International Teacher Placement Service
Since 1986, Education Career Services at the Faculty of Education has been helping teachers to secure positions in overseas schools. The primary activity of Education Career Services in this regard is the Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair (TORF), held annually, in January, for certified, experienced teachers.
For teachers unable to attend the Recruiting Fair, Education Career Services also maintains a registry of teachers interested in international opportunities, the International Teacher Placement Service. This service operates on a year-round basis and is open to teachers with certification in North America.
Teaching Overseas
Teaching overseas can be a rewarding personal and professional experience. It is a great opportunity to enhance your professional skills and gain a new perspective of yourself and your home country and to discover new parts of the world. An experienced teacher with a good sense of humor, strong classroom management skills, clear command of his/her subject material and who genuinely enjoys teaching will find success teaching overseas.
But it is definitely not for everyone. The challenges to living and working overseas are many, including living within and learning a new culture and language and adapting to a different curriculum. Day-to-day routines and cultural barriers usually quickly erode romantic notions of far away places. There is more to teaching overseas than "teaching and travelling."
In addition, there are limitations as to who is eligible for teaching overseas. International schools usually prefer hire single, experienced teachers or teaching couples, but teachers with other circumstances are also considered.
Single Teachers or Teaching Couples
For reasons of travel expenses, housing, work permits and visas, single teachers and teaching couples are in demand.
Certification
North American teacher certification (or equivalent) is required.
Experience
Overseas schools require or prefer that teachers have a minimum of two years full-time teaching experience. Given the demands of adjustment to a new culture and professional environment, the schools prefer teaching skills to be 'in place' prior to arrival. Although most schools will not waive this requirement, some are flexible on this issue. Therefore, inexperienced teachers are welcome to register with ITPS.
Successful Circumstances
People with the following circumstances have increased chances for successful placement through ITPS.
Availability for an Interview
Many recruiters will not hire without a face-to-face interview or without a recommendation from us. ITPS has a higher success rate with teachers whom we have met or are known by our colleagues.
Flexibility
Teachers who are flexible with regard to location and teaching assignment have a higher rate of placement. We recommend that teachers be open to teaching in at least two continents or regions.
Length of Commitment
Most contracts are for two years with extensions possible; contracts for one year are uncommon. Negotiated leave from the home school district is the most common arrangement for experienced teachers wishing to teach overseas. It is strongly suggested that you check the policy of your district before registering for ITPS.
Less Successful Circumstances
People with the following circumstances have reduced chances for successful placement through ITPS.
Teachers with Non-teaching Spouses or Partners
As a result of problems with visas, work permits, housing and insufficient salary to support dependents, overseas schools will usually opt for single teachers and teaching couples. Based on recent experience, approx. 25% of candidates in this situation have been successful.
Teachers at or Near Retirement
There are age restrictions on visas imposed by the host country government in some locales.
Unmarried Couples
The prevailing local standards or national laws in North Africa, the Middle East and other locations require that couples living together be married.
Teachers with Dependent Children
Due to the limits of provided housing, the cost to a school of free tuition for staff dependents, or a school enrollment already at capacity, some schools are unable to accept any dependents or are limited to accepting couples with one or two dependent children.
Teachers without Recent Full-time Teaching Experience
Administrators prefer to consider teachers with recent experience and current references.
Throughout the year, overseas schools contact Education Career Services looking for appropriately qualified teachers; the positions and location of the schools vary widely each year. Appropriately qualified teachers are then referred for consideration, which may lead to a limited number of placements each year.
Due to the unpredictable nature of schools' needs, we offer no guarantee that an appropriate vacancy in your preferred location will be available. If you are committed to teaching overseas, we highly recommend that you consider attending the TORF, for the majority of overseas placements result from the Recruiting Fair.
The variety of jobs available depends on the needs of the schools; they vary from year to year in both location and positions. Although Education Career Services is in contact with schools around the world, most opportunities are with schools in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia with fewer available in Europe and Africa.
Most of the schools that contact ITPS fall into the broad category of international schools. There are thousands of such schools in over 100 countries. The language of instruction is English, but some offer a bilingual program. Fluency in another language is not usually a job requirement. The K-12 curriculum is often based on a North American, IB, or British model, with adjustments to host country requirements as necessary. Many of the schools are accredited in the USA, Britain or Canada. For most, the academic year begins in August or September; a few schools in Latin America operate on a January-November calendar.
Students in these schools can represent as many as 60-80 nationalities or be almost entirely host country nationals depending on the setting and purpose of the school.
Salaries and benefits, cost of living, and composition of the teaching staff all vary widely. While a few schools are able to pay attractive salaries, many people teach overseas for personal and professional enrichment rather than "for the money." The best way to compare compensation is on the basis of how much you will be able to save, rather than how much you can earn.
There are no guarantees about locating an overseas position through ITPS. For this reason, there is no registration fee, but a placement fee of $100 CDN will be charged upon acceptance of a position which results from an Education Career Services referral.
Please request an International Teacher Placement Service Registration form by emailing ed.careers@queensu.ca. The form and registration information will be sent to you by return email. Then, submit the form and necessary documents that are outlined in the instructions. (Registration for the Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair is a separate procedure, an ITPS registration does not apply to the TORF.) Please note, Education Career Services neither accepts nor replies to resumes that are not accompanied by an ITPS registration form.