Changing Schools- The Paperwork

As I was talking with schools I was interested in working with last year, one company gave me notice that I would need to have two documents: one for immigration, and one for the company. The one for immigration is the Letter of Release, and is required to change your visa over to a new employer. The one for the school is the Certificate of Employment, and basically just proves to the school that you aren't lying about previous work experience. I guess enough fibbing throughout the country in various fields prompted that such a form be produced by workers. It's standard for Koreans and foreigners in the country to provide it when asked. 

Now, the school I signed the contract with did not request the Certificate of Employment, but I will obtain it anyway in case I need it in the future. (They did provide me with the Proof of Employment paper needed to change my visa to the new school, though.) The forms are so similar, too, that I might as well do them both at the same time!

Let's talk about the paperwork, shall we? The appearance of these forms is not standard. The information it contains, however, is. For the most part. I searched online and found that there is a skeleton of necessary information. I will write them below. I recommend writing it in both Korean and English. As you are in Korea, the Korean is most important.

For the Letter of Release (이적 동의서):
(This can be used when breaking your contract, too, while allowing you to seek work elsewhere.)

Name (성명)
Nationality (국적)
Passport Number (여관번호)
Addresss (주소) -your address
Telephone Number (연락처) -your telephone number
** I also included my foreign registration number from my ARC and my date of birth.

At the bottom, you will need a statement similar to this:


"I hereby grant the transfer consent of the above named person as of <ENDING DATE> who has been working at <PLACE> since <STARTING DATE> as a Native English Teacher."

"위 사람은 <PLACE>에서 20__년 _월 _일(the starting date)부터 원어민 영어 보조교사로 근무하고 있는 자로 20__년 _일 _일(the ending date) 이후 이적을 동의합니다."

Then, you will need the date the form was signed, followed by the name of your workplace and its address and contact information.

At the bottom, you will need the name of your principal or manager, along with their signature and seal.
Don't forget the seal!!!

Here's a sample I made in case you are a visual person like me:

For the Certificate of Employment (재직증명서):
Name (성명)
Foreign Registration Number (외국인등록번호) -ARC number
Address (주소) -your address
Position (직위) -probably Native English Teacher (원어민 영어 보조교사)
Period of Employment (재직기간) -year / month / day - year / month / day
Use (용도)- Employment (고용)
**Again, I also included my date of birth.

Similar to above, you will need a statement giving something like this:

"This is to certify that the above mentioned person has worked for this school."
I currently have not put this into Korean, but I will update this when I have.

And then after, state the date the form was signed, followed by the name of your workplace and its address and contact information (copy and paste, baby).

Finally, again, you will need the name of your principal or manager with their signature and seal.
The seal is important. It means the document is real.

Visual aid:

And that's it! I've read that some schools ask for 400 won, as this is a form of legal work. So if you do get asked, it has happened before and that is why. Also, it's less than 40 cents. So just do it.


I did find a pretty interesting website while looking for what I needed in these forms. It's called EFL-Law. Maybe you've heard of it? It gives you advice on situations that may pop up, what you should and shouldn't see in your contract, info on visa runs, and much more. Check it out if you feel so inclined! :) I used this website as a reference for the Letter of Release form, so it's definitely handy. ...If you can navigate it.


If you have any more questions, please let me know! I can also send the sample forms via email or whatnot, if needed.

Take care xoxox

New Year, New Place

Happy New Year, everyone!! I hope you've enjoyed January so far~

Also, it's very strange that we've had such a mild winter. I mean, I know it's only January, but we haven't really had any snow. It hasn't been nearly as cold as it was last year, either. But who's complaining? Not this girl!

You know, I was really excited to go to the south this time because Detroit was about the same temperature as Korea last time. But. The weather... It got so bad!! What is happening to the Midwest?! Can't I just go someplace nice and around 50-55 degrees?

Oh well. It will be so lovely to see my parents and best friend again! I'll be in the Carolinas the last two weeks of January. It'll be interesting to see what there is in terms of entertainment and shopping/thrifting. And food! New Years diet resolution doesn't begin until AFTER I get back from the States.

