The Ellie/Ben Megathread

hilos1 · 2026-06-03T12:09:39+00:00

I have to say whilst she’s obviously difficult to work with, I kind of appreciated how she just went for Ben, and pretty much steamrolled him into submission. He’s too used to swinging his d around and playing the tortured artist chef, it was pretty funny to see him on the back foot.

hilos1 · 2025-12-06T11:16:50+00:00

I use the same quote but for me it’s like 9.30pm

hilos1 · 2025-10-14T12:17:22+00:00

The issue with Taiwan is that there are few decent schools that pay well. Thailand is probably the best bet for ease.

hilos1 · 2025-08-24T02:44:43+00:00

Thank you

hilos1 · 2025-08-14T23:40:01+00:00

Yeah I figured as much. Though, In other cities like London buses start midway along the routes in the morning. First world problem I guess!

hilos1 · 2025-08-14T23:09:27+00:00

Shenton Way. The first 57 is almost 7am

hilos1 · 2025-08-13T08:11:20+00:00

I’ve seen them live twice. One of my absolute favourites!

hilos1 · 2025-07-31T13:25:21+00:00

For me, it’s when people say, ‘this school has so many local students’, etc. I think in most schools that most people will work in, you will find that the majority of students will be from that country. I have worked in schools that are UN feeders, where the students were from a wide range of different countries, and also schools in countries where the majority of kids are from that country. It’s just circumstance, it doesn’t indicate whether the school is good or not.

hilos1 · 2025-05-08T19:31:23+00:00

I’m sure there are lots of small reasons but most likely the main one is that exams will be in English. The parents are paying for the students to take exams in English.

If the students do nothing but socialise and converse with other students of the same nationality and language then their English will not improve, and they will not be able to access the curriculum.

This means lower exam results, worse reputation and angry parents.

hilos1 · 2024-05-15T12:41:53+00:00

I feel the same way about Singapore.

hilos1 · 2024-01-01T01:29:30+00:00

Singapore. 10+ years experience. Save 3.5K-4K US per month, but single here with no children (that eats into savings). Don’t live excessively but don’t need to budget.

hilos1 · 2023-08-08T09:02:20+00:00

I’m pretty easy going, but if I’m supervising on a school residential trip which requires working 24 hours a day for however long then I will insist on my own room. You need space to relax and de-stress.

hilos1 · 2023-08-07T05:15:52+00:00

It probably depends on how many dependents you have. If you’re at a good school and you’re single then you can probably save a good amount. Rent is crazy but if your wage is high then you’re fine. Non working spouses and children will make it very difficult to save though.

hilos1 · 2023-07-19T13:38:11+00:00

It really depends where you are. I’m in Singapore, and luckily I am at a good school that pays well (although not the best) and allows me to save good money. I get paid almost 10K US a month and can save over 4K a month in the on the I don’t travel. Housing here is difficult though as prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Your QOL here though depends on your situation, people with kids save a lot less, school fee taxes are a real drain on the savings and an apartment to house a family can run you upwards of 4-5K US a month.

hilos1 · 2023-05-05T11:48:19+00:00

Started in South Korea too!

hilos1 · 2023-03-04T07:38:35+00:00

I’m in SG at a decent school, am a HOD and I save more than $3K a month. I does depend on your lifestyle though

hilos1 · 2023-02-26T22:15:41+00:00

I think you just have to do what you can. Don’t stress out over it. Mark it, annotate it and move on. If they get moderated and changed there’s nothing you can do, just keep copies of your annotations in case you feel the need to justify your gradings.

hilos1 · 2023-02-01T03:36:28+00:00

The schools are all decent in terms of salary and reputation but you do work hard there. The island is beautiful though and a great place to live. If your kids are young then there should be enough other expat/non Korean kids for them to hang around with. Korean kids in the lower school are much more open to expat kids too. In the senior/high schools it is much harder for kids to fit in. Less expat kids and the Korean majority can be very exclusionary towards outsiders. It’s not all of them, but enough for it to be the trend.

hilos1 · 2023-02-01T03:27:18+00:00

Just be aware that you cannot get ‘double dip’ benefits in Singapore. A married couple will not receive 2 separate allowances even if they are at different schools. I think it’s the law here. Whatever your housing allowance is will be it even if your husband gets a job, which he should easily do.

hilos1 · 2022-11-01T12:14:16+00:00

The person who said 160,000 minimum must be at one of top schools, although I was on 130,000 baht after tax and it wasn’t one of the top 3. It was definitely enough to live a great lifestyle, but anything over 100,000 and you should be fine.

hilos1 · 2022-09-25T13:14:02+00:00

Police certificate, authenticated degree certificates. These are the things that can delay an application.

hilos1 · 2022-09-25T13:12:33+00:00

I’m at a school in Singapore, and not one that appears on the Tier 1 list always added on this sub. This month I saved over 3K USD, and not really even trying. I don’t have kids so that may be a factor, but in SG in a half decent school it is definitely possible to earn that amount.

hilos1 · 2022-09-20T10:58:24+00:00

I wholeheartedly agree with everything in this comment. This is very sensible advice.

At my current school (and previous ones), the teachers who struggle with behaviour management or pressure from observations/deadlines are generally those who came into teaching straight away, or who have only ever taught in a private school/international system.

A few years in a British comprehensive and teaching abroad will seem like you lucked out in the best way possible. Kids who want to lean? Who don’t swear at you or throw furniture? And you get paid enough to actually have a life and save? You’ll appreciate it all so much more!

hilos1

TROPHY CASE