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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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 Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:54 am Post subject: |
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| Now I just sound like a pot smoking hippie! There's got to be some middle-ground here. |
Well it is all perception. There are some TEFL's who have stuck to the Pacific Rim and Middle East and have more money invested than your family members back home. Tedkarma a regular poster has bought several properties with his TEFL salary. One can stash away a lot of cash in this industry or come home broke. It depends what your goal is. Either is fine as long as you know what you are getting into. |
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bauerke
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
Posts: 11
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| guangho wrote: |
| Hmmm....you don't mention your age but I'm guessing somewhere on the sunny side of forty? |
Wow... I'm actually 35 but your statement has a tendency to light a fire under one's aging arse. While I would certainly love to develop a career teaching overseas, I suppose my indecision arises from whether or not it is practical. When I went through college the original thought was to get a K-12 teaching job in my home country, work for 20-30 years and retire. This is what father, a retired teacher, did and it is the idea most have in the field.
Perhaps this is why my family thinks of the idea of teaching overseas as little more than a hiatus from life; a hiccup in one's career to which a person eventually has to come back to grips with.
I'm curious as to what your feelings are on this subject. If you had to do it over again, would you have taken a more "stable" teaching job in your home country rather gone overseas?  |
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dialogger
Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 419
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: |
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Why not widen your view and lengthen it as well.
Try the concept 'International Education' rather than TESOL.
You get into visiting professors/Study abroad schemes ie do part of your US degree at the Sorbonne etc etc.
Lengthen your project by making short mid and long term goals.
I think you need 2 years TESOL to give you a bit of coalface credibility but from there who knows.
There is a US association of international educators but can't remember the address - shouldn't be too hard to find though. |
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guangho
Joined: 16 Oct 2004
Posts: 476
Location: in transit
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I had two teaching jobs in NYC, five years apart. Neither were stable. The first was in an inner-city elementary school where 3000 students were ferociously guarded by armed security guards, a rotation of policemen and take-no-prisoners teachers aides. There was no reason to call that a career starter. The second job was at CUNY/BMCC, as an adjunct teaching paralegal courses. This was great ($50/hour, good students, interesting subject) but very part-time, with no bennies and no sense of permanency. Very different from being a secure teacher in a public school. |
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TravellingAround
Joined: 12 Nov 2006
Posts: 423
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| bauerke wrote: |
Perhaps this is why my family thinks of the idea of teaching overseas as little more than a hiatus from life; a hiccup in one's career to which a person eventually has to come back to grips with.
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I'd say, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, that you should grow a pair of balls. Are you your dad or your own man? You need to decide exactly what it is that you want to do and not listen to some hastily-formed views of your parents about teaching abroad which come across as a rather unfair and ignorant view I have come across from a number of people.
Ultimately...would you be happy teaching in Arizona in what sounds from your description like a hick town? Or do you have itchy feet and want to go out and teach in the world? Do some research and decide what you really want to do. Now 35 certainly doesn't mean you are past it....but it could be that in future you come to look back at the decision taken at this period with regret if you get it wrong.
Good luck and make up your mind what you really think is best for you. |
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dialogger
Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 419
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with prev poster Travelling Around.
Americans espec those of your parents' generation are not the most worldy people. Don't be a clone of the old folk. It's your life. |
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sheeba
Joined: 17 Jun 2004
Posts: 1123
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| Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: |
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Now 35 certainly doesn't mean you are past it....but it could be that in future you come to look back at the decision taken at this period with regret if you get it wrong.
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A lot of truth in that I think . As I press towards 35 I really feel happy that I am teaching here in China now . I think if I had left it much later I would never have been able to do this which would have been the biggest mistake in my life . |
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bauerke
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
Posts: 11
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:13 am Post subject: |
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Now 35 certainly doesn't mean you are past it....but it could be that in future you come to look back at the decision taken at this period with regret if you get it wrong.
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Obviously.. but then one can regret a decision either way in this circumstance. The whole purpose here, in my estimation, is to do as much research as possible and weigh the options.
Although you've got a point about the balls, I'll have you know I'm working on a brand new pair. When your a middle-aged man, recently divorced, lost your job, your home, and have had to move in with your parents for the last six months your balls tend to shrivel a bit.
Now that I think about it, maybe this has something to do with me wanting to leave the country. Hmmm.... |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:23 am Post subject: |
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| I'm also 35, we are nowhere near middle-age. That's at least 5 years away. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| I'm also 35, we are nowhere near middle-age. That's at least 5 years away. |
Geez, thanks. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| ls650 wrote: |
| Gordon wrote: |
| I'm also 35, we are nowhere near middle-age. That's at least 5 years away. |
Geez, thanks. |
Sorry if it hit too close to home.  Didn't you know middle age is always 5-10 years more than your actual age? We never ever reach it. |
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vashdown2
Joined: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 124
Location: Paris, France
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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To the Orginal Poster:
"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
Check out the world and Move on! There's a new life, woman, house, job, etc....out there for you. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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Sue Townsend wrote that middle age starts at 35. I tend to think it starts at 38, but next year it might start at 39. (I'm 33)
Best,
Justin |
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vashdown2
Joined: 14 Feb 2007
Posts: 124
Location: Paris, France
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| Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:01 am Post subject: |
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The onset of Middle Age depends on your Sex and Place of Birth/Health conditions.
Men in the USA generally live to 72-76... so divide by 2. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| vashdown2 wrote: |
The onset of Middle Age depends on your Sex and Place of Birth/Health conditions.
Men in the USA generally live to 72-76... so divide by 2. |
That's way too soon for my liking. Gives me only about 2 months of being "young". |
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