What inspired you to work for Teach Away?
Coming from an educational background, the goals of Teach Away aligned with my values. Our objective of placing teachers abroad and giving every student a great teacher syncs up with what I look for in a company. As well, we have an amazing and supportive organization!
Japan 2019
Describe a typical day at work.
My day varies depending on what's going on, but generally I assist with various facets of our TEFL program. A TEFL certificate is an ESL certification that people get so they can teach abroad or online. I do the following: Complete TEFL Consultation Calls to help potential students determine if our courses are a good fit; Manage our email inbox as well as incoming calls for current student support; Add specializations (electives) for our students and manage extensions or leaves of absence; Other administration work.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy connecting with our students over the phone! Many of them come from different backgrounds other than teaching and want to switch careers or follow their passion. I am in a position to help guide them on the path to their new dream!
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
As I am a certified teacher, I can offer my educational advice to people unfamiliar with the process. I also have a solid understanding of our recruitment process and can advise learners based on where they are looking to teach.
What makes Teach Away special?
Other than our educational initiatives, which are excellent, we have an amazing group of employees here. There is a great support structure in place and everyone's input is valued which can often be rare in business.
Why should someone choose Teach Away over competitors?
I think a lot of our candidates go with Teach Away because many of our employees are former teachers or have experience in the education sector and thus can help guide them on their path. We are well versed in education, having everything from teacher recruitment to TEFL to Teachers College Programs. We are built on education!
What is Teach Away's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our company's mission is to be awesome. What that means can be very subjective person to person, but it generally means to put our best foot forward and use our experience and knowledge of education to find every student a great teacher!
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope that our TEFL program prepares them for teaching abroad so they can get started on their journey. I've spoken with many people who have said this is the case, and it makes me happy that people are able to follow their dreams and find what they were looking to do!
How do you help support participants?
I help them determine whether or not they have or can get the qualifications needed to go abroad. We always put the student first so if our program isn't a good fit for them I will always let them know. We also have full technical and administrative support for any issues that our learners may encounter.
If you could participate in one of Teach Away’s programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would choose our Hawaii Teachers College Program. Although I have already completed Teachers College, the idea of doing it in a place like Hawaii sounds amazing (although you have to be a US citizen, which I am not). We have a great team who works on the program here and I've heard nothing but good things!
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Read up as much as possible about the culture of the place that you are going so you are prepared as can be. And use companies like ours who are very well versed in the process and can help them prepare for what's entailed.
Lastly, always try and choose a place that will make you happy over practical components such as salary, if at all possible.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means seeing what you want to see in this world. Everyone I speak to has an idea of where they'd like to go to teach and we have the resources to make that happen. Teaching is one of the few professions that gives you the option to both make an income and see the world!
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
I hope to see more countries engage in international education and invite teachers who offer different cultural perspectives. I also hope to see more hiring of non-native English speakers who have the qualifications required as I think this is important for a truly diversified and encompassing educational experience.
