Why Teach Abroad?

 

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

We all know that being a teacher has its own (mostly non-monetized) rewards—knowing that what you say and do matters (even if the kiddos are mimicking you), that what lessons you teach today will impact tomorrow (your retirement is in their hands), and that each day had purpose no matter how challenging it was (that dumpster fire drama might be turned into a sitcom someday). But did you know that choosing to teach internationally, away from your own home and comfort zone (you don’t actually need a Starbucks on every corner and a Walmart in every town to survive) has its own benefits? First, it allows you to fully embrace a world perspective as you discover the world as experienced by others who may have a drastically different way of relating to the world that you never knew existed; like did you know that some countries insist on an hour, or even two, for lunch? For real. Living and working abroad is far more immersive than a quick jaunt to a beach resort located in a distant land as it enables you to see the authentic parts of living in that place. Having taught both internationally and in my own home state of California has made me appreciate the unexpected benefits of working abroad such as actually being able to make friends with people who want to connect with others (others who also sacrificed home ties in order to connect with strangers). 

South African Rand

Abroad, there is a work-life balance that comes from the desire to want to explore a new place being prioritized over work deadlines; how many times have I spent my three day weekends in the USA working on report cards rather than being mindful of the reason behind the holiday?  Working at schools that actually want to maintain their relevancy by investing in professional development opportunities for their  teachers upgrades the quality of colleagues you will work with there in turn encouraging you to be better as well. Most significantly, teaching internationally actually earns you enough money to pay your bills, travel every vacation, and even save for the future. Teaching abroad - where you get paid to do what you love most - travel and learn. So what are you waiting for? Go abroad!

Level Up Your Digital IQ

Texas Sub

One thing that the Covid pandemic made clear to everyone was the necessity to have digital skills. If you happened to be teaching during those lockdown days, then you already know many valuable skills that now translate beautifully to the modern marketplace. Should you happen to be a newbie teacher, then you are most likely the generation that was practically handed tech from birth so you are adept at all things digital. However, should you somehow be entering education from some remote location, such as retirement, (like my father who started subbing in Texas at 73 years young), then it would behoove you to gain some digital skills since even attendance requires a computer these days.

"Tell me you're 'tech savvy' without saying you're 'tech savvy'" on a resume. It is wild how often this is queried on the internet. One of the universally recognized ways to demonstrate to others that you have the technical skills to not only survive, but to thrive, in today's classrooms is to attach the words "Certified Google Educator" to your resume/CV. In order to become certified, you can easily go to the Google Education website to take the training lessons, practice questions, practice assessment, and finally the Level 1 exam for only $10.

I first became Google Certified in 2017 with several colleagues eager to become more tech savvy in the classroom. That time around, we performed each of the training sessions diligently creating actual assignments and products to use in the classroom. Now seven years later and because I use Google apps daily both professionally and personally, it took me about an hour to skim through the training lessons and less than an hour to complete the exam. 

Not a bad way to spend some of your winter break in the pursuit of your career goals, I would say. Tomorrow's adventure will then be to update my Level 2 certification so that I can finally apply for the jobs requiring Google Certification according to the Job Description. If you still aren't convinced that leveling up your digital IQ will help you land your future international teaching job, consider this information stated directly on the Google for Education website:

Integrating technology in your classroom better prepares students to enter an increasingly connected and competitive workforce. Studies show that students need digital skills to succeed in new career fields. Lightcast, an industry expert on job skills, workforce talent, and labor market dynamics, estimates that “80% of ‘middle-skill’ U.S. jobs now require digital skills.” Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum estimates that "up to 50% of workers will need to add new [digital] skills to keep up with the requirements of in-demand careers” and that 65% of today’s grade school students will be working in a job that currently doesn’t exist.