If I told you that in the span of three days you could find yourself forced to clearly identify your educational philosophy, express it to as many as 12 administrators and be committed to living and teaching in a different country for two years would you be interested to hear more? Would you go? I did, and it changed my life. I attended the 3-day international school recruitment fair in Waterloo, Iowa in February 2007. It was demanding, affirming and very intense. In the end not only did I leave Iowa knowing I had a full time 4th grade classroom teacher position in Honduras, I also realized how important it is to find a school that will support your educational vision.
The University Of Northern Iowa has hosted the fair for over 30 years. This year there were over 100 schools in attendance and 600 eager teachers looking to take their passion to a different country. In the end I had 9 interviews with schools throughout Latin America and India. I was offered 4 positions and accepted one at the Discovery School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I am writing this article to encourage anyone with ambitions to spend time living in another country to attend this event. It is a truly amazing experience.
On the first day of the fair you find yourself waiting outside the doors of a gigantic room full of school administrators standing behind tables looking to hire you. However, you are not alone: there are 600 other candidates who have the same feeling you do. You are all highly qualified teachers and you are all worthy of teaching anywhere in the world. That said, you’d expect the tension to be high, but the truth of the matter is that everyone is so outside of the environment that they are used to, that you stand united and find yourself supporting each other with words of encouragement, taps on the back and even hugs. The doors open and everyone moves inside. This is the part where you had better have done your research: know what schools you’re interested in and why. You walk around the room for over an hour making initial contact and asking for interviews. Have your resume polished and your firm handshake at the ready. This is your first impression.
After the chaos dies down it is time to assess your situation, figure out how many interviews you have, eat some lunch and drink some water. I had three interviews during the afternoon of the first day. I intentionally set up interviews with schools that I was only mildly interested in first. That way I could establish a rhythm before I had to speak with schools that were on the top of my list. The administrators have about 30 minutes to understand who you are and how you think children learn best. At the same point, you have to learn the same about them. If you haven’t already learned this skill, this is the point where you figure out how to express your philosophy crisp and clearly, and assess whether a school would be a good match for you. The administrators want to know that you are a great teacher so have some samples of the work you do but not an entire portfolio, be ready to talk about all your specific problem solving strategies for classroom management, and explain why you will thrive in a country that doesn’t use English (in other words why you won’t feel like you want to go home after 5 months).
The next day, I had interviews with schools in Mexico, El Salvador, India, Ecuador, Columbia and of course Honduras. My initial goal going into the fair was to get a job in Ecuador. Within 30 minutes my dream was within reach, the interview went very well and before I knew it the offer was on the table. All I wanted to do was say yes, but something told me not to. I needed to crawl back to my hotel to drink more water and sleep. I had been talking education jargon non-stop for over 9 hours, running up and down the stairs of a 9 story hotel building and engrossed in the excitement of making a decision that would last for at least two years. I was in no position to make the choice until the third day.
During your interview, if an administrator decides they want you to work for them they will offer you a contract to sign on the spot. There is pressure to accept the position but you can wait; I chose to wait. When I woke up the next day it was very clear to me: Ecuador would have to be put on hold. I wanted to live in the country very badly, but the philosophy of the school paled in comparison to that of the Discovery School, the Director of which is an award-winning educator who believes that children learn best when they “discover” knowledge for themselves. If you attend Antioch hopefully this notion sounds familiar to you by now. If you have ambitions to teach overseas I encourage you to explore the opportunities found at international job fairs. The fair in Iowa is held every year in February.
I invite you to explore the Discovery School at http://www.discoveryschool.edu.hn
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