I teach in the Jiangsu province. I married on the silk route some time ago, had a baby and have been very lucky to meet the most interesting, unusual and exciting people. Altogether, I have worked in three international schools over the last 10 years.

I carried out a lot of research before I took the plunge into overseas teaching, and that involved going into the background and details of the school, package, and country. I weighed up the benefits and analysed the opportunities. The most important thing you can do is check out the school because although there are many good schools out there, there are also some pretty bad ones too so you really need to do your research. The second most important thing to do is to check the safety of the country and the kind of package on offer.

It has changed the way I teach because I feel better equipped now to teach students with English as an additional language. I also learn some of the best practice from teachers from all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Russia and America.

It was the right decision for me and I would recommend it to you: I’m never bored. I love to see different things like a man cycling with an improbable load on his bike, or watching kites being flown. I know I am making the most of my life.

My top tips:

• Research the school, country and package
• Best place to pick up the top packages are in January/February job fairs
• Remember to behave well and act as if you are an ambassador of the British community. The British international community is small world and many schools are networked so if you do something you shouldn’t news will travel fast
• There is no job security as European employment law does not apply to international schools.
• Don’t teach abroad to get away from personal problems as they are likely to follow you
• Aim for the higher tiered schools; the money is very good with excellent benefits

10 things to check in your contract http://www.tes.co.uk/2593374