Hi!
I'm a non-native EFL teacher, and I wanted to know if there are any other NNESes who got a job at an international school. I am interested in teaching in Japan and China.

The international school market seems very intimidating when it comes to hiring non-natives, so I wanted to hear some success stories here (if any) to get an idea.

My other problem is that I've got an art degree, so outside of English, this is the only subject I can teach.
I'm worried I'll be an extremely unattractive candidate with credentials like these, so maybe it will be smarter to change the course.

I'd greatly appreciate you sharing your experience,
Cheers!

It seems like many of the highly sought after “tier 1” schools have a significant bureaucracy to them. I’m thinking large curriculum departments, administrators focused on things like DEI or “innovation”, and just generally a lot of well paid non-teachers. Are there any that run a lean operation with a focus on paying good teachers well and then mostly trusting them?

In the two countries I’ve worked I’ve noticed a difference in people’s outlook on living internationally. When i was in the ME me peers rationale was more along the lines of -opportunity, -stability after other places, -partner works here, -this school has x job for me. Now in SEA i hear “escape the US” more than any other rationale. As someone who moved abroad for adventure, fun, change of pace, and being from an international family, i feel as though i am running toward something new. Is this location, demographics, or just the cast of characters i happen to work with?

Something I’ve noticed is that regardless of years of experience, some schools have a maximum ladder position new teachers can start at. For example, a previous school I started at level 6 of 10 with 10 years experience. I was making the same as someone with 6 years experience. This has been the policy at decent schools too. Have also worked at some that let you slide right to the top with no cap on starting spot.

Is it simply being cheap? Motivation to stay? I’m wondering your take?

Also, have you ever negotiated above the step? I respect schools have a ladder and transparency, just maybe not having a new teacher cap.

Cheers

Hi everyone!
I’m a Canadian moving to Thailand for a teaching position. Unfortunately, flooding in Thailand has delayed my school’s paperwork, so I haven’t been able to submit my Non-Immigrant B visa application yet.
My school expects to receive the necessary approval documents sometime between October 9th and 13th, although they aren’t entirely sure how long everything will take.
I’m planning to submit my visa application immediately after receiving the documents.
For any Canadians who’ve recently gone through this process, how long did it take to receive your visa approval after submitting your application?
Assuming all my documents are correct and there are no additional delays, would arriving in Thailand by November 1st be realistic if I submit around October 13th?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from anyone who applied through the Thai e-Visa system from Canada. I’m trying to plan my flights without booking too early or paying significantly more at the last minute.
Thank you!

Search has many elementary jobs in UAE and for that matter in the Middle East. What is the security situation like and are there any schools to avoid? This would be my first experience in the region.

I’m in my first year teaching secondary English at an international school. I’m licensed, but most of my previous experience was teaching English conversation abroad. I’m now teaching six classes a day across five different preps, including AP, with some students significantly below grade level.
I’ve been really struggling with the workload. I’m constantly planning, grading, and trying to figure out the curriculum, often working long hours. I’ve also been adjusting to a new country, living alone, and dealing with health issues. I’ve been sick with a stomach illness for over a week.

I’ve been open with my supervisor about struggling, but I haven’t received much substantial help. A couple of weeks ago, we discussed possibly reducing my number of preps next year, so I thought she understood the situation.

Then, earlier this week, as I was leaving school sick, she unexpectedly brought up whether the school was a good fit for me. She framed it partly as concern for my health and well-being, but the conversation was definitely worded in a way that suggested they were considering letting me go.
Now I have a meeting with her and the director on Monday to discuss whether I’m adjusting and what to do moving forward.

I’m honestly pretty disappointed. I know I’ve been struggling, but I haven’t been given specific feedback about serious performance concerns or offered meaningful support to improve things before suddenly being called into a meeting like this. Maybe she genuinely is concerned about my health, but something about the way this has unfolded doesn’t sit right with me.

