Seven years ago I took a teaching position in Seoul, South Korea. Korea. It was a big step for me when I was traveling alone and had never really everywhere .... been out of Spain!
What was even more scary was that I had no experience in teaching and teacher education in the pocket. Not a bit!
The director of studies has assured me that was the lesson easily, and they would give me full training. As it turned out, I had absolutely no training. When I arrived the DOS gave me a stack of books andtold me to prepare a lesson plan for the next day. I do not even know what was a lesson plan!
Before I knew it, I stood in front of a class of 25 bright students face trying to teach them grammar. I soon realized that my schedule a bit (short for material about 1 hour was short), and I had to think on my feet.
My accommodation was a different story. Labor has promised to ad free private housing, as part of my package. My apartment was a small, rustic rooms with a mattress on theBottom and the smallest toilet / washroon I had ever seen.
I somehow managed to stick the job and I am better on the lesson planning. The truth is, I think as many games as I do now. I think I spent more time in the internet cafe in search of educational material, as I was teaching. I just had to get through each day, which was very difficult.
When I received my first money I put into my own apartment, although it is relatively expensive. The block was about 7other Western teachers live there, and I soon joined the group and some good friends.
I can not tell you how much it made a difference with my own room and a group of friends hang out with. My experience went from a complete nightmare to be amazing.
I loved my students and I finally started to enjoy it to work. My first month, however, was brutal.
Like most teachers, I soon got tired and took off for Korea to Thailand. I had some savingsSo I decided to invest in a 4 weeks TEFL course in Phuket. That was an eye opener. I was completely gone, which I declined blown. If only I had known half of this stuff when I started teaching in Korea, it would have been a breeze. Instead, it was the most stressful time in my life.
I can not imagine just to teach someone to go abroad without having previously a TFEL obviously can. The DOS in Korea could not care less. All he wanted was a Western face in front of his students, so that itsSchool would be paid by the parents. As for the children to learn English? So what .... far as it concerned.
The teachers of the industry can be a minefield. Follow my advice and you will avoid the 5 big mistakes new teachers make the most of the teachers.
Teacher 1 / enrollment at an accredited, 4 weeks TEFL course and learn, to manage a classroom, plan lessons and gain the confidence to go into a classroom and in the face of 20-50 students. Make sure that you are teaching practice with local students. It is much better(and cheaper) to take a course abroad than at home.
2 / Do not accept a teaching post before traveling to a country and check out the school, the staff and the environment. Take a TEFL course in or near the country of your choice and look for work while on the pitch. You are virtually guaranteed a job upon completion to a decent TEFL course.
3 / Do not accept free accommodation (or flights included) involved. I have seen dozens of examples where teachers are placed in some shit hole. Most employeesin Asian schools have no idea of what to expect the West for housing. Ask for an allowance instead and support for their own accommodation.
There's a good reason why these schools offer flights and accommodation. They are desperate to get teachers and the teachers do not get it, do not stay too long.
4 / Make sure you speak some other Western teachers. Otherwise, you will feel like the loneliest man on the planet.
5 / Think carefully about why you want toteach abroad. The money in Korea and Japan is great but the lifestyle is expensive and you therefore spend most weekends at home. Also the people in Korea are not the friendliest. Thailand offers the most amazing lifestyle and it's cheap, safe & friendly. You'll earn enough to live on but you wont get rich. You can spend your weekends in a beach hut for next to nothing.
Teaching English abroad can be a life changing experience for the right and wrong reasons.
Follow these 5 Tips and you probably have the time of your life.
