Pros
Colleagues were professional in daily interactions.
Cons
I joined the school mid-year at a time when there was no teacher in place, and I stepped in on short notice. During the interview process, there was a clear sense of urgency, and I accepted the role in good faith, encouraged by a warm onboarding and an offer letter that mentioned training. In IB contexts, it is standard for teachers to be supported and trained on the job, and I reasonably expected that this would be part of the role. Within less than three months, my contract was not renewed. The reason given was that the needs of the programme had changed and that a more experienced IB PYP teacher was required. This was difficult to reconcile, as my background and experience had been fully shared at the time of hiring. With hindsight, it felt as though the role may have been intended to meet an immediate need rather than a longer-term position. While there is nothing inherently wrong with short-term or stopgap roles, it is essential that this is communicated transparently from the outset. In this case, that clarity was not present, and expectations appeared to shift after I had already committed to the role. What made the experience particularly difficult was the way it was handled. The situation was framed as a shortcoming on my part, despite the fact that my profile had been clearly presented from the beginning and that the training mentioned in the offer did not materialise within the short timeframe. The decision was communicated via email, and requests for a face-to-face discussion were not accommodated. The absence of dialogue at a critical moment, especially after an initially warm welcome, made the experience feel abrupt and, at times, deeply discouraging from a professional and personal standpoint. The overall process had a significant impact on my wellbeing and required me to seek professional support. After many years in the profession without negative evaluations, this experience was particularly difficult to process, as it affected not only my professional confidence but also my sense of being treated with dignity. For any educator stepping into a role in good faith, transparency, alignment, and professional dialogue are essential. In this case, the lack of clarity around expectations, the absence of follow-through on support, and the manner in which the situation was handled raised serious concerns about consistency, sensitivity, and professional integrity. I would strongly encourage prospective candidates, particularly for mid-year roles, to seek very clear clarification on expectations, training, and conditions for continuation before accepting a position.