I am an international educator ... and no, I don't teach English

The first response I get, when I tell people that I am an international educator, is the assumption that I teach English for second language learners. 

It seems that the schools and organizations recruiting English teachers to go overseas are very well publicized. What seems less well known is that there are international schools all over the globe which are also always looking for teachers in any number of subjects. I have never taught English for second language learners but I have taught Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Bible, and Drama to elementary and middle school students in a handful of countries. 

International schools come in endless variety.  

Some are a part of well-established and well-connected organizations with affiliate schools around the globe, such as IB schools. Meanwhile, tiny new international schools are popping up all the time and there are even parents living abroad who will hire teachers to homeschool their children when no other schooling options in their home language are available in the region.  Many international schools are in the 300-student range with one class of each grade from K-12 (or equivalent system). 

Some international schools are populated entirely by expatriate students while others draw an almost entirely national population, and looking out at the classroom one may pause to wonder “international” is a misnomer. This is often the case when a prominent world language is the primary language of instruction and parents believe it to be to their children’s advantage to become fluent in that language and familiar with that curriculum, expecting to send their children abroad for college or university. 

Some international schools meet the needs of special interest groups such as an ethnic or language minority hoping to maintain its culture, or a particular religious group, or a military base.

In the past, many international schools were boarding schools and expatriate students were sent from neighboring regions and even different countries to attend, but more and more today function as day schools.

The second response I get, when I tell people what I do, is a puzzled expression and the question “Why?” 

Well, if you are a teacher and this post got you thinking about going overseas, I hope I won’t dissuade you when I say that most international teachers are not in it for the money. Pay structures for international teacher vary as widely as do the schools themselves. Some teachers serve on a completely voluntary basis, raising funds at home before they go. Other schools provide benefits such as housing or food to their teachers, occasionally both; this may be in addition to or in place of a stipend. Still others pay a salary, and these salaries still vary greatly. While I taught in Africa, I received a monthly salary that was perfectly comfortable to cover my living expenses, but I had nothing in the way of savings upon my return to the U.S. Generally, I have found that single international teachers can live on the salaries when these are provided. Couples with only one working spouse or families may have more difficulty. Some teachers supplement their income with support raising or get creative with blogging or Teachers Pay Teachers. One of my friends recently started looking into online tutoring to supplement her teaching salary. Bottom line, if you do go teach overseas, don’t necessarily expect to make it rich, and if you meet an international teacher have some sympathy because they might just be broke. Then again, I recently met someone who surprised me by telling me he was going to teach university in Singapore, and it would probably be the best paying job of his career.

If not a lot of money, international schools can certainly provide their teachers with an adventure, a chance to serve others, and a valuable learning experience. Usually, this works out for everyone, because usually, these are just the things that motivate teachers to accept a position overseas in the first place. 

What have I gained from teaching overseas? Certainly adventure, and a very odd resume (I have actually watched people scan over it with a bored expression and then do a double-take and look at me with a very confused expression. For a minute I think they suspect it may be a joke or a prank), the influence of different cultural perspectives on my worldview and a lot of personal growth both as a teacher and an individual. Is this what I thought I was signing up for? For the answer to that question you can read my journey here, and if teaching internationally is an idea that intrigues you, the international school community is waiting and it takes all types.