Becoming a Successful International Teacher

Articles

Podcasts and CPD

Welcome to my site! Thank you for your visit.

I am Jess Gosling, an Early Years teacher who has been working internationally in different settings, including international schools, for more than 10 years. I have been awarded the status of ‘Fellow’ by the Chartered College of Teaching, in recognition of the work I have been doing in education.

I have taught in both local/state and international schools in England, Egypt, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. My roles have varied, beginning as an Assistant Language Teacher (EAL), moving on to a Teaching Assistant, and then to qualify as a teacher in 2007. My specialism was KS1, but over time, my passion has grown in the Early Years sector. In 2018, I completed a Masters in Childhood Studies and Early Years, part of which was an action research project investigating pre-verbal children.

I have recently completed a placement in Poland, Warsaw, where I was the phase leader for Nursery through Year 1. I supported the development of a new early years campus due to open in September 2024. I also taught Reception and led whole-school CPD.

For the 2024/25 academic year I have had a shift in my position, whereby for the first time I will travel to my new placement country without taking a full-time teaching position. This will allow me to help with the transition of my family, set up base in Thailand and also be open for other opportunities!

I regularly write, for publications, my facebook group and via my blog on this site. I have developed and led training, creating webinars for The National College and training for conferences such as 21CLHK, both in person and online. I am very interested in educational content writing.

My Why

I am a passionate international teacher. I taught in the UK two years prior to overseas, and I fully understand the idea that international teaching is the ‘secret’. Creating a work-life balance, plus pursuing interests outside of school (and raising a family), doesn’t need to be a dream. Being able to focus on the children drives many of us. If you are interested in international teaching, please feel free to contact me with questions, I am always happy to help when I can.

Furthermore, I have several platforms including this page to support international teachers:

A Facebook page and group, so if you want your questions answered by a number of teachers, try here: New to International Schools Teachers.

I’ve written a full guide on how to find an international teaching job, complete the move and continue to thrive in the placement. You can access videos of the content here (Part 1 and Part 2).

I regularly blog, write and share my experiences. In 2022 I designed an area of my website to also share other teacher’s views of living overseas, which you can access here.

Recommended Resources

I highly can recommend is WomenEd. The grass-roots charity are a fantastic resource for teachers, especially those aspiring for leadership roles. You can access the international CV clinic webinars here and here.

I am now offering services to support international teachers, which includes a CV improvement service, specially for British international schools applications. You can find out more here.

Finally, a new recruitment app has been released (December 2024). If you are tired of filling out multiple forms for different school groups/schools, you can fill in just one and swipe through roles tailored to your requirements. Teacher Recruit is completely free for teachers and recommended.