To paraphrase Miss Jean Brodie, it is a teacher’s duty to lead their students out of the darkness of ignorance. This implies that leadership is a major quality of a great teacher. If we are educating the leaders of the future, not only should we be role models as leaders, but we ought to develop our students’ leadership skills and attributes in our teaching.

Normally you would sit at interview, meet some of your future colleagues, read an inspection report and go on a school tour. So, with just an hour skype interview for international schools, how do you go about assessing whether this one is a great school?

Ever wanted to secure a great new international school job whilst wearing underwear!?

97% of Teacher Horizons’ placements have happened via Skype interviews. With internet speeds improving globally and with schools becoming more technology savvy, Skype interviews are likely to become common practice amongst schools. Skype interviews are far preferable to recruitment fairs and make much more sense than flying across the world at huge expense.

It’s a common myth that teaching abroad is seen as a gap year by some teachers. In my opinion, these teachers are narrow and lack an appreciation for their own education.

Teaching today is very demanding and very challenging. Unlike the past, teachers are expected to be all-rounders and technologically sound. Teaching has become more of a technique (yes of course teaching is an art as well) rather than just being a subject-expert delivering lectures.

80 percent of applications are thrown in the bin or ignored at first glance. Why? The covering letter is either a generic one, regurgitates what is on the profile / CV or is poorly put together. We want your application to be part of that 20 percent! One of Head’s biggest concerns with online applications is that candidates aren’t serious applicants. Here’s some hints on how to ensure you are part of the 20% and get you onto that interview shortlist.

Time flies, doesn’t it? I first left Australia way back in March 2005 to take up a teaching position in Japan. Well, I use the term ‘teaching’ generously- my job was to make sure my class of ten Japanese three-year- olds sat still on their chairs while they sang English songs and recited nursery rhymes. Ugh…

Gone are the days when references were used as the main criteria for judging the quality of a teacher. This is a shame, as references actually add a lot of value to an application; they reinforce a candidate’s achievements and add value to their credentials.

The first impressions are most important, as 80% of the final outcome are made (on both sides!) within 5 minutes of the start.  It is taken as read that the interviewer has spent as much time in preparing and research as the interviewee.  Both sides are evaluating whether their preconceptions are valid.  The interviewer is… Read more »

The international education sector is changing fast. Gone are the days of backward, expat institutions harking back to the ‘good old’ colonial times.