> Pros and cons of children learning in an international school
Welcome to the hotseat job2teach Lia. Background, Lia and I have known for more than 4 years from when I help some of the back of the hiring needs. Lia has recently qualified as a teacher and has been working on two international schools in Phuket. She has three lovely children, and has been to balance the study, teaching, work and motherhood - university of arizona outreach college.
1. Lia, tell me about this teacher training course, what is? Where did you get? How long it took and how much it cost?
Although I am from England, spent half my life in the United States and was more familiar with the courses available there. I did a degree in Education with certification in line with the University of Phoenix in Arizona. It took me three years and eventually became a four-month placement American International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The course was very comprehensive and prepared me well. The university worked closely with my mentors and supervisors to ensure they meet all course requirements. I turned nose up at the online courses before, but I highly recommend it, especially working parents or parents who do not work too! The question for me was spending. It cost me about ? 20,000. I student loans. It was well worth it.
2. As a mother of 3 children and a teacher, what do you think are the pros and cons of having children in international schools in Phuket - do not hesitate to go for it!
I will answer this based on living in Phuket, and not only attend the International School of Phuket.
Let's start with the pros. My children have friends from all over the world. As a result, I think they see the world as a very small place and accessible. It is very cheap to travel around Southeast Asia. They have been in Bali and Singapore. They have seen things I never would have dreamed. Are there signs? Of course not! All they want is to go to England or the United States and go shopping! Who want to delve into the land of consumerism. Thailand toys break in less than 30 seconds and quality toys are imported, so the price tends to be 3 times more than at home. We do not buy! We try to live a simpler life in this regard. Our money is spent on travel and entertainment. Once again, I do not always appreciate, but they will when they get older, I hope. My children are bilingual, as a result of living here. That is half Thai and is quite easy to adapt to Thai culture when they are with his family in Thailand. They live a life of expatriates in the country of his father. This may be strange for him. We are a Western family and live as such. When my husband is mixed with local friends, becomes one of them completely. When I go into this environment, I adapt. I like this, as they come to experience the two cultures in one place.
Ok, cons. Expatriates living in a bubble! Most of us we are not dipping into the local culture. We can not even when we want. We'll never be accepted. Our skin color and see what prevents it. No matter how you speak or knowing that local customs are, only that it will be one of them. I love the life of expatriates. I have also friends around the world, but I wonder if it really affects children. They live in a dream world as a sub-culture, where there are almost a different set of rules than others. I can get my kids to buckle up, but people that their children practically hanging from the pickup. Babies sit in the front seat of the car on mom's lap, sometimes almost crawling on the dashboard. They do not see it coming accidents, however, leads us to expect. This is just one example.
You can send your child to a school in Thailand, but this is like stepping back in time 100 years. They teach only through memorization. Students are not allowed to ask questions because it is considered disrespectful. They listen and regurgitate. No wonder why or how. They just accept it. Skills are usually child beating. Ok, most progressive local schools no child beating. They just right on the hand with a ruler when the wrong answer!
Most expatriates have home support in the country, some even have a joint team to manage the house and children. Many families have a nanny / maid. Children grow accustomed to this. They drop their clothes on the floor of his bedroom and what happens next is a mystery. All that magically makes his way back into the draw. Dirty dishes were left on the table and no one cares when they leave toothpaste smeared all over the bathroom sink. The bathrooms are always spotless, because someone picking up after the family all the time. All this costs more than ? 200 a month, so why do his dirty work? Why? because if you do not, your kids will be clueless slobs, lazy. I had a maid come from Monday to Friday for about 4 hours a day. We left the house in chaos and back to peace and perfection. This was great for me, but one day I asked my 11 year old to open the door for me as we were entering the driveway. His response: "Why? Let's get it. What you pay?" I was mortified. Now I have a cleaned twice a week to do the floors and bathrooms only. My kids have homework and have to collect themselves. It's more work for me, but better for them in the long term.
Many of the expatriates here in Phuket children grow with very little contact with the Thai people. The only contact they may have with the local population is those who serve them and teaching assistants in their classrooms. This sends all kinds of messages. The funny thing is that a middle class family can live a very rich here, but what happens when that child at age 18 returned to their home country for college? They are like everyone else and have to do their dirty work. They have to start from scratch by doing manual work just to pay the rent. For us, this is part of youth. Hope that the experience and learn and grow from it. A child who has grown up in an expatriate community may not have the basic knowledge to manage a household or take care of themselves for that matter.
Now I do not have to be. Up to parents to keep a sense of reality at home. Children model what they see. My family and I enjoy the benefits of living for expatriates, but also enjoy the Thai culture, the locals do too. I strive to have my children home every summer, so see how to 'stack the shelves white people too. "They see a real class system here and may feel they are at the top of the hierarchy. You have to bring back to earth from time to time, they appreciate what they have.
In Phuket, children see too much in too little time. All we have to do is drive down the road and we'll see bar girls yelling at passers-by, sitting on the lap of a tourist sweaty, man. There are many lady boys away from home for a living perhaps in a restaurant or 7 / 11. Then, some are dressed up in the entertainment industry. Children are very aware of what is happening. They are used for child sex tourists and lady. It's a joke in the family! Another problem is road accidents. People drive like crazy, they put a whole family on a motorcycle without a helmet. Nobody sees when removed. Motorcycle driving on the wrong side of the road. There are accidents, many of them. Is a common occurrence to see a fatal accident on the way to school in the morning. This is hard for children. Sometimes I worry that look too and then I assure you they are much more resilient than we give them credit. I grew up very sheltered and do not think I made any personal favor.
