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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 11:17 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Master Shake]
Since when did I write anything about returning state side? .quote]
I think it's pretty clear that we've been discussing ESL in Poland and then what you will do with it in the USA/Canada/Australia should you decide to return after a long stint in ESL. Jack Walker was talking about this directly, I was simply chiming in and commenting off of your post.
You're American, still in your 20's, no kids, no wife. It's great that you're happy doing what you're doing but when it comes time to get married and start popping out babies, buy a house, 2 cars.....big boy stuff, your experience teaching ESL abroad for however many years may not go very far should you decide to head back to the states. Again, not saying that's your plan but it certainly should be in the back of any ESL'er's head. I went to Poland with a full head of steam and after 18 months knew there was simply no way I was going to raise a family there and retire. No F'in way. |
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simon_porter00
Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 11:19 am Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote: |
Poles may have their faults, but at least they don't take me on a half hour guided tour of every room of their house when I come visit. Many people in the US do. |
I'm half Polish, I'll have to give you at least 30 minutes in every room in my house when you get off your lanky ass and visit - there's something to look forward to. |
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simon_porter00
Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 11:22 am Post subject: |
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dynow wrote: |
It's great that you're happy doing what you're doing but when it comes time to get married and start popping out babies, buy a house, 2 cars.....big boy stuff
.......
I went to Poland with a full head of steam and after 18 months knew there was simply no way I was going to raise a family there and retire. No F'in way. |
I'm not saying this just to get a rise out of you, nor say I'm doing it better - but I've got exactly what you've said there:
House, wife, kid on the way, 2 cars, will retire in Poland all 'big boy' stuff.
Just sayin' it can be done. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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simon_porter00 wrote:
Quote: |
I'm not saying this just to get a rise out of you, nor say I'm doing it better - but I've got exactly what you've said there:
House, wife, kid on the way, 2 cars, will retire in Poland all 'big boy' stuff.
Just sayin' it can be done. |
Of course it can be done. I would never venture to say it's impossible or that it's universally undesireable, but if you were an American guy looking to move back to the USA/Canada tomorrow, you wouldn't be pleased with what you'd find in the job market back home based on your experience abroad.
Oh, and for argument's sake, you don't have kids, which means you're not even close to "exactly what I said." You have no idea what raising children in Poland is like so technically, you fall pretty short on the "big boy" stuff, considering you're missing the most taxing one.
Just sayin', mate! |
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Richfilth
Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Warszawa
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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simon_porter00 wrote: |
I've got my first kiddy on the way in August. |
I've only just noticed this, and I'd like to extend my congratulations to Simon and Mrs Porter, and I look forward to hearing the happy news in a few months time that the baby is as fat and smiley as its father, and as pretty as its mother.
Well done, Simon |
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Jack Walker
Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 412
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Jack here;
It's certainly possible to have a big boy's life in Poland with all the bells and whistles. It's not easy and in 10 years or so you'll probably regret your decision if you're a foreigner. You have to look at the big picture and that big picture shows that strictly TEFL is no life in the end. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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Jack Walker wrote: |
Jack here;
It's certainly possible to have a big boy's life in Poland with all the bells and whistles. It's not easy and in 10 years or so you'll probably regret your decision if you're a foreigner. You have to look at the big picture and that big picture shows that strictly TEFL is no life in the end. |
If you do the bare min (i.e. get a crappy teaching cert + work at Jan Nowak's McSh*t language school teaching gen English for umpteen years) you are essentially tethering yourself to Poland.
You've got to either 1) branch out and use EFL as a springboard to transition into some other field. 2) Move up the ranks and become a DoS or open your own school.
Simon Porter is a good example of option 1. He will rarely do much teaching, I believe, after this semester.
Option 2 is probably not so practical in Poland right now, what with some many schools competing for a shrinking number or students. But if you're willing to deal heavily with YL courses, it may well be an option. It seems all I teach these days is YL's...
Simon, I know the lovely, three-hour tour is just a lure to get me to do some landscaping for you, but it may well work if adequate refreshments and badminton is provided.
Dynow, they do run an increasing number of CELTA courses in the US right now, so running these courses is a possibility. I know a teacher who left the British Council a couple years ago to do exactly that. He lives in New York. |
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hrvatski
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 270
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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I'm aware of an Australian dude in Krakow who makes good money coordinating locals to renovate apartments for foreign investors. Arguably takes more effort than I'd be willing to put in, but there is life outside TEFL in Poland for foreigners.