This year is full of new places, it seems! This week I'll go and sign a contract with my new school in Seoul, which means finding an apartment in the city. New school, new home. Moving... I've already started to sort through my things and I've thrown out a mountain (or large desk drawer) of paper. I am a pack rat. I have been saying this to myself out loud in order to curb this behavior.

I am a little nervous about finding a place, though. The rental system here is a little bit different. You pay quite a large sum for deposit ($5,000 - $10,000) and then the usual rental fee of $500 - $800. Of course the type of apartment you have and its size dictate how much rent you pay, too. And the area. I will start looking soon. I feel that it's best to go visit the area I want to live in and see which neighborhoods I prefer. Then I'll go to a realtor and have them show me around. I actually found some helpful articles about renting in Seoul, so here's the first and the second. There's a pitch in both of them for some "helpful" what-have-you, but it costs money so I wouldn't bother. I didn't.

I'll post again after I've gone through the process. I'm curious to see if I can find a nice place with a low deposit. Paying off my student loans feels awesome, but it also means I don't have the cash lying around to pay such a huge sum. And my Macbook went and black-screened on me. Living is so expensive. At least my healthcare here is socialized- efficient and cheap.

I had to go to the hospital last week for a health check, actually. But it's very different from getting one back home. For the hospital I went to, which is seriously quite large, you go to an area and fill out part of a form. You pull a number and walk up to the counter when your number shows on the screen. The you go and get changed in the women's area, leaving your stuff in a locker. It's not a gown, either. Just a wrap-shirt. Then you proceed to go around different stations in the hallway-like area and the people at each station fill in the results on the rest of the form you started earlier. You put the form in a box near each station for the busy ones and they pull the forms when their pile runs out and call you up to that area based on when your form was put into the box. Then you hand in the form and change. Then you're done. Simple, fast, and not unpleasant. I need to call them, though, and make sure I paid.... Haha, I still hate hospitals. Took them three times to check my heart rate and get a result that didn't make them think I needed to be on hypertension medication.

It's been a busy month, this January. I'm currently halfway through teaching English Camp. Just the rest of this week and next Monday left. The first five days were monster-themed. For the last five days I'm going to do a mystery-spy theme. It's been a lot of fun :)


Anyway, I should get back to planning. I have a PowerPoint to make!


Take care, everyone! And I'll see you soon, America~ (Please ease up on the weather. xoxox)

Fall Sentiments and Job Hunting

I've been putting off admitting it for years, but now I must. Two weeks ago I was complaining about how hot it was, and now I want to comment on how cold it's getting! Granted it's not particularly cold, but there has been a 15 degree (F) drop between these two weeks... So here we go: I am sensitive to temperature. My younger self that ran around in the snow wearing flip-flops would be ashamed.

But I don't mind too terribly, sitting here eating a donut and sipping on hot coffee. Although walking into the bakery as they pulled the donuts out of the oven and smelling that delicious smell more than tempted me into buying one- it made me wish I was back home on my way to a cider mill. Orange and red leaves, hayrides, caramel apples... Oh, what I wouldn't do for an actual donut and some hot cider right now!

That will have to wait a while longer, though. I've decided to stay in Korea for a third year. I know telling people this has prompted the question of if I'll ever leave, but I still think my answer to that is a definite 'yes'. I would, however, like to try working at a different school. I have loved working here! Everyone has been so kind to me and so considerate of me, but because I am a foreigner with only so much time here I want to try living somewhere else. Not too far away, though! I'm looking around Seoul, which is going to be a bit difficult with the public school job cut-backs, and the influx of highly qualified teachers. I wouldn't mind working in other parts of Korea (in fact, sometimes I think I would prefer it), but the type of job I want is more abundant in Seoul.

So, of course, I've been working on my resume like crazy! I've had some friends and my folks look over it, too. Do you ever feel like a child when writing your resume? The first time I re-opened my resume I think I laughed... Here's to hoping it's improved.

