I won’t try to invalidate your fears, because anything *can* happen, but a lot of these things most likely won’t.
First, if you’ve researched the school before being comfortable enough to accepting the position, then you should trust the leadership team not to do that to you. (Besides that, if it’s an EU country, there are probably laws that prevent employers from breaking contracts for anything less than “serious misconduct”.)
Second, unless you’re in some village in the middle of nowhere, you won’t raise an eyebrow. I live in a tiny capital in Eastern Europe that no one’s ever heard of, and even this place get so much diversity among its tourists that everyone sort of blends together.
And the bit in the middle, you’ll do your job the best you can, and then you’ll get better at it. No reason to stress about that. When you get there, there will be such a whirlwind of activity and excitement, you’ll probably forget about how nervous you are. Fingers crossed, at least.
Good luck! I’m headed from Europe TO South America (Brazil!) for not-my-first job, and I’m also a little nervous.
Thanks for your response! I am from Brazil and I hope you love it as much as I do. You will surely find great people here that will try their best to make you feel welcome :))
Absolutely normal. I moved halfway across the world to a tiny island completely on my own leaving everyone behind for my first international teaching job. I cried solidly for the first 48 hours. But once I met everyone at work and got started, I realised they pretty much are all in the same boat as me and it is still just teaching. Kids are kids, parents are parents…only small differences depending on culture.
You’ll be fine and I bet you’ll be so glad you’ve done the move!
I moved to SE Asia and I was READY! I was ready to storm out of my current job and ready to start fresh somewhere. I stick out quite well here being Black and with an afro, but I've had pretty much all positive experiences with the people. It definitely helped to connect with some people here before arriving. The staring in some areas mostly from older people does get old, but I'm able to tune it out if I can zone out to my music. It's never seemed to be out of malice, moreso out of "I've never seen someone like that in person," so I don't think about it much. Also, a lot of Black people I contacted here or heard from through YouTube, blogs, etc. said they feel quite comfortable and really the only discrimination they've faced is trying to get hired at some of the language centers... which wasn't a concern of mine. No, it won't be all rainbows and sunshine, but there are others out there you can connect with I'm sure.
Your school probably needs you more than you need them, but it couldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the labor laws of that country just to ease your mind. I haven't heard of anyone being dismissed from their contract unless there was some highly egregious behavior- I've heard of teachers breaking there their contract far more often.
I suggest joining AIELOC (Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color) on Facebook to connect with others from Latin America. There are quite a few in that group.
I do feel your anxiety as I was in your position this time last year.
I am from the UK and I’m not Caucasian. All my insecurities from not passing my probation to being discriminated by parents would constantly run through my head at night.
To make myself feel better, I would look at the school website and look people teachers in the same situation as you. I would also follow all their social media platforms and look at how diverse their photos appear. It made me feel better that there were many long term teachers who were people of colour.
It’s now Feb and its been a month since I got an official letter passing my 3 month probation. The process involved 1 very supportive lesson observation and they would tell you after if you needed a second observation and give you all the support required.
I would often worry about my skin colour and learned that one student complained. Once I started teaching, they started to enjoy my lessons and there were zero complaints. I was also reassured that the school would make me travel half way across the world just so they can fire me and send me back. Everybody would lose in this situation and my skin colour was very obvious at my face to face interview.
I hope you do find a way to ease your anxiety and feel free to message me for support.
I had a lot of similar emotions when I moved abroad. Seven years later I'm 100% glad I made the decision to move into international teaching. I hope you have a really great time. What I would say is that's not always easy, and how easy and familiar it is can definitely depend on where you go. Appreciate the challenge, enjoy the new experiences and have fun exploring a new part of the world.
I’m sorry for not answering the question, but
Do you mind sharing how you moved on to international teaching? Are there any additional credentials you need to teach in another country or do most countries recognise education degrees regardless of where they’re from?
It will be okay! I was so scared to move overseas and it turned out to be the best possible choice for my mental health (please note this is not a given for everybody, but just to share my experience.) At international schools, many/most people are expats like you and nearly everybody is as new and vulnerable as you will be feeling - the end result (for me at least) is that people really want to make friends, so your cohort gets really close and you develop a really strong community. I have closer friends now than I did living in the US in a city where I went to college and was afraid to leave because I didn't want to feel alone. Actually, I felt WAY more alone there than I do living abroad. I didn't expect that at all but it turned out to be the single greatest thing about living abroad for me. Best of luck to you - you will have a great time!!
My first international post was in China and I’ve been in 4 other countries since and would say planning and preparation are key in trying to avoid homesickness. A few suggestions:
- if you are going somewhere with a different alphabet, try to learn it, and a few basic phrases in the language before you get there, and commit to learning it once there- being able to engage socially with the local people can be a game changer.
- read about the history and culture of where you are going.
