What the title says really. I’m after some book recommendations on assessment and feedback/assessment and reporting. Hoping to get a whole school project started and would like to get inspired and ensure all decisions we make are evidence based practice.
Thanks in advance
Hi everyone - I’m having some frustrations at my job and need advice on whether this is a universal experience for foreign teachers in Thailand, or if I may not be doing everything in order to be successful.
I work at a private, all boys school and I do love it. The boys (when we aren’t teaching) are great, the schedule is good, and my boss is generally great.
The only issue I’m having now is with classroom management. I teach P2 and P3, each class having around 40 kids. I luckily have a co-teacher who helps with discipline, but most of the classes are pure chaos. We don’t have many years of experience (only a year each), but most days are very hard. Tbh I feel like a b*tch, because I will give the teacher face often, and discipline by having the students stand up many times throughout the lesson, but I’ve noticed that many students don’t care. They keep talking, keep fighting, etc.
We have chants, prizes for the day/week/semester, smartboards to play games; I feel like we have a lot of resources. But we aren’t cutting it, and I would like to hear others experiences on whether this is a universal experience, or a me thing.
What has worked for you? What hasn’t? I appreciate all of the advice. I don’t want to be that extremely strict teacher, like I have been, but idk what else to do
Hi all,
It's that time where people at schools start organising their induction programmes for new staff, and new staff start receiving their induction programmes.
Curious as to people's thoughts here in what makes for a good induction, as well as induction red flags?
Which ai tools are you guys using for teaching? ps. If you're an old fart who hates AI, don't bother answering
Edit: I work with ESL and have been using Lesson Mate AI
For quite a few years I was a member of this website. However I have not rejoined for a couple of reasons.
Value for money: The website looks awful and is clunky. I am not at all sure that is worth the money at all and cannot see why it is relatively expensive
Overwhelmingly negative reviews: I get it, we are teachers and we like to maon but by golly there are a great majority of moany reviews as opposed to good ones.
What do others think? Is it value for money? Do you find it useful? How many people on the thread are actually members now and if not why?
Cheers,
Does anyone know anything about this school? There is nothing on Reddit that I think is specific to this campus and the few ISR reviews are old (but terrible). I am ok with the location and can't be too picky now that it is May and I still don't have a position for next year. I am only interested in a few select areas of China and need a K-12 school since I have young kids (who are fully bilingual since my wife is Chinese). I notice the job market for western HS math teachers in China is not as good as before, especially for long time teachers like me who never got certified and only want a K-12 school with tuition waivers for teachers' kids. So as long as this school doesn't require much more than 40 hours per week on campus (including lunch breaks) and has suitable family housing within walking distance of the school, then it will probably be ok for me. I already know that they have KG and primary and I am guessing that is free or close to free for teachers' kids.
Can we all agree it is time to stop sharing images of children in school social media pages and websites? With the latest news in the UK about blackmail, it feels inevitable that a big international group will be targeted. Marketing teams can surely just use AI images of children in their uniform? Baffles me the lack of care/ decision to not care.
Hi all,
I am a qualified teacher working now in a British school in Middle East. I don’t have a British certificate but a Masters degree in Education from my hometown. As I work in a British school I think it is better to have British certificate as well.
Does it open more door to me? Is an iPGCE a good choice just to be added to the CV? Just to say I have no plans to work in UK.
I see a lot of teachers not trusting the ISR system anymore. And because of that no one wants to share their positive and negative experiences anymore in the ISR group on Reddit either.
I was wondering if one was the restart this type of engagement and group, what should we name it? Thank you for all your suggestions
Hi!
I am a German primary school teacher and together with my husband, I want to emigrate to Australia. We have already started the visa process and I have a possible job offer from a school in Melbourne.
I have a question regarding my work experience and how to state this in the visa application.
In Germany, teacher education consists of two phases:
After finishing both phases, I have been working as a full-time teacher for 3 years now.
My question is:
Do the 18 months of apprenticeship count towards my work experience or not?
Happy to receive any information or practical knowledge (:
First year at the school. I have a half hour commute, start at 7:30, finish at 4:30 which makes a 45 hour week. It literally feels like I have 0 time for anything else. I'm trying to think if it's the culture draining me, or these ten-hour days.
Before I jump ship - what are your daily hours? Would be great to find out from the community!
Just curious about those who have gone through the interview process with European school. I have heard some bad things about the hiring process and never hearing back from the school. Is this true with others?
I am about to give up.
I have had my MEd since mid 2010s, full certification, I cannot get a job. Too much experience, too little experience, not enough years in this curriculum, not enough in that…
I am in SEA, 4 years UK, 4 years IB, 6 years US curriculum… I’m too much of a leader, not enough teacher; too much EY; but not enough teaching in EY, too much teaching in PY..
I’ve been too unconventional to ‘fit’. However, I truly am incredibly flexible, hardworking, and insanely willing to learn. I am also open to the salary scales that I know come along with the various number of years in whichever position.
