Dave McEvoy – 4 years science teaching in Manchester, including as head of year, then Italy, Spain, China, Hong Kong..
I completed my PGCE during the summer of 2006. Throughout the year I had been particularly interested in the diversity of the learners in my different placement schools. The course was excellent and helped me to develop my pedagogy whilst the tutors and mentors encouraged me to experiment and innovate.
At the end of the year, I successfully applied for a place working at a local mainstream school as a science teacher. I was appointed as Head of Year during my second year.
After four years teaching in Manchester I took up a maternity post in an international school in Italy. A year later I was working in Spain, and China for five years after that. My next adventure is in Hong Kong where I will start in August. I have definitely been bitten by the international teaching bug. The opportunities for travel are exceptional, saving money is much easier than at home, and schools tend to be well resourced. The photo, by the way, is from a house building charity trip to Cambodia a couple of year ago, life changing for me and the kids who raised the money to travel there and build new homes for some desperate but proud people.
Some of the international educators I have had the pleasure to work with are world class and I have had the privilege of attending and presenting at international ICT conferences. I have taught some of the most enthusiastic and motivated students in the world. Almost every major city has an international school and I fully recommend teaching overseas to anyone with a sense of adventure, but I would recommend completing the NQT year first and gaining experience in English schools, which will stand you in good stead.