www.teachingjobsoverseas.co.uk - It's never too late to teach overseas

 

Last year, at age 60, Rudi Powell finally got around to doing what he’d wanted to do twenty years ago: teach abroad. “Back then we had young children and good jobs in Wales and so decided to stay here, but it was always something that I wanted to do.”

He retired from his school in Penarth, South Wales where he’d spent thirty years in the science department (ending up as head of science) and, following the advice and encouragement of Angie and Andrew Wigford who run TIC (Teachers International Consultancy), Rudi headed out to teach science at The Vienna International School in Austria. And his dream that had nagged him for twenty years came true.

To his peers debating such an adventure Rudi says “Go for it! I only wished I’d done it earlier in my career but I never realized that such opportunities existed.

“What was so good about it? The students. They were very self-disciplined, very confident and relaxed. I overdid the discipline at first and the students weren’t used to it. They didn’t need a heavy hand and soon I became more relaxed. Also the students’ ability levels were very high. I’d worked in a highly academic school in Wales but this was a step up. Some tests that I’d used before were just too easy for these students. They were also highly motivated. One Libyan girl joined the sixth form late and had very poor English skills which held her back. By the end of the year she was the best in the class, she wanted to learn so much. It was almost as if some of the students didn’t need a teacher!”

Rudi’s advice to other teachers considering the international school option: “Would I go abroad again? Definitely! I do think you need to know what you are getting into and you should seek advice about the schools and the curriculum before you accept a job. I’d never used the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma programme before but it’s a very good programme. It’s similar to A-level but probably more hands-on with more emphasis on special projects. It also allows more flexibility for the teacher. I also think things like accommodation are very important and needs to be sorted out properly beforehand. I wouldn’t advise anyone to apply on speck from a newspaper advert, you need recommendations. The best advice I got came from Angie and Andrew Wigford at TIC who had actually both taught at the school. It was only after talking to them that I felt confident about my decision.”

Since then Rudi has gone on to fulfill short-term contracts teaching Chemistry and Science in Rotterdam and Berlin.