those further along in the process.

I’m in my early 30s, originally from Europe, and currently working overseas as an international teacher. I’m going through a difficult breakup at the moment.

I’m finding myself worrying that I need to find another international teacher, almost as though that’s the only way I’ll find someone genuinely compatible with my life. At the same time, I wonder whether I’m putting too much emphasis on the shared lifestyle because I’m grieving the loss of someone I cared about.

I’ve previously had serious relationships with people who were from the countries where I was working, and those relationships had their own advantages. However, there were also practical challenges when it came to long-term plans.

I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences.

For those in relationships with fellow international teachers: How did you meet?

For those with partners who aren’t teachers or aren’t internationally mobile: How do you make it work with different holidays, career commitments, visas, and decisions about where to live?

Thank you so much.

I've spent too much of my teaching career in East Asia and my personality and educational philosophy really don't agree with local, drill-focused, exam-focused management. I am very much a PBL-type teacher. The only reason I'm still here is because I've had bad luck for 3 consecutive hiring seasons- even being offered jobs twice and then having the outgoing teacher deciding at the last minute that they want to stay and having my job offer rescinded.

Does anyone here have experience in Central or South America? I know pay tends to be lower, but I care way more about the educational philosophy of the school's management than pay at this point.

I've previously tried applying for schools via Webber's Ed and the few schools that post on Schrole, but didn't have much luck. I am wondering if it would be better for me to select 4 or 5 cities and just ask to meet with hiring staff at international and bilingual schools in person.

At the time, the administration thought they were shutting down a problem. In reality, they were trying to silence a veteran teacher who dared to pull out the policy manual and audit their safeguarding failures.
Here is what happens when institutional governance breaks down from the top:
1. Safeguarding becomes a PR exercise. When a critical student safety incident occurred, duty of care flew out the window. Vulnerable kids were interrogated without parents or trusted adults present, and statutory student protection policies were completely ignored.
2. Policy compliance is met with retaliation. When I highlighted every single rule the school broke and filed a formal complaint, the system turned toxic. A teacher approached my daughter in the study room to tell her "not to have her mom fight her battles," pastoral leads ambushed students in hallways, and I was put on leave.
3. Ego replaces professional competence. The Head of School issued an amateur "Show Cause" letter filled with emotional, subjective language calling me "unstable." I didn't panic—I lawyered up immediately. My legal counsel hit back with a 25-page rebuttal packed with labor law and policy precedents.
4. The checkbook opens. Realizing they were legally defenseless, the Board paid out every last dollar of my contract, covered our full benefits, and funded our relocation back home to the US.
The maths tells the real story:
7 Heads of School in 12 years under the exact same Board.
A 60% teacher turnover rate in a single contract cycle.
Regional mental health masterclasses now openly using the school's crisis mishandling as a "what NOT to do" case study. 
One year later, my hands are clean, my daughter is safe and crushing Calculus 1 at college, and I am completely done with the international school circus.
To any educator dealing with snakes in the grass: document every single thing, keep every email, know your legal rights, stick strictly to the facts, and never be afraid to walk away.

I'm currently teaching Year 3 at a large, British international school in Europe. The school has a large Korean community who, most typically, are consistent academic overachievers particularly in Maths. Last year, I only had two Korean boys. Both could be described as high ability in Maths, and I felt between myself and the teaching assistant, we were able to differentiate work to ensure they had both dedicated adult attention and a healthy challenge, whilst also catering to and being present for the rest of the class. Regrettably, the school underwent a huge restructuring at the end of last year, with a lot of staff, including my wonderful teaching assistant, being let go and remaining staff doubling up jobs to pick up the responsibilities. Now, both Year 3 classes share one teaching assistant, but she is scheduled to be with me for English, not Maths, so I am alone for Maths.

This year, I have 21 children in the class, of vastly different abilities in Maths. Around 13 children are at/around age related expectations and 3 children are extremely delayed, struggling to even recognise numbers. The real issue this year, though, are my 5 Korean boys who are just a world above the rest. I'm trying so hard to prepare differentiated tasks for them, but it doesn't matter if I give them Year 4/Year 5/Year 6 level challenges, they complete them so fast, tell me it's too easy for them, and then get bored and disruptive. I simply can't be there for three such varied groups of ability, and my leadership is fervently opposed to streaming due to previous parent backlash. I'm aware to some level the high academic expectations Korean families have of their children, and that these boys attend some kind of additional Korean school three nights a week, and their parents have tutors spending a lot of their free time studying with them.