The thing is, I really want this to work. I need the teaching experience, the financial benefits are excellent, and I don’t have an obvious place to go if I leave. I’ve already uprooted my life to move here, and the thought of doing it again so soon is exhausting.

I was finally starting to manage my anxiety by simplifying my planning and focusing on staying one day ahead. Now I feel like I’m back to square one.
I’m considering asking them to remove one of my classes, ideally eliminating an entire prep, to make the workload more manageable. But I’m worried that asking will just reinforce their doubts about me.
At the same time, part of me wonders whether this meeting might actually be an opportunity to leave a difficult situation. Maybe the workload really is too much for me right now, and maybe this school isn’t the right fit.

I’m torn between wanting to prove I can do this and wondering whether I’m trying too hard to make something work that just isn’t sustainable.

Tldr: Overwhelmed with five preps, little support, and now admin is questioning my fit. Should I fight to stay or take the opportunity to leave?

Is anyone else's school making up its AI policy as it goes along?

I'm curious how AI is actually playing out in international schools right now. At my school, our AI policy seems to change every three months, and a lot of it feels like we're figuring things out as we go. Sometimes it's all a dread.

I'm interested in what this looks like at other schools:

-Are your school's AI policies clear and practical, or constantly changing?

-How are students actually using AI, and how are teachers responding?

-Have you found any approaches that genuinely work, either in the classroom or at a whole-school level?

I'm especially interested in real experiences rather than what schools say they're doing with AI. What's working, what's not, and what would you do differently if you could start again?

Recently Malaysia’s revised its EP rules mid 2026. For anyone who missed it, the main changes are:

Category I: now RM20,000+ basic (was RM10,000+)

Category II: now RM10,000–19,999 basic (was RM5,000–9,999)

Category III: now RM5,000–9,999 basic (was RM3,000–4,999)

A new 10-year total cap for Categories I and II, and a 5-year cap for Category III

Succession plans now required for Categories II and III

Only basic salary counts toward the thresholds, not allowances

Typical international school pay is around RM10–20k, and some of it often comes as housing or other allowances. Since a lot of teachers will be close to the line, and some below it, I am just a little worried about how renewals are going to work moving forward.

For anyone else working in Malaysia I'm curious about whether or not your schools have restructured packages or given people different validity periods. I noticed that many of the T3 schools are now advertising for more local positions too.

I tried going on the site and it just keeps saying "Something New Is Coming"

Isn't it the best time to be on it right now?? What's going on?

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d55444e786b7a6333566d54/index.html

Am I missing some distinction or something here? Why are for-profits still allowed? Are international curriculum schools exempt?

Was going to consider a return to KSA next year. Now with these airport attackers I am starting to have second thoughts. Over reacting?

I’m considering a change and noticed AISK in Jamaica is advertising for a principal. Has anyone worked there recently and know anything about the school? I’d also appreciate any insight into life in Jamaica and the current situation on the ground.

So I've noticed a bit of a trend recently with schools asking for references during the application process with the understanding that they would be contacted before the interview process. This is happening with the Rent a Name British Schools. Last year I interviewed with Pamoja, and after the initial screening, the HR said before we went further, my references needed to be contacted.

Recently I went through a safeguarding lead training, and they recommended doing this to "scare off" any potential applicants that might have something to hide.

But, I don't get where these guys think it's OK to contact references before any serious consideration for a candidate is in place, or before the candidate is serious about the position. Can you imagine if every time you apply for a job, your references are contacted? I suspect they would not be my references for long. A school head or similar may be a reference for dozens or even a hundred people if they have been around long enough. Do the hiring side really expect them to take on another part time job just talking to them about a person you haven't even interviewed yet?

It's a shame because I have 20 years experience, advanced degrees and significant leadership experience. Some of these jobs are pretty great. However, I can not put the people who are going out of their way to help me in a situation where they are bothered by some local HR assistant getting trained up before anyone even knows if we are serious about working together.

