Reach to Teach: Teach English in Georgia
Teaching English in Georgia is a tremendous experience. Your students, the culture, exotic food, your Georgian peers, the language, and travel options all combine to make for an incredible volunteer opportunity in a stunning Eastern European country!
To learn more information about Reach To Teach and the many opportunities we offer please visit our friendly and informative Reach To Teach website.
Location: Volunteers are assigned a teaching location during their in-country orientation after arrival in Georgia. Your location preferences are taken into consideration.
Application Deadline: We accept applications year-round. Arrival dates for the Georgia program are on the 15th and 30th of each month.
Schools: Public schools (Elementary, Middle and High School)
Reviews
100%Overall
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100%Overall
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After having read the reviews prior to applying for the Teach English in Georgia program and now having been in Georgia for 2 fulls months, I can confidently say that I am very glad I chose this program.
After spending the first week here in training in a wonderful city, Tbilisi and a week with my host family getting myself oriented, I was then able to dive in to school. The kids are great! Teaching methods are quite different here than what I'm used to. And with three co-teachers it's quite the variety. My three co-teachers have been trained in Russia, Georgia and Armenia. It's fun and difficult at the same time to work with each other them. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. After a month and a half of teaching with them and really getting involved in the school, not just grades 1-6, but also upper levels as well, and throwing my spin on things, we have all come to smoothly operate with one another. At first it was difficult to adapt the the Georgian way of interaction between the students and teachers. I found their way to be much to forceful and abusive at times. However, with a little bit of finesse, lots of smiles and really connecting with the students, I was able to get my co-teachers to create a more jovial atmosphere in the classroom. I think my co-teachers were just feeling a bit over worked and having a second pair of hands, eyes and ears has helped a lot in the classroom. I have been able to form different relationships with my co-teachers and classes. Needless to say, despite the sometimes aggravating situations that come with every job, I really enjoy the variety of levels, challenges and fun that I have from day to day. It definitely keeps me on my toes and thinking about what's next.
The Georgian people, despite their cool outer shell, are a very welcoming people. One "dila mshvidobisa" or "garmajobat" and their face lights up! They love staring, but it's more out of curiosity and wanting to get to know you. I have found that as long as I keep a smile on my face, listen with an open mind and don't say anything too definite, everyone will have an enjoyable time.
I will have to say that the Georgian people are definitely a very emotionally driven folk. Behind every word, they throw all their feeling into it. I have found this, at times, to be a bit much. I myself and a very outgoing and gregarious person, but I believe I have met my match in good and bad ways. I have learned that being able to calmly reply to any given extreme situation will often help calm things back down. At the same time, being able to equally react with excitement or sadness is also good. They are a prideful bunch and want to make sure that you are experiencing a good time or that you understand fully what is going on. They want to make you feel as included as possible. Which I have felt from day one. Just stay clear of the politics.
My host family is amazing. I have a Deda (mom), Da (sister), Dzma (brother), Dis kanonit (sister-in-law) and a Dishvili (nephew). I really feel like part of the family. We bond over toasted sunflower seeds a few times a week, Deda and I eat dinner together and are the first ones to begin the morning over a cup of tea or coffee. My Da is also my school's director. She has been great. At first I thought it would be awkward, but school time is for school and at home, we are sisters. My Dishvili is 14 and acts every bit the teenager. Since I have a 17 year old brother back home, he makes me feel like I'm back home listening to my brother argue with my mom. Aside from walking around the house in my house shoes with no socks and wearing chacos to school until the weather started cooling down, we've gotten along fantastically. They just think I'm crazy and will die from having cold feet. I love that they care. It's what makes it special.
Borjomi is one the the larger towns in Georgia. I applied to the program not caring where I was placed. I love everything from the city to the village. Borjomi is perfect. I often visit my sister-in-law's village outside of Gori with her and I love it there too. Despite the turkish toilets, less than warm showers and interesting food choices in the villages, I love spending time there. It's a breath of fresh air. In Borjomi, I have been lucky to have 2 western toilets, hot showers and access to internet, although I do try to stay away from the internet so that I can enjoy my host family, surrounds and school more.
