In about 480 hours I'll be on a plane bound for China. The prospect itself leaves me extremely happy and excited but I can't help but feel anxious of one very important aspect: teaching. To figure out how to overcome the nervous feelings I get when imagining myself as the centre of attention of 20, 40, 60 or even 100+ children, firstly I ask myself 'James, why on earth are you throwing yourself so far into the deep end? You left your comfort zone about 7000 K's in the opposite direction!' Well, I suppose the honest answer to my question is I love to travel! I love everything about traveling. From waiting at the airport to trying to converse with the locals, from smiling at a beautiful foreign girl to wearing thongs(flip-flops) in a night club. (those are the first 4 experiences that come to mind).
Nerves are surreal and time is fleeting. I don't believe theres a cure for being nervous and past experiences have told me to either do it or regret it. I'll just try to remember those words as I prepare for my first ever lesson. The tutor at the i-to-i weekend course assured me that being comfortable with TEFL comes with time. That bit of advice made me think of learning to drive. 'Why can't I do it!?' I'd ask myself in frustration as I tried to work the clutch or attempt a hill-start. now, 5 years later driving has become second-nature. I don't even think about it. So if I can get away with comparing driving a manual car to teaching children English, I think i stand a chance.
This brings me to my next thought. I really do hope that as I build confidence and experience in the field I can take it quite literally around the world. Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Italy, France, Spain and Chili are but some of the places I hope my experience in TEFL can take me. When I imagine future possibilities I can't help but cheer at what is possible to do in life.
I'd like to finish off with some questions to anyone reading this post. For China, what would one assume 'smart casual' is. I have some idea but would appreciate others. Also, what are your views on learning Mandarin. A regret of mine after the time i spent in Thailand was never learning Thai. When i say 'learning Mandarin' I mean on a conversational level.
Well, That's about it. Unless I think of something crazy or urgent in the next 3 weeks I think my next blog entry will be post-arrival. ;)
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Hey,
I reckon the comparison of teaching to driving is a great one - when you first start teaching it feels like you'll never be able to do it without stalling and bumping into things, but after a while it just all slots into place. Don't get me wrong - it's tough to start with, but gets much much easier.
In terms of what to wear in China, smart casual usually means chinos or smartish trousers with a button down shirt, but there's no need for a tie. You'll need proper shoes rather than trainers too.
Hope that helps - best of luck in China - look forward to hearing how you all get on!
Hi James, for what its worth I think we all have similar emotions atm. Like you I am hoping this is the beginning of a whole new life for me - I've had 30 years working in a range of roles from nursing to senior management positions in government but my skills in teaching relate to clinical teaching with adults so this will be a whole new experience!!
In response to your questions; Given China is relatively conservative I would think smart casual would mean a pair of trousers and a shirt for guys. I would wear a skirt or trousers and a top with sleeves. I have manderin lessons included as part of my contract but I am really going to battle with the language as it is tonal (like vietnamese) and am sorry I could not find somewhere to get a few lessons under my belt before I set off.....I can say hello so I guess thats a start!
Good luck and be sure to let me know where you get placed.
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