My main problem with Poland is the winter, reszta może być. |
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blaz88
Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 22
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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Well, things have started to pick up in Canada. Began my old job within the investigation industry again and making good money after 10 months trying to do something different than what I am experienced in. However, I had 10 years experience prior to 2004 when I first arrived in Poland. Was completely burnt out and wanted a new start and change, thats what led me to teach and was the best year of my life. So fast forward to 2011. 6 years teaching in Poland, 3 years Head Coach paid position of American football in Poland, Polish wife and extended family, travel opportunities, great clients in the teaching industry in Wroclaw. I am not looking for advice just sharing my experience to display what true internal happiness is as well as internal gratification from life. Currently, my wife is making good Canadian dollars and I am back making good money again as well after 10 months of searching for a job that would utilise my teaching/coaching/investigation experinces. Nothing was happining. So I am back in the industry which lead me to seek a new begining. Quite ironic. At the end of the day its an easy choice for my wife and I.Will work here for a bit, save some cash and return to Europe. Its life style. Regardless of others' comments about " the teaching English life struggle", I never found it a struggle. After a year being back its very clear to me where we are much happier. |
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TwinCentre
Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 273 Location: Mokotow
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Glad things seem to be starting to show signs of improvement for the OP back home in Canada, even if he wishes to return to Europe later. When I spent the final days of my grand -14 year EFL treck in Poland, a group of us disgruntled exapts used to term going back home and trying to start over as 'Jumping in the ditch'.
I finally left Poland, quit EFL and returned to the UK a year ago, and I am still not through the woods yet, but I can see the path out...
If you want to quit TEFL and return home, it is worth doing, no point being an unhappy TEFler all your life....met many of those. With the current economic climate, going home with funds and some kind of realistic and solid business idea will help, even if as a fall back.
If you are happy with what you are doing then good for you, of course. Students need teachers who have at least a little enthusiasm for their job. |
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sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:28 am Post subject: Poznan's in need of a facelift. |
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I've just spent 3 weeks in Poznan and it's really gone to the dogs. Go go bars in the rynek....cruddy, overpriced restaurants everywhere and nothing to make it stand out at all. I spent loads of time at Lake Malta...but you'll do a tonne of money there. Poznan needs a facelift. I ate out every day and had only 1 decent meal..that was the Japanese restaurant in City Park.....lovely sushi but way beyond your average TEFLER's pocket.
Polish beer sucks too....always has done...can just about stand Tyskie. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:15 am Post subject: |
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I'm not the biggest fan of Polish beer either but yeah, Tyskie is one of those beers you can drink if you have to and not complain too much.
I recently picked up a few bottles of Karpackie, great beer for hot summers. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:53 pm Post subject: Re: Poznan's in need of a facelift. |
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sharter wrote: |
I've just spent 3 weeks in Poznan and it's really gone to the dogs. Go go bars in the rynek....cruddy, overpriced restaurants everywhere and nothing to make it stand out at all. I spent loads of time at Lake Malta...but you'll do a tonne of money there. Poznan needs a facelift. I ate out every day and had only 1 decent meal..that was the Japanese restaurant in City Park.....lovely sushi but way beyond your average TEFLER's pocket.
Polish beer sucks too....always has done...can just about stand Tyskie. |
Lovely sushi? I was there the other day, and it was dreadful. Polish "chef" who looked about 12, rubbish service and none of it worth the money at all. Absolutely garbage by all accounts - I've had better from some backstreet place near Ostkreuz in Berlin. And that's not mentioning the diabolical service.
As for Polish beer - leave the mainstream stuff alone. Didn't you go to Setka on Marcinkowskiego and sample one of their 300 beers?
[quote=Master Shake]2) Move up the ranks and become a DoS or open your own school. [/quote]
Moving up the ranks is the way. No-one is going to be impressed with someone who spent 5 years working as a "teacher", but transferable skills are transferable skills. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:26 am Post subject: |
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If Poland is such a great place to be how is that Western Europe - even deprived areas like mine - are full of economic migrants from Poland ? |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:06 am Post subject: |
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Exactly. How many Poles did I see in London? Quite a few, they were working at hotels, mostly. |
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