Even though this is my third time living abroad, I believe it will be an extremely memorable one. This time is different. This time there are different ups and downs to experience in a completely different culture uniquely its own. I'm soaking it all up and learning what I can. Just rolling with the punches and enjoying what I can.
Critical Feedback:
As far as Reach to Teach is concerned, I have no complaints! Very helpful and communicative the whole way through.
80%Overall
Rating
The program coordinator, John, does most of the communication, though Stephanie Long does some of the communication as well, as well as conduct the interview. It was very easy to get all of the information I needed, and when I had a question, it was answered within a couple of days.
Critical Feedback:
Not sure. I was pretty well informed.
100%Overall
Rating
My boyfriend and I were looking for job opportunities in Korea. After weeding out many scams and inattentive recruiters, John at Reach to Teach was the first person to really talk to us personally (he called us personally and we talked to him for about an hour the first time we made contact!). He was frank and very helpful, saying that it might be best for us to wait until a more opportune time to apply to East Asia and for now go to Georgia for a couple of months with TLG - Teach and Learn with Georgia. Although we knew nothing about it, we decided to jump on the opportunity and Reach to Teach was there every step of the way.
We got there and as I write this I'm actually in a little village in Georgia, taking a break between teaching and living with a host family. It's nothing like what we were expecting, and it's challenging sometimes, but it's an experience I would never take back. Georgia is a fascinating place that is really starting to change. It has an obscure, beautiful language and a very unique culture. We're indebted to John and the rest of Reach to Teach for getting us here and we'd happily recommend them to anyone looking to teach abroad (they don't only recruit for Georgia - they also can get you to Thailand, China, Chile, Taiwan, and Korea).
90%Overall
Rating
I'm only seven weeks into the program, but overall the program isn't a bad one. Reach to Teach has been amazing through the entire process and has supported me from the initial stages (document collection, medical examination, etc.) until now. TLG offers one week of training in Georgian culture and teaching methodology, but some of the information presented, as well-prepared as the trainers seemed at the time, was misleading. How intense, for example, the drinking culture is and how unsafe it makes living here sometimes. The community and the school are very welcoming, and I love my school, students and the teachers. But living with a host family is probably the most challenging aspect of this program. The food can be tasty, but volunteers should watch the preparation closely, as sanitation here is not up to standards most of our bodies are used to. I also wish I had been given a more accurate "to bring" list before I came over, so I wouldn't have worried so much about bringing clothes with me and would have made sure to pack a winter coat. I would definitely recommend signing for the short contract and then asking for an extension if the volunteer likes it, as I regret not doing this with my contract.
Critical Feedback:
Better living conditions, which seems like a bit of a blanket statement, but in the end I'm a creature of comfort.
50%Overall
Rating
It is not bad. The pay is better than in villages or towns, but mediocre if it is in a big city in Georgia. This below describe my village conditions and possibly other people's situations.The students can be out of control and disrespectful. Many students are either not interested to learn or had disinterest in the prior experience. The teachers are often very rigid and focused too much reading and writing. Depending on the host family, food can be very lacking and difficult to get protein and other nutrients. Often many places in village will not have easily accessible hot water and plumbing in toilets. The food can be expensive though on local income.
Although people are friendly and sometimes will invite you for supra/party. The natural scenery is very nice. The staff is pretty supportive.
If you like living a simple life with outdoor stuff to do, this is for you. If you like your standard western urban lifestyle, this might not be for you unless you are willing to pay/work extra.
Reach To Teach's Response to keepitreal:
This review sounds more like a review for the TLG program rather than for the services you received through Reach To Teach. Nevertheless, we will be sure to pass on your comments to new teachers considering teaching abroad in Georgia!
100%Overall
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I recently used RTT to gain a position in Georgia and have nothing but good things to say about the company and their ability to place me in a safe and fun environment. Thanks!
100%Overall
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We are living in Odishi, near Zugdidi, and we have no Internet connection in our village, so we must travel to the city to send emails, etc.
Our host family is amazing. They had a volunteer last year so they know how it goes. They are very friendly, generous and our living conditions are fine.
