Advantages:
- Possible job security (if you get an offer of employment)
- Possible chance to get accommodation organised (if it's part of the employment contract)
Disadvantages:
- Not many, if any, schools will respond to you by email, this is an inefficient way of getting information. You'll have to pester them daily for weeks at a time sometimes.
- Maintaining dialogue will be very difficult
- You haven’t seen the school
- You haven’t seen the school’s resources
- You haven’t meet the school’s support staff (if they exist)
- You haven’t seen the schools technology (Do they have PC’s you can work on? Does the photocopier work? etc)
- You haven’t had the chance to meet the DOS or owner of the school to see if you get along with one another
- You haven’t had the chance to meet the teachers who work at the school and get a feel for the working atmosphere
- You don’t know what the city is like
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Advantages:
- You get to see the school and the facilities. e.g
- Does it look as if the school and rooms are maintained?
- What are the resources like?
- Are the staff there friendly?
- Is the DOS friendly?
- Is there a good atmosphere at the school?
- Do the teachers look happy and untroubled?
- What technological resources do they have?
- How big is the staff room?
- Is there a kettle/microwave etc?
- You get a feel for the city. e.g.
- Do you think you can live there for a minimum of 9 months?
- Are there lots of things to do?
- Is here an ex-pat community?
- Do you think you'll make friends easily?
- You can negotiate the best deal for yourself and get a much better idea of what the 'going rate' for a teacher is
- You can choose the best place in town to live for your needs
Disadvantages:
- Risk. You'll have no job at the beginning, so you'll only be happy when you find one so take some money for 2/3 months
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