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A day in the life

The world in a classroom

There are international schools all over the world. Mary McCarney describes how she found herself in Atlanta, USA, teaching first graders.

Having taught in the UK for almost 20 years, I felt it was time for a change and an adventure – so my husband and I moved to America. For the past four years I have been teaching first grade at Atlanta International School, and loving every minute.

But though I’m living in the States, I certainly do not teach at a typical American school. I am actually part of a diverse community of pupils, parents and staff from 96 different countries who speak more than 40 languages. When the children dress up in their national costumes to celebrate UN Day in October I feel I could be anywhere (and everywhere!) in the world.

My day starts early: the students begin arriving at 8am. We fi nish early too – lessons end at 2.45. As we are an international baccalaureate world school, my fi rst graders follow the IB’s primary years programme, which is enquiry-based learning. This has been a new approach for me, but I love how my pupils discover through their own explorations and I’m now converted to this way of teaching and learning.

Class sizes are small. I teach two classes of 18 and 19 children each. Our primary pupils follow a dual-language curriculum, learning through French, German or Spanish as well as English. In my classroom we use English. My students alternate between my class one day, and their other language class the next. My fi rst graders (six to seven year olds) are fl uent in two languages. When they see their Spanish teacher, they automatically switch to Spanish to talk to her. It is natural to them.

My school has over 1,000 pupils aged four to 18. I do enjoy seeing the older students round campus, and being part of a large community. It is also great to collaborate with secondary colleagues and get together for school events.

I work with staff who have taught at other IB and British schools around the world. Some spend a couple of years in one post, then ask themselves: “Where would I like to teach next?” It’s a great way to travel and gain experience, particularly for young, single teachers (I am neither!). Most international schools help with housing, health insurance and

pensions, and cover travel costs. Beyond Europe, salaries are often tax free. There are also excellent opportunities for professional development – I have already attended two IB conferences in New York, paid for by my school.

But teaching overseas can also be challenging. Dealing with so many different cultures on a daily basis makes life interesting, and a little tricky at times. Some teachers feel homesick and experience culture shock, but a good support network helps.

The pros far outweigh the cons. It has allowed me to travel, expand my horizons and become part of a diverse community. I feel I’m helping my pupils achieve a global outlook, value differences, and develop understanding and respect for each other. For me, the world out there begins right here, in my classroom.

Find out more

Council of International Schools: www.cois.org www.internationalschooljobs.com.