My Teaching experience in Mexico

My name is Pauline Mwendwa from Nairobi, Kenya. I am a 27 years old adventurous and spontaneous teacher. I teach English and Literature both at Middle school and High school Level. I am currently teaching at Oxford School of English here in Monterrey, Mexico. I have been a teacher here for almost three years now.
This is my story. When my Best friend Flevian and I decided that it was time we diversified our dreams and move at least to a different country, I personally had no idea which country would be my destination. All I knew was that I needed to experience a new culture and learn a new language. So I went online and send out over 100 applications to all parts of the world. I received a couple of offers but some of them required huge amounts of money to move. Mexico was the option that I felt comfortable going for especially due to my financial situation. Also, it was intriguing for me because guess what, I had never thought of Mexico in my whole life and to be honest I never knew where Mexico was, and I never knew even a single Spanish word!
It wasn't the easiest decision to make moving to Mexico and I have never regretted it either. My teaching experience for the first year was not an easy one due to very many challenges such as language barrier and culture differences. After 3 months of working at Lincoln School in Guadalajara, Jalisco I was fired! Yes you read that right. That was my most devastating moment in my life. I was in a foreign country, I did not speak their language and I had no relative around. I contemplated going back to Kenya for a few days but I knew I had so much to accomplish in Mexico before I called it quits. I knew I could make it and God had better plans ahead. So I stayed without a job and with no means of survival. With my little savings that I had, I took a flight to a different State, Nuevo Leon where I am right now. This is where I learnt about the TEFL course through my online research in pursuit of understanding and solving the challenges of teaching English as a second Language. Before coming to Mexico, I had been teaching English for a couple of years in Kenya. I knew I was a competent teacher and an excellent one for that matter. Lo and behold! Teaching English and Teaching English as a second language are two different worlds altogether. With TEFL course you can easily be both. Through this course I learnt a lot that I wouldn't have known. If you are considering teaching in a foreign country you are on the right path. But, first things first. There are things that you might need to consider first. Learn the culture of your country destination, familiarize yourself with their religious believes and political views and if possible learn a bit of their language. Most importantly, take a TEFL course. This will make it easier for you to kick start your adventure. Also, you might need to be careful about the institution you choose to undertake your TEFL course. There are numerous institutions offering the course, but reviews should be your guide. After my research, I chose University of Toronto because of the positive review I read from different people, and true to the word, it was an amazing experience. The organization of the content, the constant online support and above all the prompt feedback from the tutors was my best part.Today I am proud to be one of the most outstanding graduates from OISE University of Toronto TEFL.
My most outstanding testimony is how much I learnt about classroom management. Any teacher would concur with me that this is usually the most challenging aspect of a teaching career. Being able to manage 25 to 30 different personalities with different background, interest, talents and challenges in the same room and at the same time is not a walk in the park. Since I took my TEFL course, my teaching experience has never been this exciting and lively. Lately, my students give me a reason to look forward to my next day, unlike before. I am looking forward to an even more adventurous and exciting teaching career in different parts of the world.
Lots of love to everyone and always be wild!