Teaching in Asia Vol. 3

Seriously, Non-religiously

 

 

I’m not sure what week it is. I have been sending out applications to schools in Asia for a few, definitely more than a few weeks. Since my last blog, I have completed a 100 hour Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL) course. It was comprehensive and hopefully, will give me a leg up in the hiring process. A lot of memories of sitting in public school came flooding back to me while I pored over notes about past and present tense conjugation. I also remembered classes I took in Journalism school that particularly annoyed me. All in all it is means to an end. I want to be a professional teacher and world traveler. Everything else is gravy in the rice. Rice is good, but rice with gravy is something else. I got my newly minted and renewed passport in the mail last week. So now I can check that off the list. I am waiting for a FBI background investigation that I submitted around the same time. Hopefully, I will get that back in the next week or so. Some say it takes as long as twelve weeks, but I’m thinking positively. Another thing that is in a holding pattern is my application to Graduate School at Arizona State University (for TESOL). I have all but one of three professionals that promised a letter of recommendation who has submitted them to the college. The deadline is Oct. 1, so I’m debating on whether to find a new pro and keep it moving or not. In the meantime, I am starting a physical training routine after years of inactivity. I want to be in good health when I finally get to Asia, after all. I, originally, thought Korea would be my first stop, but lately have given teaching in China serious consideration. I’m back in the mix. I like the anticipation of the unknown. I like the idea of preparing for the action, but knowing I will have to make adjustments and adapt. I’m only 35 years old and I do this well. Everything is coming together, despite my perceptions of inactivity. I will get everything done and will make this life change. It’s do or die. Not only is this a departure from my previous avenues of employment, it is a way to shock the system and not feel burned out by life. I’m doing this to become a better person and to become a better professional. I’ve always been a professional, but I feel I only coasted along. I’m all in with this career move. I want this more than I have any job. Ironically, it might not be ANYTHING like I imagine it. And I welcome that.

Teaching in Asia Vol. 2

Hurrying Up to Wait

Well, I’m about three weeks into this journey. I am working hard to satisfy all of the prerequisites to become a teacher in Asia. I have completed numerous applications and posted my resume on several reputable ESL websites. I’ve received a mixed bag of responses, but most said the same thing: do you have TEFL/TESOL certification? Background check? Passport?  I, recently, purchased an online TESOL course for $190 from International TEFL and TESOL Corporation. The course is 100 hours and most forums give it a decent rating for securing a job. I began the course modules on Thursday and am already about halfway through the entire thing. It is not light work by any means. I’ve never created a lesson plan or taught in a classroom. My only saving grace is I can eyeball errors and can dissect a sentence fairly easily. Proofreading is almost a gift and a curse. I’m that dude who notices your and you’re. And the use of s’s when they should be the American z’s. I am moving through this coursework fairly quickly and hope to complete it by week’s end. Two weeks ago, I submitted for a FBI background investigation and passport renewal. The process for both is in the four to six week range, so hopefully, I will get them back withing the coming week or three. I’m in a holding pattern, but my goal is to continue to put everything together while the various agencies peruse my sh*t. I’ve updated my resume and CV to reflect the course and plan on making further updates as I acquire more qualifications. The latest being my application to Arizona State University online graduate program. I have educational benefits remaining on my GI Bill and plan to use it to get a Masters in ESL. I have already contacted the Veteran representative and am going to begin in October. I want to do this regardless of whether, I’m hired by then or not. First, a Master’s degree makes me more attractive as a potential hire and I can occupy my time while I “hurry up and wait” for my documents to arrive. I’m really surprised with how quickly this has come together. I have started a HUGE life change in less than a month and it feels really good. It is totally one thought to the next thought to fruition for this. Like I’ve repeated, I don’t believe in preordained movement, but this is getting eerie. I’ve narrowed my choices of places I want to go to Korea, China and Spain. Korea is my main choice. I’ve found a wealth of information on teaching jobs there. Korea is also one of the countries with a lower cost of living and above the economy means teacher pay. It seems a long way away right now, but soon…soon.

Teaching in Asia Vol. 1

THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON

I don’t believe in “things happen for a reason” or any of that mystical bullsh*t anymore. Truthfully, I look to be gainfully employed and doing something that I find rewarding in some way. Recently while job hunting/deciding on a program of study for a graduate degree, I stumbled across a website called Dave’s ESL Cafe. ESL, or English as a Secondary Language is my latest roll of life’s dice to see where I land. I majored in journalism and quite frankly burned out fairly quick after over five years of broil and toil. I tried the small daily newspaper and the large metro New York Times affiliate. I enjoy writing, but the smaller dailies don’t pay enough and the larger metros pay decent, but don’t allow for any rocking of the boat creatively. So after assessing two things I enjoy most, traveling and manipulating the English language, I decided to try teaching English. First, I thought to get a Master’s Degree in English from my Alma Mater, the University of Alabama. But what do you do with an English degree, except teach? So I looked at Education and thought, no way do I want to be saddled raising children in underfunded public schools in my hometown. I did a search for english jobs on the university website and discovered the aforementioned, basically an ESL blog. And I was amazed to see, hundreds of teach in China, teach in Pakistan, teach in Spain, teach in Korea ads. I had been approached several years ago to become a teacher, but had been set on becoming a journalist at a major newspaper. I didn’t realize that these types of positions exist. After browsing some of the forums located on the site, I found Korea to be one of the countries with a reputable influx of foreigners looking to see the world and teach young people. When I began, I had no idea this would become a viable option for my future. I found this website about seventeen days ago and have sent out over twenty applications, registered on several Teaching English as a Foreign Language job sites and spoken with teachers, recruiters and school administrators. So I guess, this may be something I want to pursue.

Just wow. Really? Wow.

Thunder’s ‘Others’ Getting The Best Of Their Hyped Spurs Counterparts

I like Scott Brooks’ use of his bench this series. He has limited Parker and Ginobli’s points in the paint and guarded the perimeter well. The superstar that is Kevin Durant has done what superstars do: raised his level of play and inspired his teammates to do the same. Westbrook tried to give it away, but Durant took control late in the fourth quarter for the second straight game. I don’t know what happened to the Spurs. Wait, I do. Adversity showed up.