Life Abroad: Becoming an International Teacher
Snorkeling in the Caribbean, walking the streets of Amsterdam, eating freshly caught seafood on a volcanic Asian island by Heanyeo (sea-women), and taking road trips across the Golden State. I look back at these memories and have to remind myself that it was not daydreaming, nor was I reminiscing about past vacations that I had to save up half a lifetime to achieve. These memories are, instead, places where I lived and taught as an international teacher. Teaching abroad has been challenging, and obtaining this lifestyle is difficult. However, I hope this blog can encourage those who want to live an adventurous life to consider teaching abroad (the smart way).
Where to begin? During my childhood, I grew up with a third-culture perspective. My mother is Dutch, but her family is Indo (mixed-race) from the East Indies, now called Indonesia. My father comes from Southern California and is half-Mexican with a blend of various European ancestry. Both parents have Jewish heritage. Growing up in the USA to a military family meant moving all around the states, typically every 4-years. Experiencing different cultures soon led me to become an anthropologist (ethnographer). With an eagerness to experience culture further, my wife and I decided to become English teachers in early 2020 and move to South Korea, as rumors of a strange virus were spreading in Asia (COVID).
We had planned to stay in South Korea for a year but found ourselves there for almost three years. During this time, I saw the beauty of teaching, where I could interact with students and teachers worldwide. I was an English Teacher at a Language Academy. Yet, I wanted to transition to teaching at an international school, allowing me further professional development and more than eight times the vacation time (also over twice the pay). I thought, "How can I teach at an international school when my background is in anthropology and not education?" Then, like a lightbulb, I saw a post on an expat Facebook group that said there was a cheap 1-year online program tailor-made for teachers like me.
Moreland University:
Taking the Moreland University program took a lot of work. On paper, it is a straightforward program. There is cheap online tuition and eight modules you can complete in your own time, typically taking 12 months, and the course has around 12-20 other members in your cohort (you can take breaks and join other cohorts later). During the process, Moreland also guides you on how to take Praxis Tests (you pay and schedule those outside of the program). This gives you certification in Washington D.C., recognized abroad because it is a USA teaching certificate. You can also tag a Master of Education from Moreland, which is relatively affordable.
You will need a few things for though, including a Bachelor's or equivalent degree. You do not have to be an American citizen, as I know Canadians, Brits, and other nationalities who took this teaching program (I’m also a dual citizen and it was transferable to my current Dutch school). You are also encouraged to have access to either a classroom or school affiliation for the last two months because the last modules require you to collaborate with teaching. I encourage those who are or want to be teachers to take this program. For English Language Teachers like me, it is a step toward better pay, vacation, and professional development. For those who want to live abroad, it gives you the qualifications to become an international teacher. For those who are already certified teachers, it offers an affordable Master' degree that will provide you with further access to job opportunities and pay. Overall, I highly recommend Moreland University as it has helped me obtain teaching jobs worldwide.
To end my rant, if you are a global citizen, a full-time traveler, or are curious about a sustainable lifestyle abroad, I encourage you to become an international school teacher. I have always belonged to a wandering culture, and now I can do so with purpose. I have taught primary, middle, and upper-level education in Latin America, East Asia, and now Europe. This life is possible and sustainable. All you have to do is become a teacher.
By: Rainier Lee
Sign-Up for More Information:
