Wonderful Teaching Experience

Having been a teacher in the United States for 3 years, I was excited to see how a school system operated in another country. I had no clue what to expect- basing my expectations off of my experiences in America. However, teaching back home was at many times stressful to say the least. The pressure to perform as a teacher was immense. And as much as it is "worth it" to be a teacher, it still left you tired and dry at the end of long days. I was especially nervous coming here because I had little direction of what to teach from the school personnel themselves, and did not know the background knowledge of the students or their English proficiency levels. The first day teaching, my coworkers could tell I was stressed, and told me over and over "Mai pen rai" (don't worry). They believed in me and knew that all I could do was try my best and were there with me every step of the way for anything I needed. Teaching was definitely a challenge, as English levels were very diverse for my classes. But it taught me a lesson that I would not have learned back home. I've learned that as educators, we can only do our best, and to relax and have fun teaching! The kids loved coming to English class, and that passion for the subject material and learning has to be present for students to take initiative in learning. I would suggest this program to anyone, especially someone who is already an educator in their home country. It gives you a new, fresh perspective. For me, it reignited the passion that I have for teaching that I felt I had lost back home.