I was feeling stagnant in the UK, so I moved to teach in Malaysia

Published on 6th September, 2019 by Gemma McSweeney. Published in For Candidates / TIC News

Helen Maisey is a Geography teacher from the UK. This academic year she is moving to teach at Tenby International School Setia Eco Gardens, in Johor, Malaysia. We spoke to Helen about what she is looking forward to most about living and working in Malaysia:

“I decided to teach overseas because I wanted a new challenge. I’d been teaching in the UK for nine years and I’d reached a point at my school where I was feeling stagnant. Teaching in the UK was all encompassing; I needed a new adventure.


New culture, new opportunities


I think this role in Malaysia will be the challenge I need; working within a new culture will be exciting, and I’m looking forward to learning from my students about their way of life. I hope that the move will give me a sense that the world is still very much out there, ready for me to explore. 


I can’t wait to travel around Asia. We get a lot of public holidays, more than in the UK, which will give me the opportunity to see more of the continent. The Malaysian food is also something I’m looking forward to!

Of course, there will be difficult aspects to moving overseas. I have a very wide social network in the UK and I’ll miss my family and friends. It’ll be a challenge to start again but equally, I’m looking forward to meeting new people. 


TIC’s support

I really value the support TIC gave me. Gemma was fantastic; she checked in with me regularly, and she was genuinely happy for me when I was offered the position!”

If you are interested in teaching internationally, register with TIC here for free. It’s quick and easy and gives you access to many international school jobs in reputable, accredited international schools, some that are not advertised anywhere else.

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Gemma McSweeney

Gemma is our Associate Director, having joined TIC in 2009. With over 15 years experience of recruitment and selection methods, she specialises in matching teachers and leaders with our international school partners. She has attended many international education conferences and has visited a number of international schools over the years. She uses this experience to best advise our teachers, leaders and schools and manage our team and UK operations.