I have CVs for each approach. I’ve had solid interviews with waits, just to be disappointed. I’ve had GREAT interviews with immediate disappointment. I’ve always been renewed, no gaps, no bad refs.
Idk, I am so discouraged at this point.
Why can’t I get a job?
Clearly using a burner for this. However, I’m giving you all the heads up.
I can only speak for the High School, and I can can confidently say I would NEVER work here again.
Pay is a joke. People were declined raises this year (around 3%) because they didn’t do enough activities outside of teaching. The admin say they came up with a new plan for next year, and average raises will be WAY less than previous structure. They say you can get around 7% (but that’s only if you do stuff in your class, do projects for your school AND do projects for the entire network and business) but there is no clear explanation as to what that looks like - and when asked - leadership couldn’t answer. If you start at the base (which they lowered for next year), and you got a 7% increase each year (nearly, if not impossible), it would take you over 15 years to reach over 10,000,000¥.
Leadership here is anything but leading - they are always in meetings with each other, never in the classroom, never in the hallway. The principal maybe knows 20 kids out of 150 names. He also mixes up teacher names. Rarely responds to emails from parents. We have a lot of kids leaving (and teachers) because of him. (This isn’t a guess, parents have used his name as the reason)
Discipline isn’t a thing. Kids skip class, chew tobacco, most definitely are high half the time. Some kids have attendance below 80%, a good chunk of kids have over 75 tardies. What does the principal do? Nada.
Staff morale: I’ve worked all around, and this place is so depressing for teachers. Luckily, they all get along. However, a group of teachers(social committee) were given a small amount of money (about 2000¥) per staff for the entire year…if you live in Japan, this amount is enough for 4 beers each for the entire year. The amount for social events and morale is nothing. Teachers had to put together their own teacher appreciation day because leadership didn’t. Teachers also have to cover classes. Don’t even get started on the coverage emails
From the principal, they are always wrong with tons of errors - teachers and coordinators usually fix it on our own.
It’s a business. It’s barely a school, besides the teacher and students. Business people who don’t even teach or work in the school make decisions for us. That makes no sense.
Turnover: this year, 9 out of the 13 teachers are leaving. Many breaking contract because of the state of the school. The kids are great, and I hope these new teachers (I heard they are trying to combine many positions to hire Less people and make the new teachers teach more) are great.
I am wondering what the process was like for others who’ve secured a teaching position at T1 schools. I am teaching at an IASAS school and would like to eventually move to another T1 school. For reference, mine was as followed:
Applied. Cover letter, resume, and written responses.
One-way timed video interview.
First interview with the department coach.
Submitted a teaching video and teaching reflection.
Second interview with a content specialist, a coordinator and a director.
Reference check.
Panel interview with the principal, the deputy principal, a coach and a coordinator.
Offer was given.
There is a serious issue in parts of China’s private “international” school sector that people outside the system may not fully understand.
Many local students are placed into so-called international pathways as a way to avoid the Chinese exam system. Instead of preparing for the Zhongkao and later the Gaokao, they are moved into programs branded as IGCSE and A-Level.
On paper, this sounds legitimate. Parents hear familiar international labels. Schools advertise Cambridge-style pathways. Students are presented as being on an overseas university track.
But in some schools, the reality is very different.
Students may be enrolled in “IGCSE” courses but never actually sit official IGCSE examinations.
Students may later be enrolled in “A-Level” courses but never actually sit official AS or A2 examinations.
The courses may be taught mostly in Chinese by local teachers, sometimes by teachers who are not trained or qualified to deliver the international curriculum in the way it is intended.
Despite this, the school transcript may still list these classes as “IGCSE” or “A-Level” courses. Internal school grades are converted into credits and GPA, even though there may be no external exam result, no Cambridge certificate, and no verified qualification behind the label.
This creates a major distinction that is often blurred:
An “IGCSE-aligned internal course” is not the same as an official IGCSE qualification.
An “A-Level-style school course” is not the same as an official AS or A2 exam result.
A school-based internal grade is not the same as an externally assessed exam-board result.
In some cases, the transcript problem goes even further. Non-academic activities such as study hall, clubs, college counseling, or vague courses like “self-leadership” may be entered as credit-bearing subjects that affect GPA. The guidance counselor may effectively act as the registrar, constructing an academic record that looks more formal than the actual program deserves.
The final diploma may also be only an internal school document, stamped with the school logo, rather than a recognized national diploma or externally validated qualification.
The result is an international-looking transcript package built from internal grades, school-created credits, inflated course labels, and questionable academic evidence.
This system serves a clear purpose.
It gives families a face-saving alternative when students are unlikely to succeed through the Zhongkao or Gaokao route.
It allows schools to market an “international pathway” without necessarily delivering a genuine international qualification pathway.
It allows weak or disengaged students to be packaged for overseas foundation programs, pathway programs, art schools, or lower-entry universities abroad.
