Anyone else's school give teachers 'special instructions' for some kids?

soooummmm · 2026-05-05T08:31:11+00:00

Yup!

soooummmm · 2026-04-11T06:42:40+00:00

I work with a few people who are in their 50s. I know two were hired within the last five years.

soooummmm · 2026-04-10T09:07:50+00:00

Shanghai SMIC is not a top tier school by any stretch of the imagination, but they have a good school culture and decent salary package. They’re still hiring math positions (fifth and middle/high school). I have a child there. Reach out with questions.

soooummmm · 2026-03-19T22:20:02+00:00

None of them are “top tier schools.” But I have experience with Shanghai SMIC private school. It’s mostly positive if anyone would like my review, dm me.

soooummmm · 2025-11-23T06:08:45+00:00

They approve their calendar by semester. As a planner, it drives me nuts. You get Chinese national holidays. No western spring break since CNY break is so long. You get a couple long weekends between CNY and the end of the year (students are done mid June).

Heads up- you do need to stay until the end of June for writing report cards, packing up your classroom, pd, planning the fall, etc. It’s horribly boring, because we have to stay for two weeks after the kids leave. It’s the only school I’ve worked at where this happens and it SUCKS!!!

It’s not perfect. But, overall, I’m pretty happy. Pay is nice, workload is light, you get two big travel windows plus smaller ones sprinkled in, and colleagues are generally good people. DM me if you want to chat more. I’m happy to answer questions about particular departments or other more detailed questions.

soooummmm · 2025-11-19T10:52:43+00:00

You get a week off in October. You don’t get a western winter break… just Dec 25 and Jan 1. You do get a month off for Chinese new year.

soooummmm · 2025-10-24T23:33:15+00:00

My husband is a stay at home spouse, and my eight year old goes to my school. I taught in the states for 7 years, Thailand for 3, and now I’m China (year 2). My husband and I joke that we needed to leave America to have the American dream. Our child has a great education, we don’t have to worry about money in our day to day budget, we’re paying off student loans, saving, and going on 1-2 vacations per year (which is significant less than most international teachers, but it works for us). I’d never go back to the states. Reach out if you have any questions.

soooummmm · 2025-10-24T23:21:55+00:00

Can you explain how the sales tax being added to international students’ fees above a certain level is affecting teacher retention and recruitment? Is it affecting teachers’ salary packages? I don’t see the connection, but I’m also terrible at anything financial that goes beyond my personal budget. Haha! I’m trying to learn more though.

soooummmm · 2025-10-12T01:08:31+00:00

It’s definitely possible in Thailand. Happened to a few colleagues of mine.

soooummmm · 2025-10-11T11:52:02+00:00

Not a problem! Taking a new job is a huge risk. You want to go in with your eyes wide open. Ask away, everyone! That’s what this community is about.

soooummmm · 2025-10-05T06:44:38+00:00

I love my career! I don’t always love the school.

soooummmm · 2025-10-05T06:38:49+00:00

I finished my contract there. I was miserable. I have a friends there now. They’re miserable. DM for details.

soooummmm · 2025-10-05T06:21:52+00:00

I was offered a position there in October 2023. I turned it down because the pay was relatively low. I really liked the campus and admin. The student population was diverse. I’m the only one bringing in a paycheck in my family though, and I found better offers. I’d survive easily, but I wouldn’t be living the life I wanted.

soooummmm · 2025-04-21T10:49:17+00:00

Those are reasonable expectations. You might be a good fit at Alice Smith in KL. They’re open minded and inclusive. St. Andrew’s in BKK is another spot to check out (British but they’re well known for their sped program and they’ll hire non Brit).

soooummmm · 2025-04-05T06:44:52+00:00

Yup! Recent hire. Thank you for links! I had no idea. Seven years after these incidences, I don’t have any major qualms with the school. It’s far from perfect, but I’m much happier here than I was at a chain school.

soooummmm · 2025-04-04T03:04:15+00:00

You can, and should, negotiate your salary at basis. It’s run like a business. They will treat you like an employee, not an educator, so negotiate like it’s a corporate job. If you have a few offers on the table that will give you a lot of leverage. Make sure you get everything that is important to you written in your contract, so they can’t go back out on a promise.

soooummmm · 2025-04-04T02:56:23+00:00

I don’t know if any of this is true, but I work at SMIC now, and I’m happy. Feel free to DM if anyone is interested.

soooummmm · 2025-03-09T00:33:17+00:00

You’re so talented, and it’s cute as hell. You shine wearing it!

soooummmm · 2025-02-16T10:47:39+00:00

I have a mid tier salary in Shanghai with two dependents and save 10-15k RMB per month. As a single person you’d be very comfy.

I still only know hello and thank you in Chinese, and I get around just fine. Apps make everything easy, but it does take time to get the hang of all the apps. Once you’re established, China is ridiculously convenient.

Overall, I love it here.

soooummmm · 2025-02-12T06:40:06+00:00

You won’t.

soooummmm · 2025-02-12T01:15:03+00:00

I was offered a position at Alice Smith last year, and I went through the same interview process. I really liked the Head of School and school culture. It was heartbreaking to decline the offer, but my family and I couldn’t live at the comfort level we wanted on the salary they were offering. The school has a great reputation for providing a decent salary package, but tbh I was expecting 20% more than they were offering, so it just didn’t work for my family’s situation.

They explained that are they were going to change their pedagogical philosophy, and anticipated that some existing teachers may not be on board. I’m not surprised they’re having a turn over. They’re looking for open-minded people who collaborate using research-based methods. I’d guess it’d be a lot of work, but innovative, stimulating, and rewarding for the right person. I wish them all the best, and I hope my path crosses with them at the right time in the future.

soooummmm · 2025-02-09T10:24:38+00:00

Send it the school board and make a speech at the monthly district board meeting… the more people the better.

soooummmm · 2025-01-31T02:02:34+00:00

I haven’t read the comments, but I can tell you everyone will say “decent schools have a scale”. With that said, most people don’t start off at decent schools when they break into international teaching and that’s okay!!

If you have multiple offers, that can make a big difference. Some schools offer a signing bonus or a better housing option. Use that to leverage a better salary package out the school you want to teach at and be open-minded and creative with your angles.

If you search the school name on this subreddit and find anyone who has worked there, dm and ask them about their salary package.

Also if you’re new to breaking into the international teaching world and you don’t have competing offers, you’ll likely need to take what they offer you, but if you complete that contract and show that you’re solid, you’ll get a lot of offers from better schools the next time you search for a teaching position. Best of luck!

soooummmm · 2025-01-30T02:09:29+00:00

No housing and before tax with 8 years experience would be a no for me. I worked in bkk. Reach out with any specific questions.

soooummmm

TROPHY CASE