Subject Area: Primary, taught in a rural school in Australia
What Leading Out support and services have you enjoyed, or have assisted you, the most?
Leading out was very helpful in finding me a place to live. I also was very thankful for the bank set up, and the help with all the paper work that needs to be done. Leading Out is always there to answer any questions you may have. I felt like I had a security net the entire time.
I was in a rural community, and the most helpful was the fact that Leading Out was always in contact with my principal. You never feel alone!
The best place traveled within Australia:
The best place I have traveled so far in Australia, would have to be Fraser Island. My traveling partner and I went up the sunshine coast for our two week school holiday. The Sunshine Coast is beautiful! We ended it with a tour of Fraser Island. It is the most beautiful and unique place I have ever seen! It is a must! We did the three days two nights tour.
Tips for International Teachers?
It would be good to have some money saved up before you come, in case you don’t get work right away. I was very lucky to have full time work the moment I landed. That meant I got paid while on vacation. My experience from my own school, is that a lot of teachers don’t leave any instructions as they are not required too. In my school board, it is mandatory to have your lessons prepared three days in advance so that if you are sick, there are plans. That is not the case here in Australia.
Another tip, is take advantage of ALL school trips. I got to see most of Victoria for free! I volunteered for every school trip. I honestly think I was out of the classroom more than I was in. I learned how to surf, went on rainforest hikes, sea kayaking, mountain climbing, the list goes on, all for free! It is such a great way to get the true aussie experience and bond with the kids.
If you come in Mid August/Sept. bring warm clothes! I froze my butt off for quite sometime! I didn’t believe people when they said it would be cold. Especially in Melbourne!
Get your VIT in ASAP! I left mine really late, only because there were issues with police checks. I had the ontario one done, but not the federal, so everything was delayed. You can not teach in front of a classroom without it, and it takes a long time to process. That is number one! Also bring everything with you as far as documents go.
What have you enjoyed most about teaching in Victoria?
I actually didn’t end up working in Melbourne. One week before I flew to Australia. Leading Out contacted myself and my travel partner, to ask if we would mind working in a rural community. Being from one back home, we were very keen. We ended up in a little town 3 hours from Melbourne. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad that I ended up there. I was hired on full time to coach teachers on smart boards and to teach year nine science. It was great to become part of a small community like that. I highly recommend it! It is really beneficial to have a car if you are going to live outside of the city.
I have not noticed too many differences. The major difference I would say it the report card. I was teaching year nine, which I have never done back in Canada, so that in itself was all new to me. Secondary school reports are much different than elementary. Other than that, I find kids are the same where ever you are.
There are plenty of books and online materials to walk you through the steps of writing a winning resume. Since we cannot possibly cram it all in here, consider the following do’s and don’ts when writing your resume to be helpful and simple reminders to help your resume stand out. If you have crafted a resume and consider it an inspiring piece of art, that’s great! Remember, it’s never a waste of time to keep it fresh in your mind and revisit it from time to time. Keep it current and recheck for those sneaky grammatical and spelling errors. These mistakes happen to all of us if we are not careful.
Edt! eidt! Edit!
It is not enough to read it over yourself. A second and third set of eyes will be invaluable to catching errors that you may have overlooked. Read it out loud. This is the best way to see how it will read to someone else.
Design
Be consistent with the format you use and how you list your information. Choose one and stick with it. Be mindful that you are not changing the format from one section to the other (spacing and margin alignment).
ridemcowboy_69@
When including your personal contact information, be sure to include the most up to date and appropriate data. Your contact phone numbers should have voice mail, preferably a message that does not include “what up” or ” leave a message okie dokie!” Stating your name is always helpful.
If you have not already created a separate professional email address, may we suggest you do it. While hotpants or cuppycake may be a well earned and fun nickname, this is not the best way to set you apart from the rest of the candidates. A simple combination of first initial and last name will do and look far more professional!
Know Yourself Don’t shy away from the great qualities you have to share. As you already know, this is the point of a resume, and it doesn’t hurt to add more and or refresh some of your strengths. Spending one-on-one time with your resume and rewording it also helps you keep the language fresh in your mind. You want to be able to recall your assets and strengths during the interview. Your work ethic, quiet confidence, sense of humour, flexibility, adaptability, positive outlook, initiative, leadership qualities, efficiency, open-mindedness, resourcefulness etc. will shine through.
Helpful Tip: Applying for a teaching position overseas suggests that you have an adventurous spirit and that is half the battle. Experienced and inexperienced travelers are prone to encountering some “culture shock” and it doesn’t hurt to read how others worked through it. Our article on culture shock in Australia may help you generate a few qualities to include in your resume. Qualities that highlight your willingness to learn from a new culture and share your own. These will go a long way.
