Normal is Boring

Teaching abroad has been an incredibly positive experience. I could sit in a classroom and be lectured on Belize and what teaching in another country is like, but would that tell the truth? Would that really be enough? Actually being in a different country has made me extremely more knowledgeable and the experiences that I have here will stay with me forever. Not only do I know what it is like to teach in America, but also I now know what it is like to be a teacher in a completely different country. Now I understand two education systems. Can you believe that only a three-hour plane ride from North Carolina and people are living so differently than we do? I feel extremely passionate about this whole experience and I would highly encourage every teacher to teach abroad. My students and I are learning so much from each other everyday. This past week I saw the students’ regular teacher one time. The one time I saw her she asked me if I could write up another copy of my lesson plans and hand them to her at some point. Looking back on this week I feel very proud of myself. When I first stepped into my classroom in Belize, I didn’t really know what to expect. I instantly became the students’ teacher and was put in a situation where I needed to think outside my idea of normal. Back home I was in a school that was able to provide me with any school supply I needed. Here I am working with a very limited amount of school supplies and it has been a challenge. I would like to be an inspiration to all of the people out there that are scared to step outside their normal lifestyle and experience another culture. Honestly, I think that it will be very difficult for me to go back to America and become a teacher. I hope to travel and immerse myself in different cultures. If I do teach abroad, I will learn much more than I ever would if I taught in an area I am already so familiar with. I could talk about how positive the teaching abroad experience is for hours, and I would love to talk to someone that believes otherwise. Could anyone possibly not think that teaching in another country and learning about another culture is a positive experience?