Laura Earwood’s path into education began far from a traditional classroom. After finishing school with her first degree in sport and adventure recreation, and working as an outdoor instructor, Laura discovered how much she enjoyed helping young people develop confidence, build teamwork skills, and overcome challenges. What began with kayaking lessons eventually led to teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and, ultimately, a career in international education.
Along the way, I realised that education was where I wanted to be. I loved building relationships with students, helping them overcome challenges, and seeing them achieve things they may not initially have thought possible.
That early experience shaped a career spanning Austria, Jordan, Japan, Wales, California, and now China. Over 15 years in education, Laura has moved from classroom teaching and working directly with students into pastoral leadership, safeguarding, consulting, administration, and secondary school leadership. Now Secondary School Principal at the American International School of Guangzhou (AISG), Laura says,
My career certainly hasn’t followed a traditional path, but I wouldn’t change that. What I love most about education is still very similar to what drew me to working with young people in the first place: helping people discover what they are capable of and creating environments where students and adults feel supported, challenged, and able to grow.
For Laura, the variety of her experiences across schools and countries has reinforced the importance of relationships, trust, and a shared commitment to the success of every member of a school community. International education has also given her the opportunity to learn from people with different cultural and educational backgrounds.
What has kept me in international education is the opportunity to be part of incredibly diverse communities. Living and working alongside people from different cultures, backgrounds, and educational experiences continually challenges you to think differently and grow. It has certainly shaped the educator and leader I am today.
Laura was first introduced to Search Associates by her husband, James Earwood, a global politics and psychology teacher. Since then, Search Associates has played an important role in their approach to finding international school opportunities.
Rather than simply searching for their next positions, Laura and James focus on finding school communities where their values align with the school’s mission and where they can make meaningful contributions. Search Associate Gez Hayden has been an important source of support throughout Laura’s career moves.
The website has been extremely useful for researching schools and exploring opportunities, but for me, the greatest value has been the personalised support from our Search Associate. Gez and I had many conversations as I explored different opportunities, and those discussions were incredibly valuable. Having someone who understood the international school landscape, but who also took the time to understand what I was looking for, helped me think carefully about each opportunity. Being able to ask questions, talk through opportunities, and receive honest advice gave me additional confidence throughout the process.
Laura also valued the opportunity to connect with school leaders in person at the Search Associates London Job Fair and the Leadership Job Fair in London. Meeting leaders face-to-face allowed her to gain a better sense of each school’s culture and community while also introducing her to possibilities she might not otherwise have considered. “I would definitely attend another Search Associates fair,” she adds.
The Search Associates platform was another valuable resource. Detailed school profiles and vacancy listings enabled Laura to research potential opportunities carefully, while having recruitment information and tools in one place made the process easier to manage. She also spoke with current and former staff and considered each opportunity from both a professional and family perspective.
That careful approach ultimately led Laura to AISG, where she accepted the position of Secondary School Principal.
Throughout the process, my conversations with the school reinforced its commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and putting people first. The more I learned, the more it felt like a community where I could contribute as a leader while also continuing to learn and grow myself.
For Laura and James, international education has been both a professional experience and an important part of family life. After spending many years working together in international schools, the couple moved to California, where they pursued opportunities at different schools. After two years apart professionally, they are delighted to once again be part of the same school community at AISG.
International education can be all-consuming at times, but when we work in the same community, we share the same mission and understand the context of each other’s work. We’re both invested in doing our jobs well and ensuring that the students in our care are learning, safe, and thriving. It is also incredibly rewarding to share that experience as a family and to raise our daughter within an international school community.
Their daughter has grown up surrounded by international school communities, developing friendships with children from around the world. Through everyday experiences at school and in their various home countries, she has become familiar with different languages, cultures, traditions, and perspectives.
Moving between countries isn’t always easy, particularly for children, but it has also helped her become resilient and comfortable entering new environments and forming new relationships. As parents, we feel incredibly fortunate that she has had the opportunity to grow up as part of such diverse communities.
Laura believes that the diversity found in international schools benefits educators as much as students. Working alongside colleagues who have been educated and trained in different systems encourages educators to examine their own assumptions and practices while remaining open to new perspectives. For Laura, these experiences have helped her become a more reflective, adaptable, and collaborative educator and leader.
For educators considering international schools, Laura and James recommend researching prospective schools and locations carefully and speaking with current and former members of the school community. They also encourage educators to remain open to opportunities that may not initially look like part of their intended career path.
Laura’s own career began with an opportunity to participate in an outdoor education program—an experience that eventually led to classroom teaching, international school leadership, and a career spanning multiple countries.
I certainly couldn’t have predicted then that it would eventually lead to a career spanning multiple countries and roles and ultimately to school leadership in China. International education has challenged me, stretched me, introduced me to wonderful people, and provided opportunities I could never have imagined when I first began working with young people. If you are curious, adaptable, and willing to embrace the unexpected, it can be an incredibly rewarding career.
