Personal Finance for English Teachers Abroad
I am creating a collection of audio narrations and questions for ESL students that can be used by teachers in their classrooms, for one-to-one instruction, and even for student self-study. The first one, How the Whale Got His Throat by Rudyard Kipling is now available, and the questions can be downloaded below. Let me know what you think!
“Budgeting isn’t about limiting yourself — it’s about making the things that excite you possible.” The Financial Diet
Moving abroad to teach English is a huge step, whether you plan to go for one year or to put down roots. How much money to take with you will depend on where you’re going, but a good rule of thumb is to save up at least 3 times your expected monthly income. Equally important is planning the whole budget for a year abroad. Download my free budget template and follow along.
Many language teachers already know how important it is to have interactive lessons that get students involved from the first class, such as this example. But what can you do in a Low-Tech Classroom? Today we have the honor of a guest post from Raven, a former Language Assistant in Caceres, Spain, who will address the important topic of the low-tech first class.
According to my WordPress statistics, in about a week it will have been a year since my last post. What have I been doing from summer 2018 until now? As the title suggests, I’ve been working on my own self-advancement in EFL teaching. But what exactly does that look like?
No two auxiliars experience the same working conditions, and auxiliars who have done multiple years know that experiences can even change from one year to the next. This post will help you learn how to tailor your individual experiences to the types of jobs you’re seeking.
If this will be your first year as an auxiliar , keep reading. This can help you make a plan for how to use your year abroad. Also, feel free to check out my article on how to plan your first class.
Even if your next job is another year as an auxiliar, read on. These strategies can shape your next auxiliar experience to help you gain the skills you need.
First, let’s take a look at some of my job descriptions.
Ever since I was old enough to be in school, I’ve looked forward to that glorious time of year when the last bell rings and I’m finally free. Now, as a teacher, I feel the same yearly excitement. The freedom to kick back and do absolutely nothing has arrived.
But then something inevitably happens partway through the summer. That something is called the Summer Slump. According to Urban Dictionary, the Summer Slump is “A period during summer in which a person performs inefficiently due to the excessive amount of free time on there hands.”
The truth is, an abundance of free time can become overwhelming. Maybe there’s nothing you specifically have to do, so you don’t feel bad bingeing on your favorite television programs. That’s fine. I feed my addiction through ORORO TV (Note: if you subscribe through my link, you and I will both receive a discount). But when you come up for air, you often find yourself feeling disoriented, and maybe even a little unmotivated to do anything about it.
When you find yourself slipping into the Slump, and you’re so bored that you can’t even bother to do anything about it, it’s good to have a plan in place to pull you back out. Here’s my plan:
The first class. A lot of people, when moving abroad to teach English, get really excited about their new location. You might dream of all of the day trips and weekend travel that you’ll be able to do. But what makes a lot of new teachers nervous is thinking about that first class. What will the school be like? What will they expect from me? And the kids? Rest assured, these feelings are normal.
There is no one answer to all of these questions. Each school, administration, and group of students will be different. When you get there, you will be able to start answering these questions as you figure out your role in the classroom. But until then, what do you do?
Start planning your first class. You can do this without knowing much about your school, because the first class will be about you. What you will need to know about your school, is the age range. From there, you can create something adaptable to each level.
Are you thinking about moving abroad to teach English? Or, if you’re already teaching English abroad, are you looking for a new destination?
Budgeting is the most crucial step for being able to teach English abroad. When should you start your budget? Immediately. If you are still living at home, you will need to begin thinking about things like the cost of moving (including visas, transportation, and possible packing essentials), and a starter fund to get you through your expenses abroad before you get paid (rent, security deposit, groceries). It will likely be one month or more before you see your first paycheck.
Some programs will offer to pay for your flight (Asia, the Middle East). Typically, this is offered as a flight reimbursement, so you will have to pay the money upfront.
Other programs, like mine, the North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain, also known as Auxiliares de Conversacion, definitely do not offer such benefits, but there are still lots of ways to find a cheap flight. The point is, you need to be prepared to budget for it.
So, what do I recommend? Where you’re going and what incentives your program offer will greatly affect this amount. Spain will be more expensive than China. Saudi Arabia will offer lots of benefits that you won’t see elsewhere.