The Best Reasons To Become An International Educator

[International Expat]

Why do some people choose to become international educators? After all, it's far easier to just live life in the country you were raised in, surrounded by people with whom you share a common culture.

Yet every year, thousands of people choose to teach abroad. And contrary to popular myth they aren't secret CIA agents, or trying to run from the law or evade taxes. (And if they are, they aren't talking about it!)

So, what are the reasons why people choose to become international educators? They vary, but here are the best and most common reasons.

·      They feel stagnated in their current job. They may feel that they are caught in a loop at their current school, and not growing as an educator. There is no way for them to advance their skills. Going to a completely new environment is a great way to move forward with a career.

·      They want to learn new teaching methods. Teaching the same way year after year can be a drag. But trying to come up with new teaching methods at their current school and get them approved by the administration may be difficult. By going abroad, they will be forced to try new teaching methods and become re-energized.

·      They are tired of large classes. Class size in American schools is growing all the time. It makes it very difficult to reach most of their students. International schools tend to have much smaller class sizes, making it easier to connect with students on a one-on-one basis.

·      They want to learn about new cultures. Teachers don't simply want to teach – they want to be constantly learning, too! But that gets harder as you get older. Going to a completely new culture forces you to learn new things and grow as a person. It allows your education to be continuous.

·      They need a lifestyle change. Many people who teach abroad weren't teachers in their former careers. They worked in offices, and realized they had skills they could share but did not like the life they were leading. They may have been successful in their careers, but want to do something new.

·      It's time for a life reboot. After a divorce or the death of a parent, some people need to get away from their current situation and clear their heads. Going abroad is a way to give themselves space and start a new part of their life without being surrounded by things that will remind them of the past.

·      They are ready to see the world. Sometimes people realize that life is short, and they want to experience more while they are still young. This is a way to make that happen without going into a lot of debt.

·      They want to bulk up their resume in order to have better career options in the future. Teaching is becoming more and more competitive. To get the good teaching posts, you need to stand out from the crowd. Having international teaching experience on your resume will go a long way to making your credential look more and more impressive to school boards.

·      They are rogue CIA agents. As noted before this is rare, but if you are in this situation you can use any of the reasons above to buffer your cover story.

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