WorldTeach - Ecuador 2008-09

The experience of teaching abroad is one that I would not trade. It is rewarding beyond any tangible measure and helped to mold me into a great teacher. That being said, were I to do it again, I would have more carefully scrutinized the programs that I considered. WorldTeach, while it provided a beneficial experience, could have done more to support me as a volunteer. I feel that there are other programs that offer a more comprehensive training program designed to better prepare their volunteers to run a classroom. While we did receive close to 100 hours of training, I did not feel prepared to succeed when I was given my classroom. However, if you view the initial mistakes that new teachers make as an inevitability, then you should not be deterred. I knew that I would make mistakes, but I did not feel incredibly well-supported to understand and evaluate them, and ultimately use them to improve.
I found that one drawback to the program was the wide variety of teacher placements. There was too much of a difference in the teaching loads, institutional support, and stipend pay across volunteer assignments, even within the same city. I was unlucky with my placement in that I ended up at a school with the lowest pay, least vacation days for travel, and a less than ideal daily schedule. While one school in the same city had 8 week terms with a 2 week break, my school offered 10 week terms and a 1 week break. The former school also paid approximately $100 more per month. While I did not enroll in this program to make money, the stipend that I received was not enough to get by each month and I had to use my savings.
My daily schedule was to teach a two hour class from 7am-9am and 6pm-8pm, five days per week. The 8 week school, as a comparison, offered classes closer together and teachers did not teach on Fridays. These stark differences only caused me to envy my fellow volunteers who were lucky enough to teach at that school.
I can look back on the experience with mostly fond memories, but there is some definite room for improvement. The students were of course the most inspirational and memorable part of the experience. I also learned a great deal about perseverance, grit, and self-reliance through this program. Overall, it was an incredibly valuable experience, if not always fun.