I think I found my calling in life :

 

 

 

The last 3 weeks, I was in a part of the world called Cranbrook, with 42 foreign 8-12 year old students teaching English. The whole thing was surreal, as I was a last minute replacement - but it was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

 

 

 

Waking up at 7am with the kids in a lodge, getting them to breakfast at 8, lessons from 9.30-12.30, afternoon activities from 1.30 till 5.30, a big massive activity of capture the flag, challenges involving pies, bananas and mustard or something else in the evening, putting them to bed at 9.30 and cramming in planning until midnight. Then we do it all again!

 

 

 

It was so much fun and it really was an eye opener. The one thing these very intelligent kids had in common was English - Taiwanese, Brazilians, Portugese, Germans, Russians, Kuwaitis, Indonesians, Italians - all communicated in this one language. It made me really think how global everything is and how lucky I was to be in the situation to teach the language I hitherto took for granted.

 

 

 

Learning the different cultures first hand (being called Teacher Tom was infectious) really shattered a lot of my naivety. Kids from different countries are just kids like anywhere else - wanting to mess around, play games and have a good time. In that sense, I'd say I'm still a kid.

 

 

 

So yeah, basically, if you were wondering if I'd fallen down a well, I hadn't, I was doing this. And, if you wonder what you could do in the summer or possibly as a career, give this a go. It's smegging brilliant! :D

*puts up hand*

 

 

 

Here, Mr Roberts Sir.

 

 

 

I was wondering where you'd gotten up to lol. I got a couple of other friends doing it atm (one in china the other in nepal) but they don't plan on doing it full time. Sounds like a pretty unique experience though. :D

=D> Good Job!

 

My friends sister was away this summer doing a similar thing in The Congo, teching English to foreign children. She said it was a rewarding experience, the way the children respected you and she said she felt like she was making a change...she is going back next year :D

was wondering where you were.

 

 

 

sounds really interesting and rewarding.. i just dont think i could teach tbh. My mum and dad are both teachers and they make it sound awful.

was wondering where you were.

 

 

 

sounds really interesting and rewarding.. i just dont think i could teach tbh. My mum and dad are both teachers and they make it sound awful.

The difference between teaching in the UK and teaching as a foreign language is that the kids actually respect the teachers and have at least a basic grasp of English language... I'm talking about the foreign kids btw.

was wondering where you were.

 

 

 

sounds really interesting and rewarding.. i just dont think i could teach tbh. My mum and dad are both teachers and they make it sound awful.

The difference between teaching in the UK and teaching as a foreign language is that the kids actually respect the teachers and have at least a basic grasp of English language... I'm talking about the foreign kids btw.

 

 

 

i agree. Foreign kids do seem way more respectful and hard working.. but thats probably because other countries keep their remedials hidden away.

 

 

 

having said that, the secondary school where my dad works is in the bottom 10 in the country... They dont exactly have the sharpest tools in the shed there.

Aw. ^_^ Teacher Tom. :D

sounds really neat :D . Foreign language has always been my worst class in school, but teaching English would be interesting. I've always wanted to go to another country that has to learn English as a secondary language later on in life (high school course, like we take spanish, etc.) and sit through a few classes, I think it would be funny to see people trying to learn the language that I'm so familiar with just as it would be for a fluent german speaker sitting in my german class :P .

Cool. I was recently on a short term mission trip and helped out at a camp...Pretty similar to what you did. Except they didn't call us "Teacher -name-", but rather "Mister -name-". And yes, it's awesome.

 

It was to New York City...But even though it's only a few hundred miles to Boston, the lives of the kids there are completely different than mine.

 

(That's why I wasn't here the past two weeks)

 

 

 

Anyways, learn anything about the Taiwanese culture? :wink:

Hmm sounds really interesting :P

Teaching foreign kids English sounds so much better than teaching those who already know it. Our class is too chaotic and I kinda feel sorry for our teacher who gets so much abuse.

Exactly, the difference in respect generally is massive. Although, we all loved our English teacher at our school, because not only was she skilled, she could get a rapport with the class.