And in many cases, overseas institutions appear willing to accept these students as long as the documents look official enough and the family can pay the deposit and tuition.
The issue is not that Chinese students need alternative pathways. Many students genuinely need options outside the Gaokao system. The issue is dishonesty.
If a school is offering internally assessed English-medium or Chinese-medium courses inspired by IGCSE or A-Level content, it should say that clearly.
If students are not sitting official IGCSE, AS, or A2 exams, the transcript should not imply that they completed those qualifications.
If a course is study hall, college counseling, or a club, it should not be treated as an academic subject equivalent to externally assessed coursework.
If the diploma is internal and unofficial, families and universities should understand exactly what it is and what it is not.
The larger problem is that “international education” in this context often becomes a marketing product rather than an academic system.
The labels are international.
The teaching may be local.
The assessment is internal.
The transcript is constructed.
The qualification may not exist.
But the family gets a story: the child is not failing in the Chinese system; the child is on an international pathway.
That is the part people need to understand. In some Chinese private schools, “IGCSE” and “A-Level” may not mean students are actually earning IGCSE or A-Level qualifications. They may simply be branding terms used to create an overseas admissions pathway for students who are not academically prepared for either the Chinese exam system or a genuine international curriculum.
I worked at the International School on the Rhine and honestly I’ve spent a long time debating whether to post this because the school has a reputation for aggressively managing criticism online.
But teachers deserve to know what they are walking into.
I have taught in multiple schools internationally and ISR was easily the most educationally backwards environment I have experienced.
The school presents itself as a premium international institution, but behind the marketing the reality was relentless pressure, chronic over-testing, inadequate support for students, and a leadership culture that in my opinion fundamentally misunderstands education.
The biggest red flag for me was the complete disconnect between expectations and support.
I was assigned DP courses that were new to me and never received the IB training that should have come with those assignments. “Professional development” largely existed as a talking point rather than a functioning system. There was no transparent PD budget, opportunities were not communicated properly, and in some cases teachers had to pay upfront themselves and hope reimbursement eventually happened.
At a school charging premium tuition, that is unacceptable.
What disturbed me even more was the complete lack of meaningful SEN support.
There was no proper infrastructure for students with ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, dysgraphia, emotional regulation difficulties, or other common learning needs. Teachers received little to no meaningful training in identifying or supporting these students, yet we were expected to somehow manage increasingly complex classroom situations with oversized classes and constant academic pressure.
And the kids suffered for it.
You could literally watch some students deteriorate over time because the system was built around performance metrics and constant testing rather than support or developmental understanding. Students who struggled became more dysregulated, more anxious, more defeated, and in some cases bullying dynamics became worse because vulnerable kids simply were not properly supported.
The testing culture was absolutely insane.
Grade 1 students sitting midterms and finals. Weekly exams for older students. Tests immediately after finals periods. I had situations where students were expected to sit exams barely two weeks after finals with almost no instructional time in between. At several points I remember thinking: what exactly are we even measuring anymore besides stress tolerance?
Everything felt driven by optics, data, rankings, and appearances rather than actual learning.
Class sizes were also wildly larger than I expected for an “elite” international school. Nearly 30 students in DP classes while simultaneously pretending individualized support existed was absurd.
The atmosphere among staff became increasingly toxic because everybody was under pressure all the time. Recognition often seemed tied more to visibility and compliance than actual educational competence. Staff were exhausted, anxious, and competing for scraps of approval in an environment where nothing ever felt good enough.
I eventually left after being diagnosed with burnout.
And honestly? Looking back, burnout was the predictable outcome of the system.
The saddest part is that there are genuinely hardworking teachers there trying to hold everything together for the students. But the structure itself is broken.
If you are considering working there, ask direct questions about:
staff turnover,
IB training,
SEN staffing,
class sizes,
testing frequency,
workload expectations,
and how many teachers are currently off sick or have recently left.
Do not accept vague answers.
I wish somebody had warned me before I signed my contract.
This is actually more of a cutious question. If I apply twice through TES and Search, who gets the commission? Does the school select? If Search asks what school I selected and it's their school but TES is getting credit does it put anyone's account into bad standing?
I'm just generally curious about how these thibgs work
I am a French and Spanish teacher who trained in the UK. I spent three years teaching in London before taking a job in at a British school in Muscat, Oman. I am coming to the end of my two year contract in Oman and am returning to the UK to be near family again. However, I am really struggling to find a job. I have applied to 10+ jobs and nothing - not even an interview. I was rejected again today for a job I really wanted. My questions are:
Has anyone else been through this and successfully found a job?
Am I not even getting interviews because schools are put off by the fact that I'm abroad and therefore cannot attend interviews in-person?
Or is the job market just... bad this year?
It is worth noting that my current school in Oman offers iGCSE and A-Level, so it's not like I've moved to a different curriculum.
Starting to feel very demoralised. The two years abroad have been far from easy and I was really hoping for a break.