Another gem of job-hunting is the professional photos! My co-teacher is so sweet and searched for studios around my house where I could have my picture taken. I went to Cle Studio in Bucheon near City Hall, and they did a great job! After sitting down and taking your picture they have you sit down in the front where you can watch the person photoshop your picture. It was like watching magic. I mean, I knew that such people existed, but to actually watch the entire process was so impressive. She was so, so fast! I came out looking quite a bit different, and I'm not sure how I feel about that in a photo that's supposed to represent me for a job (It's normal to attach a professional photos to your resume here), but it's most certainly not an ugly photograph. The entire process took maaaybe 30 minutes? Taking several photographs, choosing one, editing it, printing it, cutting them, paying for the services.... All of it. 17,000 won (~15.50 USD). The girl actually spoke really great English, too...

With my shiny new resume, super shiny new professional photo, and a heart full of determination, I go out into the job-hunting frontier once again. Keep your fingers crossed for me! ;)



xox

A Year Later

..almost!

This past Tuesday our school held it's graduation ceremony. It was really neat to see the parents of my students (some look JUST like mom or dad, some a good combination of both), as well as their dreams! As each student had their named called by their homeroom teacher, their picture, dream job, hobbies, and such were displayed on the screen behind them.

I'm going to miss them. I really will. They better come visit! Haha

But in March we will have new sixth graders. New third graders, too! The new third graders are going to be adorable~ I can't wait!!

The end of the year means one more thing for me: the extension of my sojourn for my VISA/ARC. I only set it up to last for one year when I first requested my ARC (Alien Registration Card)... But the process is super easy! I got to the Incheon Immigration Office early and no one was there so I was able to be helped right away.

If you need help with your VISA, or any other such questions, I recommend www.hikorea.go.kr because it has an English option and is very useful! You can actually log on to this site (to make a profile you need your ARC first) and make a reservation just in case they are busy. It guarantees you a time. It also states everything that you must bring to renew.

Let me quickly list it here:
A signed copy of the new contract (signed by you and the school)
Your school's certificate (the school will provide this)
Your passport
Your ARC
An application (can be printed from the site or filled out at the office)
30,000won
 - AND, if you made a reservation, print a copy of the reservation page

 * The 30,000won will be used to purchase stamps, which can be found in the lounge down the hall. It is best to have the stamps ready and your application filled out because then all you have to do is hand everything to them, have them check that everything is there, stamp new dates on the back of your ARC, and then you are done. You are free to leave.

It is one of the simplest processes I have ever come upon.

Getting there is simple, too. However, the 1601 is not something I would recommend for the return trip. I waited for 20 minutes at the stop as TWO 1601 buses sat 50 yards away and the board constantly showed the bus being eight minutes away. Nonsense. I ended up going back the same way I came.

Because I had just missed the 1601 on my way to the immigration office, I took the subway to Incheon City Hall and then took bus 33. Exits 7 and 8 are closed until summer of next year, so you can take exit 6 and walk to the bus stop for the 33 (near exit 8) or catch the 45 (exit 2, I believe). From there it's about 30 minutes.


ALSO... I sent money home today :D! I hate student loans! :D
I also learned today that you should still have your passport on hand even if it's not your first time sending money home. Even more important, it seems, is that you have the receipt from the first/previous time with you, too. Each time you send money home, they give you a receipt. KEEP IT. Thankfully, I had the old bankbook with me, and I found the transaction record.

It was quite a trip. I didn't speak the appropriate Korean for this, and they didn't speak enough English to communicate with me completely so we worked through a telephone language service and broken Konglish. But everyone was smiling and laughing (myself included) by the time I left, so it wasn't too bad!


Ooh, that reminds me. I just took my first exam at Sogang University. I didn't arrive to the exam room until two minutes till the exam started through some hilarious turn of events (and solid smoothie results), so I was a little flustered. I've learned (again! wow.) that I am a bit anal retentive and I need to be in the exam room to chill out several minutes before the exam will take place. The written portion was easy, but I'm not sure how I did on the interview. Man, I am really awesome at botching interviews.

"When is your birthday?"
 - " 21/20"


Fuuuu~ We'll see! I should get the results via email sometime next week. Here's to hoping that the woman giving the interview somehow knows I don't usually believe there are 21 months. And that I am actually capable of stringing together basic sentences. In Korean, of course ;)

So, yes. Now I am resting. Resting and preparing myself for the next year of adventures I will take.