We have loved learning the language and practicing on family and at eateries.
School is going well. My two co-teachers are pretty good. One speaks great English while the other teacher's English abilities are okay. I have four days a week teaching and 3-4 classes a day so the work load is minimal. I have been running an after school English club which seems to be going well. This is extended to anyone who wants to come so I have some older kids coming to that. As you probably know TLG volunteers now only teach grades 1-6.
There has been many opportunities to travel and we have been hiking in the mountains for a week, on the Black Sea coast around Batumi and Sarpi, and up to Sihgnagi in wine making country. We were so fortunate to be in the training group we were in and we have made many great friends that we have been travelling with.
TLG arranged to take us all down to Batumi to see the opera which was held at a newly decorated theatre. The event was attended by the president. The president sat just behind us and we were on tv, much to the delight of our host family who saw the whole thing on the news. We were put up in a 5-star hotel, taken out for restaurant meals and travel was all sorted. We REALLY appreciated this as we aren't paid much. It was nice to have this opportunity to sweeten the deal.
Regarding photos and such, I'm sure you will understand that given the lack of Internet availability that this will be difficult for us. I hope this email is of some use. Feel free to quote me or rewrite my thoughts. I don't mind at all !
Cheers to Rick at Reach To Teach Recruiting and thanks again for all your help in getting us here. We are having a fantastic adventure!
Best,
Eric & Anna Murray
Disclaimer: This review was posted by a Reach To Teach staff member on behalf of Eric and Anna, who have limited access to the Internet. We received their permission to post this review.
90%Overall
Rating
Georgia is a beautiful country that is improving its mark in the world. Life in Georgia is simple. Being a volunteer English teacher in Georgia is amazing if one isn't too affected by homesickness.
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Alumni Interviews
Meet Duncan Hardock and Jennifer Gemmell, Reach to Teach teachers in Georgia
Duncan Hardock hails from Washington DC while Jennifer Gemmell is from pretty much all over the United States. They are both graduates of Colby College and just completed their contracts with Teach and Learn with Georgia. You can read more about their adventure at Mzad Var. Jennifer took all of the epic photos and Duncan wrote all of the poetical paragraphs. Both of them really miss the taste of guacamole.
GO: Why inspired you two to teach ESL?
Duncan & Jennifer: We're both pretty big nerds. We loved college and everything that came with it. We know we want to go back to school someday, but like many just-grads, we don't know exactly what we want to study. Sometimes, and we're being completely serious here, teaching ESL is the perfect way to buy yourself a couple of years to think about what comes next.
It's not always easy, but it's really a great deal. We're getting paid to travel to amazing places and teach something we're already good at. Most of the time, you don't even have to jump through too many hoops to do so. Our application process wasn't exactly painless, but we ended up in a great place.
GO: Why did you choose Reach to Teach?
Duncan & Jennifer:The biggest hurdle throughout our job search was the fact that we were applying as a couple. It made everything complicated and we needed a program that was willing to work with us.
Sometimes, all you're looking for is someone to make a genuine effort to get to know you. Everyone wants to be more than a number, and that's never more true than when you're looking for a job. A friend recommended Reach to Teach to us, and we sent an email outlining our situation. John Kellenberger, one of the Co-Presidents, called us personally and we talked on the phone for more than an hour that first night. This was after weeks of waiting on email after email from every other shadowy enterprise we were inquiring after. It was a breath of fresh air. By the end of the conversation, we knew we were working with the right people.
GO: Please describe the application process/obstacles for couples wanting to teach abroad?
Duncan & Jennifer:The fact of the matter is that dealing with couples is a headache for every program. Some programs are willing to put up with it, but others aren't, and pretty much every program that was even willing to look at our joint application had stipulations in their contract saying they would try to place couples together, but they weren't willing to promise anything.
If you're married, it becomes much easier, but we aren't married yet. I still remember laughing when John jokingly asked us to get married just because that would make everything a whole lot simpler. But we didn't want to rush a marriage for the sake of a job application.
Sometimes you just have to take a risk. We spent our first week in Georgia in Eastern Europe not knowing for sure whether we would be living in the same house or across the country from each other. That was scary, but at least we were ready for it.
