the path of an international school teacher

This is already the 5th piece of our monthly interview series which offers us to gain insight into the diverse career paths one can pursue with a sound English knowledge (and most often, a degree in English studies). First we took a look at university jobs, from the perspective  of an experienced instructor and a beginner lecturer, then we turned to high education, through the lenses of an older teacher in a religious school and a younger educator in a state school. This time it is my pleasure to introduce Bogi, a high school teacher assistant, and her peculiar institution, which is a private American school. Let us see what she has to tell us. 

Hello, Bogi. Thank you for your time. As a short introduction, could you tell us where you work and for how long you have been there? 

Hello, Anna! Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I feel honored that you chose to write about me in your blog. To answer your question, I currently work at a Budapest-based international school as a High School Teacher Assistant. I have been working here for almost two years now, and I really enjoy being part of such a great community that my school has.

What is special about your institution? What is the difference between your school and a regular state school?

As ours is an international school, as opposed to a regular Hungarian one, the list of differences between the two would be pretty long. First of all, the language of instruction at our school is English only, and most teachers and students do not even speak Hungarian. Our students are usually used to traveling and moving from one country to another because of their parents' job, so they are very flexible and open-minded. These families rarely stay in the country for too long, so our school always have a lot of students coming and going each year. 

That must be pretty challenging for the teacher as well. Before this school, have you taught in any other environment?

I have started my career at this school right after I graduated from university at the age of 23, and I have immediately fallen in love with international teaching and the atmosphere that it comes with it. For this reason, I'm sure I would enjoy teaching abroad at an international school, and it doesn't really matter in which country. But I know it has to be an international school, as I really appreciate the diversity and open-mindedness international schools offer. 

Sounds great indeed! How is the education of an international school  structured as opposed to a local, let's say, regular, school? 

As far as I can see, education at our school is all about emphasizing critical thinking skills, inquiry-based learning, and creativity. We think developing the whole child is really important, and we encourage tolerance and cross-cultural understanding. All these values that we share make our education system unique in its own way, and I think this is how our form of education differs from others -- in its vision and values. 

What do you like about being a teacher here? 

I love the fact that students here are all global citizens, they love traveling, they are very open and curious about other cultures, and most of them speak multiple languages. Also, I feel like I've become a member of a very caring community since I got here, which is yet another reason to like the school. The cherry on the cake for me is that people here always thank you for everything you do. I find it a very nice custom, as it makes you feel appreciated at your workplace. I have to tell you, it was kind of new for me. I had to get used to being thanked for doing my job all the time. I like it! :)

No wonder! :-) But let's be realistic and talk about the tough cookies as well. What are the main challenges for you, and what do you think are the main challenges of state school teachers? 

The main challenge for us is that our classes change a lot every year. We always have a number of newly-enrolled students, and sadly, we need to say good-bye to many of our students at the end of each year. It's quite hard to keep up with this always changing environment, and it's also not an easy job to make a bunch of students who do not know each other that well into a community. I believe teachers at my school do a very good job with this matter. 

In state schools, teachers face very different difficulties. They need to deal with a growing number of students in one classroom, they have financial issues, and the administrative work of teachers takes up a lot of their time. Of course I can only say these things based on what I hear from my colleagues, and I'm sure not everyone has the same problems, but I know for sure that we (I and my teacher friends working at state schools) almost never complain about the same issues. 

Which is a bit odd. I guess then, students -- invariables in education -- are no problem, at least not the major. :-) So, finally, tell us who you would recommend a career in your school to. What is the ideal candidate like?

If you would like to become an international teacher, you need to share certain values that all international schools base their mission and vision on (open-mindedness, tolerance, and cross-cultural understanding, to name a few). 

I recommend that you pursue your career at a school like ours if you are prepared to deal with kids from very different cultural backgrounds, having all sorts of unusual issues (stemming from their lifestyle, their family background, their financial background, their religion, and so on). It helps if you enjoy traveling, as there are many opportunities around the world that you can explore as an international teacher. Once you are in international teaching, you will probably feel like moving abroad and experience new things. If you like challenges, you are the perfect candidate! :)

Thank you, Bogi! It was a pleasure!