Tiffany Harris is a teacher in an international school in Casablanca, Morocco. Here is a profile of her experience abroad.
What do you like about teaching overseas? Teaching overseas has allowed my eyes to open to new cultures and a new lifestyle. I am enjoying my adjustments this is allowing me to understand and be more conscious about how I treat or act around others. I live in an off school campus apartment where I am totally immersed in the culture. I enjoy learning the languages of French and Arabic. Many of the locals understand my difficulties with the language and are very helpful.
What don’t you like (if anything) about teaching overseas? Being overseas has taken away the in-dependency I had in the states. It is hard to lean on someone for everything when you are so used to picking up a phone or going into the store to take care of it yourself. You almost have to portray yourself as a deaf person demonstrating what you need through hand actions and barely speaking.
What advice would you give to others who are thinking about teaching overseas? If you are thinking about teaching overseas I suggest you go to job fairs to understand what the schools are asking for. That experience alone allows you to understand how different an environment you are entering is going to be. Make sure the country is a good fit for your needs. If you can’t live without a dryer or another accommodation then you may want to seek another place to venture to.
Would you recommend teaching abroad through Educators Overseas? Why or why not? Educators Overseas are the only reason I am living and teaching where I am. I would recommend their service because much of the work was taken out of my hand. I knew I had an impartial company working on my side if I had questions about going overseas and I felt the school wasn’t giving me the whole story.