The New School

I have to say to everyone who’s been following, I love my new job! I get my own classroom! I get to keep my things in my room and also choose what songs I get to sing and bring to my boss what I think will be beneficial to my own students. It’s really incredible when you bring an idea to someone and they actually take it seriously, and you are part of real change! I’m not saying everything in Taiwan is perfect, because sometimes I really don’t get the Asian style of workplace (sacrifice work for personal life). But if I AM going to sacrifice work for personal life at all it might as well be in a way that I’m okay with (no weekends!) and in a way that I can actually influence, such as pace of the curriculum and choice of how long to spend on each section of the book etc etc.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m a born teacher. I thought journalism was the path for me, and I think that in a way it was (writing) but teaching is where I also feel confidence and happiness. I totally love baking banana bread for the class I have four days a week and decorating my own classroom. My boss (the owner of Genius) even came into my classroom the other day and took a picture of my blackboard because he really liked it, and I was so flattered and felt so appreciated. The way of working isn’t that much different but the amount of faith in the foreign teacher is much more and I love feeling like someone takes my opinion into consideration!

I have to say, Taiwan isn’t really easy. The workplace is aggressive, the expectations are high and the business model is entirely different than what we’re used to in North American society. The roundabout ways of asking for unpaid favours are still something worth considering when moving to Asia or Taiwan and I still think that the United States/Canadian way of doing things is way better, but that’s my ethnocentric attitude kicking in and I still think that Taiwan is entirely advanced for it’s era and Asia is progressing at a more rapid pace than we all realize. I feel that now I am not spending 2 hours a night on grading homework I’m a much more effective teacher and I can do those extra little things like bake for my class (totally my own doing!) or burn them a CD with North American music on it. I feel like I have extreme impact on these children, to the point where they are like my own. I really love it. Taiwan feels like more home than ever and I don’t regret coming here and spending two years here at all. In fact, it was a great choice.

To those considering coming to Taiwan, what I would say is you need to consider your real reasons for coming. Are you really interested in Taiwanese culture and language and knowledge? Are you willing to travel way beyond your comfort zone? Go to Taiwanese-style markets and find out where the real hotspots are? If the answer is yes, I would definitely recommend this country as an up-and-comer! I hope it continues to grow and progress through the World Games and grow to be what it should be. I think if I left and came back in 20 years I wouldn’t recognize this city at all.

~ by globalciti on February 28, 2009.