International School Teaching, Part 4: Surviving Your First Year Teaching Abroad

Surviving Your First Year Teaching Abroad

---

A native welcoming me to my apartment in Brindisi

You decided to take the plunge to become an international school teacher. You looked for a position and got one. More importantly, you made it through the paperwork process and likely have packed your bags and are now on your way to this exciting new opportunity. There’s a lot to take in, process, and experience, but it’s also time to take a deep breath and make yourself at home.
​
That’s the key to all of this and the focus for this last edition of this International School Teacher series.

---

---

Flexibility and Resilience on Arrival

---

You land in your new city, and then what happens? 

For me, it was a blur those first few days. I had an overnight flight from the States, followed by an extended layover, and it wasn’t until mid-afternoon, after a full twenty-four hours of traveling, that I finally walked out of customs with my bags in tow. 

There were people there to greet me, but that’s not always the case. At one school, there was a manager of pickups at the airport. Literally, this guy just stood at the arrivals area and then called specific taxis for each staff member who was arriving. I wasn’t a big fan of this approach, simply because I expected my principal to welcome me, let alone the director, as had been done the first time for me in Brindisi.

You have to prepare for anything upon arrival. Your phone might not work unless you've purchased an eSIM, such as with Sailey or another provider, to tide you over data-wise until someone shows you how to buy a local data and phone plan. Then again, there are no guarantees on that end. Only one of my three stops had a plan ready for me upon arrival. One said we would go the next day or the day after, and the third was worthless. There was no initiative on that person’s part, so I found myself going to the mall and activating a SIM card I had bought online without any assistance. 

You will get the full range of assistance, and frankly, there’s no rhyme or reason as to whether you will have the pampered effect, let you figure out everything entirely on your own, or somewhere in between.

---

Housing: Finding Your Sanctuary Abroad

---

I was spoiled going to Italy. I simply moved into the old director’s apartment. They picked me up, showed me around, and gave me the set of keys with a night’s worth of food and a cold beverage to welcome me to the city. 

Poland, on the other hand, was not as functional. From the outset, I found the apartment independently and contacted the broker without any assistance. I was also the first new staff member to get an apartment at a solid price. The drawback was that when I arrived, I was on my own, because for whatever reason, my local contact at the school didn’t show up at the apartment at the agreed-upon time. When they did arrive, they simply sat outside in their car, preoccupied with other thoughts and duties. I had already signed the contract by the time they had decided to ring the doorbell.

I can frame it that way, because it's precisely what happened. The taxi dropped me off in front of the apartment. I had already sent a text to my realtor, who, surprise, surprise, went on vacation and had his partner cover the listing. That guy was late, so there was no translation help available. Instead, I met my landlord, an elderly man, alone without assistance, and for the first twenty minutes, we didn’t even click on using Google Translate. It was more a hodgepodge of Italian, a few Russian words, Polish, and lots of hand signals. 

I don’t tell you this to frighten you, but if you’re going overseas, you have to be flexible. You also need to be able to set boundaries for yourself and be willing to take a stand on things if they don’t feel right and you don’t think it’s going to work for your energy.

That might sound like a sidebar, but it’s not. Here in Morocco, I was placed in an apartment in the middle of the city, a short walk from school, but on the loudest street corner in the entire area. Sure, it met my school’s housing allowance, but at what cost? A crossroads for traffic, with people waiting for rides and buses out front, the apartment's aesthetic charms meant nothing when I saw the single-pane, cracked windows, the broken wall sockets, and my favorite, a jazz club underneath my bedroom. 

However, I ended up there; this wasn’t functional for the school year. As a teacher, I need to rest and recover, and there was no way this apartment was going to allow me to do so. I’m also a planner, and I had enough money aside to navigate a quick move. Literally, the day before school started, I had already moved into a new apartment with a water view, and thankfully, it had double-pane windows that provided enough noise control to keep me sane. Sure, it’s way over budget, but you need to decide what’s important to you when you are on this overseas journey.

I’ve done this rodeo before, and I know how important it is to recharge, rest, and get some downtime. If your place is stressing you out, then you’re not going to last the school year and will likely pull a runner.

The number one most important thing is finding the right place to stay. You don’t want to be so far away from work that it becomes a commuting nightmare, even if the school provides transportation. I had teachers who commuted one hour each way, and let me tell you that eats away at your free time. This year, I have a twenty-minute walk, which is terrific.

Don’t compromise on your housing, as it will be your sanctuary, your home, and your spot when school is not in session. I can’t stress that enough.

