A second blog this week follows on from my very popular blog, Where to look for international teaching jobs. I thought I’d share my experience of going directly to a school when I had already applied for a role there.
Taiwan had caught my attention for a while when I lived in Vietnam, as friends often returned from trips there exclaiming, ‘it is so green there!’, ‘everything is so calm!’, and even more importantly to me at that time, as I had a toddler, ‘there are so many parks and playgrounds!’. I was told stories of a level of safety I had never heard of before, such as a bag full of valuables (Ipad, phone, cash, passports) handed into a Police Station and retrieved by the travellers. Everyone who returned shared experiences of kindness from the Taiwanese.
Whilst I dearly loved Vietnam I recognised in 2017 that my time there was ending. I was deeply concerned about the rising pollution levels as my daughter frequently had coughs. Further, as she grew older I knew ‘Kids Cafes’ would not have the appeal to her that they once did. My husband had worked 7 years at his school and was ready for a change.
I had heard of friends of friends who had applied to the school, and never got beyond the application stage. I knew that visiting the school may set us apart from other applications if we were keen.
So, two jobs became available at our chosen school and we applied. In a separate email, we explained that we would visit Taipei in the Christmas holidays and we would very much like to visit the school. The school accepted, with the then Deputy Head promising to show us around.
When we travelled to Taiwan we knew it was a country we’d love to live. It seemed a ‘calmer’ side of Asia compared to South-East Asia, and with a three-year old we were looking for some peace! We loved the metro system and clean efficient transport to take us around. The food was wonderful and the culture seemed to fit us well. We just had a school visit left to convince us!
Walking to the school I remember feeling quite nervous. We were bringing our (then) strong-willed four-year old. We never gave her sweets but stopped for Haribo on the way, ensuring her she would have them at the end of the tour, if she listened to us and behaved. We took the tour and I was really impressed with the then-deputy head. The school felt a little too big for what I was used to, but I could see that it was well-run and organised. The tour ended with a visit to the Headmaster. We were sad to hear he was in his final year at the school, as he was warm and welcoming. He shared his snack with our daughter and I was impressed that he was most interested in me and what I had been doing (I had been on five years maternity leave at this point). We had a good feeling from this visit.
When we returned home we were offered interviews and I’m happy to say we did get that job. Leaving Vietnam was really difficult after 7 years, however, I was so pleased to be going somewhere I had already experienced and ‘knew’. I feel there were very few surprises for us.
If you have decided on a particular school as your ‘top’ school, and if a trip there is feasible, I would highly recommend you go. When I was working in the UK, this was very common and expected. It gives a context for your interview and an insider angle for the school. Even more so, there is the chance to reflect upon whether it would be a good placement for yourself and your family.
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