On Monday, the new teachers will come and we will all go to dinner. We will say good-bye to those leaving, and hello to those coming. I'm sad to see them go... This next year will be quite different, I think!


**Saturday is the FIRST ever Buchies (Bucheon Awards), and I will surely post on that as it is one of the last get-togethers with some awesome people who are leaving ever so soon... D:


I hope that you have all been well and will continue to stay that way.
Thank you for reading my blog and sharing in this adventure with me!
<3

A Weekend in Gyeogju

I have been slacking...seriously slacking. And for that, I do apologize.You know, to this day I still want to spell it 'apollogize'. Auto-correct is the only thing that reminds me it's otherwise. Everyone has one of those words, right?

But. Back to the topic... I went to a little place on the other end of the country from Seoul many moons ago (Oct20). It is called Gyeongju, and it is an area where one can see the traditions of Korea. It's lovely, really... I adore the older style of architecture.

I did write a journal for a bit on this trip, and I'm going to share it whether you like it or not. Since I starting writing quite early, I do believe at least the first half will be entertaining.


And so it begins...

4:30- wake-up, pack, shower, and get ready

6:00- leave for bucheon station (부천역)

Everything on the bus goes creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak. Creak, squeak, creak...

6:20- get on subway and be surrounded by people in hiking gear

Too early. I saw a ton of tanks and a subway train full of military personnel stopped in oryudong (오류동). I transferred twice and am now sitting on a bus in indeogwon (인덕원) with a name tag. I still don't really care for name tags... It's ten to eight. We'll be leaving in 10, I think.

After getting on the bus, we heard from the lady with the tour group, Cecilia, and then watched a UNESCO video about the cultural and historical aspects of Gyeongju. Ha, I found it pretty amusing when Cecilia's talked turned to how you're supposed to drink soju. 8:15 in the morning and we're talking about how to drink soju! (Careful or you'll get drunk quickly. Also, it's clear so you can pretend its water.) Mind you, I was terribly tired, so that might not have been what she actually said.

Because Gyeongju is a long trip (bottom up, it goes Busan, Ulsan, and then Gyeongju at the bottom of Gyeongbuk Province- if you follow the eastern coastline), we are going to stop halfway there. Which is GREAT because I drank copious amounts of coffee this morning :D

This is going to be a long post. Just pretend like I'm letting you in on my Dear Diary... Or that I'm talking to you personally :)

Lunch in Andong (안동)! We ate salted mackerel and Andong jjimdalk (안동찜닭), which is a local specialty involving chicken and potatoes. It's sooo good! Then, we took a shuttle to Hahoe Folk Village (하회마을) where members of the Ryu clan have lived for a loong time. Beautiful, but we couldn't spend much time there, unfortunately.

Two hours to Gyeongju National Museum. We are set to spend an hour there. Hopefully we're able to be there for the full time. Traffic to Andong was pretty bad...

<Insert> The museum was pretty cool. I bought a book that was a transcribed lecture about Korean paintings. It's so interesting!! In the museum, there were many different Buddhist statues and relics. Of course, there were also tools from the area that were developed over time and later excavated. <End of insert>

Stayed at the Commodore- beautifully lit at night. Buffet breakfast!! Went to a temple- the Buddhas were really cool to see! They were golden with lovely paintings behind them. The incense smelt great, too. Relaxing... Then we moved on to watch a traditional wedding ceremony. We saw the traditional way to make rice cakes, too! (Not the Quaker Oats kind. The sticky pulverized rice kind.) Then we ate bulgogi for lunch. After lunch we watched 'Flying', a mostly non-speaking performance. It was awesome. Like, seriously, watch it if you find the means to. I was laughing so hard!
Now, at 4:30, we're heading home.
Traffic is supposed to be bad again, so we may not get in to indeogwon till 9:30, which means Bucheon at 10:50ish. Ouch.

End


My trip to Gyeongju was a really great experience. I know I've uploaded the pictures to facebook already. Ha, I had to select just a few. I took sosososo many pictures that weekend...

