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THE PRINCIPALS' TRAINING CENTER

Profile of an International Educator: Philippe Caron-Audet

15-Aug-16
  Profile of an International Educator: Philippe Caron-Audet

Subject area: Administration (French language teacher by training, moving into a Secondary School principal position in the fall)
Current country: Tunisia
Years in international education: 13
How did you get into international teaching, and what inspires you about it?
I always wanted to have an “international career.” I love Canada, the country where I come from, but at an early age I started traveling and was fascinated by the fact that people in other parts of the world live, talk and think differently. The more I traveled, the more I wanted to see, and not from the perspective of a tourist, but as a local.
What is it like living and teaching overseas?
Recently, the financial benefits have become more noticeable. But the people that I have met (students, colleagues, and parents), the easy access to exotic locations, the adventure and challenges—all of these are big perks.
How did you make your start in an international school?
I had all sorts of experiences and skills that, at first, did not seem to add up to something coherent; for example, I was an IBDP graduate who spoke French, made a few trips to Asia, spent summers spent working in Europe, and worked for a time in the business and finance world. Eventually I got a teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), and those experiences combined allowed me to get my first full-time teaching job in a small school in Switzerland, and that is how it all started for me.
What advice would you offer someone who has just accepted their first position with an international school?
Find ways to visit other international schools (training, sporting events, exchanges, workshops, conferences) and work with teachers from other schools. It will give you perspective on what you do in your own school, and will help you generate ideas and make plans for the future.




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