On April 15th, Emily Hall ’14 returned to campus to speak to a group of students, faculty, and staff about her nine-month experience as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in rural Nepal. She shared stories of the students that she helped and the things that she learned. She returned to the U.S. only a few weeks ago and has written a blog post for WC Share about the wonders of teaching abroad.
Reflections from the Roof of the World: Ten Reasons to Consider Teaching Abroad
Throughout colleges across America, the minds of countless students are flooded by the tantalizing question, “what will I do after graduation?” For many, it’s a scary and overwhelming thought. Well, I’m here to offer you some comforting advice. To anyone questioning their post-graduate plans, here are ten reasons why choosing to teach abroad could become one of the best decisions you ever make.
- IT GIVES YOU TIME TO REFLECT
Most students are really busy in college, spending countless hours studying, participating in club events, working campus jobs, meeting with professors, and socializing with friends. Over our four years at college, each of us changes a great deal, but there is little time to reflect upon who we have become. Teaching abroad for an extended period of time puts you into a situation where you really get to know yourself. It gives you an ideal environment to ask yourself “who have I become?” and “who do I want to be?”—Questions we rarely give ourselves time to ponder in our busy schedule-filled lives.
- YOU LEARN AND PRACTICE IMPORTANT SKILLS THAT ARE USEFUL IN ANY FIELD
No matter what field you seek for your career, teaching can strengthen your communication skills, leadership skills, presentation skills, and multi-tasking skills just to name a few. Effective teachers are engaging, and understandable. They know their students strengths and challenges. Teachers know when to listen and when to lead—when to step back and when to step forward. They know what material needs to be taught and they set goals/learning targets. Successful teachers are reflective and adaptive. They do everything in their power to help their students succeed. They do not give up in the face of struggle or failure. Whether you want to become a doctor, anthropologist, historian, computer engineer, human rights activist, or whatever, learning the skills of engaging others, listing to others, leading others, setting goals, and reflecting upon the outcomes can make you become even more effective in your future career field.
- YOU CAN LEARN A NEW CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND WAY OF LIFE
Traveling is a powerful teacher. It allows individuals to develop empathy, understanding, and respect for people of different religions, races, and cultures. It invites travelers to celebrate the vast similarities and differences of human experience.
- YOU GET TO TRAVEL FOR FREE (with many programs)
So many college-aged students have a thirst to travel and see the world. Yet, between the costs of paying off loans, bills, rent or saving money, traveling sometimes becomes an afterthought. The good news is, many teach abroad programs such as Fulbright, EF English First, and Peace Corps will pay for round-trip airfares and provide a monthly stipend. I’ve been really fortunate with Fulbright’s generous stipend of $800 per month. I’ve been living with a homestay family, who Fulbright directly pays, so I have actually been able to save a considerable amount of money while teaching abroad. If finances are something that you are concerned about, don’t let it deter you from teaching abroad. You just need to do your research and find the right program for you.
- IT LOOKS GREAT TO FUTURE EMPLOYERS
It takes courage, adaptability, open mindedness, creativity, diligence, patience, and a number of other skills to teach abroad. When your resume says that you were a Fulbright ETA, Peace Corps volunteer, or participant in another prestigious teach abroad program, future employers are likely to think positive things about your character, leadership, and scholarship. Your experience teaching abroad can set you apart from other job applicants.
- IT CAN CURB YOUR TECHNOLOGY ADDITION
We live in a society that is so technology dependent. Social media is great in the sense that it allows people to connect around the world and share knowledge at the touch of a button—but think of all the other amazing things you can accomplish in that one hour you would otherwise spend on Facebook. Living and teaching in a country with limited internet access forces you to truly appreciate face-to-face social interactions—something we often inadvertently forget to value.
- YOU GET TO MEET AMAZING PEOPLE
Between the relationships you will build with your students, their parents, teachers, community members, and other volunteers/grantees teaching abroad, you are guaranteed to meet some amazing people that you will never forget—I know I did.
- YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY TO SHARE
Whether it’s the story of how you had to climb out the window of a Nepali bus, stories about how much your students have learned and grown, or stories about living in a different culture, you will have so many interesting stories to share with friends and family when you return to America (and, yes, many of these stories provide great examples in graduate school applications, cover letters, and personal statements).
- YOU WILL VALUE THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE YOU ONCE TOOK FOR GRANTED
After living without toilet paper for eight months, I can’t wait to buy my Charmin Ultra when I return to the states. Hot showers, electricity, heat, and a diet that consists of more than rice will also be things that I will value for the rest of my life. After teaching abroad, who knows what your experience will teach you to appreciate.
- YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUR STUDENTS
This reason alone has made living without toilet paper worthwhile. By teaching abroad, your students will never forget you. It gives you the opportunity to be that teacher—the teacher who can motivate, inspire, and validate students who wouldn’t be otherwise. Plus, as a graduate of Washington College, you’ve got a lot of knowledge to share!
You can begin your journey by visiting the following websites and searching for the teach abroad program that is right for you. Happy traveling!
Fulbright: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/regions
EF English First: http://www.englishfirst.com/trt/job-openings.html
Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/learn/whatvol/edu_youth/
The Share 