Though I’ve never considered becoming an international educator, I know that some of my colleagues have made the switch.

Today’s post shares some practical advice for those of you who might be thinking about it.

‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’

Nate Bowling teaches social studies at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, he’s a past Washington state Teacher of the Year, and his newsletter and podcast can be found at natebowling.com:

In the summer of 2018, while traveling through Southeast Asia, my wife and I made arguably the most consequential decision of our professional careers.

I had been at my then current school for nine years and, while I felt like I was having a positive impact on the school and wider community, I also felt that I was staring burnout in the face.

It was there, riding a local bus through a Thai village, that we made the decision. After 13 years of teaching in public school, we’d take the plunge and move abroad. What began as a two-year experiment in international teaching soon became far more.

Now here we are six years later, and it’s a decision I absolutely do not regret. It is not without its complications and challenges, but it is a decision that has changed my life, unquestionably for the better.

So, here’s the good, the bad and the ugly about international teaching.

The Good

Teaching overseas gave me a sense of work-life balance. I almost said “restored,” but you can’t restore something you never had.

In international teaching, my class sizes are smaller. My largest class this year had 20 students in it, with a cap of 24. My smallest, an AP Comparative Government & Politics course, had 10 students.

I also have more paid planning time within the day.

In the U.S., I had one 55-minute planning period during a six-period day. Working overseas, I have three 75-minute planning periods in our two-day rotating schedule. So, rather than 110 minutes of planning time every two days, I instead get 225 minutes. This has greatly reduced the amount of work I take home while allowing me to provide deeper and more meaningful feedback to my students on their writing.

Additionally, teaching overseas has opened a world of travel opportunities to my wife and me. Once you’re on the other side of the ocean, everything feels a bit closer. We’ve traveled to destinations we never would have considered in the past, many within a three-hour flight: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Oman, the Republic of Georgia, etc.

These experiences have truly transformed my worldview.

The Bad

Being away from family is hard. Really hard.

I don’t have children, but many of my colleagues do, and separating them from their extended family comes with significant costs.

My mother is 84 years old, and my stepfather passed away during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. I call and speak to my mother every day. I also understand that one day I might get that phone call from the family, and by the time I make it back to Tacoma, Wash., it may be too late.

Additionally, there are considerations that people need to make about retirement and housing.

My back of the napkin calculations tell me that I’m not going to get very much from the “defined benefit” part of my state pension because I left after 13 years. But I made a point of maximizing the “defined contribution” half of the retirement scheme. And since my international school provides housing, that has allowed me to increase my investment allocations even further.

Moreover, if you are a homeowner and go overseas, you have some really difficult decisions to make. We held onto our house and luckily we’ve had long-term renters, the same ones since 2019. But I have other colleagues who have nightmare tenant stories or regret selling their homes.

The Ugly

All international schools and locales are not created equal. I work at a prestigious Tier One international school, arguably the most reputable American curriculum school in the Middle East.

I am well compensated and work in a highly professional environment. This is not the case in all international schools, and people need to be extremely careful about doing their research before taking the plunge.

This is especially true for educators of color. Racism is a global phenomenon that takes different forms in different places.

Each international school is essentially its own K-12 system operating in a competitive marketplace. Some are for-profit and put the bottom line ahead of both teachers and students.

Others are not-for-profit and keep education at the center of their vision. The longer a school has been open and the more reputable it is in the international community, the more likely you will find a good experience there.

That said, I have seen absolute horror stories from my fellow educators who were promised the world by recruiters and found themselves in living and teaching situations that fell far short of what they expected.

Final Thoughts

I truly enjoy my life overseas. And given events in the U.S. since my departure, it’s a choice I don’t regret. However, this life ain’t for everybody, and if you are going to pursue international teaching, you need to be circumspect and make sure you do your research.

Going Further

If you’re interested in taking the plunge, I recorded a conversation with the folks from Search Associates, the recruiting firm that I used to land my job in the Gulf. It lays out step-by-step what the process of transitioning to teaching overseas looks like.

Thanks to Nate for contributing today’s guest post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

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