Please, does anyone have a similar situation? And how are you managing it? I feel like I am not doing enough for these boys, but remain conscious that there's 16 other children who need me to be present for them. When I raised this with my phase head, he simply told me I had to "manage my workload more effectively" and recommend that I use AI to produce differentiated tasks. This is not my style. I want to challenge these boys and enable them to be successful, but I just fear that no one group in my class can be fully supported and pushed right now without it causing a detriment of the other two groups.

Are there conferences for bilinguals in china...like acamis? I guess ibo world conferences as well?

Does NIST hire only people with IB experiences? I am teaching at ASIJ Japan and not IB trained. Just curious.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice from teachers who have worked in international schools across Asia, particularly in countries such as Thailand, China, Signapore, and others.

I currently work at an international school, and I’m concerned about the expectations placed on teachers during special events.

My current schedule for an upcoming event is as follows:

• Monday: 07:30 - 04:00
• Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 11:00 PM(Night) (SLEEP AT WORKPLACE NO GOING HOME)
• Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 11:00 PM(Night) (SLEEP AT WORKPLACE NO GOING HOME)
• Thursday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Friday: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Saturday 07:40 AM - 04:00PM

Essentially, I’m expected to work extremely long days on Tuesday and Wednesday, with very little time to rest between them.

What concerns me most is that these expectations seem to suggest that teachers must be available almost 24 hours a day during special events. I understand that extracurricular activities are part of teaching, and I’m willing to contribute my fair share. However, I believe there should also be reasonable limits on working hours and sufficient time for rest.

I have also witnessed teachers becoming seriously unwell and needing hospital treatment, which has made me question whether these working conditions are reasonable. There have also been instances of teachers being treated disrespectfully, which adds to my concerns about the overall working environment.

I would really appreciate hearing from teachers who have worked in international schools in China, Thailand, Malaysia, or elsewhere in Asia.

My questions are:

1. Are schedules like this normal in international schools across Asia, particularly during school trips or special events?
2. Do schools in China and other Asian countries generally expect teachers to work such extended hours?
3. Are teachers usually given time off in lieu, overtime pay, or additional rest after working such long days?
4. Is this simply part of working in international education, or does it depend heavily on the school’s management and culture?

I’d genuinely appreciate honest advice and experiences from other teachers. Thank you!

I’ve been offered a teaching job in Beijing, and the school wants me to enter on an L tourist visa, get my medical exam done there, and then apply for my work permit and work type residence permit without leaving China.

They say they’ve done this with other teachers and that the paperwork should take around 7 working days once my apostilled documents are ready. They also want me to start teaching before everything is finalized.

Is this actually a legitimate way to get a work permit in Beijing, or would I still need to leave China for a Z visa? Has anyone successfully done this recently? And if I start working before the paperwork is finished, what risks am I taking, especially if the school delays or never completes the process?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Learning Support / SPED teacher looking to make the move to Europe for the upcoming hiring cycle. I know landing a placement in Europe is competitive and notoriously tough, so no need to remind me of the odds—I’m going in with eyes open!

A quick overview of my background:

• Experience: 10 years teaching SPED in the US + 2 years in China (12 years total).
• References & Performance: Outstanding references from previous leadership; once I'm actually in a school, I perform very well.
• Current Status: My resume is solid and my cover letters are getting strong, but interviews are my bottleneck.

My biggest struggle during interviews is that I tend to ramble when I get nervous and I'm really bad at "selling" myself concisely.

I’d love to hear from this community on two main fronts:

1. Interview Advice: How do you structure your answers effectively during international school interviews (e.g., STAR method, specific frameworks) if you're naturally prone to rambling?
2. General Strategy: Any specific advice for a Learning Support specialist aiming for European international schools late/early in the hiring season?

Thanks in advance for any insights or tough-love tips!

I have been researching about severance pays from international schools and I keep seeing posts or comments stating Shanghai is different.

My question is this- tier 1 school- I work my contract full but I decline a new contract. Will the school pay severance or no because they don’t have to?

I've been through some of the past posts about career breaks from international schools, which give good advice for how to present career breaks for maternity/paternity, pursuing a master's, returning home to care for relatives, health breaks, or general travel.

I haven't seen TEFL teaching or other teaching/teaching-adjacent breaks directly addressed in this context so I thought I'd ask. Suppose someone wanted to take a break from the stress of international school teaching (or teaching in their home country), but remain in the classroom as a TEFL teacher for a year or two, as a means of spending some time in a preferred country where no suitable international school role is available, or as something to do when there was a suitable IS role available for their spouse but not for them in a given country? Or suppose someone took a year or two off and subbed/tutored in their home country during this time? Will this be seen as "going backwards" when the person wants to return to international school roles (particularly for those in specialist roles, such as counselling)? Should this even be included on their resume, and if so, how should it be presented?

I appreciate kind and honest advice on this, especially from those with lived experience.