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.

My most recent international placement was in Taipei, as a Reception teacher in an international school. Prior to my move to East Asia, I have taught in both local/state and international schools in England, Egypt, Japan, 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 currently teach in Poland, Warsaw, at the British Primary School of Wilanow. I teach Reception and lead whole-school CPD. I regularly write for publications such as the Times Educational Supplement and School Management Plus. I lead training and have produced 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 both a passionate early years teacher and 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:

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

Secondly, I host a radio show for TeacherHug Radio, which you can listen to every weekend. It is called ‘Postcards from Teachers Overseas’, which gives candid insight into the world of teaching abroad, showcasing a different country every month. If you are interested in being interviewed please contact me.

Thirdly, I have written a full guide on how to find an international teaching job, complete the move and continue to thrive in the placement.

Finally, 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.

A further resource I can recommend is WomenEd. I created WomenEd Taiwan and they are a fantastic resource for teachers, especially those aspiring for leadership roles.

If you are looking to become an international teacher, and would like to see some example of roles, here are some of the latest Early years vacancies from one agency, Teacher Horizons. You can also find roles from Primary through to Secondary on this site.