When I first started thinking about international teaching, I had trouble finding a lot of information about the structures in place. I've been wanting to write a blog about it, because the ignorance has caused quite a bit of unhappiness for me but I found a great blog post already written explaining how schools that an American educator would end up are structured in other countries:
The World of International Schools
I identified closely with the blogger's statement that people think she must be teaching the local children. The Chinese kids aren't even allowed to attend my school. You have to have a non-Chinese passport to attend my school. Yeah, you read that correctly...
My school is for profit. It turns a pretty big one from what I can tell. The kids who attend my school can afford it, though, as they are quite privileged.
I'm not sure how I ended up here, but here I am.
Here's the deal: I absolutely loved working at HC and found myself wishing I could start a charter school in SD (it's illegal here) just like it. It embodied everything I believed. I do still wish I could send Ophelia to a similar school, but I know that it's not the only place for me. After working with extremely underprivileged students, I had a bit of an attitude about people who could afford better schooling and better things in general. I stopped buying clothes and switched from department stores to strictly thrift. As I got older and more mature, I realized in order to have a really balanced view of the world, I needed to have experience in all settings, especially those that I had some disdain towards.
ReplyDeleteI know you are a reflective person and that you are making the most of your situation. I also know it doesn't hurt to be reminded that you are learning so much in your current teaching position. Maybe you learn that you most definitely do not want to teach at a for-profit school. Awesome-you figured it out firsthand instead of just assuming it. Or perhaps you'll learn that you can do amazing things by networking with people in positions of power. Perhaps you'll start a non-profit school that's funded by parents who send their kids to International Schools? Or maybe you'll realize that these kids are the future leaders and that what you teach them and how you teach them is of the upmost value because they will, in turn, be responsible for our future. Or...perhaps you want to become more involved, take over the school and change things there?
Whatever it is you learn, do so with an open heart and an open mind. I often find myself in situations where I don't belong and I want out, but if I open myself up, I become better for it.
I love you!