---

Building Daily Life and Community

---

This bear is sporting some Italian clothing... what a fashionista

Expect the unexpected and for things not to make sense, especially with the local postal service. In Italy, I had a friend mail a postcard from Brindisi, and it took four or five months to arrive. No joke. We didn’t even bother using the mail because even our utility bills would show up a month or two after the payment date. Poland was a bit better and comical, but if you had a package on the way and weren’t at the apartment, they weren’t leaving it at the door. No, you would need to visit the local office the next day and present an ID for pickup. Morocco, let’s just say my mom was going to send me my pillow, and that was going to be $400.00, so yeah, that’s a firm no-go.

While the postal service is unreliable, other delivery methods work just fine, and even better than at home. Jumia isn’t too shabby in Morocco, and I never had an issue with Amazon Italia shipping stuff to my school, or any shipping in Poland to those wonderful Paczkomaty. 

Grocery shopping, the way we feed ourselves, as long as you find your local stores, you’ll be good to go. Whether that meant an outside market or a physical grocery store, I never had any issues finding places within a short walking distance that were functional and had everything I would want for sustenance. Then again, I also don’t go out of my way to buy all Western, American-brand foods. If you only want those, they will be priced at a premium; then, what’s the purpose of leaving in the first place?

Be prepared not to see your favorite brand, but expect to discover some equally yummy alternatives. Likewise, understand that you are likely in a location where walking is how people get around. Goodbye car culture and hello exploring by foot, and a taxi if you want the added price. I have to say this because it’s a shocker for some. You have to plan your trips accordingly, because how many bags of groceries can you comfortably carry back from the grocery store? Did that thought even cross your mind?

Socializing is a big topic of the day and is essential to many. Over the years, most schools have established a chat group that shares activities and events, enabling people to meet up and engage in activities together on weekends and in the evenings. You get out whatever you put into it. Some people want to be part of a built-in social group with fellow educators who share a similar living situation. In contrast, others will put themselves out there and initiate connections with the local community. Either one works well, but ultimately, your actions will determine this aspect of your living experience. No one is coming to your door to ask you to do things. You will have to meet people halfway at the very least and make an effort.

---

---

Embracing Travel, Health, and the Long School Year

---

Regardless on that aspect of life, expect some periods of loneliness and homesickness. A school year is an annual cycle as are our holidays that many of us so often cherish with loved ones back at home. If you can’t get home for the season, find ways to use technology to stay connected. Just be happy this is in the 21st century. Even twenty years ago, video calls were just getting started. Even now, I remember being in Brindisi and having to schedule Skype calls for our weekly check-ins. Now that WhatsApp is more common, along with FaceTime, Zoom, etc., it’s just a matter of syncing up times and connecting. 

Likewise, advances in technology have also made daily living significantly easier. If I don't know a word, I can use Google Translate to communicate with people around me. This is far better than sign language and a word-by-word translation with a pocket dictionary. Yes, that was me in Italy.

As you embrace the seasons and holidays in your new country, I want to stress the importance of getting out of your new home and traveling. That doesn’t mean you have to travel outside the country, although many of us do, as it’s cheaper to explore other places once out of the United States, with substantially shorter flights. Seriously, see what the different regions of your new home base have to offer. 

When I lived in Poland, it was extreme, but I was visiting a new city or two every month. Something was exciting about hopping on the train and learning more about my host country’s history, culture, and the people. I wanted to do the opposite of what I did in Italy, which was take a few select local trips and a few international trips while paying off my debts. Whatever you decide to do, take advantage of your proximity, because you don’t know whether after your job ends, you’ll return to this area again.

One caveat to your travels, or more like a pearl to share, is to ensure you are up to date on your vaccines and other recommended shots. I had a colleague in Moldova who was bitten by a dog and had to choose between immediately beginning the four-shot series of rabies shots or waiting a day or two and checking on the dog to see if it was still alive. I would have been more relieved to know I was already inoculated as opposed to wondering if the dog was in fact rabid or not. The point is, get a list of vaccines you might need before your move, and then this becomes a non-factor. Either way, be smart when you are out and about, whether in your new city or exploring other ones. 
​
Finally, as you go through the highs and lows of your first year teaching overseas, expect to be exhausted and to experience the same range of emotions you have at any other school you have worked for before. School will be a constant for you, a known factor in your day, and you can rest easy knowing that kids will be kids and the days and weeks will tick away. That’s a certainty. Everything else will fall into a routine, and you’ll find that by spring, you’ll be well-adjusted. By the time school ends, you’ll be ready for a break, to return Stateside to visit family and friends, but also ready to return to your new home when the break ends or you’ll be onto another. 

The adventure is whatever you choose to do with it and that’s all that matters.

Hopefully, this four part series has served its purpose. If you want to see more of my first experience overseas check out Brindisi and Me.  

---