NOTE: Sorry! I discovered that most of the video clips for today’s post did not operate correctly the first time this post went live. I’ve fixed the technical difficulties. Please enjoy samples of me teaching online.
In the 90’s, when I graduated from college with an education degree, the future was simple. Everyone got jobs in schools. I was no exception. I interned in an “inner city” high school in Tampa. Most of my kids were from low-income neighborhoods and the challenge was to find ways to make authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne feel relevant to them. This experience turned out to be more valuable than I expected because when I graduated, I worked in several rural schools. The challenge there was to make authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne feel relevant to them. See a pattern?
As the wise, old sage Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast.” As I get older, I feel like this more and more. The world changes at breakneck speed too.
Today education has options that didn’t exist when I graduated from college. After many years out of the classroom, I have returned to education in a whole new way. I teach online! Yeah, that’s a thing now!
When I decided to leave my traditional job that required massive amounts of hours and a brick-and-mortar office, I looked for something that would be flexible and allow me to work from anywhere. I started to investigate teaching English as a Second Language online. In preparation for becoming HomeFree, I spent a couple of months studying for my TEFL certificate in the evenings when I finished my day job. The Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate was also available online and it gave me all the skills I needed to enter a new education realm. Since my original degree was in Secondary Education, I didn’t know anything about teaching young learners. My certificate studies taught me about phonics and how to practice speaking techniques with students. It also included information on writing feedback for parents in another culture.
My Mom was an elementary school teacher and we always thought the other person was insane! She said she would NEVER teach high school and I said I would NEVER teach elementary school! Well, never say never. My students are between the ages of 5-10 years old and I LOVE THEM!
Would I teach in a brick-and-mortar elementary classroom? Nope! Never! But, online, I have only one student at a time and that makes the classroom management much easier. Children are sponges at this age, therefore, their foreign language skills are impressive. Most of them (not all) are excited to be there and to learn new words. This impacts their behavior in a big way!
There are dozens of companies that run online English classes and they all operate completely differently but, so far, I am thrilled that I landed where I did. There are pros and cons to my company, as there are with any employer, but overall, it has been a great experience.
My students are in China. I am learning a lot about Chinese culture too, which is wonderful because most teachers are lifelong learners. We value learning wherever we can find it. One thing we were told in our training is that Chinese students are pushed very hard. American parents would consider them over-scheduled. They go to their regular school all day. In addition, twice each week they go to their English language school (the company that I work for). Once each week they have an online English lesson, and on the weekends, they have enrichment activities that are often academic in nature. Even though my students are young, they all tell me that they have homework every day.
The Chinese New Year is approaching (mid-February) and the students are excited. They will get time off from school and most adults take some time off of work. It is similar to our December holiday break. Usually, people travel to see family. This year, due to the pandemic, many families will not travel. Kids often receive special red envelopes with money inside as a gift for the New Year. 2021 is the Year of the Ox.
I am only working part-time so, I am not making as much money as when I was a full-time event planner, but I was prepared for that. The fact that I can prepare for my classes in less than an hour, one day before they occur, makes this job nearly stress-free. I took Ferris’s advice and slowed down before I missed life altogether.
What are your thoughts on working remotely while traveling? Have you done it? Would you like to do it? Feel free to share your thoughts.
Leave a Reply