You will also want to consider the length of your proposed contract. Most contracts are for 2 years, but some schools offer a 12 month contract. The length of your contract is an important factor because there is usually little room for negotiation. Once you complete your initial contract, schools will usually offer you an additional contract, which is the stage at which you can negotiate. Therefore, if you sign a two-year contract, you need to make sure that you are completely satisfied with it, because you will live with it for a full two years.
When you are offered a salary, you should consider and research the cost of living in the host country. In some countries, the cost of living is very low, which allows you to save money and live well enough. So, if after you convert the salary amount into US dollars it seems like a very small amount, it can still go through quite a lot in the host country. On the other hand, the cost of living in some countries is quite high. Many European countries, for example, will hardly pay you enough to support themselves, but it may still seem like a good dollar amount.
It’s important to know who your students are and how big your classes are
When it comes to international school thailand, it’s important to know if the school caters to an international clientele or wealthy local families. The implications of this are that you may end up with a lazy and demanding group of students from privileged backgrounds, rather than a multicultural mixture of students from different walks of life. In terms of class size, you need to know how many students you will be responsible for and who you will need to plan lessons for. Most schools have class size limits, but they may use them as guidelines rather than hard limits.
Make an informed decision
It is recommended that you correspond with the teacher you are replacing or your future line manager before accepting this position. This should help you make an informed decision. This will give you the opportunity to answer some of these questions about class size, student numbers, and living costs so you can better understand what you will be facing. And you can also count on the accuracy of the information received from that person. The hiring committee you are dealing with is primarily interested in filling the vacancy and will therefore invest in painting the school in a positive light.
By following the tips above, you will be able to make a more informed decision and therefore feel more comfortable signing on to the dotted line. Teaching abroad can be a wonderful experience, but always do your homework first so you don’t have less time than you would like.