A teacher in China, Amanda Miers sums up exactly how I'm feeling about going home in about 2 or 3 months (emphasis mine):
Thanks to modern technology, maintaining relationships with the people I love from the places I’ve left behind hasn’t been difficult. I have become accustomed to communicating cross-continentally, waking up at dawn for video-chats in my pajamas, or staying up extra late to locate my friends online. I miss everyone and I think of them constantly; I wish we could meet for a cup of coffee or cook dinner together in our tiny kitchens like we used to. Still, it’s hard to smother the irritation I feel when people say, “Hurry up and come home!” I want to snap back at them, “Where exactly is home?” Is home simply the country whose passport I hold? Is home the place where I’ve spent the most years of my life? And is it possible that “home” can refer for more than one place?
Read her full article here.
This is part of why I have my heart set on teaching in Germany this summer. I'll need to pick up a TEFL certification, but luckily it's affordable and I can do it online. I'm really excited because- GERMANY!
Good luck with your move to Germany,
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking to teach in Europe I would strongly suggest not doing an online teaching course. I don't know the spec of the job your going for but Europe is a crowded market (and a low paid one!) and there are lots of qualified teachers. I took the CELTA about 6 years ago and would recommend something like that rather than an online course - just my opinion though!
Gavin
Thanks for the tip. In researching, I've found that only a TEFL certification is required, and I do already have 1.5 years teaching experience under my belt. I'm hoping that will be enough to at least get my foot in the door, so to speak. :0)
ReplyDeleteThe experience certainly won't harm you and will have improved skills that you will need further down the line, but remember, you're not teaching in a school so the experience is, forgive the expression, 'less valid'.
ReplyDeleteFor example, a friend of mine worked here and started a teaching course in England after she finished but found that her time here didn't count as experience because it wasn't in a school.
There is a difference in expectation from employers and expectations from students outside of Korea. You will be asked to actually plan lessons, answer difficult grammar questions and deal with people who actually want to learn and are not there because their parents are too busy to look after them.
I still recommend doing a CELTA which is a TEFL qualification (just a 4/5 week course which you can actually do in Asia inexpensively) as it will mean your job chances will multiply in Europe where it is an accepted qualification and in some places a minimum requirement.
Anyway, I hope it all goes well and you enjoy whatever comes next after Korea!
Gavin