Do you want to teach your way around the world?

A man sitting at a desk smiling at the camera with a laptop in front of him, in a well-lit room with bookshelves and plants in the background.

Hi, I’m Mark.

Thanks for visiting The Footloose Teacher. 

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘footloose‘ as:  able to travel freely and do as one pleases …. “I am footloose and fancy-free —I can follow my job wherever it takes me”.

Before digital nomads were a thing, teachers were some of the original working nomads.

SO WHO AM I? 24 YEARS, 6 COUNTRIES, STILL LEARNING

I’m an Australian teacher living what I consider to be a very fortunate life. After more than 24 years of living and working in Asia (6 countries so far), I’ve finally decided to document my adventures and to describe what this life is like and to help others to experience it too.

Way back in the year 2000 I was looking for something a little different for my teaching career. I was probably right where many of you are today. Wondering if there is something else out there in the world of teaching that can challenge you in a way that allows you to experience the world.

I hope that my blog and also my YouTube channel will be informative, entertaining and even provide a hint of inspiration for the teacher out there looking to head overseas like I did. I also hope that I can provide help to anyone who wishes to pursue the exciting life of international teaching.

The world really is my classroom. Sometimes I’m the teacher, but mostly I’m the student. Join me for a part of the learning journey.

I teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Business Management & Economics courses as well as Middle Years Individuals and Societies. In my 24 years teaching abroad I have mostly taught in IB International schools. I have never taught English.

I am currently working at a great school in Bangkok but after 4 years am now moving to Shenzhen, China.

Over the past two years I have been writing, recording and explaining what its like to be an international teacher in Asia and how other people can do it to. I’ve even written a book about it and have produced several guides to help get you get started. Coming soon will be a full course to guide people through the often confusing path towards getting your first international teaching job.

What I Teach

A male teacher smiling and holding a tablet in front of a classroom, with students sitting and listening.
Four friends smiling at night with city lights in the background

Living overseas can give you an awful lot. It’s given me travel, adventure, cultural experiences and a world of learning. It also gave me a family. My wife, whom I met when living in Singapore and my beautiful adopted daughters. Here we are celebrating Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in 2012

Nighttime city street scene with neon signs, pedestrians, and reflections on wet pavement.