Teach Away

So, come January I will have been teaching at my current school for ten years.  Yes, that's right - a whole decade.

I love my school and my students.  I have everything I need to do my teaching effectively.  My administrators are competent and supportive and my colleagues are great.  But, the thing is, I'm not advancing and I'm not learning anything new.

I think I could probably stay right where I am until I retire - still teaching the same vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, conversation, and culture . . . forever.  I'm sure they would continue to offer me a contract every year and I would continue to do what they need me to do.  But I'm starting to get a little antsy and I'm feeling the tug of change.

What I really want to do is go to Brazil and teach English, but finding jobs there isn't easy.  I have an ESL endorsement and several years of ESL experience.  I also have a masters degree in foreign language education, NBPTS certification, and I've taught abroad in Japan, Mexico, and Argentina.  So I think I'm a good candidate.  But where does one go to find the jobs?

Online, obviously.  And so I came across Teach Away.  This looks like a reputable organization so I have jumped through the hoops.  I have given them my information, my resume, my picture, copies of my transcripts and my teacher's license, and I have requested references from my principal and my supervisor at Wake Technical Community College (much to their panicked chagrin - which I take as a compliment).

Teach Away does not have any jobs in Brazil - something I might have liked to know before I jumped through all the hoops.  But they have jobs in the Middle East - lots of them, and folks over there are seriously paying for the best teachers.  It's tempting and I did throw my digital hat into the ring for consideration for a couple of them.  It would be exciting to learn a new language and live in a new culture.

They also offer TESL certification from the Teach Away site . . . which makes me wonder whether I will be expected to go through their certification process before they will seriously consider me for a job.  I don't mind doing that, to be honest, but it is costly.  If I knew for a fact that they would hook me up with a well-paying job abroad, I would go through it without a second thought.

But for now, I'm in the world of second thoughts.  I'm not sure what is in my near future but, as I said above, I feel the tug and I know it is time for me to start looking into options.  In the meantime, if you hear about anything for certified teachers in Brazil, please hook me up.

Hasta pronto,

--AnneK