“Come In from the Cold” (& Leap Ahead This Leap Year!)
Typically, February is a slow, inward and introspective time of year for most folks living in Europe or North America. Shadows grow long and all across the Northern Hemisphere things are cold, as we look to the likes of a furry rodent to predict the future of the weather. (“Six more weeks of winter… or perhaps an early spring?”) The groundhog’s image serves as a metaphor for our own progress and life in general, in terms of our activity or patterns of sluggishness and internal hibernation.
The same cannot be said for those from the Southern Hemisphere, as summer is in full swing in places like Australia and New Zealand. This is the time of year to get out trekking, catching up on warm weather projects or enjoying time near the water. In South East Asia, the weather is mild, with cool nights and warm days. Now is the perfect time to escape the extremes of hot and cold going on further away from the equator, before the onslaught of dry heat cooled only by humid rains.
The time of Chinese New Years’ is one of renewal and celebration. A time to give and be thankful and to think about the future and what lies ahead. Many of us express regret about our lives with the marking of another calendar year, particularly a leap year, with the significance and weight of the “end of the Mayan Calendar” in 2012. The question is not what you will do with an extra day at the end of this month to change your life, but rather "what will you do with the rest of your life that you can begin to do today?"
If you have ever spent a dark winter’s day watching Bill Murray’s cult classic Groundhog Day you know that the snarky weatherman who becomes a reluctant life affirming protagonist, once he figures out he is cast in a world where he is forced to re-live the same unpleasant day over and over again, until he gets it right. How many of us live our lives following this same foolish pattern?
Perhaps it isn’t doing the same thing over again that makes the most sense, as Murray’s character finally concludes, it requires us to change our perceptions, patterns and attitudes about how we chose to exist that make the ultimate difference. Often times a physical change of location, culture and career can help jump start this process. As a credo in Thailand states; “change your place, and change your luck.”
Famed physicist Albert Einstein is credited with the saying that “insanity” is “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.”
Wherever you may currently be residing and regardless of any negative trends you have been experiencing in your past, if you are dissatisfied with your relationships, living situations, state of employment or cultural norms and options in general, why not dust off your suitcase and give teaching English a try? If you are stuck in a rut and tired of the same old boring life, why not break out of your sleepy or predictable patterns of avoidance behavior and consider teaching English as a Foreign Language.
You don’t need to be a linguistics major or grammar expert to be a successful teacher of conversational English, just a sincere desire to make practical connections, be patient with students and enjoy the learning process by using methods that are straight forward and fun. In the process you can carve out (without an ice pick) a new career with explosive opportunity and worldwide travel potential. February and March mark the end of the school year for many students in South East Asia, while those in China begin a new semester. This is an excellent time to look for work as many last minute positions and reshuffled staff rosters have slots begging to be filled.
Whatever plan of action an unemployed educator decides to take, in general, the more advanced certifications a TEFL or TESOL Teacher holds, the more opportunity they possess in terms of their marketability and increased number of employment options. For a limited time, we offer these advanced certifications such as TOFEL, IELTS, and TEYL at the SAME PRICE as the basic TEFL/TESOL certification!
The advanced course provides additional English Language teaching certifications and is offered in tandem with our site course in Chiang Mai Thailand, or as a complete series of online modules. You should have already completed a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA course first in order to be eligible and teaching experience is necessary. (Our on-site program provides 2 to 3 weeks of hands on observed teaching practice to help our teachers to effectively develop their skills).
All courses are certified and you will receive a certificate of completion, which is internationally recognized and accepted when you graduate from the course. Many of those who already have experience as TEFL instructors are finding that becoming a certified TEFL trainer is another opportunity and feather in their cap in terms of meeting the demand of TEFL instructors (who are leaving their home countries and working abroad) by teaching others how to teach TEFL effectively.
Graduates with these additional certifications have the advantage of substantially increasing their marketability and employment status. Improve your chances of getting a good job with a higher level of pay by enrolling today!
No comments:
Post a Comment