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A break from teaching?

 
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osen6



Joined: 09 Dec 2017
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 9:55 pm    Post subject: A break from teaching? Reply with quote

Hi. I was wondering if anyone has experience with this, i.e. taking a break from teaching and how it has affected their career.

The situation I'm in: I have a CELTA and an MA TESOL, which I got rather late in life after a career change, and I've been teaching for five years. I'm non-native, but with degrees from English-speaking countries. I came to Berlin after teaching for three years in Russia, and my job here hasn't worked out (it was at a state school - long story). I had to take a survival job, nothing to do with teaching. I also had an offer teaching in Spain, but the money wasn't great and the practicalities of moving again so soon after coming here made it unattractive - plus I like Berlin. But finding a job teaching English here seems almost impossible.

Since I plan on getting back to teaching at some point, I'm wondering if the break will hurt my career, in terms of what my CV will look like, getting out of touch etc. (not sure what other factors are relevant here). The only perk I can think of is that it will give me some distance so I can plan my next move more carefully.

Any thoughts or feedback will be appreciated.
Thanks!
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rioux



Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 880

PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would think that it wouldn't be a detriment at all. I would just say that I wanted to try something (totally) different for a year (or two).

It was a good life experience, but now I realize even more that teaching is where I ought to be.
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osen6



Joined: 09 Dec 2017
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks very much for your reply. Hopefully most recruiters will be open-minded and view things that way too.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a break from teaching between 1980 and 1990. It was not good fotr me personally and certainly made it difficult to get back into teaching. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, no one wanted to go and teach in The Gulf. I used that opportunity to get back !
I spent 20 years after that teaching in The Gulf and The Balkans.
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twowheel



Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753

PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So the moral of the story is: go to a place where no one else wants to go and make that coin! Grab dat dosh!

...umm, wait, maybe I missed the point.

Good to see you again scot47.

I think a short break from teaching could be all right, one or two years max.?

I took a short break of 2 years to study Mandarin full time. As I am currently applying to China-based jobs, I can "sell" it well in my CV and interviews. That is key of course: how do you "spin/sell" your time off and explain that gap in the work experience section of your resume?

Warm regards,
twowheel
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my ten years out I pretended to myself that I was writing.

Others could see that i spent most of my time drinking

I got sober then I got back into teaching.
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osen6



Joined: 09 Dec 2017
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Dec 25, 2019 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the feedback.
So I should head to Syria or Gaza when I'm done with the break))
No, actually it's not so bad. I was lucky to get a gig teaching Business English once a week to a couple of groups. I guess this would make it easier when I decide to go back full time. And in Berlin no one bats an eyelid if you're doing something else on the side, most English teachers are freelancers.
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isitts



Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Posts: 193
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a two year gap at one point. I don’t remember anyone asking about it but it was between 2007 and 2009, so the reasons may have been obvious. But I was prepared to explain the various options I was pursuing.

If you go to a place that needs teachers, they aren’t going to question gaps that much.
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rioux



Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 880

PostPosted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

twowheel wrote:
how do you "spin/sell" your time off and explain that gap in the work experience section of your resume?


Family

For over a year I took care of my relatives who had cancer.
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RunItTwice



Joined: 17 May 2018
Posts: 36
Location: Scotland...for now

PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2020 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After my first year of teaching in South Korea, I had to take a year off to care for my mother who was psychologically struggling with the death of my father. Along with that came a car accident that resulted in a dislocated hip. After a year, I taught in China for 2 1/2 before moving on to Europe.

My mother was ill enough in 2017 that I left Spain to help her. Afterwards, I travelled and volunteered at youth hostels for about 6 months before going for my MA TESOL.

Neither impacted me as they were short breaks and/or early in my career.
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