Why did you decide to teach abroad with WorldTeach in Colombia?
Laura: I developed an interest in South America after graduating from a fairly international University where a majority of my close friends were Latino. One of those friends went back to live in Bogota and didn't have to say much to convince me to come. Colombia has a sad yet intriguing history that has changed in recent years allowing travelers...and volunteer English professors...to discover what a beautiful country Colombia is.
What made this teach abroad experience unique and special?
Laura: I developed a very strong bond with the host family I lived with, which happened to be huge. Both parents have 7 siblings each all with families of their own. The door was always open and people were always coming in and out. I had to give numbers to all of the cousins at first because I struggled to remember their names.
Also, I lived in a smaller town just North of Bogota with only one other volunteer. We were the first foreign English Professors at this University. The students had no idea what to expect at first and were scared, especially of me, because I didn't speak any Spanish when I arrived. I had to work hard to earn their approval, but was able to create a bond with them when they realized that besides being their English professor, I was also struggling to learn Spanish. It was also fun to talk to them during office hours when they would come sometimes for homework help, but mostly to talk about future travel plans, ask me questions about my life or discuss their most recent break-up in English.
How has this experience impacted your future? (Personally, professionally, academically, etc.)
Laura: Personally, I had a massive fear of public speaking, which I still have, but am now much better at dealing with it because when you are a teacher, you have no choice but to do it everyday! Professionally, I improved my awareness and resourcefulness when it comes to intercultural communication which is especially important if I want to continue working within an International field. Academically, I now have a CELTA allowing me to teach English in Europe next year which I would not have considered doing without completing my WorldTeach year.
What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering teaching abroad in Colombia?
Laura: The educational culture here is much different. The work ethic within the University I worked at was quite shocking to me at first. A fair amount of my students did not seem to consider cheating or plagiarizing entire documents to be a punishable offense. When my students didn't complete their homework, they would always shift the blame onto something else and it was hard to instill within them that to learn English, one has to study outside of class. I think that across the board, other teachers experienced similar situations. Attitudes towards education here are a bit more relaxed and that's something you have to get used to. However, its worth trying to instill some good values in your own students without expecting to change the entire system.
Also, things tend to go wrong more here, like the internet not working, photo copiers and projectors malfunctioning, your classroom being occupied by another class...but as you get used to this, you become better at improvisation and don't stress too much about anything. However, adjusting back to work environment where this does not happen might prove to be challenging.