Job Discussion Forums

VladJR87 · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 87 Location: Moscow RU

I will repost what I said over at Expat Forums Smile

I have arrived in Moscow, a few days ago actually. Had quite the adventure in my 20-hour London layover, managed to see just about everything there is to see in London, and walked most of it. Unfortunately they would not let me sleep in the airport so I was forced to go to the connecting, expensive hotel, but it was worth it .

I am having a much harder time adjusting here than I thought I would. I have been unable to sleep (until exhaustion forced it around 0900), and maybe I drank some bad water or something, was not able to go out yesterday. I do not feel ill though at least.

Hopefully I will get into the swing of things soon as my class starts on Monday. I am questioning my plan of staying here to teach for a year or more afterwards though. But I am only a few days into it so way too early to tell (assuming I can get over these couple issues!).

But I have noticed two things right away, being somewhere, and living somewhere are very different! And a house is not necessarily a home!

Let me summarize it this way. I have a new found respect for people that live the jet-setting adventurous life away from their family, friends, and everything they know and love... it is a lot harder than I expected! But I am enjoying myself, and am looking forward to the class beginning.

Now if I can just figure out internet... I can access beeline from my apartment, and though I know it is not everyone's favorite it would be simple... except I cannot figure out on their page where to join, so hopefully I will find Yota somewhere on my way back to my flat today and get a USB modem.

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

Good to hear you made it over safely, vlad. I had similar problems when I moved to Russia a few years ago. I couldn't eat or sleep much the first week or two I was there. Once you start meeting your colleagues, making friends and having fun, though, the phase will pass. Best of luck in your transition!

Houston · Joined: 04 Apr 2010 Posts: 44

Welcome to Mo-town.

If you have access to beeline in your flat, then you're pretty lucky. For the five weeks I spent here in September I had to go to cafes with free wireless connections.

The food and sleep thing will work itself out.

Good luck with the CELTA, it's challenging but fun.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Tolerance of ambiguity, tolerance of ambiguity, tolerance of ambiguity....repeat until sleep occurs. Cool

Seriously - it won't probably settle down into anything resembling 'normality' until and unless you get the CELTA safely behind you, land a job, and create a routine for yourself. It's a matter of enjoying the journey as much as possible!

Good luck, and let us know how it is going when you have time!

deepteeth · Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Location: Russia

Glad to hear your travels went safely. You're doing the right thing by writing it down, letting people know. Never underestimate your body's need for biorhythms - it will take more than a few days to get over 'jet lag' IMO.

JN · Joined: 17 Jan 2008 Posts: 214

Hope all goes well for you and you get into the swing of things soon.

mackayscanland · Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 39

Hi Vlad, there's people out here that are monitoring your progress. It's been two weeks, unless your posting elsewhere. Let me know how it's going. I'm looking at doing mine in the summer during break.

Mac

VladJR87 · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 87 Location: Moscow RU

mackayscanland · Joined: 15 Mar 2009 Posts: 39

First, Glad your safe and on the course, That has to be the first win of your journey! You have a month, so, don't get discouraged yet. Sounds like you need to eval exactly why you chose where you did to do the course and focus on that. Somestimes we're not honest with ourselves of that fact and lose focus. I was in Kharkov, scoping out whether I wan't to do my CELTA there or not. Well, I would have been more apt to dating than studying. (but isn't that why we go there?). Decided to look elsewhere though and still haven't chosen a location, hence, why I'm monitoring your progress. Sounds like the Visa process is a real pain!
Everyone is going to want a "school year" contract no matter where your at, so, enjoy it. Keep up the posts!

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

pm sent

kazachka · Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 220 Location: Moscow and Alaska

Sick??? Are you sure you don't have this nasty flu going around???? I'm once again wearing a mask in the metro since it's acceptable here to be a jerk and hack and sneeze without covering your mouth.
Hope things work out for you though!

VladJR87 · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 87 Location: Moscow RU

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Vlad, for what it's worth, I'm going to try to encourage you to consider the year-long option. Honestly, one year isn't realy that long in the big scheme of things. Russia being what it is, a shorter contract isn't really going to give you time to get yourself well oriented and into a regular routine. It might take three or four months to get your feet under you, and a bit longer to relax enough to enjoy it.

You've invested considerable time, energy, and funds into the project already - it really might be worth your while to at least consider any year-long contracts that you might be offered.

I realise it's hard to think about when you're uncomfortable and in the midst of a truly intensive course - but seriously, it could be something you'd regret later if you don't give it a really good try. Much harder to come back later - and it's also not so easy to find a newbie level job in the US in the ESL field.

VladJR87 · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 87 Location: Moscow RU

I will certainly consider them, but when I get back to the states I am not going to sit around and wait. I want to move out, find a good job, pursue all my opportunities. If any of these things happen it is going to be harder to justify leaving to come back. Not to mention the higher risk than if I had just been able to stay like I had anticipated (if I decide its not for me I get screwed basically).

Realistically unless something magic happens tomorrow I am leaving after the CELTA is complete. At which point I will have plenty of time to think it all over.

I would love to come back, but honestly I would come back for Russia, not for teaching English- and I think it is going to be hard convincing myself leaving my family, friends, home, good job, everything again for Russia is worth it. I will certainly be pursuing business opportunities as well, and that would be different (if coming back means pursuing an awesome business opportunity).

If I return soon I will probably look for ESL teaching opportunities if only to get some experience (if I decide I love it I may want to return to Russia as quickly as possible), but I will probably cruise right back into my old job that is not a 'career', but pays about three or four times what I would make teaching English, and by all counts an awesome job.

Houston · Joined: 04 Apr 2010 Posts: 44

I did the CELTA in Moscow fairly recently, and I'll say that don't evaluate Moscow teaching by your CELTA experience. Once you get a job, there isn't anyone in the classroom critiquing your every move, and you're free to experiment with your teaching style until you find something that works for you and your students.

I think Russian students are great. They're responsive, inquisitive, and they really want to learn English. My teaching experience has been so much more positive than my CELTA experience, and my CELTA experience wasn't bad. I took the legitimate criticisms they leveled at me, and learned from them. Some of the criticisms were more a reflection of my base personality and the fact that my Southern accent is a bass monotone, but there's not really anything I can do about that. I don't intonate like a Brit does, but I enunciate very well, and many of my students have commented that it's actually easier to understand a monotone teacher who enunciates, rather than a teacher who intonates but blurs their syllables.

Lesson planning becomes much simpler after CELTA as well. Learn the grammar point, figure out how to explain the vocabulary, figure out what examples you want to use, and you're good to go.

I'm a hardcore introvert and I think I'm doing a decent job at teaching here, and most people have more social skills than I do. Don't get discouraged, I'd advise you to try out a standard 9 month contract. If you don't like it, you can leave at any time. I just think you'll find it to be a different experience once you have your own long-term classes, rather than sharing a short-term class with five other teachers.