As promised, here are two more daily accounts of our consultants’ work adventures – this time all the way from Somerset, UK and Cairo, Egypt! Talk about the varied life our consultants lead! Contact Teacher Horizons and discuss your options of teaching in a new exciting destination. But first, grab yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee and find out what Catherine and Maggie are up to when it comes to living and working abroad.
Meet Catherine
“On a clear day I can see across to the Nile river and the deserts beyond. The pyramids of Giza and Saqqara are often visible as well! Sunset views from my office are the best.”
1/ Where are you based and how do you start your day?
I am based in Cairo, Egypt.
Every morning starts with coaxing my 6 month old puppy out the door. Ideally, this is followed up by slowly sipping a cup of tea on my balcony as I scan through e-mails. The reality is though that it’s more often a cup of tea on the go as I sprint to get ready and out the door!
2/ How many teachers on average do you Skype (or communicate with) per week?
As a part-time recruitment adviser, this varies hugely depending on the time of year. On average though I Skype 3-5 candidates a week and communicate with 40+ per week!
3/ What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
The most enjoyable part of my job is chatting with people from all over the world. I love finding out about the places they’ve lived and the engaging lessons they share with their students.
4/ What are the challenges of your job?
Time zones are always a challenge. But the bigger challenge for me is that teachers in my subject areas all have such niche skill sets and the right job always comes up at the wrong time!
5/ What’s the team like and how do you cooperate?
The TH team is so welcoming and it’s fantastic to have colleagues spread across the four-corners. We’re always bouncing e-mails back and forth to each other. And the monthly Skype meetings are a fun combination of endless jokes and getting through the agenda. Even though I’ve never met them in person, I know that we’re all of the same mindset!
6/ How often do you get to visit schools and do you get to travel?
Travel – always! I’m still teaching part-time as well and my school visits are related to that side of my life.
7/ Describe the view from your office
On a clear day or a smoggy one?
On a smoggy day I see the satellite dishes crowding the roof tops around me. But on a clear day? Wow! I can see clear across to the Nile river and the deserts beyond. The pyramids of Giza and Saqqara are often visible as well! Sunset views from my office are the best.
8/ Why would you recommend your area to international teachers?
Cairo is a great city to be based in, particularly for teachers who are new to the international teaching scene. There are so many other international schools that it’s really easy to integrate yourself with a new group of friends. Egypt is a good balance of having the bizarre ‘quirks’ of life abroad, while still having easy access to the comforts of home (cheese!). Of course, it’s also a great part of the world to be based in if you’re interested in ancient history. Not only are the sites here incredible, but it’s just a short flight over to Lebanon, Jordan, Israel or Turkey!
9/ How do you spend your time after work?
Wandering the streets with my puppy. Cooking and savouring every tasty morsel. Taking photos of my quirky neighbourhood. Working on my master’s degree. Fantasizing about the next adventure.
10/ How do you celebrate when a perfect match between teacher and school is made?
I jump up and down, a lot, there’s usually also screaming and high-fives involved. 🙂
Meet Maggie
“We all have quite different personalities, but we gel very well as a team.”
1/ Where are you based and how do you start your day?
I am based in North Somerset in a sleepy little village quite close to Cheddar. I start my day by attaching myself to a vat of coffee and putting on some very loud 90’s rave music to recover from the school run and focus myself on the day ahead!
2/ How many teachers on average do you Skype (or communicate with) per week?
It varies depending on the time of year as certain times of year are busier than others. I would say that I speak to between 35 – 40 people during a busy times and 10 – 15 during quieter times.
3/ What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
Listening to the different life journeys that people have been on and the reasons why they have chosen to work on the international school circuit. Also, of course – matching the perfect candidate to their dream job! I find the team meetings enjoyable because even though having so many people on a Skype call at the same time can be challenging (and hilarious!), it’s great to be able to touch base with everyone.
4/ What are the challenges of your job?
It is hard when schools take their time to make decisions about teachers. It’s great to be able to keep people in the loop about how their application is progressing and it’s frustrating when this is not possible.
5/ What’s the team like and how do you cooperate?
We all have quite different personalities, but we gel very well as a team. I believe that the common thread is a somewhat quirky sense of humour and an adventurous spirit. The fact that we gel is all the more surprising because many of us are scattered around the globe.
6/ How often do you get to visit schools and do you get to travel?
There are great opportunities to travel in my imagination because I speak to teachers and schools from all over the world on a daily basis. I am a little less free to travel because of my daughter, but looking forward to a tour of our schools in China and Hong Kong later in the year. It was amazing to see all the team members in real life in Cambodia last year.
7/ Describe the view from your office
Sadly not as glamorous and exciting as some of my team members – just a narrow village street with rows of cottages. There is a disused water pump opposite the house which I am sure has some historical meaning!
8/ How do you spend your time after work?
I detach myself from the vat of coffee and switch the 90’s rave music on to prepare myself for the reverse school run and homework phobia which usually sets in at about 5pm.
9/ How do you celebrate when a perfect match between teacher and school is made?
A big whoop whoop and shout out/dance round my office followed by a virtual gong connected to the gong in the office in Cambodia!
The world is full of opportunities. So, where in the world will YOU teach?
