2021 is here, and with it opportunities to broaden your horizons and share your passion for teaching with students and colleagues in a new location. Our schools are located in some of the most dynamic cities in Asia, and offer experienced teachers opportunities for growth and development within an established and growing school network.
What kind of teaching job opportunities are available? Our international and bilingual schools have a variety of open positions across multiple subject areas. Let’s take a look at what teaching with us is like and see if BASIS International Schools is the right fit for you!
English
Teaching English at BASIS International Schools is an exciting and engaging experience. In the elementary years, teachers focus on helping students to build a solid foundation of language and the skills and knowledge that also supports the social sciences. The beginnings of reading and writing in Kindergarten and 1st grade develop into more in depth lessons in reading comprehension, writing process, and grammar. Social science topics cover world history, beginnings of geographic awareness, and basic civics and government–preparing students for subject specific classes in the middle grades.
As students progress, middle and upper school English classes focus on building upon the foundation of the elementary years and challenging students with high level material. Language Arts concepts cover differences in writing styles, grammar, and literary and rhetorical devices. AP level classes begin in 10th grade and cover topics related to the AP Language and Literature exams. Our students boast a high pass rate with a high percentage of students receiving 4s and 5s on their exams.
“I think one of the best units that we’ve done ended with a literary analysis that 5th graders were writing. For them to be able to write about a theme from a novel, and explain that using textual evidence in an essay, that is really cool to see. They’re able to prove with evidence from the text, not their own imagination. They’re actually able to take something in dense texts and use that and analyze it, and show what it means.”
– Stephen Howard, Vice Director of Primary, BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen
Featured open position: English Language Arts teacher at BASIS International School Guangzhou
Math
Math comes alive in our classrooms! Students begin to learn foundational math and science concepts beginning in Kindergarten. In elementary classes, our teachers guide students to see the practical applications in mathematical concepts. Basic addition and subtraction turn into making change, and in the primary grades, concepts of science are related with math as students learn to see the overlapping concepts of the STEAM subjects. Students discover the application of STEAM, such as how the scientific method is part of how everyone uses science in daily life.
Students in middle and high school classes use the Saxon math curriculum to work through Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Calculus. Students will typically take AP Calculus in grade 10 with many students even taking classes beyond AP Calculus as they prepare for mathematical work at top universities.
Featured open position: Algebra Teacher at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
Arts
Our schools not only emphasize the importance of core subjects such as math, English, sciences, and history, but also underscore how involvement in the visual and performing arts enhances the overall learning process. Elementary students take classes in drama, music, and art, and when students reach the middle grades, they begin to choose which art they will pursue through high school.
Elementary Drama students perform their winter show.
Drama productions at all grade levels are well prepared and executed. Our teachers go the extra mile to ensure all elements of the performance are successful–from costumes and makeup, to lighting, music, and sometimes even sound effects. Occasionally, even a Head of School will get in on the act!
Head of School Alan Wilkinson delivers his lines, while Chemistry teacher Kandace Jones prepares to sing as part of BASIS International School Hangzhou’s performance of The 39 Steps.
Upper school drama students at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour perform in Aladdin Jr.: The Musical.
Art students have produced many outstanding and inspiring works in a variety of media and utilizing complex techniques. Artwork is frequently on display at all of our campuses, and showcases the unique talents and abilities of our school community. Several graduates have also been accepted to top art schools in the United States.
Upper school art students at BASIS International School Hangzhou were chosen to paint a mural on the Qiantang River sea wall.
Pop up art shows at BASIS International School Shenzhen showcase art students’ creativity.
Student art exhibit at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour.
Musical talents are on display from students at all of our campuses. Not only do our students have the opportunity to perform in choir or band or orchestra settings, several schools even have a rock band and it is not uncommon to see faculty members perform alongside!
BASIS International School Shenzhen music teachers perform alongside their students.
Art tableaus are presented as part of a highly acclaimed arts festival at the Shekou Sea World Culture & Arts Center in Shenzhen.
Featured open position: Art Teacher at BASIS International School Hangzhou
Sciences
In the elementary grades, teachers provide a broad foundation for students to build upon in later years. Once they reach 6th grade, it is off to the races! Students concurrently take courses in the core sciences, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, beginning in 6th grade, and will continue their study in these science disciplines through 8th grade. In high school students take honors and AP level courses, with many students choosing to participate in post-AP and capstone courses as well. Guided labs help students see the real life applications of the concepts they are learning, and fun activities such as Physics broomball help bring these skills to life.
Physics broomball at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour.
“To begin our unit on forces and Newton’s laws in Honors Physics, students participated in broomball races. Students had to use a broom to guide a bowling ball through a course made by tape on the floor. This task seemed easy at first, but the students soon realized that completing the course quickly would be very challenging. The course included sharp turns, circles to go around, and even no-touch zones where they couldn’t push the ball at all. These obstacles forced students to both consider and apply Newton’s laws of motions to successfully complete the course.”
– Dylan Abbott, Physics Teacher, BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
Social Sciences
While our curriculum is well known for exceptional results in math and science courses, all of our students also take a wide range of humanities courses as well. Broad History classes in middle school progress into AP level courses in European History, American History, and World History. Students learn about different cultures, economic systems, social structures, and major historical events. Our teachers aim to provide students with the knowledge to develop global perspectives and understand why historical events happened.
The Trial of Martin Luther in AP European History class at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour.
“As we studied the Age of Reformation, we took 15 minutes a day for a week of class to engage in a simulation of the Trial of Martin Luther, the key personage of the time, but also reviewed other key people and ideas that are important for the AP exam (Calvin, Henry 8th, Erasmus, sola scriptura, 95 theses, indulgences, etc.) […] This gave students a chance to make history come alive and develop deeper and more meaningful connections to the material and thinking skills within the AP European History curriculum for this unit as they were forced to make real-life arguments about the history they studied.”
– David Turpie, AP European History teacher, BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
Our students have also been highly successful in Economics, both in their AP test scores, as well as in international competition. The Economics team from BASIS International School Guangzhou won the international round of the National Economics Challenge in New York City in 2019, defeating top schools from around the world.
BASIS International School Guangzhou’s NEC winning team.
Geography classes cover physical and human geography concepts. Map examination and interpretation, economic development, population geography, land use, and earth history help students develop broad perspectives and aid in understanding of other humanities subjects.
English Language Learners and Support
For most of our students, English is their second language. While many possess a very high level of English language proficiency, others need additional support to thrive in our rigorous academic environment. This is where our ELL Coordinators come in. These educators help support all aspects of English language development for our students, including working with teachers to provide instructional expertise on integration of ELL best practices into the classroom, providing intervention and support, on-going student assessments, and communicating with school leaders and others on student progress.
An ELL teacher at BASIS International School Shenzhen leads a small group of students.
Opportunities abound for serious, experienced, and subject expert educators to thrive in our school communities. We offer the ability to work with talented colleagues from all over the world, in a professional environment with motivated and hard-working students.
Featured open position: ELL Coordinator at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen
Visit our careers website for more information about teaching jobs with BASIS International Schools and apply online today!
