When is the right time to move on?
Another guest writer! Welcome GC!
When is the right time to move on?
Making the move onto the International teaching circuit would have been a very big decision. Making the decision to move from one international school to another international school is also a very big decision.
All International teachers have different circumstances influencing their decision to stay or go. Depending on age, relationship status or the ability to return to a permanent full-time position in your home country. These differing factors will influence the decision making process. It is very difficult to fit every international teacher into a box. Therefore, it is very difficult to provide specific advice as to when it is the best time to leave a school or not.
As a result, I will not try to provide specific advice, but I will discuss my own decision-making process. I am currently working in a private high school. Students are great and the school is a recognised institution, and particularly in my city. I have just completed the third academic year of the 3year high school cycle and seen my first group of students graduate.
Reason to leave 1:
My first cohort of students have just graduated – When a teacher accompanies a class of students through an academic cycle, there is both a sense of elation and sadness. A teacher feels a sense of accomplishment when accompanying these students through the various academic programs towards a place at University. Like climbing a mountain, there is nowhere left to go. The teacher has done all they can and know it is time to find a new mountain elsewhere. Is this true? How about the students that have just completed years 11 and years 12? Doesn’t a teacher have a sense of obligation to these students that are still to complete their secondary education? It may not be a core reason to ‘move on’, but completing an academic cycle can be a positive note to end on.
Reason to leave 2:
The School management – Having taught in several countries and experienced different cultures and academic management styles, my initial thoughts on international school management are not particularly positive. Is this a reason to ‘move on’?
YES!
Will the new international school management be better anywhere else? Probably not. This may sound quite negative, and I will admit that my sphere of international experience is not as comprehensive to make a fully informed judgement. However, from monitoring ISR, speaking to experienced colleagues and from my own experiences, it is apparent that what you perceive as poor management in your current school, may be in fact, much better than the school in which you are hoping to move to.
The question is, ‘Why can international school management be so poor, sometimes?
I believe many factors contribute to this situation. Firstly, there appears to be a shortage of qualified and competent professionals on the international teaching circuit. Secondly, recruitment checks are not as stringent as they should be. Thirdly, poor management will often promote poor teachers to positions of responsibility; therefore propagating the growth of poor senior management, as these will become future school leaders.
Finally, school management often do not have any loyalty to the school, staff or students. International school management may lack the loyalty or the motivation to ensure the growth and development of the school. A school that has been led by poor management may take several years to ‘turn around’. Often new school management have neither the skills nor the motivation to do so. The grass is always greener, so if you are ‘moving on’ for this reason, then do your research.
Reason to leave 3:
Environmental reasons - When I say ‘environmental reasons’, this covers many aspects. Many international teachers become International teachers because they want to travel. This reason to ‘move on’ cannot be argued with, but I would wonder to what extent a teacher connects with the school or the students if travel is their primary reason to move on. Or, you may fully enjoy the teaching environment, but the lifestyle and location just does not tick all of your boxes.
If the external environment is a major factor then it will affect your personal life and as a consequence your teaching. A teacher must be happy and satisfied with their personal circumstance to be able to fully, and positively, engage in school life. Depending on the teacher’s personal circumstance, the decision to ‘move on’ will be influenced by many factors. If a teacher is deciding to stay on the international teaching circuit, then ‘moving-on’ is a big decision. Making the right decision for the right reason(s) is very important. Analysing and evaluating why you want to ‘move-on’ is critically important.
Controversially, I would suggest that a teacher becomes a better practitioner the longer they stay in a particular school. You may or may not agree with this statement, but being able to develop professional relationships with colleagues and students takes time. Students will respond better to international teachers who they see as being committed. Teaching your subject over many years should allow effective teachers to develop excellent and effective teaching resources.
So, to conclude, when is it the best time to ‘move on’. Every teacher’s circumstance is so different that it is very difficult to sum up in a concluding sentence. Above, I have discussed three possible reasons to move. Whenever, you decide to ‘move on’, hopefully it will be for the right reasons.
GC
Thank you so much GC, it's always a huge decision to move on or move home!
Cheers,
HB