Reach to Teach was with us every step of the way. They made sure we knew what we were getting ourselves into and worked with the program to make sure we had the best possible chances to be together. Everything worked out in the end!
GO: Describe your day to day activities as teachers in Georgia.
Duncan & Jennifer: We're kind of in the middle of nowhere, but not in a bad way. We live in a pretty small village in the wine-region in Eastern Georgia, and share a bedroom in our host-family's house. We work every weekday, but the hours aren't grueling. We have a total of 16 classes a week with 1stthrough 6th graders which we co-teach with a local teacher. The hardest thing about our experience has been not having our own place. Even when school is over for the day, we never really get a break from teaching. We have host-brothers and sisters to tutor and being foreigners in a small village like this is like being a celebrity; everyone wants a piece of us. But living with a host family comes with a lot of upside. It's the best way to really experience a foreign culture and there is so much we would have missed without it.
GO: How has this experience impacted your relationship?
Duncan & Jennifer: It's definitely a test, and not one to be taken lightly. Teaching abroad is an isolating experience; it really makes you appreciate your friendships. Living here as a couple definitely lessens that sting of loneliness, but you kind of end up having to be everything for your partner. You become each other's confidants, practice partners, shoulders to cry on when one is desperately needed, and nurses when disease inevitably strikes. All of these responsibilities add up. It's like being stuck in a canoe together; you have to be willing to work with each other, or the pressure can really start to break you apart.
But when it works, it's the best. We get to grow together, see the world, and share this absolutely amazing experience.
Christopher Manning Interview, Reach to Teach Alum
Christopher Manning is from Staten Island, New York. He went to Georgia on September 15 and will be staying until June. He is a musician, avid language learner and traveler, who operates under the pseudonym Fotgjengeren ("The Pedestrian") on Facebook and Twitter.
GO: What inspired you to teach ESL?
Christopher: I had friends doing it in Korea and Japan, and they inspired me to try it out. I also enjoy traveling and learning languages, so I thought it'd be fun to pass my language on.
GO: Why did you choose Reach to Teach?
Christopher: I googled "Teach English in Korea" and it was one of the results that came up. I read the website and decided to apply to Korea. Ironically, I ended up nowhere near there.
GO: Describe your day to day activities as a teacher in Georgia.
Christopher: This varies as I don't usually have set plans most of the time. I like music a lot, so I keep up with that. I play basketball from time to time with my host brother. I speak a lot to my host in English and she teaches and speaks with me in Georgian. We have really good food, and I drink wine usually about once or twice a week. It's delicious.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Christopher: I think it's giving me momentum towards what I want to do, trying to figure out how to make all my passions work together.
GO: What is one piece of advice you would give to others thinking about teaching abroad?
Christopher: Don't be afraid to do it. Jump head-first into the culture. Get to know people and have fun learning the language.
Further Info
About Reach To Teach
As any ESL Teacher can tell you, finding a good teaching job abroad can be difficult. Similarly, a lot of ESL schools feel that finding a good teacher is equally difficult. This is where we at Reach To Teach come in. Our motto is matching great teachers with great schools.
There are a lot of ESL jobs available abroad, however it can be difficult to find one which matches your wants and needs. Reach To Teach is here to help. We carefully screen all our schools to ensure our teachers know as much as possible about their school and the contract they will be signing. You can feel comfortable and confident moving overseas knowing what your job will be like.
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Georgia is an amazing place to experience. There are many different regions to explore from mountains to beaches. The hospitality of the people is unbelievable! If you are lost someone will help you. This doesn't just mean pointing in the right direction. They will put you in the car and take you themselves. But not without a stop at their house first to fill you with food and wine. You will meet so many other teachers wherever you go, so you will never be alone if you don't want to be. People in your community will immediately adopt you as your own and love and care for you. The children are extremely excited to have a foreign teacher. Be prepared for plenty of gifts and fruit. Overall a wonderful time can be had if you're ready for the adventure.
Critical Feedback:
Host families should be required to have hot, running water or a means to get it. Maybe a lesson on sanitation and health practives should be given to host families.