Live and Teach Overseas

The teaching profession is probably one of the most unique ways to make a living anywhere in the world. Because you are teaching people new skills you are going to be part of that society and all that entails. So before you start to teach it is best to really examine yourself to make sure that this is the job for you.

One of the greatest downsides of teaching is that this is not a high paying job in many countries including the United States. Perhaps you can find your niche in a high paying career or in a high paying city or country but normally this is not the case. Some teachers make up for this by becoming part time tutors to outside clients that pay more per hour then if they were in a public school system.

However if you are a really good teacher and you have a strong resume then you can expect to have a high amount of job security. There will always be a need for some great teachers. I say great because a lot of people focus on being good. If you focus on being great then you can separate yourself in the crowd helping you to keep your job and secure high paying jobs in the future.

For many the calling is because of a strong desire to keep in the academic field. If you were one of those students who cried when classes were over or who longed to go back to college after you were finished then perhaps teaching is truly the job for you. You must love to learn in order to be a good teacher. This love of learning will help your students get the same love and that will really help you in your path to be a great teacher.

To teach is more of a calling then it is a vocation. Teachers love to convey knowledge and help others This desire to help others is sometimes not respected in the private sector. However, in the teaching field you can find yourself with lots of fans and students who will really admire you and remember you down the road. Teaching is more than just punching a clock and sitting in a cubicle next to lots of other cubicles to get some work done by a boss you may not like. Teaching allows you to be more independent and you can really set the tone for the day for your students. It is this reason why many are drawn into this profession. Regardless of your particular reason to begin teaching you should have some good reasons to teach before you consider becoming a teacher.

So you are probably enrolled in your school and have decided to declare your major as teaching. Perhaps you are wondering what may complement a education in teaching? For this I say without a doubt that a minor in Psychology will go a long way to improve your career as a teacher.

Psychology will give you the upper hand in classroom management. Teaching and learning are very fundamental human events and if you understand how someone learns and more importantly resists learning you can be better equipped as a educator. By learning psychology you can better get to the students needs and wants and be better able to connect with the student. By connecting with the students and understanding them on a deeper level classroom management is far easier.

Students have a body language in a classroom that you should pick up on very quickly. These clues that the students are giving you will help you to motivate your students to learn the material and better yet get them to want to learn the material. If you study psychology then you have this upper hand and know how to turn an unruly classroom into one you can manage.

Teaching students is also knowing how you portray yourself with your own body language. Standing in front of a classroom is all about projecting the right image to the students so that they can properly learn and understand the material. You should always consider cultural differences in your classroom and especially so if you are teaching overseas. Do some research on the subject and ask some other expats how they handle a classroom and how this may differ from teaching in America.

While you do not want to be the next Sigmund Freud you should still have the goal of learning all the material you can and how this may affect your job in the future. Just imagine being able to help that student with emotional problems in your classroom overcome them and also learn your subject. You can really make a difference in a students life just by learning a little psychology.

For many that wish to relocate overseas teaching English as a foreign language is the best way to get a first job. However, after doing just a rudimentary examination of the job market you will find yourself perplexed by the many choices. Let’s face it this whole teaching English has become a cottage industry that is not regulated and hence subject to many scammers.

When you start out in any field it is always advisable to obtain the best credentials you can afford. While this may mean you may have to postpone your plans for a while in the long run it will turn out better for yourself. So what criteria should I use in determining the best education available?

When looking for a certificate to teach English I would look to the certificate the seems to be the most respected by other teachers. For many this seems to be either the Trinity TEFL/TESOL or the CELTA and this is for good reason as the course is intense and you obtain practical classroom experience.

So if you can find a CELTA or Trinity TEFL/TESOL course in your area then great! However, sinc e you plan on using this certificate to teach overseas wouldn’t it be better if you obtained this certificate outside of your own country? I think it would show your willingness to travel and relocate, which is the whole point of you getting this certificate. Furthermore if you are in a predominately English speaking country then your students are going to be more aware of the language then if they were from a different country. Essentially your classroom experience will be different depending on where you take the course. This can affect your viewpoint on the job and to the whole experience of teaching. I think the more realistic you can get the better off you will be in the future.

So in order to get started teaching English as a foreign language it would be most advisable for you to obtain either a CELTA or a Trinity TEFL/TESOL from a country that does not have many English speakers around. This will give you the best experience in learning how to teach to those that will be your target audience in the future.