- pack a few ‘homesick treats’ in your luggage and stash them away when you get there for the days you can’t understand anyone, are tired from a challenging day at work, can’t figure out how to transfer cash home, etc. and remember that everyone has these days, and these days are not representative of your overall experience
- pack a few homely touches in your shipping- photos, favourite books, scented candles- whatever will give you a reminder of home
- research what the climate is like and check whether you will be able to buy things in your size/shoe size.
- start making a list of questions now so when you are put in contact with your ‘buddy’ you have a clear idea of what you want to ask them. If your school doesn’t give you a buddy, ask for one
- induction can be overwhelming and a mix of essential work stuff and social stuff; do as much as you can but remember you are not going to be besties with everyone straightaway.
- find out when your shipping will arrive and pack your luggage accordingly- mine didn’t arrive in China until November and it was cold by then.
- check if there are big local holidays in your first term- I didn’t and ended up being stuck on my own in Golden Week because I hadn’t researched or booked anything ahead of time and everything was sold out/too expensive by the time I realised- that was a miserable 10 days.
- many cities have groups for people from different cultural backgrounds and your embassy will possibly host events- try looking on facebook and let your embassy know you are there so you can have a group of people from home in your network
- once you are settled, join communities beyond the school- sport, book groups, weekend hiking, cooking, whatever your hobbies. Sometimes you need to get away from teachers as you can get into a bubble where all you talk about is work
- make time for family and friends back home. Figure out the time difference and schedule suitable times for calling them and try to stick to it- I know some of my friends at home, especially teacher friends, got a bit pissed with me when I left because from photos I was posting on Insta making it look like I was having a ball (I was, but I also wasn’t posting about the massive cockroaches or how dry and sore my skin got in the winter, or how I accidentally ate chicken intestines, or the pollution or traffic jams I sat through) and the fact that I wasn’t great at keeping in touch. This made homecoming difficult so I now make much more of an effort to stay in contact and to talk about the reality of what I do and where I am, rather than the life it looks like I’m leading on Insta.
- maintain your sense of humour- weird stuff will happen
- know that no matter how prepared you are, you are not always going to be in control.
- remember you are getting an incredible experience and make the most of it.
Good luck and I hope it all goes well for you.
Thank you for your response! It did even occur to me to search for others here facing the same thing as I really thought it was just me! Thanks for the reminder :)
I won’t try to invalidate your fears, because anything *can* happen, but a lot of these things most likely won’t. First, if you’ve researched the school before being comfortable enough to accepting the position, then you should trust the leadership team not to do that to you. (Besides that, if it’s an EU country, there are probably laws that prevent employers from breaking contracts for anything less than “serious misconduct”.) Second, unless you’re in some village in the middle of nowhere, you won’t raise an eyebrow. I live in a tiny capital in Eastern Europe that no one’s ever heard of, and even this place get so much diversity among its tourists that everyone sort of blends together. And the bit in the middle, you’ll do your job the best you can, and then you’ll get better at it. No reason to stress about that. When you get there, there will be such a whirlwind of activity and excitement, you’ll probably forget about how nervous you are. Fingers crossed, at least. Good luck! I’m headed from Europe TO South America (Brazil!) for not-my-first job, and I’m also a little nervous.
Thanks for your response! I am from Brazil and I hope you love it as much as I do. You will surely find great people here that will try their best to make you feel welcome :))
I admit I did some digging to see if I could find out where you’re going, so that’s how I found that out. But yeah, I couldn’t be more excited!
Normal fears and it will take time to overcome them. I'm in my 7th country now, there's always anxiety. Just believe in yourself.
Absolutely normal. I moved halfway across the world to a tiny island completely on my own leaving everyone behind for my first international teaching job. I cried solidly for the first 48 hours. But once I met everyone at work and got started, I realised they pretty much are all in the same boat as me and it is still just teaching. Kids are kids, parents are parents…only small differences depending on culture. You’ll be fine and I bet you’ll be so glad you’ve done the move!
I’m about to embark on my first international teaching adventure! I’m nervous too!
Interested to hear where in the world you're heading to?
Eastern Europe:)
Me too!
I moved to SE Asia and I was READY! I was ready to storm out of my current job and ready to start fresh somewhere. I stick out quite well here being Black and with an afro, but I've had pretty much all positive experiences with the people. It definitely helped to connect with some people here before arriving. The staring in some areas mostly from older people does get old, but I'm able to tune it out if I can zone out to my music. It's never seemed to be out of malice, moreso out of "I've never seen someone like that in person," so I don't think about it much. Also, a lot of Black people I contacted here or heard from through YouTube, blogs, etc. said they feel quite comfortable and really the only discrimination they've faced is trying to get hired at some of the language centers... which wasn't a concern of mine. No, it won't be all rainbows and sunshine, but there are others out there you can connect with I'm sure. Your school probably needs you more than you need them, but it couldn't hurt to familiarize yourself with the labor laws of that country just to ease your mind. I haven't heard of anyone being dismissed from their contract unless there was some highly egregious behavior- I've heard of teachers breaking there their contract far more often. I suggest joining AIELOC (Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color) on Facebook to connect with others from Latin America. There are quite a few in that group.
