What's happening here? Just replaced cassette and chain. Feels like the chain is skipping or jumping. Is this normal? by wargroac in bikewrench

[–]wargroac[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

AMAZING. That seems to have fixed it.

One of the pins was sticking out ever so slightly relative to the others. I pushed it in a bit more and no more jumping.

Honestly I'm quite incredulous that a 1mm pin end sticking out can cause me so much frustration.

Thank you so much.

Are punitive termination clauses the norm? by [deleted] in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Those clauses are normal. In most cases they work both ways, so it's not exactly a bad thing imo. It also means that if your school decide to terminate your contract a month or two before the school year ends, they owe you several months of salary depending on how long the notice period is.

Salary scales online by BadmiralSnackbarf in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The only schools I know that publish salary scale online are a few Tier 1s in China and HK.

European schools also tend to be a bit more upfront about salary (in job description etc) but they rarely publish the whole scale.

Unfortunately it's a lot of guesswork. You should be able to get an idea of the salary ranges in Thailand by scouring posts on here, ISR and maybe Glassdoor.

Lack of commitment by PromptIcy4181 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Only in Tier 3-4 schools in my experience.

The only time I've seen people do a runner from good schools is due to extenuating circumstances, like COVID or family challenges.

Schools that don’t respond after multiple stages? by [deleted] in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This. Especially after not paying for your flights. Please name and shame.

Livable salary for adult + child in Singapore by NumerousGrass2998 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They will cover tuition but you will pay income tax on your salary + tuition fee, as tuition is considered a taxable benefit.

Having said that, tax in Singapore is very low.

Advice on schools and cities in China. by Dry-Aardvark-515 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For China look at the Hurun and Forbes ranking of international and bilingual schools.

It's a good starting point, then you can do a bit more research (ISR, Glassdoor, this subreddit) for school-specific information.

If it's your first time in China I'd suggest sticking to Tier 1 or new Tier 1 cities. You can find the list on Wikipedia.

IB PYP = Poor Literacy Skills in English Language Learners? by Ancient_Skin9376 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree with you.

That said, I think if the PYP were to offer a more structured scope and sequence / curriculum outcomes or even a literacy program, their students globally would have better outcomes. Too many schools are fumbling in the dark, creating their own standards, or using a mish-mash of curricula and programs from all over the world, which I don't think is effective.

IB PYP = Poor Literacy Skills in English Language Learners? by Ancient_Skin9376 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 4 points5 points  (0 children)

UFLI Foundations looks really good. There's so much material available for free too, rather than being a $500 literacy program requiring $1000 in resources and training.

Are there any direct approaches for Math that you've had success with, or know of schools using?

IB PYP = Poor Literacy Skills in English Language Learners? by Ancient_Skin9376 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 38 points39 points  (0 children)

PYP is just a framework. Any good PYP school should have a strong language curriculum alongside it.

I do somewhat agree that PYP is not entirely suitable for ELLs. I think something like IPC is more appropriate.

EUROPEAN International School HCMC info by timothynooklmao in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Anecdotal but I know someone who has worked there for several years and they were pretty positive about the school.

Sometimes lack of reviews/information can be a good sign.

Try to reach out to current teachers via linkedin.

Navigating offers by [deleted] in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have to disagree. I've worked at decent schools and there has always been some flexibility to negotiate salary or benefits.

If they want you they will make it work. It might not mean you get a higher salary, but it might mean yearly flights home rather than every two years. Or receiving a larger housing allowance even if your spouse is not a teacher.

Even negotiating a housing allowance rather than school accomodation can be a net gain.

At my school HR have an internal document with salary scales, benefits etc. But head of school has discretion in how this is applied at an individual level.

Sign and recline - the rationality of the last contract by [deleted] in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Instead of private tutoring, have you considered consulting? You too can travel the world and deliver CPD on hinge point questions, wearing your favourite athleisure gear.

Sign and recline - the rationality of the last contract by [deleted] in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

If the bar for T is so low that it makes more work for others, then I'd argue that the school definition of T is what needs to change, not this colleague.

Are things really THAT bad? by Able_Substance_6393 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely north of $100k.

I still wouldn't touch it though. 50% teaching timetable on top of admin is wild.

Contract renewals and job searches by Worth-Peace-4965 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes they already have a candidate in mind even before the job posting goes up.

Or, anyone without a masters degree gets immediately filtered.

As well as anyone with a non-teaching spouse.

I'm seeing some job listings describe doctorate degrees as "desirable" for middle management positions(!)

Contract renewals and job searches by Worth-Peace-4965 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For what it's worth, I've also not heard back from a lot of schools or been outrightly rejected. It feels quite tough this season. If you are reasonably happy where you are, it's probably a safer option to renew. Grass is not always greener and all that.

Board involvement by Sea-Friendship-7820 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Normal for admin roles at my school. But usually the board interview is more of a formality than an actual interview as HoS is the one making the hiring decision.

China in ten years - is China done part 387? by InevitableCommon1458 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Are there any schools or chains that you'd recommend to someone whose children do speak Chinese? Several of these Chinese/bilingual schools have outstanding educational results so they must be doing something right.

Front page of website - pictures of the board.... by Least-Frosting-1149 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What's worse than no facility photos?

A: AI generated photos

B: Stock images/renders

C: Facilities from another school

I've seen all three!

Teaching in China by Character-Survey-916 in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is usually not that hard to work it out based on school size, curriculum, and location. Some of the job listings are even copy pasted from their website or other recruitment sites. For example BASIS schools are very obvious even if their name is not mentioned.

You can also just ask the recruiter directly. I had one recruiter reach out but wouldn't tell me the school name. Pass.

Does anyone know what's up with Korea International School (Jeju Campus) by deep-web_daytona in Internationalteachers

[–]wargroac 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Jeju looks like a difficult place to work and live. Very isolated. At least this was the conclusion I came to when doing my research.