Mitch Gordon
Director of School Relations
Meet Mitch Gordon!
I was born, grew up in a small city and went to University in upstate New York. After graduation, I decided to finally leave the cozy confines of Upstate New York and see more of the world. I knew there was so much to the world and wanted to see as much as possible. I clearly wanted to travel, but also needed to earn money to finance these travels! As much as I may have preferred it, I couldn’t afford to throw a backpack over my shoulders and travel around the world. I surfed the internet, asked friends for their opinions (many of whom thought I was crazy) and finally decided to spend a year teaching English in Taipei County, Taiwan. I decided teaching English in Taiwan would allow me to contribute by sharing my language with students in another country. At the same time, it would give me the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture and learn a useful language (Mandarin Chinese). Despite thinking through my decision carefully, when I finally boarded the plane to Taiwan I started to question my own sanity. How will I be able to teach these kids when I can’t speak Chinese and they can’t speak English? Will I be able to adjust to life in a new and very different country? Will I make any friends? Will I like the food? I know many people ask themselves the same questions and decide NOT to spend a year abroad. I ended up having an incredible year in Taiwan; one which changed my life. The answers to the questions I posed to myself while boarding the plane were all positive ones: You can teach English without speaking Chinese, I did adjust well to life in Asia and I met many new and interesting people. Finally, and most important in my opinion, the food is great!
I found teaching to be a very challenging and rewarding experience. My students definitely kept me on my toes! Teaching is one of the few professions which give you the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, everyday. Like anything in life worth doing, teaching wasn’t easy from the beginning. I had almost no teaching experience. My first few weeks in the classroom were very challenging and I had to work hard to become an effective teacher. On a personal level, my time outside the classroom was even more rewarding. Each day, stepping out of my apartment felt like the beginning of a new adventure. There is so much to see, explore and learn in Asia. Chinese people are incredibly friendly and curious. Strangers would often approach me on the street to ask where I was from and what I was doing in Taiwan. Questions such as, “How much money do you make” shocked me at first, but I soon learned this was completely acceptable in local culture and learned ways of giving polite but ambiguous answers. The food was delicious and unbelievably cheap. I was used to eating pasta and Subway in College and really enjoyed being able to afford a variety of new and interesting foods. In Chinese culture, people tend to eat out much more often than they cook for themselves. This was an adjustment I was happy to make!
Mitch singing at KTV!
The friends I made while in Taiwan are some of my best friends to this day. I found myself developing two groups of friends: Local Chinese friends and a variety of Western friends. The ex-pat (ex-patriot) community in Asia is extremely welcoming. I made good friends from the UK, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada. Although they will never give me the satisfaction of admitting it, I can finally tell the difference between a British and Australian accent!
South Korea, Taiwan and China are also great locations from which to visit other countries with your vacation time. In the span of a year I was able to visit Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore & Hong Kong. With all that travel, I was still able to save a substantial portion of my salary.
After leaving Taiwan, I traveled around Southeast Asia and headed back to the US. After a month of driving and camping across the States, I began a job with a Big 4 Accounting firm in Manhattan. One day while staring at my Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the cells started to look like bars and my laptop like a jail cell. So, after 3 and 1/2 years of working for the corporate machine, I realized it was time for a change.
I loved my time in Taiwan and had been back to visit each year following my return to the US. In my free time I always found myself encouraging friends and friends of friends to teach English in Asia. I loved my students, I loved the lifestyle and genuinely feel teachers can make a difference. If everyone lived abroad for a year, the world would truly be a better and more tolerant place. I thought, “Why not leave the spreadsheet and calculator behind and do something different and more rewarding!”
Thus, Reach To Teach was born.
When I left for Taiwan, I had no idea what awaited me when my plane touched down. I and many others took a big leap of faith in traveling halfway across the world to teach in a school we had never seen and work for a boss we had never met. We hope Reach To Teach can make your transition to living abroad easier and more rewarding. We carefully screen both our schools and teachers in the hope of providing a rewarding experience for both parties. We want every one of our applicants to know we genuinely care about your experience abroad. All of our current teachers can tell you that Reach To Teach is always available to them for support and advice; anytime.
Mitch taking in the sites of Beijing, China
Finally, congratulations on starting to research the possibility of spending a year abroad. It’s a great first step and farther than most people get! No matter where your career/life may take you in the future, a year (or more) teaching others and learning about yourself will only help you to be more successful, in whatever you choose to do.
Feel free to email me directly anytime!
Mitch Gordon
Mitch@ReachToTeachRecruiting.com
0920-699-473 (Taiwan)
201-467-4612 (US)
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