I do wish that I had typed this up after it happened. Maybe my vitamin D is low again? I have vitamins that I don't take. Haven't changed very much there!


Quite a bit has happened since, though... The students here put on an exhibition, in Korean it's called a hak-ye-hwoe (학예회). There was dancing, acting, sign language, singing, and the playing of several instruments such as the tambourine, recorder, violin, and flute. There was a flash-mob style dance from one sixth grade class, and a script including voice-over acting, jump roping, taekwondo, violin, and dancing. The younger grades were so cute to watch! One of the third grade classes danced to 'Hey Mickey'... So, so precious...

I will write another post soon about how my birthday in Korea has been! Promise I won't take a month this time!

Unions

I wanted to write a blog about my weekend in Gangneung and the orientation I attended Monday through Wednesday, but I checked my email first. In talking to Michelle I summed up everything that I had really wanted to say about each of them, sooo here is the excerpt (because I'm lazy and it doesn't make sense to write the same things twice):



"Over the weekend I went to the east side of Korea for a wedding. It was beautiful! It was right on the east sea, and there was an entire street along the shore of coffee shops! The air was clean, you could actually see into the distance... And all of the cherry blossoms and other flowers are in bloom right now. Even the city is beautiful. I had just met the bride that day- she went to school in Australia with my friend Sio. She and her now husband were so accommodating! After the ceremonies and a little nap, they spent more of the day with us. They took such good care of us! They are lovely people and definitely new good friends. She made me want to become someone like her, who could just so easily make others feel welcome. 
"I was only back in Bucheon for a night before I left again Monday morning to go to orientation. It, too, was out of the city. Although, this place was in a valley. We listened to many lectures, some of which were absolutely hilarious! One speaker was an Australian and in his introduction he hit every stereotype of the attendees. Oh, I was laughing so hard that I was crying! And then when talking to a girl from England, he mentioned how every British person always seems to apologize in their manners or way of speaking when they meet an Australian. Hahaha, he offered her the microphone and said, "Colonize this." I was crying again. I met a few other teachers there and learned a few different methods I would like to put into my classes. I just got back into Bucheon today."

The orientation was helpful! In spite of all the complaints that it should have happened sooner, I don't think it will be too difficult to integrate the new methods, videos, and general knowledge into the curriculum. We stayed at Hanhwa Resort in Yangpyeon. It was pretty nice. The food was awesome! Oh, I love food. In the class we attended on motivating your students by using what motivates us, I came to terms with the fact that food is a definite motivator for me. But regarding my students, I think I'll stick to my other types of motivation. I would say that the orientation was helpful and worthwhile.


I do really want to go back to Gangneung, though. It was absolutely beautiful! The trip isn't too bad, either. It's about a 3.5 hour bus ride, but we stop halfway to use the restrooms and get snacks. :)



I have pictures from each place on my phone, and I will add them in sometime soon!




Ta ta~

For teaching in South Korea...

I wanted to post an entry about how I got a job in South Korea. (I will create another post for teaching English in other countries.) There are many different locations, and a few different programs that are responsible for them. The competitive nature for each program varies a bit, as well. Ultimately, though, it comes down to what you think would work best for you.
*This post is a little long, so feel free to use command-F, or your search function, to jump ahead to help on Teaching Certificates, Recruiters, Apostilled Diploma, or Videos

Here are the programs for public school teaching in South Korea:
 TaLK- The only program where one doesn't need to have a bachelor's degree. This program also offers 6 month contract options, instead of the 1 year contract. The program is a bit different. It can be found on the EPIK site.

 * * Please note, each of the programs below involve a one year contract. * *
EPIK- English Program in Korea. They are responsible for all locations except for the Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon. They are still responsible for Seoul and Incheon, however. This is the least competitive of the three, but please keep in mind that the process itself still is.
- EPIK Website

SMOE- Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. EPIK handles Seoul applicants, as well. Take note that there is a different application form and set of requirements, though. This is the most competitive.
- See EPIK site

GEPIK- Gyeonggi English Program in Korea. This program is responsible soley for the Gyeonggi Province. It is slightly more competitive than EPIK because of its proximity to Seoul and Incheon. A number of those who work in Seoul commute from cities located in Gyeonggi.

