My name is Kevin and this is my second MET course. Upon obtaining my degree in education, I moved to Cairo, Egypt where I taught for 2 years before relocating to my current position as a second grade teacher in Guangzhou, China. I consider myself very lucky to have been able to travel around the world as an educator. I plan to spend my teaching career overseas living and working in a number of different countries.
I must admit that I am a little intimidated after reading the course description because I am not particularly savvy in business or technology. However, I feel that working on one’s weaknesses is the best way to learn and grow. I look forward to learning with all of you as we progress through this course together.
Hi Kevin,
Nice to meet you. I spent a few years teaching abroad and travelling the world too and I loved it. However, my wife and I decided to come home to start our own family close to our parents. I hope one day we will be able to travel and work abroad again as we had such a great experience.
Just curious, what school did you teach at in Cairo? A couple of my former co-workers taught at BCCIS.
Looking forward to working with you this semester.
Cheers,
Grant
Hi Grant,
I was at Canadian International School of Egypt but I knew a few people who taught at BCCIS. Cairo was a great place to live but not always the easiest place to teach. Where did you teach overseas? And when you do go back to international teaching where do you hope to go?
Thanks for the message.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
My wife and I spent almost 4 years teaching in South Korea between private and public schools. For 2 of those years we were at SIS Canada in Sokcho. It was a BC Offshore school but I don’t think it still exists. We loved South Korea and especially loved living in Sokcho as it had amazing beaches and mountains close by. Not sure where I would want to go if I was to work internationally again, just some place warm, with good food and rich culture. Haha… I guess that doesn’t narrow it down too much.
Grant
Hi Kevin, not to worry. I am here for the same reason! (If we must worry, we worry together.)
I’m curious how international schools are doing at the moment with COVID? It’s something I’d always had in the back of my mind to do, but the timing was never right. I’d be keen to learn more about it if you’re happy to share.
Hi Jessica,
Nice to know i’m not the only one who is a little nervous. Life here in Guangzhou is basically back to normal because there are almost no new COVID cases. China had some very strict lock-down rules and everyone followed these rules without question. Also, most of my students are Chinese so there is no issues with the students being unable to return to the country (China has basically closed it boarders to non-Chinese citizens). My brother teaches internationally as well in Indonesia and he is having a very different experience. Many of his students are foreign passport holders and have not been allowed back into the country so the student population has dwindled resulting in teacher lay-offs. Its a pretty wild time!
Thanks for the message.
Kevin
Nice to meet you, Kevin. I love that you are approaching your teaching in combination with travel. That will bring some rich experiences to your students. I am a little envious of your two years in Egypt, as a place near and dear to my heart. I was fortunate in that I was brought to Egypt twice after the Arab Spring to help teach those in tourism how to share the rest of Egypt’s story, outside of Tahrir Square. We’re you able to travel much of the country while you were there?
Hi Erica,
That’s great that you got to go to Egypt. It is such a beautiful place. I arrived a couple years after the Arab Spring but tourism had not yet recovered. Many would be tourists were nervous due to safety concerns so a lot of people in the tourist industry were hurting financially. I felt very safe during my time in Egypt and was able to travel all over the country. I would love to go back one day to work or travel.
Thanks for the message.
Kevin
Welcome Kevin,
Nice to know there are other expats with similar experiences. I am in my 10th year working in the BC Offshore system, now as the principal of BCISB in Thailand. I imagine going through COVID in your location must have been challenging. Are you working for the Alberta school in Guangzhou? I was fortunate enough to take a tour of that school when we were having the Annual “Canadian Classic” sports tournament in Macau. Last year was supposed to be hosted by my school in Bangkok but COVID19 had other plans.
Though I don’t have any academic background in business I am really looking forward to this course. Its a little out of my comfort zone but I see huge potential to learn that will compliment my career in the future.
I look forward to conversing in the near future
Hi Ryan,
I do work at a Canadian school but it follows the Manitoba curriculum. There are so many international schools here is Guangzhou and at least a few of them follow different Canadian curriculum. I have always wanted to work in Bangkok. Thailand is such a beautiful country. You are very lucky.
Thanks for the message!
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I also taught abroad. I almost went to Cairo on a student practicum, but my university placed me in Medellin, Colombia. Are you working for BC offshore schools or another school district in Canada?