Teaching Jobs in Istanbul, Turkey

Not only will you be welcomed as a guest to Istanbul, the city will also welcome you warmly as a teacher! Although primarily filled with English teaching job opportunities, there are a variety of teaching jobs in Istanbul when it comes to both subjects and settings. Private schools offer teachers a formal educational setting based on standard Turkish curriculum, and private English schools are, not surprisingly, centered on a curriculum focused on English language development. Generally, teachers do not need to know the Turkish language in order to teach in Istanbul at Turkish institutions, as all instruction will be held in English.Students begin primary education schooling the September after their sixth birthday and they remain in primary education until the end of the school year of their 14th birthday. During the last four years of primary education, students can choose between studying at a general education middle school or Imam Hitap, a form of religious vocational school.

Turkish schools run approximately nine months, or 180 days a year, and abide by Turkish holidays, during which teachers will also receive time-off. The year is divided into two semesters, including a Fall semester from September to January and a Spring semester from February to June. Students receive a two-week break in February and a three-month break during the summer. Typically, teachers will be obligated to work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with a few additional hours of lesson preparation outside of the classroom. Students are usually in classrooms from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week, with an hour lunch break at noon.For those that desire a less formal setting, there are opportunities to teach English in Istanbul personally to Turkish families. In these positions, teachers usually live with the family and provide English instruction for at least 15 hours per week. This type of teaching job in Istanbul provides a schedule that is much more flexible, as it depends mainly on the availability of the family.