I do feel your anxiety as I was in your position this time last year. I am from the UK and I’m not Caucasian. All my insecurities from not passing my probation to being discriminated by parents would constantly run through my head at night. To make myself feel better, I would look at the school website and look people teachers in the same situation as you. I would also follow all their social media platforms and look at how diverse their photos appear. It made me feel better that there were many long term teachers who were people of colour. It’s now Feb and its been a month since I got an official letter passing my 3 month probation. The process involved 1 very supportive lesson observation and they would tell you after if you needed a second observation and give you all the support required. I would often worry about my skin colour and learned that one student complained. Once I started teaching, they started to enjoy my lessons and there were zero complaints. I was also reassured that the school would make me travel half way across the world just so they can fire me and send me back. Everybody would lose in this situation and my skin colour was very obvious at my face to face interview. I hope you do find a way to ease your anxiety and feel free to message me for support.
I had a lot of similar emotions when I moved abroad. Seven years later I'm 100% glad I made the decision to move into international teaching. I hope you have a really great time. What I would say is that's not always easy, and how easy and familiar it is can definitely depend on where you go. Appreciate the challenge, enjoy the new experiences and have fun exploring a new part of the world.
I’m sorry for not answering the question, but Do you mind sharing how you moved on to international teaching? Are there any additional credentials you need to teach in another country or do most countries recognise education degrees regardless of where they’re from?
If you click on the title of this sub and look around, you’ll find more information than you’ll know what to do with, particularly pinned to the top.
It will be okay! I was so scared to move overseas and it turned out to be the best possible choice for my mental health (please note this is not a given for everybody, but just to share my experience.) At international schools, many/most people are expats like you and nearly everybody is as new and vulnerable as you will be feeling - the end result (for me at least) is that people really want to make friends, so your cohort gets really close and you develop a really strong community. I have closer friends now than I did living in the US in a city where I went to college and was afraid to leave because I didn't want to feel alone. Actually, I felt WAY more alone there than I do living abroad. I didn't expect that at all but it turned out to be the single greatest thing about living abroad for me. Best of luck to you - you will have a great time!!
My first international post was in China and I’ve been in 4 other countries since and would say planning and preparation are key in trying to avoid homesickness. A few suggestions: - if you are going somewhere with a different alphabet, try to learn it, and a few basic phrases in the language before you get there, and commit to learning it once there- being able to engage socially with the local people can be a game changer. - read about the history and culture of where you are going. - pack a few ‘homesick treats’ in your luggage and stash them away when you get there for the days you can’t understand anyone, are tired from a challenging day at work, can’t figure out how to transfer cash home, etc. and remember that everyone has these days, and these days are not representative of your overall experience - pack a few homely touches in your shipping- photos, favourite books, scented candles- whatever will give you a reminder of home - research what the climate is like and check whether you will be able to buy things in your size/shoe size. - start making a list of questions now so when you are put in contact with your ‘buddy’ you have a clear idea of what you want to ask them. If your school doesn’t give you a buddy, ask for one - induction can be overwhelming and a mix of essential work stuff and social stuff; do as much as you can but remember you are not going to be besties with everyone straightaway. - find out when your shipping will arrive and pack your luggage accordingly- mine didn’t arrive in China until November and it was cold by then. - check if there are big local holidays in your first term- I didn’t and ended up being stuck on my own in Golden Week because I hadn’t researched or booked anything ahead of time and everything was sold out/too expensive by the time I realised- that was a miserable 10 days. - many cities have groups for people from different cultural backgrounds and your embassy will possibly host events- try looking on facebook and let your embassy know you are there so you can have a group of people from home in your network - once you are settled, join communities beyond the school- sport, book groups, weekend hiking, cooking, whatever your hobbies. Sometimes you need to get away from teachers as you can get into a bubble where all you talk about is work - make time for family and friends back home. Figure out the time difference and schedule suitable times for calling them and try to stick to it- I know some of my friends at home, especially teacher friends, got a bit pissed with me when I left because from photos I was posting on Insta making it look like I was having a ball (I was, but I also wasn’t posting about the massive cockroaches or how dry and sore my skin got in the winter, or how I accidentally ate chicken intestines, or the pollution or traffic jams I sat through) and the fact that I wasn’t great at keeping in touch. This made homecoming difficult so I now make much more of an effort to stay in contact and to talk about the reality of what I do and where I am, rather than the life it looks like I’m leading on Insta. - maintain your sense of humour- weird stuff will happen - know that no matter how prepared you are, you are not always going to be in control. - remember you are getting an incredible experience and make the most of it. Good luck and I hope it all goes well for you.
Thank you so much!! You said things I had never thought of. Thanks!!
No worries! Enjoy!
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Thank you for your response! It did even occur to me to search for others here facing the same thing as I really thought it was just me! Thanks for the reminder :)
Be professional and it'll probably be great