Samantha Stokell - TEFL Traveller

1. Age when you taught: 23
2. Nationality: Canada
3. Where did you teach?: Kitakyushu, Japan
4. Time spent teaching per week
   30
5. How long did you teach for?
   1 year, 6 months
6. What was your pay?
   250,000 yen/month
7. What is the biggest lesson you learned from your teaching English experience?
   Patience. Patience for dealing with students who don't understand immediately, patience for students who never understand. Patience for working in a company in a different country with different a different work ethic. Patience for working with people who don't speak English. And that's just from at work! Living in a country that doesn't speak your language provides many more examples of where patience is gained.
8. What is the most common misconception about teaching English?
   Easy money for little work. You can save money, but the work isn't easy. It's tiring and involves a lot more paperwork and energy than you might expect, especially working with kids.
9. Did you get certified?: yes
   Why or why not?
   I had no idea how to teach, so thought a course that showed me how to do it was a good idea.
10. If you were certified, what was your certification and how did you acquire it? Also, did your certification help you when trying to find a job? How?
    I was certified through Oxford Seminars, in Canada. It was a 60 hour TESL course, requiring three weekends, both Saturday and Sundays, 10-6. My certification did help me find a job, but its not necessary. Bigger companies will take the time to train you.
11. If you did not get certified, was it harder to find a job? Why?
    
12. When looking for a certification program, what are the things to look for?
    Look for a balance of teaching informatin and living abroad information. As important as learning how to teach is, its also important to be prepared for living away from your country, and all the technicalities that involves. It helps when you look at contracts to know who is scamming you, and what is legitimate.
13. What are some common 'traps' that teachers fall into while teaching English abroad?
    To start volunteering your time outside of work occasionally, and then finding out that it turned into part of your schedule for no extra pay.
14. What do you wish you would have done differently?
    No regrets here!
15. What are the best things about teaching English abroad?
    The best things are meeting new people from all over the world. Living in a place long enough to be able to really explore it.
16. Did you travel before or after your program? If so, where?
    I traveled a lot during my program, to China and Korea, and immediately after my program I did a one and half month tour around Japan, exploring the places I hadn't been to and working through WWOOF
17. What would be your advice to people thinking about teaching English abroad?
    How much patience do you have? Do you have the patience to deal with people not understanding you, both in and out of the classroom? If you have the patience then you will have an amazing time.

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