US Certified Teachers Can Teach Overseas
Your Journey Begins with Learning
US certified teachers have lots of reasons for teaching internationally. Teachers abroad save more money than at home thanks to comprehensive employment packages that include housing, higher take home pay and lower cost of living. Teachers teaching abroad get to see more of the world and experience new cultures, broadening themselves personally. They work alongside teachers from all over the world and learn new teaching skills and new curricula. There are more reasons than we can count.
Where can I teach internationally?
There are currently over 12,000 international schools around the world, however most US teachers start their international teaching careers in either the Middle East or the Far East. Why? Because these regions have the largest concentration of international schools, and they pay the highest salaries. Most US certified teachers teach for several years in these regions to get the critical experience and professional development they need, getting their foot on the first rung of the International School ladder. Then the sky is the limit.
US teachers wanting to teach abroad are often keenly interested in Europe, but the challenge is that many European schools are limited to hiring only teachers who have an EU passport. Staff turnover is usually very low in European schools so there are very limited opportunities for teachers, especially those who have not yet taught internationally. We recommend teachers look first at the areas with more schools and opportunities to get their feet wet, then move over to more popular regions like Europe once they have proven international experience.
Ready to start your journey? Get your resume and Register now!
What kind of curriculum do the schools use?
About a quarter of schools use a US curriculum, and another quarter use an international curriculum like the International Baccalaureate. About half use the English National Curriculum (eg United Kingdom) which is quite different in many ways to the US Common Core curriculum so some UK curriculum schools won’t often consider US teachers because it’s a big learning curve.
A growing percentage of international schools are bilingual, combining the host country language and even parts of the curriculum as well as the international curriculum and English. There a huge spectrum. We find that many US teachers from states that have more language diversity are particularly well suited to bilingual schools You are not required to speak a foreign language, as you will be teaching in English, but having skills to teach English language learners is a plus.
What are the requirements?
Every country has different requirement and every school has different preferences (which is why we are here to help!), but some basic requirements for international schools are:
- Bachelor’s degree in your teaching subject
- Teacher training such as a Bachelors or Masters of Education*
- Full US teacher certification*
- A clear criminal record check is required in many countries
* note- some countries will accept a non-education related Bachelor’s degree and full teacher certification without a Masters of Education. Some will not. Edvectus can help advise you based on your training and experience.
There are also some restrictions on age in a number of countries making it harder for those over 55 (more here). We don’t recommend you try to bring a pet abroad (more here), and those with a spouse/partner and/or dependent children should read about some of the challenges here.
Ready to start your journey? Get your resume and Register now!
What about Covid Vaccinations?
Currently most countries we deal with require teachers to be fully vaccinated to enter the country, or to be vaccinated soon after arrival. Teachers who are unwilling to be vaccinated against Covid -19 are unable to be considered for our posts at the moment.
What subjects are in highest demand?
International schools teach many of the same subjects as schools in the US, though some subjects are modified to meet local culture. The subjects in highest demand:
- Elementary and Kindergarten homeroom and specialists
High School Mathematics, Science, Computers and Engineering
- High School/Middle School English Language and Literature
- Music, Art
- Economics
- Social Studies, History, Geography
- Special Educational Needs
- Physical Education (especially Female)
But also needed regularly: Librarian, School Counsellors, Drama, Business Studies, EAL, and more
Note for Americans about our terminology. Edvectus was founded in the United Kingdom and although we have an office in North America we use UK terminology on our website for consistency even if we are working with a US school. Some rough translations to get you started:
- Primary (KS1/KS2) = Elementary (lower /upper),
- Early Years/Nursery = Kindergarten,
- ICT = Computer studies,
- Design Technology = Engineering,
- SEN=Special Ed,
- Head Teacher = Principal and
- Humanities = Social Studies
We apologise in advance!
All US Common Core jobs: https://www.edvectus.com/joblist/vacancies?curriculaId=87
but note that some schools and jobs using other curricula are happy to look at US teacher applications. Our consultants can point you to the right ones.
Ready to start your journey? Get your resume and Register now!
How do I get started or find out more?
Registering with Edvectus is free, and all you need is a resume (CV/Curriculum Vitae - another translation you should know!) so we can see your education and experience which helps us match you against the work visa requirements of the different countries we work with. Don’t worry about having the perfect resume at this stage- we can help guide you along the way with tips and advice. Simply register here and our consultants (who are internationally experienced ex-teachers themselves - like Carrie one of our North American consultants) will contact you to find out more about you and explain what kinds of opportunities we have. Most of our jobs are online here but we can help point you to the best jobs for your personal situation and goals.
5 minute registration to unlock our jobs and assistance: Register with your resume here or send your resume to USTeacher@edvectus.com