Teaching Overseas: Comparing Experiences

Having recently read Rubinah Atcha's account of her first overseas teaching experience, I have reflected and discussed the following question: How does Rubina’s story capture issues of cultural complexity and personal growth in relation to international teaching? How is her story similar to or different from your own?

Like Rubina, I first travelled under an intended vale of ignorance. I didn’t really understand the complexity and subjectivity of culture. I grew up between a mostly white town and working class city in Ontario and went to university at Trent in Peterborough, a town not exactly known for its tolerance and ethnic diversity. Rubina’s story highlights the various complexities in culture, from lack of religious tolerance to differing practices in terms of discipline. Understanding and coping with illness abroad as well as the changing and often complex relationships with students are things that Teacher’s College can never prepare one for.

The impact that students in a boarding school atmosphere have on a teacher is one that is truly extraordinary. Rubinah’s interaction with her students and unintentional inspiration was a direct result of her openness to the culture she had yet to fully understand. When one makes the often-difficult decision to leave their culture and enter another’s, they must be open to both sharing their cultural experiences, but more importantly learning from those whose culture you have become a part of.

Having taught at a boarding school in China for three years I developed a familial type role with students. Like Rubina, they would often stay in my classroom (as it was often much nicer than their dorms) after class and in supervising study hall at night, I became very much a confidant to many. As students were unable to leave the school without permission from parents (often they only could get this the odd weekend) I would bring them food from outside restaurants at night (unlike Rubina, I was provided nice logging away from campus). These often new found friendships last a lifetime. 

Rubina discusses the various cultural challenges that she faced when going abroad, but the undertone of her writing is that these cultural challenges, though sometimes leading to her illness, in the end made her not just a stronger person, but a more well – rounded, educated and culturally aware person (leading to her global citizenship so to speak). Her experience with different religions and disciplinary practices within her school led to her growth and the development of rapport with her students. These experiences not only furthered her growth as a teacher, but as a person as well. Through her shared experiences with her students she was able to provide a comforting, inclusive and safer learning environment.

I like Rubina, arrived in China intentionally ignorant of my new environment. I had only used the Internet to briefly research where I was going so that my family could have a better sense of just how to find me. Rubina’s belief in that she was better going to a new place somewhat ignorant, I think is also the right approach. The experience then becomes more authentic as she says and there are know preconceived notions of what your “environment” will be like. I took the same approach during my second experience. Although, upon moving to Hong Kong, I did more research, as I was not moving there alone and had travelled there numerous times before. The experience defiantly felt different.

Overall, Rubina describes many aspects of a first overseas teaching experience and emphasizes the need to be open to new cultures, experiences, and personalities. She provides an accurate representation of apprehensions and challenges faced by many going abroad for the first time. However, I would say that her experience does represent one of the more ‘extreme’ experiences in terms of where she went and the environment she both lived and taught. That said, her experience does demonstrate the importance of flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and compassion in overseas teaching.

Atcha, R. (2009). Teaching in Nigeria. In C. Richardson & W. Richardson, (Eds.)., The Experiences of First-year teachers, pp 9-29. Youngstown, NY: Teneo Press.

Note: The second portion of this task asks me to think about the implications of narrating experiences teaching overseas helps teachers to reflect on personal and professional identities. 

This reading and reflection/analysis, has directly led to my own reflection of my personal and professional identity and already has me thinking about how I can get back overseas, maybe where I belong.