This quote effectively summarizes teaching abroad: the importance of prep, of hard work, and of learning from your failures (because there will likely be many). This part of the website deals with preparation.
Your preparations before you leave go a long way in helping you succeed in the field. Some of the points below are dealt with in more detail elsewhere in this website but I have identified here three major areas in which you can prepare: physical, knowledge and mindset preparation.
Physical Prep
This includes finances, the material you bring with you and travel logistics.
Insurance and banking:
While you certainly hope nothing will go wrong while you are out-of-country, illness and accidents require you to buy insurance. I have no suggestions for this one, except put the effort in to understand what exactly is being covered. Talk to your bank about withdrawing money while overseas. I carried all my cash with me my first time abroad, but I don't recommend it.
Vaccinations:
The vaccinations you are required or recommended to receive vary from country to country. Book an appointment at a travel clinic long before your departure date. Some vaccines are given in more than one shot, often spaced several months apart, or need a certain amount of time to become effective, so leave yourself plenty of leaway.
Gather material:
You have the home advantage for a limited time - use it! Take advantage of the material and resources at your disposal and think ahead to what you may need in the field. You are surrounded by familiar resources that may not be available abroad: laminating machines, used book stores, a reliable postal service, art supplies, etc. You may want to create your own laminated flashcards or bind your own picture dictionary. You may want to invest in good teacher resource materials - the Internet might not be readily available if you forget the rules for punctuation. Know how much weight you can carry and pack accordingly. Be aware, though, that what you bring with you may not return. Lost, damaged or stolen items are always a possibility.
Knowledge Prep
This includes researching the culture and language you are going to be immersed in, asking questions of teachers who have worked there before you, and preparing for the actual teaching.
Language:
Learn as much of the local language as you can before you leave. Learning a language is always possible; after all, you are going to teach one! Knowing the basics will give you a head start in communicating and often earns you a level of respect. People appreciate that you took the time to learn their language. Rosetta Stone is an excellent resource. Cheaper language CDs can be found relatively easily, and there is always Youtube. Continue learning once you arrive in country. Your students may become your most eager teachers!
Culture:
You are entering a world that is foreign to you. Even if the country you are going to is "westernized", or has a similar history or customs as yours (for example, North America and Europe), the culture will be unfamiliar to you. More of this later, but two words of advice: humility and expectations. Be humble. Acting too forcefully or assuming you know better, can result in creating barriers between you and your students. Expect that the culture will be different. Study it, and adapt.
Ask!!!
If possible, contact teachers who have been there before you. Glean information from their experience. The more information you have about the context you will be teaching in, the better you can prepare. The teachers who went before you are the best sources of knowledge available. Don't be shy in contacting them. Odds are they will be thrilled to talk about their experience.
Teaching prep:
Do you know how to teach? Is this your first time teaching English abroad? Make sure you prepare before you go. Read books, browse websites and talk to experienced teachers. It's a lot harder to learn when you are in field. See Resources
Mindset Prep
This is the final form of preparation before your departure. You have prepared as much as possible, in material and knowledge; however, there will be many situations for which your prior-to-departure prep is not enough. Prepare to be flexible, for living situations to not always be up to your standard, for possible sudden changes in job description or responsibilities, for misunderstandings with staff or students, for homesickness, etc. These are common realities when teaching abroad. Mentally prepare for these possibilities. If they do not occur, then you can be pleasantly surprised!
Your preparations before you leave go a long way in helping you succeed in the field. Some of the points below are dealt with in more detail elsewhere in this website but I have identified here three major areas in which you can prepare: physical, knowledge and mindset preparation.
Physical Prep
This includes finances, the material you bring with you and travel logistics.
Insurance and banking:
While you certainly hope nothing will go wrong while you are out-of-country, illness and accidents require you to buy insurance. I have no suggestions for this one, except put the effort in to understand what exactly is being covered. Talk to your bank about withdrawing money while overseas. I carried all my cash with me my first time abroad, but I don't recommend it.
Vaccinations:
The vaccinations you are required or recommended to receive vary from country to country. Book an appointment at a travel clinic long before your departure date. Some vaccines are given in more than one shot, often spaced several months apart, or need a certain amount of time to become effective, so leave yourself plenty of leaway.
Gather material:
You have the home advantage for a limited time - use it! Take advantage of the material and resources at your disposal and think ahead to what you may need in the field. You are surrounded by familiar resources that may not be available abroad: laminating machines, used book stores, a reliable postal service, art supplies, etc. You may want to create your own laminated flashcards or bind your own picture dictionary. You may want to invest in good teacher resource materials - the Internet might not be readily available if you forget the rules for punctuation. Know how much weight you can carry and pack accordingly. Be aware, though, that what you bring with you may not return. Lost, damaged or stolen items are always a possibility.
Knowledge Prep
This includes researching the culture and language you are going to be immersed in, asking questions of teachers who have worked there before you, and preparing for the actual teaching.
Language:
Learn as much of the local language as you can before you leave. Learning a language is always possible; after all, you are going to teach one! Knowing the basics will give you a head start in communicating and often earns you a level of respect. People appreciate that you took the time to learn their language. Rosetta Stone is an excellent resource. Cheaper language CDs can be found relatively easily, and there is always Youtube. Continue learning once you arrive in country. Your students may become your most eager teachers!
Culture:
You are entering a world that is foreign to you. Even if the country you are going to is "westernized", or has a similar history or customs as yours (for example, North America and Europe), the culture will be unfamiliar to you. More of this later, but two words of advice: humility and expectations. Be humble. Acting too forcefully or assuming you know better, can result in creating barriers between you and your students. Expect that the culture will be different. Study it, and adapt.
Ask!!!
If possible, contact teachers who have been there before you. Glean information from their experience. The more information you have about the context you will be teaching in, the better you can prepare. The teachers who went before you are the best sources of knowledge available. Don't be shy in contacting them. Odds are they will be thrilled to talk about their experience.
Teaching prep:
Do you know how to teach? Is this your first time teaching English abroad? Make sure you prepare before you go. Read books, browse websites and talk to experienced teachers. It's a lot harder to learn when you are in field. See Resources
Mindset Prep
This is the final form of preparation before your departure. You have prepared as much as possible, in material and knowledge; however, there will be many situations for which your prior-to-departure prep is not enough. Prepare to be flexible, for living situations to not always be up to your standard, for possible sudden changes in job description or responsibilities, for misunderstandings with staff or students, for homesickness, etc. These are common realities when teaching abroad. Mentally prepare for these possibilities. If they do not occur, then you can be pleasantly surprised!