For me, right now, I love the newness. I'm enjoying making mistakes and being confused and wondering if I'll ever get it right. This past week I met some Americans who are visiting Mongolia for a month, and I was able to tell them some bus routes. This small act also reminded me that I'm not brand spankin' new. I *have* learned a few things. Let me share a few things about teaching English abroad that I've learned over the past couple years:
1. Everyone has different expectations
We all have our idea of school, most likely based on our own experiences. But school, teacher expectations, and student expectations are not the same in every country or culture. For example, at my school it isn't uncommon for students to text teachers, but that never happened during my student teaching in a Boston high school. We also have several events each semester, like talent shows and culture nights, and the teachers plan everything. So just know that if you want to teach abroad, your work culture and job responsibilities may be very different from what you'd find in the U.S.
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| Last week's school trivia competition called "Brainstorm". I was the photographer and last minute entertainer (meaning I taught everyone the Cupid Shuffle while another teacher fixed the powerpoint) |
2. Speaking English is not Teaching English
I didn't really get this until I was studying for my master's, but it is so true. Just because you're a native speaker of English doesn't mean you will make a good teacher of English. In fact, besides modeling correct pronunciation, you may offer very little to your students if you've never had any training. Thankfully there are many certification programs out there as well as some quality books. I am grateful to work with a company that offers a lot of professional development. The lesson here is not that you can't teach, it's that you should take it as seriously as any other job and be appropriately prepared.
This also applies to any other job abroad. Sometimes people, especially Americans, think that they're qualified to teach, build homes, work with children, etc., in another country because they see a need and want to fill it. But wanting to be a good teacher, construction worker, nurse, etc., isn't enough. Jamie Wright, as always, puts it best:
We've had our fill of well-intentioned, but ill-equipped volunteers. Over the last 20 years, our sincere and valiant efforts to love mankind have wasted enough money, disenfranchised enough people, and created enough dependency to last a lifetime. [...] We need actual teachers, and social workers, and business wo/men, and midwives, and therapists, and pastors, and farmers, and caregivers, and on and on and on... Because we have the greatest impact when we, specifically, send the right people, to do the right job, in the right place.
3. You're only an expert in the classroom
Sometimes being a teacher can inflate one's ego. I'll admit, when a room full of bright-eyed students laugh at one of my jokes, my heart soars! But more often than not, life in a foreign country teaches us just how dependent we are. The second I step out of my classroom, I need my students' and coworkers' help to translate notices left on my apartment door or write a note to my hairdresser so she doesn't give me a mullet. I can't survive a week here without asking a native for assistance. If you teach abroad, be prepared to feel a little helpless. Literally the only time I know what I'm doing is when I'm helping my students learn things like the difference between quit, quite, and quiet. However, ...
4. You're never really an expert
Even in the classroom I'm frequently humbled. Just yesterday I wore a sweatshirt from the university connected to my language school and a student asked me, in the middle of class, if I was a student at the university. I couldn't even really figure out why they asked, but it knocked me down a peg. No, I'm a teacher! Moreover, even in the classroom, cultural norms still apply. I might think it is ok to pass out papers by dropping them on students' desks, but here it is rude. When I made that mistake a few years ago, I was embarrassed when a student told me to hand her the paper directly. This is my classroom, I thought bitterly. But no, she was right, I need to act culturally appropriate in order to foster good rapport with my students and coworkers, ultimately leading to a better educational environment and stronger relationships. If you're preparing to teach abroad, be prepared to feel stupid
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| More "Brainstorm" fun! Students answered multiple choice questions on vocab, grammar, and culture. |
5. Learning another language isn't easy
Beyond cultural norms, language is a whole other challenge. As a foreign language teacher, you'd think I'd be able to learn a foreign language with at least a little finesse, but really I am constantly battling two giants. The first is just the general difficulty of learning another language. Sure, some are easier than others and some people learn faster than others, but at the end of the day it takes a lot of time and effort. And I don't always have much time, or time I'm eager to spend studying. I also don't have much time to practice with native Mongolian speakers, because most of the day I'm expected to model and teach English, not ask my students to teach me Mongolian. They are happy to help, but they are paying for an education, not the other way around.
Secondly, as I said in #3, humility is not my strongest quality. I really don't enjoy learning a language because I just feel so stupid. Even if I finally nail something in the classroom, once I step outside and talk to someone other than my teacher, I can only last about 30 seconds before I'm confused. Of course, these experiences are important in helping me relate to my students. It doesn't make them any less stressful, though. If you move abroad, I hope you try and learn the local language, but set some realistic expectations.
6. You may be asked to do too much
Like any teaching position, there will be days or months or years when you feel stretched to the breaking point. It is very possible that some administrator will ask you to go above and beyond your contract, students will want extra tutoring or test prep, or other foreigners will expect you to spend all your free time with them. Whatever the case, there will come a point when you need to say no. Figure out the appropriate way of doing so in your context, and don't be afraid to set some boundaries. You can't be an effective person if you're over committed.
7. You may be bored
But there might also be days or months when you feel like you're wasting your time. Maybe it's too cold to go outside and you're watching episodes of Castle with your cat. (Yeah.) Or none of your students or coworkers want to spend Saturdays with the awkward foreign teacher. Or maybe, just maybe, they are waiting for you to call and make plans. Whatever the case, there will most likely be days when you're bored. It's ok. Just find something to do. You can actually control this one.
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| Students and some guests to help us with conversation practice! (Stolen from Janet's Instagram) |
These are just 7 things I've learned so far, and there are many more to come. Teaching English abroad (or teaching of any kind, really) isn't for everyone, and every teacher's experience will be different. I couldn't be more thankful to be able to do what I love every day, and that includes learning more about myself, this culture, and teaching. :)
