Author: rttglobal

So there it was, one fateful dinner with my yoda-but-not-yoda aunty had once again put me on the path to my future. So I took this new found destiny and I played with it and shaped it, stretched it, twisted it, and slowly but surely molded it into my own version of what I wanted it to be. That is how I came on to the idea of teaching abroad in ESL.

Thinking about teaching in Taiwan? Find out what it’s like first hand here in our interview with Andie Ayala, one of our Reach To Teach alumni teachers here in Taipei.

Making mistakes in teaching is all part of the learning curve. Teachers aren’t just pumped out of a TEFL course with all of the skills and knowledge base of a teacher that has been doing ESL for 20 years has. This is a skills based industry and we all know that skills aren’t just learnt from a textbook, they need to be planted in a classroom and watered with time. With enough nurturing you watch your teaching skills blossom and flourish. And even then, mistakes can still be made.

Today’s interview is with Reach To Teach alumni Sarah Vied, who has been Teaching with us in Taipei, Taiwan.
Hi Sarah! Let’s start off by having you introduce yourself.
Hey! My name is Sarah, I’m 26, and I’m a proud southerner from the USA—originally from a small town called Princeton in western Kentucky. This is only my second year teaching and living abroad, but my first year in Taiwan and in Taipei.

We all know what it can be like as teachers, you are as excited as a firework when you go away to another country and begin your journey as an overseas ESL teacher. In the beginning you are busy getting to know your students, getting to grips with the curriculum and school system and getting to know your work colleagues, so everything is new and amazing. Fast forward a year and you find that the ‘honeymoon period’ has set sail, the excitement of your new position has lost its charms and work has become a daily grind instead of a fun cool job.

We have all been given a nugget of advice or a whisper of warning before heading out on our amazing journey of teaching, travel, and adventure. But how much of that is true? The only real way to know is to go and apply to teach English abroad and discover the truths and myths for yourself. Here within this Reach To Teach Blog Carnival entry you will delve into the minds of our Reach To Teach bloggers who will tell you about travel myths that turned out to be false.

Roll up! Roll up! ESL teachers one and all, whether you are fresh into teaching or you are the grand master of ESL, we can always learn new tricks and grow as teachers. We have cherry picked our best ESL teaching advice articles to share with you wonderful people.

One of the best parts about becoming an expat in a new country is exploring the culture. A great way to take a peek into the window of a countries culture is to experience their festivals. Taiwan is a place where you can experience a wide variety of festivals from food to fireworks, sky lanterns to tradition, you can find it all here.