Teach English in Liangcheng Xincun Jiedao - Shanghai Shi

Volunteer teachingA quick glance at the Internet search results for ?volunteer? leaves me in doubt about two things: there is a myriad of volunteering programs to choose from these days and nearly each one of them is ?international?, ?global?, ?the most valuable? or maybe even ?the most rewarding experience? you can get. With volunteering, now not only in your nearest help centre but in almost any populated place on this planet becoming increasingly accessible and, as it seems, affordable too, can it be an option well worth considering for both a budding and an experienced ESL teacher? In this article I am going to draw on my own volunteering experience in North-East thailand to discuss the advantages and challenges of unpaid teaching work as well as give recommendations for those who are contemplating voluntary involvement. While volunteering will not sustainably replace your job in the long-term and cannot, by itself, bless you with financial independence, it does offer a truly unique combination of advantages. In the first place, however, it should be emphasized that I by no means consider volunteering a competitive option to regular employment. Quite on the contrary, I believe that much of its value is based in its potential to give a beginning teacher an excellent start into a new career and help an experienced teacher bridge his current job with a future employer or a new location. Why is it so? Firstly, volunteering leaves a lasting and valid mark in you teacher CV. As volunteer teacher, we are usually committed to the same tasks as salaried teachers, perhaps with the difference that we may enjoy increased independence and less supervision. Secondly, unmotivated by financial gains or a prospect of a comfortable life, we prove our sincere dedication to the profession and substantial degree of intrinsic motivation. Those two arguments should already give a potential employer reasons to consider our application. Thirdly, and importantly, as volunteers we work in the same institutional framework as regular teachers, which provides us with a multitude of networking opportunities, leads, referrals and sources of recommendation. Finally, volunteering gives us a rare chance to explore a new location or an unknown social and educational system before committing to it on a contractual basis. In addition to the above, participation in volunteering programs offers a number of specific benefits. Students, especially in more rural or impoverished areas, will have higher motivations, be more receptive, understanding and forgiving. The locals, in appreciation of your contribution, will extend their genuine care and deep respect to you. The program itself may include free food and accommodation, quite often with or among local families, which will not only lessen the financial weight on you but will also integrate you further into the community, provide valuable cultural insights and make the overall experience more interpersonally bonding. Being a volunteer teacher, particularly in a foreign and less well-off location, makes us face a number of serious challenges too. We may need to adjust to poorer living conditions and lower standards of accommodation. The classroom facilities may lack the bare essentials and textbooks may be unavailable. The level of students in such classes is likely to be very varied but this doesn?t differ substantially from a regular EFL classroom. Our role and expectations that are set of us can vary though. At times, we may often be seen less of a teacher and more of a curio or an entertainer for the students. Some teachers may also question the purpose of their stay, wondering whether their students will ever continue english education, once they have left. Finally, a volunteer teacher may need to cope with severe cultural and language barriers as it is likely that in areas that rely on voluntary aid, nobody can speak fluent english. I strongly believe that the personal and social benefits of volunteer teaching vastly surpass any difficulties or costs we may incur and luckily, with enough persistence and creativity even some challenges can be turned into advantages. For an individual who has made or is about to make teaching his career, it?s worth, however, to consider the choice of a volunteering program carefully. The time, place and the organization are of equally great importance and should all be a part of a wider personal plan.