how did I get here?
I didn't always want to be a teacher.
There, I said it. Teaching wasn't something that I knew from childhood that I wanted to pursue. I never felt in primary school that I had an innate gift to educate my fellow students. It never occurred to me that I might one day be doing what my teachers were doing.
As a matter of fact, I was dead-set against the profession of teaching from a young age; it felt too much like a family business. Several cousins, an aunt and an uncle were already teachers. We'd reached the teacher quota in the family, I figured, and anything more would just be clichéd.
Despite my prejudice against teaching, I loved learning -- especially when it involved talking and writing about literature. I had no idea what I would do with an English degree, but I applied to UBC to get one because I couldn't picture myself happily doing anything else.
After a short-lived courtship with journalism, I decided that I would be more satisfied and better able to positively contribute to society in a different environment. I compiled a short list of the things I value and enjoy most that might translate into a career:
That's when I decided to move to South Korea to teach English. It had quickly become clear that teaching fit my informal profile quite well; a year in Korea teaching English would help me come to a more concrete decision. I enjoyed teaching in Korea so much, in fact, that one year turned into two.
By the end of my time in Korea, I found it hard to believe that I'd ever thought teaching wasn't the right profession for me. Teaching is, essentially, a devotion to lifelong learning. As a teacher, I would be able to constantly learn, teach, and experience new things: every school, classroom, grade, age level, and subject area is different. Above all, every student is different and has their own set of beliefs, skills, aspirations, and interests.
In teaching, there is almost unlimited potential to challenge oneself, try new things, and learn from the experiences and expertise of others through professional development.
There, I said it. Teaching wasn't something that I knew from childhood that I wanted to pursue. I never felt in primary school that I had an innate gift to educate my fellow students. It never occurred to me that I might one day be doing what my teachers were doing.
As a matter of fact, I was dead-set against the profession of teaching from a young age; it felt too much like a family business. Several cousins, an aunt and an uncle were already teachers. We'd reached the teacher quota in the family, I figured, and anything more would just be clichéd.
Despite my prejudice against teaching, I loved learning -- especially when it involved talking and writing about literature. I had no idea what I would do with an English degree, but I applied to UBC to get one because I couldn't picture myself happily doing anything else.
After a short-lived courtship with journalism, I decided that I would be more satisfied and better able to positively contribute to society in a different environment. I compiled a short list of the things I value and enjoy most that might translate into a career:
- reading and writing
- working with people
- learning and experiencing new things
- traveling
- never working in a cubicle ever again. Ever.
That's when I decided to move to South Korea to teach English. It had quickly become clear that teaching fit my informal profile quite well; a year in Korea teaching English would help me come to a more concrete decision. I enjoyed teaching in Korea so much, in fact, that one year turned into two.
By the end of my time in Korea, I found it hard to believe that I'd ever thought teaching wasn't the right profession for me. Teaching is, essentially, a devotion to lifelong learning. As a teacher, I would be able to constantly learn, teach, and experience new things: every school, classroom, grade, age level, and subject area is different. Above all, every student is different and has their own set of beliefs, skills, aspirations, and interests.
In teaching, there is almost unlimited potential to challenge oneself, try new things, and learn from the experiences and expertise of others through professional development.