Think of your resume as your introduction and first impression. Take the time to review and revise. We already know you are awesome teachers, let your resume reflect that.
The chill is in the air and I bet for many of you Canadian teachers, all you can think about is Term 2 teaching holidays in Melbourne. Wondering where you should go?
1) Uluru – OISE student teachers and other Leading Out teachers just returned from a great 4 day camping trip to the Outback and they have said it was incredible!
2) Great Barrier Reef – don’t miss one of the 7 wonders of the world.
3) Tasmania – a secret haven not to be missed (although cold this time of year so may want to consider a summer visit!).
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)
Have you thought about the East Coast of Australia? If not, then consider Fraser Island, the Whitsundays or the Gold Coast.
Fraser Island – largest sand island in the world
Definitely worth a visit. You get to drive on the Sandy highway, you can go up in a plane to see whales and the sand drifts, swim in a fresh water lake, explore a rainforest. Get on a tour rather than drive yourself because you need a 4WD and if you get stuck, it costs at least $150 just to get the tow truck to turn on its engine!
Whitsundays
Sailing through the Whitsunday Islands is heaven. Make sure to visit Whitehaven beach (one of the top 10 beaches in the wold) where it can’t be built on! The sand squeaks it is so fine, and the white against the turquoise waters is stunning.
We recommend a 2 or 3 day Sailing boat trip around the islands. You sleep on board, there is a captain but you help with meals. A great way to meet people but make sure to bring gravol if you get sea sick!
Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast
If you are looking for a place to chill out on the beach and no do alot, then the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast is the place to be. YOu can explore many National parks and learn how to surf, but many people just relax, take in the suns rays, do a bit of shopping, and eat nice food.
I am happy to say that finally after many years of waiting, they now have a better variety of deodarant in Australia.
It used to be that the only deodorant/antiperspirant you could find in Australia was roll-on or spray. Now have you ever tried going from the nice dry stick, back to roll-on or spray. It sucks! You suddenly feel like you are back in the 1950’s with your arms in the air while you wait for the stuff to dry!
And then there’s the whole argument on what kind actually works. I can’t say I have ever found a roll-on or spray that has been as effective as stick.
But Australia is improving. They now have Lady’s Speedstick! Nope you won’t find Degree or Secret…just Lady’s Speedstick.
Our suggestion: bring some with you from home and have your friends/family send you a supply!
What about snacks; junk food; drinks…come back for more! Or did you miss our discussion on feminine products.
I’m not going to lie—I went to Vietnam to shop and enjoy the sun. (I was hating the fashion and was ‘over’ the winter in Melbourne.) On top of that, I’d been working every weekend, teaching all week and most nights. Against my normal routine, I didn’t even do much research for this trip. I needed a vacation so badly that even though I wasn’t sure what I would get, I was ready for it.
The Fairy Stream
I LOVED it! The people, the colours, the landscape, the climate and the language (you can pick it up–get a phrasebook!) all make Vietnam a place I would readily go back to for a holiday. It was one of my best back-packing experiences and as a group, we had so much fun.
As a westerner, slight female, I generallyfelt safe (of course, I was extremely cautious about staying safe at all times and never did anything to invite danger).
If I were to go back, I would see Saigon and stay another week in Hoi An—definitely one of the best cities I have ever visited.
However, I think 8-10 days is long enough (after 3 weeks, we were really really ready to head home). If you are looking for a bare-brass back-packing experience, it’s an amazing country. If you are going on an organised tour with a travel company–it’s an amazing country.
1. Number One has to includean authentic Melbourne Coffee Experience. There’s no other choice for me: Vittoria coffee.
Walking down Desgraves Street towards a class I was taking at the CAE, I ordered a strong latte from the little cafe across the road. (A safe way to tell who serves this grind by the very Italian-looking sign they stick out of their cafes). I’m not kidding–it was the best coffee I’ve had yet. I didn’t even have sugar in it! (more…)
Erin
Don’t shy away from the great qualities you have to share. As you already know, this is the point of a resume, and it doesn’t hurt to add more and or refresh some of your strengths. Spending one-on-one time with your resume and rewording it also helps you keep the language fresh in your mind. You want to be able to recall your assets and strengths during the interview. Your work ethic, quiet confidence, sense of humour, flexibility, adaptability, positive outlook, initiative, leadership qualities, efficiency, open-mindedness, resourcefulness etc. will shine through.
And then there’s the whole argument on what kind actually works. I can’t say I have ever found a roll-on or spray that has been as effective as stick.
