The most important factor for us when helping people find primary teaching jobs in Australia is that they are happy before, during and after their stay. We pride ourselves on giving honest advice and feedback to our teachers even if it isn’t always the best news. The last thing we want is an unhappy teacher half way across the world and we do try our very best to avoid this.
With the surplus of teachers in most parts of Canada, America and even in the UK, primary teachers contact us with the hopes of securing a full-time primary teaching job in Australia.
Things have changed in Australia for Primary Teachers
Primary teachers are no longer in a shortage in Australia, in fact in most parts there is a surplus. This is not good news because it does mean that it is highly unlikely you will get a full-time short-term or long-term contract before you venture over the Australia.
What Can Primary Teachers Rely On?
Australian schools like to see primary teachers in the classroom with the kids, working with the curriculum and this can be done through casual relief/supply work (CRT). After seeing you in the classroom and with some experience under your belt, you will find that contract positions might come up. So April to November is a great time to plan on working as a teacher in Australia.
When to come for Casual Relief Teaching?
We always tell our teachers the same thing…the beginning of the year (aka Feb & March) are very slow since schools have only started the year and the sun is still shining. Once sports have started, professional development for teachers and other meetings, and when the sun is no longer warming everyone up (aka winter), this becomes the busiest time for casual relief teachers (tips for Australian winters). BUT, the end of the year also slows down as schools wind down and the sun starts warming everyone up and the end is near.
How Can You Find Primary Teaching Jobs in Australia?
Keep in mind that your Working Holiday Visa allows you to do as many jobs as you want (as well as the 2nd Working Holiday visa) so many of our primary teachers work as a tutor; work in a daycare; restaurant work etc.
We also recommend primary teachers get additional qualifications or something unique to their resume. Teaching French always helps, being an ICT specialist is an asset, having an intermediate qualification is a definite benefit.
We are sorry that we don’t have better news but we want to be straight up with our teachers and anyone who is thinking about coming to Australia. There is definitely work available during certain parts of the year for primary teachers, and contracts do come up, but you have to be prepared to go to Australia with casual work in mind, be open-minded and obtain unique experiences where you can.
So you are teaching in Australia and want to know where to stop in? Have you already checked out China? Vietnam? Other countries?
Don’t forget before you leave – Purchase the Japan Rail pass! You cannot get this once in Japan.
If going for 5 to 7 days, we recommend starting in Tokyo and heading down to Kyoto as well.
Day 1: Tokyo
Fish Market; Meiji-Jingu shrine, shopping for electronics in Akihabara, and that night, heading to Shibuya Crossing for all the lights, busy street corners etc.
Day 2: Road trip to Kyoto
You can stop to see Mt. Fuji but in the winter, you might not have much luck seeing it! Once in Kyoto, head to Nishiki Market; and the Ponto-cho (night market).
Day 3: Kyoto
Go to all the Temples in S.Higashiyama. Also go to the Imperial Palace and the Gion region for the Geisha dancing.
Day 4: Kinosaki
Head to Kinosaki from Kyoto for the Onsens (hot baths!). In this town, they have 5 hot baths in the village that anyone can go to, plus you can get a private hot bath in certain accommodation.
Day 5: Tokyo
Head back to Tokyo. Fit in any more temples, markets, museums, etc. that you can!
At Tiananmen Square you should see
1) the portrait of the “great” leader Mao on the wall of “Tiananmen” (which means Tian(sky) An(peace) Gate, the front gate of the Forbidden City);
2)The monument of people’s heroes in the middle of the square;
3) “The Great Hall of People” (the parliament) on the west side of the square;
4) The Chinese National Museum on the East side of the square and
5) Chairman Mao’s museum on the south where you can take a look at Mao’s corpse in a crystal coffin.
The museums and the parliament will cost some money but not a lot in terms of AUD or CAD.
In the Afternoon:
Visit the Forbidden City (the Chinese imperial palace) on the same day you visit the Tiananmen Square, simply because they are close to each other and you can experience more “real & ancient” Chinese culture in the Forbidden City.
DAY 2:
The summer palace was the imperial gardens so in there you can see many ancient Chinese architectures and paintings on walls etc. and it’s a huge place.
DAY 3:
The Great Wall is about 60km north from the city, it’s in the mountains and pretty cold and windy in winter. We suggest going there with a group of tourists and it will definitely take you one day.
DAY 4:
Visit the Birds Nest (from the Olympics) and also see the “water cube” right next to it, which is the National Aquatics Center, and from there you can walk to the Olympic Park.
We have found, if you have the time, it is well worth visiting other countries when you are on your way to teach in Australia from Canada or the UK. You have to fly across anyway, so why not stop?!
But where should you stop?
1) China – Beijing (will be discussed in detailed in our next post)
6) A Backpack – so often when I pick up teachers at the airport, they show up with big refrigerator size suitcases. What you will find out quickly is that having a backpack when travelling in Australia is essential. It is not like Europe, most attractions in Australia are outdoors and require hiking, walking, swimming, etc. Not an easy thing to do with a rollie suitcase! Save yourself having to buy one, and make sure one of your bags you pack for Australia is a backpack.
7) Electric converter – If you didn’t know, Australia’s voltage is 220V but more importantly, the spokes are angled. You don’t need a large one if you already have an adapter on your laptop (which most do!). Also DO NOT bring a hair dryer or hair straightener. Doesn’t matter what you do, it will blow up! So leave it at home.
