Juggling Work and Travel: Eight Attributes that Every Teacher-Traveler Needs While Working Abroad
Work hard, play hard. Slave away for the weekend. Insert barely responsible, shameless expat cliche here ________________.
What a life we live. Making a go at undermining the traditional compartmentalization of work-travel relations. Growing up, the dream we were told was to dig into a 9-5 salary set-up until those holiday hours afforded you a week-long binge. Whether it be across the pond or around the corner, the ideal holiday is away from the office, amidst a stronghold of fellow dad-bods and tipsy moms trying to blow-off steam. Until you’re in the final stretch of uni, and seemingly overnight this ESL teaching dream has driven a generation of millennials to seek out a compromise. It’s a dream, a naive fantasy, that is coming true for thousands of cosmopolitans, changing the definition of holidaying as we know it. Kick the cliche to the curb, we’re in the right business, aren’t we?
Ambition
“Just another one for courage, bud.”
– Jim Lahey, Trailer Park Boys
Okay not exactly that type of ambition.. but you’ll definitely need a healthy dose of courage to hit the road. Ambition is what drives you to find your first job, attain your qualifications, show up to work and make your weekends count. At the crux of all of your traveling and teaching endeavors is ambition and simply by the fact that you are taking a leap to teach abroad, you have a solid foundation right now. Challenge yourself to feed off great experiences to become more ambitious throughout your wonderful experiences.
Responsibility
Let’s get this one out of the way. Unlike ambition – some of you aren’t quite so responsible. While perspectives toward the term differs, it’s safe to say that being responsible is attending class, performing well, completing tasks and upholding promises to yourself. At the very core of it all, this is what it means for a teacher-traveler to be responsible. Here’s a little secret: less than 5% of ESL employers will take a new, young ESL teacher seriously and it is for exactly this reason. Many foreigners skip class and screw around while on the clock. Stay true to your word: it’ll make your life easier and instill faith for the next teacher who fills your shoes.
Perseverance
“Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”
– Murphy’s Law
Are the Irish philosophers or what? Travelling and teaching abroad comes with its consequences and its risks; sometimes you will be second-guessing yourself. Have a good cry, let it all out and jump back on the pony. Most of your problems are solvable by simply changing your mind-state and sometimes self-care and a deep sleep will solve the issue. Failed class management techniques, catching the wrong bus, waking up late along with all of the other stresses of life can make the world look murky. Keep a cool head and let time heal itself. Meanwhile, focus on what is best for you and compose yourself.
Practicality
Don’t be daft. Boy, if I had a nickel for every time I hear that one. Ambition can occasionally impair your judgment whereby you take that world is your oyster jargon to heart. Practicality can save you time, money and energy. Above all, it is predicated on the ability to step back and look at the picture clearly which is as fantastic a quality as any. Too many dreams crumble under impracticality so make sure to be realistic and be weary in reinventing the wheel. That trip may take an extra day, finding a job may take more than a week. Being practical means being aware of potential downfalls and upswings.
Common Sense
Many expats fall victim to obliviousness. Similar to responsibility, common sense is yet to be narrowly defined though we can all agree that detecting clear cues fall within the paradigm of common sense. Avoiding scams requires you to act and react within reason. Rather than advertising yourself as vulnerable prey, attempt to foresee simple solutions to complicated problems. Common sense is steering clear of that sketchy alley, not letting the class clown jump around on the tables, taking the trip with an accredited company, booking that holidays off ahead of time, knowing a euro from a dollar. Chances are, you have common sense; if you don’t, you will shortly.
Self-Respect
Traveling abroad doesn’t mean leaving your ego at the door. If you’ve made it this far with honest intentions then you are deserving of fair treatment. In the class, it will take time to build a strong, appropriate teacher’s demeanor. With experience, you will develop that teacher’s voice. With that said, it’s never too early to take out the gavel and lay down the rules with class discipline. Outside the class, don’t get pushed around by employers and promotions pimps on the road. I’m far from an alpha male and having dignity does not require you to be macho. Take a step back to analyze the way you are treated and pick your battles fairly. Above all, take care of yourself and remember that you’re more than worthy of a breather from time to time.
Open-Mindedness
Go with the flow and roll with the punches. Students will approach you with a multitude of different issues fro missing homework to missing class. On the flip side, you’ll get interesting questions and comment, particularly if you’re in an exotic location. Take this with ease and let it slip off you with a smirk; don’t take yourself too seriously. Along the way of excursions, you’ll experience social and cultural differences which will shock, disappoint and impress you. Don’t sneer at that grilled centipede, I bet it’s tasty. Keep and open mind and you’ll be welcomed with an open heart.
Experience
Looks like we came full-circle: to top things off is experience. While the experiences that lay before you are so different I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss your former life. After all, it built you into the person you are, now taking a step onto a wild ride. Time after time expat-teachers are trying to downplay life on the other side but get real: you attained valuable skills before partying in paradise. My message is clear: your experiences are valid. Where do you derive you inspiration from? Camping in the town over was the first step to roughing it in a hostel in Asia; volunteering at a primary school gave you the first taste of teaching. Everyone reading this has some sort of experience. Use this as motivation for the more confident version of yourself.
Don’t forget your teeth.
– my grandfather
Kudos to my fellow globetrotters who are flipping the script. You’re in the right place and time, where and whenever you are. Teaching abroad isn’t for the faint of heart and these attributes will all come in handy along the way. As a teacher-traveler, I make an effort to keep these attributes in balance as a way of getting the most out of my experience on this side. Hopefully, so will you!
Keep smilin’ 🙂
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