While my list of cons is longer than a professional, good really outweighs the bad here. It's just important to keep your kids grounded. Making contact with both the local culture as possible and instill in them the importance of respect and joy in cultural diversity.
3. Do most schools in Thailand include the fees of their own children's school of education?
Yes, usually one teacher receives 2 children and a teacher will receive 3 pair.
4. If they leave their children in school for a discount rate or even free, you earn less than other teachers?
No, the package will be the same. His salary must be based on qualifications and years of experience.
5. Would you say that schools are looking for a certain type of teacher / package?
There are many international schools all over Thailand now. Schools that offer the best packages you are looking for highly qualified teachers and at least 3 years experience in international schools, usually. They make the most of their overseas recruitment through job fairs. Your ideal employee would be a couple teacher. They like couples with children, since it is likely to be in the position for longer than his initial two-year contract. In addition, the school saves money in the house with a partner. It's almost like buy one get one free! Here are the individual teachers. If your partner is also a teacher, you will definitely have an edge over the competition. The least desirable candidate is a teacher with children, someone like me! Although I am married, my husband is a teacher. It will be difficult for me to get a job with 3 kids and rent abroad. This is not a problem for me as I am happy to be in Thailand. It will always be a local hire, I'm here. Often, this means that wages are the same, but you miss out on benefits such as a transportation allowance, flights return to their country of origin, and sometimes accommodation.
6. Languages ??- Are you bilingual children?
Yes, they speak English and Thai. His father is from Thailand, so it was important for us to be able to relate to the Thai culture. Language is necessary to do this. However, they are much more Western than Thai.
7. Are there plans to send children back to the homeland for some training for life in the UK?
This is so important! Ideally, go home once a year during summer vacation. Unfortunately, finances does not always allow. This year I sent to my house 12 years old son to live with his grandmother for a month. Since expatriate children living in a bit of a bubble is so important for them to return to the West as much as possible. They are about how people work hard, do unwanted jobs to make ends meet young people, etc. My kids go to college in the United Kingdom, USA or Australia. We're not sure yet, but you have the option. Once they are about 15, I hope they get home each year for a summer job. There are no opportunities for students to work here, which is a great inconvenience to raise teenagers here.
8. Already installed or is eager to go and teach in any other country?
We solved for now. At this point, I'm just thinking of buying experience and work my way to one of the most desirable schools, which offer a better package. This should take 2 to 3 years. Once my children are in college, I have the intention to teach in other countries. As a teacher, you can work anywhere in the world!
9. How do you and your family spend the weekend?
We're usually happy just to relax. We have the beach, plenty of resorts with swimming pools for children. They prefer to go to Central, a large shopping mall, where you can cruise around and be cool. Go to the movies often. My oldest is football, so most weekends we have a match to see. Children have sleepovers with friends. We also have plenty of friends of the family to spend time with the night. These are times when adults and children can have fun running too wild-fits-all!
10. What do the children for extracurricular activities?
They do soccer, kung fu and singing at this time. It is used to do hip hop and tennis as well. In the past also have guitar and keyboard. There are plenty of activities for children through his school program after school activities and in the community. The advantage is that all these lessons are much more affordable than at home.
11. His eldest son has just won a scholarship to the PIA, how proud you are?
Ah, it's a dream come true. The facilities at this school are the best, plus they have the contacts and resources to give children every opportunity in the world. It is an International Baccalaureate school which is an advantage because they focus on internationally minded citizens and global molding. I have totally fallen in love with their mission statement! I hope eventually to teach.
12. Please give us your top 5 skills to install on their children?
For me, the focus is more on attributes rather than skills. I encourage (and try to model) mental responsibility, respect, honesty, compassion and internationally.
As far as skills go, I have to say I think that the focus these days has to be in technology, multilingualism thinking skills, problem solving and critical. Our children will be forced to confront the challenges that we can not even imagine right now. They must be able to think for themselves. I think we also have to face challenges with a global perspective and humanitarian, so the skills will be useless without the character traits that I mentioned first.
13. What you like most about being an expatriate teacher?
My favorite thing is to provide a classroom full of children around the world. We learn much from each other. When there is no standard, everyone is accepted and celebrated. No prejudices.
One of the issues to teaching in international schools is that very often, working with children very privileged. To balance this, I believe it is imperative that schools reach the local community and share resources. This goes along with the promotion of responsibility in students. Most international schools require students to participate in more community outreach programs. In my last school, he organized a collection of clothes for an orphanage in northern Thailand. He also started a relationship with Sunshine Village, a home for children without parents, I hope the school will build. It is important that children with other children from lower socioeconomic situations, especially with children in their host country. Both groups of children have much to learn from each other. So in answer to your question, my favorite thing about being a teacher expatriate, is seeking opportunities to work with local children. This work is more rewarding to work in the classroom!
14. Do you have any plans to do an MA or open your school?
I'm not going to open my own school, though proceed to the opening and operation of a school, as long as someone took over the business side of things. My husband is self-employed and I never want to lose their way. The opening of a school in Thailand is a real headache. The bureaucracy is endless!
I plan to have an MFA from the moment I have 40, so I have 5 years. I have the hope of finding a school / company that wants to pay for it