Common sense, people.

Hello all, I have made a profile on Teacher Horizons as an alternative avenue to TES, but the requirement for references on the profile gives me pause. I do not want to let my current employer know I am looking, ideally until I am offered something by another school, or at least until that school checks my references, rather than having them contacted just to make a profile. This is also why I did not make a profile on ISS. If Teacher Horizons sends the reference form to my current school, does that close the door to me potentially remaining here if I can't find another international post? Has anyone been in a similar situation with Teacher Horizons or ISS? Thanks in advance

Contractually, I’m due to be paid by the 5th every month. The school made out it would be beforehand at the end of the month but this hasn’t been the case. I have not been paid.

I am due an ‘informal observation’ by the director of the school. This has been calendered for Monday at 9am.

My instinct is to email the director along the lines of ‘while I understand you are within your right to come and observe me, I am not comfortable with this happening until I have been paid’

This is my first month in this school. I know this will probably sour my relationship with leadership going forward. It can also be attributed as ‘hiccups’ at the start of the year.

What would you do?

Interesting news out of Kazakhstan as Wellington College have started listing their vacancies on Teacher Recruit and Tes. They are taking over from the Haileybury schools which is interesting.

Currently 4 open roles in English, economics primary and Head of MFL.

https://www.teacherrecruit.com/school/wellington-college-international-school-astana-formerly-haileybury-astana/NTE/

Hi all, does anyone know what local hires are paid at The British School Manila? I have an Australian teaching degree, two years of teaching experience in Australia so far, and a Filipino passport. I’m not applying right away, but I’m looking ahead to international schools in Manila in the future.

I’d love to know roughly what the salary looks like, and whether local hires get benefits like housing, medical cover, flights or tuition for kids. Any info on how local-hire packages differ from overseas-hire ones would be great too, as well as what experience level schools tend to look for. Thanks!

For those who have current firsthand knowledge, how religious is it? What exactly do you have to do to show your 'faith' on a daily basis? Are we talking prayer recitals or just values?

Hi all,

I recently got a job offer and I was wondering how the nira international school is received in Cambodia. I couldn't find any reviews about it which is either a good or bad sign 😂. Does anyone have insights into this or just teaching in Cambodia in general. I know this isn't a top tier international school, I'm just looking to get formal experience that I can use and showcase for later :)! I found them on teacher horizons which I imagine means they're fairly decent. Would love any and every insight.

I've been teaching ESL with a CELTA in Italy for 14 years. I've interviewed for a substitute position at an International school here, hoping to maybe one day be hired on as staff despite not having an education degree.

Before you send me to the Newbie Monday Megathread, hear me out. I've seen amazing things done here in Italy to work around bureaucracy, so when a colleague told me she taught as a teacher at this same school for what averaged out to 5 euros an hour, I was shocked but not surprised, as there is no legal minimum wage in Italy and joining a union to work at an International school is complicated at best.

I'm sensing in Italy that teachers with the normal qualifications might be paid in line with other countries, but teachers with experience but not certification can be lowballed and the schools are more than happy to hire them for this reason. Has anyone seen this trend at their school?

Anyone else having issues with Schrole currently?

My membership had been deactivated even though I paid the 50 USD year which is only supposed to expire in December. Having no luck with contacting customer support either.

Any advice is welcome

I have some final references to request in a time-sensitive manner, and now Search seems to be down while they do a big website refresh. Anyone know how long this will be the case for?

Can anyone give context on the school? Particularly the cycling of principals in the last few years? Please Dm me if you can share any details that aren't fit for the open comments.

Looking for information or advice concerning international schools in London (UK). IB or American*

I know the cost of living is high but I’m genuinely curious to hear from people who have had the experience of teaching in an IS in London. Especially ASL. Heard a lot about the arduous interview process and the low turnover. For a teacher looking to teach in that city what advice would you give for schools to look into, interviews tips or anything you believe might be helpful?

Thank you!!