Greetings from Prague!
Yes, I won the battle against my anxiety and survived my first career plane ride. I am on foreign soil. That’s a weird thing to say. But powerful. And fun.
As I continue to enjoy my first few days in the Czech capital, let’s go over the reasons why I have decided to embark on this journey as a TEFL teacher.
Reason #1: I want to change the world. Period. It sounds ambitious. It sounds cliche. But I firmly believe that the number one job of teachers is to change their students for the better. Yes, we want to make them better English speakers and writers, but perhaps more importantly, we want them to become good citizens who can make a difference in society. If every teacher can go out there and inspire a few world changers, they’re doing their job well. This is especially true in a place like Prague. It’s a big city with a perfect location. The culture is all around us here. If I personally can’t change the world, I must pass my knowledge on to someone who can apply what I’ve taught them, not only to better Prague, but the whole world.
Reason #2: I want to step outside my comfort zone. Yes, that is what possessed me to move from a city of 37,000 to a city of 1.281 million. That is also what encouraged me to step on an airplane for the first time. In two months, I will be 30 years old (even though I’ve been told I have the face of an 18 year old). I’m not getting any younger. Life is not getting any shorter. I need to get myself out there more and seize some opportunities. Those opportunities won’t come to me. I have to go get them. For a while now, I feel like I’ve been stuck in the same rut. Get up, go to work, eat, sleep, and do it again the next day. Life is too short–and my gifts are too plentiful–for me to continue to allow that. In just a few days, the changes I have gone through–some by choice and others out of necessity–have been significant, but I’m fairly happy with them. Change can be a good thing sometimes.
Reason #3: Although teaching is my passion, you could say I’ve bounced around in life. I’ve cashiered, worked in a factory, sold computers, handled mail, and served as a teacher. My first experience in teaching taught me that I needed a lot of work at it. While I did learn a lot, I was very raw and unpolished. I guess I was your typical “new teacher.” But I refused to be a quitter. I refused to let one past experience define the person I will be for whatever time I have remaining on this planet (God willing, another 50 some odd years, but we’ll see). I had no choice but to be persistent. As I start this new journey now, I recognize that TEFL is different from teaching English in a high school. More one-on-one interaction. More flexibility. Material that is easier to break down into small parts (during my first teaching rodeo, I tried waaaaaaaaaay too hard at times). The opportunity to teach anywhere in the world. ANYWHERE. Okay, maybe North Korea wouldn’t be such a good idea, but you get my drift.
Reason #4: It just felt right. I’m not going to give you a whole paragraph on that one. There’s no need to.
Of course, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Do I want to stay in Prague long term or go elsewhere? Will I fit in with my fellow TEFL trainees? Will I even be an effective teacher? What is the meaning of life? Okay, Mike, stop getting off track. The answers to these questions will come in time. Wherever I wind up, though, it’s going to be a fun ride, and I already see myself changing for the better as a person. I’m blessed to have this opportunity and plan to make the very most of it.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 