Job Discussion Forums

[Vince]

I’m sorry to hear about JacktheCat. I don’t think I ever interacted with him, but it’s of course distressing to hear about this happening to any EFL teacher.

I can relate, because I too was under a lot of pressure when I returned to the US after six years of TEFL in Japan. It’s a very stressful transition. As we often read on this board, a lot of people become disillusioned and regretful about TEFL, only to go to back to their native country and take a more profound hit to their sense of worth when their applications for even entry-level jobs go unanswered. If you have marital or parental family who are anxious for results, that greatly magnifies the pressure.

If you're in this situation, please don't feel embarrassed to come here and ask for advice or just vent. And to the forum members who reply, please do so compassionately.

[Unheard Utterance]

^
One needs to realise that TEFL is seen as a bit of a joke job in the context of professional work. To think that one’s “ cross-cultural awareness” skills and knowledge of the present perfect continuous is going to impress employers in a non- TEFL setting is only going to end in disappointment in most situations.

If you’re returning to your home country, be prepared to spend big money on re-training unless you’ve got a concrete TEFL job lined up.

Personally, I don’t think venting on Dave’s is a good idea as doing that is only a short-term fix to whatever bigger problems you’ve got in your life.