8.) Laptop – or any other technology. If you don’t know, electronics in Australia are super expensive so come prepared!
9) Mobile/Cell phone – If you have a phone with a SIM card, get your phone unlocked and bring it with you. It will save you from buying a phone and you will only need to buy a SIM card.
10) Bring half the stuff, double the money – this is usually the advice when going on holiday, but I think it is even more important when moving overseas. Although you want to make sure to have the critical things, there is no point bringing everything but the kitchen sink! There will always be things you will need as you get used to the climate and the type of activities you are doing.
We hope this has been helpful for you.
If you have other things that you found helpful when moving to Australia or something you know you won’t leave home without, let us know!
Over the years we have had a lot of teachers ask us questions about Australia. One of the biggest is: What should I bring?
The Ten Most Important Things to Bring to Australia
1) A Jacket – not just a thin jacket, but a real winter jacket. Despite what people think about Australia, it does in fact get cold. So cold that those that don’t bring jackets, scarves and a hat, usually buy it or have their family send it over. Learn more about Winter in Australia or Tips to cope with Winter.
2) Electronic Copies of documents- since you will be travelling, you won’t want to carry original copies or photocopies of your documents. Not only as they could get ruined or lost, but also must easier to send to schools/agencies online.
3) A Variety of Clothing- remember not only will you be travelling but you will also need teaching clothes. We suggest packing a number of items that can be mixed and matched to make different outfits. Clothing is expensive in Australia so you don’t want to be relying on this to heavily especially over the first few months.
4) Toiletries– Deod0rants are mainly sprays so if you like stick, then stick with it and bring a few over! Sorry guys but this is an important one for the females you come over to Australia. If you have your favourite types, bring them as they are quite different or old school products in Australia. See Australian feminine products.
5) Photos of Family and Friends – Yes you will have your laptop but there is nothing better than having a few printed photos to put in frames up in your room. Just makes your new place homey and makes your home overseas feel a little less far away. Homesickness is quite common and the 3-month rule will help you see that you are not alone.
Come back here to find out what the next five things that you should bring to Australia when moving to teach! Find the second part of this series here.
Have you thought of anything that we haven’t said yet? Let us know!
As mentioned in one of our latest blogs on the Working Holiday Visa in Australia, it is a one year visa and can be extended by doing particular work for 3-months in your first year. Most of our work is with teachers who want to teach during their first year of the 417 Working Holiday visa, but there are options during the year, where work can be done to get a 2nd Working Holiday visa in Australia.
Why would you want a Second Working Holiday Visa?
We explain to our teachers, that the 417 Working Holiday visa lets them work and travel throughout Australia for an entire year doing whatever they like. The only major stipulation is that they can only work with one employer for up to 6 months. Once the Working Holiday visa is over, it is much more difficult to stay. Likely most will need to obtain a full-time position and get sponsored by an employer. This is called the 457 Business Sponsorship visa and you are then bound to that employer and cannot work with anyone else.
The benefit of getting the Second Working Holiday visa, is it allows you to continue working as many jobs as you want in Australia, while travelling, and you are not bound to any employer. This is fantastic for teachers who are enjoying casual relief teaching, tutoring, holiday programs, and perhaps picking up jobs during vacation at a surf shop or in a bar etc. You won’t be able to do this on the Business Sponsorship visa.
So how do you obtain a Second Working Holiday Visa?
During your first Working Holiday visa, you must spend 3 months doing specified work in rural areas in Australia. For teachers this works well to complete the 3 months over the summer and term holidays.
The Specified work can be found on the Immigration site and some examples include:
picking fruits on a farm or orchard
feeding and herding cattle which are kept for commercial purposes
constructing a house
extracting ore on a mine site.
This work can be paid or volunteer work. Another fantastic organization is WWoofing where you volunteer your time to do work, and your board and food are included. There are many fantastic opportunities to travel and see the country, while WWoofing and making a difference. Plus this will assist you with your 3-months specified work towards a Second Working Holiday visa.
Just remember, the Working Holiday visa is unique and no other visa (as an overseas visitor) will give you the flexibility that you will want while travelling and working in Australia!
If you haven’t used Skype before, then you are missing out especially if you are overseas. We made the conscious decision to start using Skype with Canadian teachers interested in teaching in Australia (and UK and USA teachers) before they arrived, so that they learned about this tool early.
In one of our most recent blog articles, Homesickness while in Australia, we talk about how hard the first 3-months are, but then don’t give you many solutions to deal with this. Well one is Skype! It is FREE for you and for your family, friends, partner, etc. This means that even while teaching in Australia, you don’t have to worry about the expensive overseas calling rates, and can just use Skype. It will become your best friend and to make it even better, you can SEE them too! All you need is a webcam, or perhaps your laptop has a built in one, so it makes it feel like they are right beside you.
My suggestion is, sign up for an account now, and you will be surprised how many people are actually on it, even if you are not overseas yet. This way, when you are already on your computer, you can have a quick chat with someone too!
Ten years ago when I first travelling to Melbourne, Australia, Skype didn’t exist, or Facebook, and I was lucky to even have my family using internet regularly. Now back in Melbourne, having skype to quickly call my friends and family in Canada, makes such a difference to my enjoyment and love for living in Australia.
