If you are reading this, chances are you’ve got that inkling to teach abroad. So did I. I was terrified to take my new college degree across the world to teach abroad. I took the plunge and did it and I can now say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. These are some of the lessons teaching abroad in another country taught me. I am forever grateful for my experience and I hope my lessons learned can help someone make the right decision.
There is more than one lens
Without even realizing it, I was stuck viewing life through the same lens. It happens to everyone. You live in a bubble and it’s not until you get out of the bubble that you realize people live differently from you. When you see the world through another lens, you can process things with other people in mind, which is something that helped make me a more aware person.
Less is more
There is something I seriously love about having less things. Less clothes to pick from, less food that you’ll never eat in the pantry, less possessions that don’t add value to your life. If you think about it, whatever you pack in a suitcase on a trip is all you really need. All the other stuff we own isn’t a true need. I learned that when you have less to worry about, you can focus more of your precious time on what really matters. This is something I carry into my classroom today. Each time I am about to make a purchase for my classroom I ask myself if this is a need or a want.
Stay resourceful
There are trends in the united states that can sometimes be extremely hard NOT to follow. Now entering my fourth year of teaching, I can see these trends very clearly. But during my first few years, it was difficult to stay away. One of them being the back to school trend. The idea that everything needs to be new in order to start a new school year. Phrases and terms such as “back to school wardrobe” and “back to school sales”. It’s a season that leads to over buying and over consumption. All things that I learned were not necessary. I did perfectly fine without any sort of back to school season in South Africa.
Be willing to adapt
There are many things that I didn’t understand about education in South Africa until I was in it. So basically, I went to college to learn all about Education in America and then immediately left the country only to find out how VERY different education is in other countries. In the beginning, I didn’t understand why there weren’t more laws and regulations. Especially for special education. Sometimes you just have to meet people where they are in order to make the biggest change.
Relationships over everything
One thing that is consistent with any child in the world is that relationships are king. I quickly learned how much children value relationships because I was in a world where there weren’t excessive things. It was truly the little things that lit up their world. Little words of affirmation here and there made the biggest impact in their confidence. Those little moments of quality time and attention during recess helped build that teacher to student trust. Relationships and words matter.
Write everything down
This is one thing I wish I would have done more consistently. I kept a journal and blog in the beginning. I was able to keep up with it for the first 3 months or so, but after that life got really comfortable abroad, I stopped journaling. You totally think that you will remember every single thing of your life abroad but the truth is that I remember the really good things or the really not so good things, but not so much about my day to day life?
It is those little details and moments that I wish I would have consistently journaled and blogged about because they made my life abroad what it was.
It’s not always rainbows and butterflies
This lesson is probably contrary to popular belief. Trust me, there were SO many things that went right when I taught abroad. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I am so grateful for every experience and encounter. Including the good and the bad. I guess I am typing this to say that just as there is in your current community, there will always be people who disagree with you and are non supportive of your work. I say this to also remind you that you are not a native in the country you choose to teach abroad in. Be respectful of this and stay humble. You may be doing amazing work, but not all will agree with you and that’s okay. I’ll leave this point with this quote, “Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress”.
Travel while you can
When I went to go teach abroad, I fell in love with the beauty of Africa. I can honestly say that I took advantage of each and every holiday. I got to visit Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and so many amazing regions of South Africa. Don’t forget to take into consideration how expensive it would be to travel to those nearby countries from the states. Take advantage of being so close to it and go on those adventures even if it means paying for it later! You will totally thank yourself!
Tell your story
People often ask me what I learned teaching abroad. I will tell them that it was amazing, life changing, and incredible. Now what? How did I take the lessons learned and apply them to my classroom now? How can I continue to support the school that I had the privilege to teach in? This is something that I honestly still want to improve on and figure out. Whether it’s sharing about my experience or sending people to the website so they can learn more about it, I encourage you to find one way to apply your teaching abroad experience to your life today.
There are some pretty amazing teach abroad English programs and opportunities out there. Whether you choose to go independently or through an organization, I hope these tips add value to your decision to teach abroad.
