After graduation from university where they met, Sarah and Michael took off for seven weeks to explore Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. In the following years, the desire to see more of the world remained as they struggled to land full-time teaching positions in challenging schools in London. When the dream of finding the time and savings to travel was becoming elusive, the Beattys decided to give overseas teaching a go. Michael says,
"We heard about Search Associates through mutual friends who were teaching in Dubai. They had nothing but good things to say about it and told us about their job fairs with hundreds of schools attending."
In April 2015, the Beattys attended the Search London Spring Fair. Colleagues' suggestions and expat blogs had thoroughly ignited their desire to find a position in the Middle East. Before attending the fair, they had emailed ACS Doha International School, and by the time they arrived, messages from the school were already in their designated personal folder, inviting them for an interview. The very next morning, a conversation with the principal made them very keen to work at the school. Michael recounts how his and Sarah's dreams are coming true in their first year of international teaching:
"[At ACS Doha,] more time is available to plan exciting lessons and focus on student learning … the school is less rigorous at 'box ticking.' More time is available to plan exciting lessons and focus on student learning … Since moving to Qatar in August, we have been to Dubai a few times and seen the Taj Mahal in India. We also have trips planned to go to Sri Lanka, Malawi, and Oman within the next year. These are some places we couldn't have dreamed to go to living our old lifestyle."
Needless to say, the Beattys are huge advocates of attending Search Associates' job fairs, where possibilities open up in locations candidates might not have considered before. Michael advises,
"Go to a job fair!! They are an excellent way to see a variety of schools and listen to different presentations about schools all over the world. I'd highly recommend going for it if you've ever considered it. Make sure the school is right for you more than the country/ location."
