ISJ November 2013: The teacher’s managed heart in an international school setting

Sudha Sunder

Abstract:

Abundant research literature exists on international schools, international education (see for instance Hayden and Thompson 1995a, 1995b) and students in international schools particularly on Third Culture Kids (Pollock and Van Reken 2001). This paper focuses on teaching in international schools from a teacher perspective, particularly giving voice to the experiences and challenges they faced in international schools.

Contrary to research that views schools as organizations that are tidy, orderly places where everything is ‘under control’, this study embraces the notion that schools are places where there are particularly high levels of emotions (James, 1999) and involve extensive investment of ‘emotional labor’ (Hochschild 1983, p7) particularly by teachers and administrators in international school settings.