International Teaching – Two Perspectives (Part One)

• Bernadette Chamberlain 
• Posted 7/20/21
• 0 comments

Have you ever wished that you had more freedom to travel on a teacher’s salary and schedule? Wanted to immerse yourself in a new culture? Yearned for something new and exciting but felt too specialized in your expertise to change careers?  

If you answered yes, teaching in an international school might be an option for you! With experience from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, authors Bernadette Chamberlain and Calyanne Crouch share their unique perspectives and answer some of your frequently asked questions about teaching general music abroad. 

Bernadette Chamberlain’s Perspective

What differences are there in methodology between the U.S. and the rest of the world? 

Teaching music in the U.S., each state has its own curriculum and standards. However, many teachers have begun using NCCAS’s National Core Arts Standards in the past few years. Teaching abroad is just the same – each country has its own standards for education.  

My school in Beijing, China was a U.K. curriculum school, so we followed the U.K. Department for Education’s “National Curriculum,” which separates students into ‘Key Stages’ rather than ‘Grade Level.’ However, China also required that we incorporate their national standards, so our curriculum became somewhat of a hybrid to satisfy both countries’ requirements. 

As far as pedagogies such as Orff Schulwerk, Kodaly, Sistema, Suzuki, etc.…you learn to translate the curriculum into your preferred teaching methods. Many international schools where I have interviewed prefer the candidate to have some additional training in one or more of these schools of pedagogy. 

Do you add music from the culture of the community? If so, how do you work it into your class curriculum? 

Absolutely! Not all the time, but the students, and even their families, really appreciate it when you do. If any national holidays are coming up, your school may have celebrations during this time which allows you to showcase more traditional songs or songs in the language of the culture. Incorporating a piece into your usual concert programs is easy to do. Still, you can also pick a few pieces to do in class to enhance student learning without intentions for performance. 

What resources would you recommend to help include more music from your location into the classroom? 

The most significant resource for me was the local teachers. Some schools have class aides that speak the local language to assist when necessary in class. If you’re lucky enough to have these aides, make friends with them! They are a great resource. I would often ask them what songs they sang as a kid or what songs were currently popular. 

If your school doesn’t have aides, they probably have a language teacher who teaches the local language. Again, be friendly and just ask! I find that asking locals is often more helpful than searching google because you may find music that is “in the style” of the country but isn’t truly authentic. Whatever you choose to do, it is best to be as accurate as possible to respect the culture.

 What are the biggest benefits of teaching internationally, and what would you consider drawbacks? 

Teaching internationally is terrific for traveling. Spend any school holiday exploring the country or surrounding countries. Living in Asia and Africa is also much cheaper, which allows for many savings opportunities.  

I also highly suggest working for a school that provides housing or a rental budget because this is a fantastic perk that allows you to save further. I haven’t encountered many drawbacks, but it is crucial to understand local laws to not get yourself in trouble.  

Especially in China, with stricter rules, some free speech is not tolerated, so it is essential to be aware. Also, specifically in China, everything seems to take 10x more paperwork (H.R. forms and local banking in particular). 

How does the work-life balance compare to teaching in schools in the United States? 

I would say that the workload is about the same, but I was given more time in the school day to complete that work and didn’t have to bring it home with me as often. As teachers, we have an acute eye for detail and spend way more time planning than necessary! But I have found more time for myself when teaching abroad as compared to in the U.S. 

Do you notice any difference in teaching children from other countries? 

Children are children, and they tend to require the same things: creativity, stimulation, play, friendship, and care. Some struggle with learning difficulties which may or may not be diagnosed or treated properly. They come from varied socio-economic backgrounds and have a variety of home and family arrangements. 

The most significant difference is the language barrier, which requires a bit more time and possibly pacing your lessons slower to ensure the students understand the material. If you love teaching, you can teach a child anywhere using a bit of patience, planning, and communication. 

Did you need to adapt your teaching methodology to teach abroad? 

I am a certified Orff instructor, and I still teach in an Orff style that incorporates play, imitation, exploration, and improvisation. I haven’t adapted my teaching method much, except to include more local nursery rhymes.  

I find that western nursery rhymes sometimes fall flat with the students. I think it is essential to try different things, and if something you usually teach just isn’t working, it’s okay to go back and re-teach those concepts with other songs instead. Allow yourself some grace to re-teach content if need be. 

Do you have to teach in or speak a foreign language to work abroad? 

No. In general, when teaching at an international school, you are teaching the children in English. Maybe if you worked for a local school, you would be expected to, but that isn’t the type of job you would probably be applying for.  

The expectation in both China and Africa was that I teach in English. Although, as I’ve said before, I may incorporate some songs in class that uses the local language, and then the kids get super excited that you can speak their language! 

What qualifications do you need to work abroad? 

When only teaching English, typically, a college degree and possibly a TEFL/TESL certificate is acceptable. However, to work in an international school, they are more likely to require teaching certification from your home country/state.  

I have a teaching license in the state of Illinois that I still pay to keep valid. I also hold a PGCE for England and Wales, which is the accreditation for working in schools in the U.K. The only requirement was submitting my transcripts and U.S. teaching license, and I qualified for the PGCE license. 

How can one apply for jobs that are outside of their home country? 

There are both free and paid websites where you can view job listings. The best free site I have ever used is TES.com. The majority of listings on this site are U.K. curriculum schools.  

The only paid sites I have ever used are Search Associates and ISS-Schrole. Each has different fees to join. I like ISS because they list your CV so you can see the schools and schools can search for teachers of certain subjects. They also provide opportunities for online interview fairs.  

…And then there’s always the tedious way! If there is a country you really have a dream to live in, you can google international schools in that country. Then just do your own digging through school websites, check their accreditation, check their job listing page, and shoot your shot! It never hurts to try, but ensure you’ve done enough research to ensure it’s a good school first. 

How can teachers in the U.S. incorporate different cultures into their own curriculum? What resources can you recommend? 

I highly recommend checking out Decolonizing the Music Room. They are a great first stop to ensure you aren’t unknowingly teaching songs with deep racist or appropriated roots.  

They have great articles, videos, and resources to ensure you are teaching with a critical mind towards liberation and anti-racism. While teaching in China, I came upon a great group called “The Shanghai Restoration Project.” They produced an adorable album of classic Chinese children’s songs called ‘Little Dragon Tales,’ which I used in class for dance and movement.  

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is an incredible library of music from all over the world. You can search by country or genre and find albums to purchase. I have found some fantastic African drumming albums through this site.  

And lastly, just an amazing resource for folk songs is the Kodaly Hub which allows you to search for songs using an astonishing amount of criteria. It’s not necessarily world music, but it is an AMAZING resource. But again, I would suggest thinking critically to decide if that song may have an adverse history that you don’t wish to teach.