Should I stay or should I go? Advice for graduating teachers
Should you complete your NQT before moving abroad to teach in an international school?
Two young British teachers who are currently teaching at Qatar International School in the Middle East talk about the different experiences they’ve taken to get there. One teacher gained her experience in the UK before moving abroad, while the other went overseas straight after graduation. Here’s what they have to say about their experiences:
I moved abroad after 3 years teaching in England
Heather Tinsley graduated with a teaching degree from Bath University in England. “I spent three years teaching History and Geography in Greenwich and my time there really taught me how to teach,” she says. “To be observed by Senior Management and to go through an Ofsted inspection has made me into the teacher that I am today. Completing my NQT was definitely the best advice I could have had.”
Heather moved from Greenwich to teach at Qatar International School in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. “Teaching in an international school has made me more sympathetic to the learning needs of EASL children and made me adapt my methods; that’s a really good skill that I know will benefit me long-term,” she says. “There are other benefits, such as networking with teachers from other countries to share cultural differences of teaching. Before I came here, I thought that I didn’t want to go to the Middle East but the cultural change has not been a huge problem. It’s actually very easy to live and work here.”
I moved to teach abroad straight after graduation
Ben Brown did his teacher training at Gloucestershire University in England. “After university, I wanted to go travelling and save some money,” he says. “A friend of mine recommended teaching overseas - I didn’t know opportunities like that were available for graduates. After doing some research, I thought ‘great, I can do this!’” Ben also went to teach at Qatar International School.
Although he hasn’t yet completed his NQT, Ben says his professional development opportunities are really good. I’m learning so much from the teachers here. They are all experienced and happy to share their skills and creative ideas. They allow other teachers to go into their classroom to watch their teaching – we all do this. It’s helping me through the learning process. Everyone is like family here - they support you professionally and personally.”
You can read more about Ben’s experiences here
So which should you choose?
Andrew Wigford, Managing Director of TIC says “Ben has been very lucky with his opportunity and is gaining some highly valuable experience. But if he decides he wants to return to teach in the UK, he will have to complete his NQT and may find he’ll have to begin on a very low rung of the salary band. If he chooses to move to another international school, he may also find his options are limited without full qualifications.
Don’t wait for an NQT international job to pop up as they are rare. Your best option is to complete your NQT in your home country, try and get one or two years’ experience of teaching in England, or teaching with the National Curriculum of England or the International Baccalaureate. Three years will go by in a flash and then you will have all the experience you need to teach virtually anywhere in the world.”
Even while gaining the qualifications and experience you need, you can start to plan your job move overseas now. Register with TIC Recruitment today to get free advice and guidance from the TIC team. There are also some great resources for teachers, such as the TIC Blog, the International School Community website and the new Teaching Overseas Student and Graduate Hub on LinkedIn. Do your research and, when the right time comes, you will be ready for that move. Good luck!
You might also be interested in these informative blogs:
Graduating teachers – Ten tips for planning for teaching jobs overseas
What's it like working in a new international school?
How do you become a teacher in an international school?
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Andrew Wigford
Andrew is Managing Director of TIC. He has been involved in international education both as a teacher and Headteacher for over 25 years and has worked in Germany, Colombia and Austria. He set up TIC recruitment in 2005 to help teachers find great jobs in great international schools.
Deputy Head Primary