Korea Teacher Placement Coordinator
I have been putting off writing this bio for a very long time. I am not exactly sure what I should be writing, but I will try my best to sum up my teaching/traveling experiences and hopefully this might inspire some of you to follow suit in starting the amazing adventure that is teaching ESL abroad.
All my experiences during and since university have been teaching related. I guess I am different in that teaching was always number 1 to me. I did not get into teaching as a way for me to travel abroad, but rather it was the other way around. I had a passion for teaching and the traveling was just an extra bonus that came with the job description. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel too and being able to combine my joy for teaching and travel equally has given me the best of both worlds.
My real adventure started after finishing my B.Ed. degree. I was off to Tokyo, Japan! I was hired by a private language school (NOVA) to teach ESL at one of their branch schools in Tokyo. I did that for about 9 months then decided I was ready for something more. As such, I transferred positions and was on a train to my next destination.
My second teaching gig landed me in a rural area of Japan. This time I was teaching middle school in the middle of nowhere (and I do mean this literally). I am a trained elementary school teacher and was not prepared for what those teenagers had in store for me. I can only summarize this experience up by saying “how the **** did I survive that?” I will honestly admit that there were times when I was ready to quit because the students were unruly (and that is a very polite way to describe their behaviors) and the Japanese teachers unhelpful. But, I dug in, took on the challenges and finished out my contract successfully.
My last stop was Osaka city. I transferred to the Multimedia Center at NOVA. I was now teaching English through computers. Students throughout the country could log into the NOVA computer system and link up to lessons with a foreign English teacher. Lessons were offered 24 hours a day, so if you felt like an English lesson at 3am in the morning you could have one from the comfort of your home. Needless to say I met some “interesting” students through these online lessons.
I would say though that through all my jobs and travels in Japan, the main thing that still sticks with me to this day are the friends that I made there. The relationships that I formed with both local and foreign people in Japan will remain with me forever and even after leaving Japan over 4 years ago, I still keep in touch with many of those same individuals.
After Japan, I returned to Vancouver where I taught ESL at a private language school. One day when surfing the Internet, I came across an ad for a public school program (EPIK) in Korea. I applied, interviewed, got the job and got the visa all within 2 weeks and off to Korea I went. This may sound impulsive, but it was the best decision I ever made.
I was placed in a city called Daegu; I had never heard of this city before but I wanted an adventure so why not go all out and go somewhere unexpected. The staff and students at the elementary school were phenomenal. The Korean teachers were so welcoming to me and my co-teacher was like a 2nd mother. I will always remember my students as well. Their enthusiasm for English was unparalleled. Additionally, I formed some wonderful friendships as my awesome friends (you know who you are) shared my ups and downs with me. My year in Korea passed by very quickly and before I knew it I was at the end of the contract. The question remained: re-sign or go home?
I suppose you know the answer to that question; I obviously chose the latter and started my next adventure with Footprints Recruiting. Working behind the scenes as a placement coordinator was the logical next step for me because I’ve done the teaching/traveling part and now I am ready to help others embark on their own journeys into the ESL world. My advice to anyone thinking of starting their foray into the teaching world is: be open to everything that you encounter. Life abroad is not going to be picture perfect. Your apartment is going to be small and dirty, most likely you won’t be living in central downtown, your co-teacher might speak limited English, but ultimately you take on these challenges and overcome them because something better is waiting for you beyond those issues – an incredible year full of adventure and excitement!
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“My experience in Korea was one of the best of my life. I know, I know…so cliché…but it WAS. I am also of the opinion that Footprints Recruiting ROCKS. My year in Korea went off without a hitch…until…sigh, the end of my contract and my last paycheck. My director tried to scam me out of about 700 USD. I contacted Footprints and they stepped in and took action against my employer. Footprints has your back during the placement and throughout your contract. Make sure you cover your butt, go with a great recruiter.”