Jirisan Mountain, image from TheExpeditioner.com

Benefits
There are a lot of perks to go and teach with each of these organizations. For example, you will earn 2.0 million KRW (~$2,000USD) +/month (depending on qualification), free furnished housing, and round-trip flight reimbursement. There are also entrance and exit settlements you are granted, as well.

Requirements
Sounds great, right? And it really is! But there are also requirements that need to be met for one to qualify. It may sound intimidating, but each of these programs hire twice a year so you can have as much time to get everything together and leave at a time of year that suits you.
Here are some of the requirements:
1. A Bachelor's Degree -in any major
2. Teaching Experience OR a teaching certificate (CELTA, TEFL, TESOL), min 100 hrs.
3. Valid Passport
4. Two letters of recommendation
5. A FBI Criminal Record Check -must be done within 6 months of sending in application
*this is the one item that you should make sure to plan accordingly, as obtaining it too soon and too late are both no good.

Those are the basic things to be aware of. You should most definitely go to their websites for all of the requirements (there really aren't many more, though) and explanations of each.


YIKES! 
...Here is where the help comes in.


Teaching Certificates
If you don't have any teaching experience, you need a certificate to teach in Korea as of 2012. I recommend a TEFL or TESOL. A 100-/120-Hour course will run you about $300, but it is extremely helpful (and now necessary). I decided that I wasn't going to worry about the expense, because I will make it back soon enough. I chose a 120-Hour course through TEFL Academy, although there are other programs to choose from.
With the online course, you read material from specific sections and do a corresponding assignment, which is then submitted, graded, and returned to you with feedback. The feedback is really great and they are there to help you! Which program you take may end up depending on which recruiting agency you go through, if you do.

Recruiters
I HIGHLY recommend applying with a recruiter. Especially if you are going for GEPIK. The only connections I have been able to find to GEPIK are through different recruiters. Each program has a group of recruiters that they work with. They are incredibly helpful, though, as they provide support and make it easier for you to perfect your application package. They are very hardworking and will do their very best to get you a job that suits your preferred location. You simply apply to them first, and then help is on the way!

Here is a list of a few recruiters:
Korvia Consulting- This is who I went through. They work with EPIK, SMOE, and GEPIK. They have been instrumental to my current position. How it worked was that I had an interview with one of their recruiters, after applying, who accepted me. I submitted my information to her, and she approached different schools until we found one that wanted to hire me. Because I know the caliber of their work ethic, I will most ardently recommend them first.
ATC Recruiting
WorknPlay Consulting
Footprints

There really is no wrong decision. Go to several websites, see what they're about, read their testimonials, and double check which programs they are affiliated with. Pick the one that scores the highest marks with you, and go for it. You can only work with one, though, as working with several for the same area could get you into serious trouble.

Apostilled Diploma
One of the additional requirements you'll need to send in once you're accepted at a school is an apostilled copy of your Bachelor's Diploma. *Note, copy of your diploma, not the original.
I originally sent this to Washingtong D.C. along with my FBI CRC for an apostille, but this is not correct! While they apostilled my CRC, they sent back my diploma. Your diploma needs to be apostilled by the state that issued it. BUT! Before you can get this, you need to have it notarized. This just means that it is an original copy. Let's break it down into steps.

Step 1- Make a copy of your diploma
Step 2- Bring copy of diploma along with the original to a public notary (these can be found at your local bank, but call first to make sure they're in for the day). They will imprint the copy with their notary seal, state that it is an original copy, write their name, and the date that they notarized it.
Step 3- Bring the notarized copy of your diploma, your original diploma, driver's license, and passport (to make sure all of your bases are covered) to a Secretary of State SUPER!Center. These supercenters are able to apostille documents, and are extremely efficient (with 34 people in front of me, it only took them 10-15 minutes to call my number). If by some chance you cannot drive to one of these stations, you may also submit your apostille request by mail, which will take a little longer. The apostille will be a paper attached, along with a seal. They will also put a seal over the staple. This should remind you that even when making copies of your documents, you should never ever un-staple an apostille.

I was able to do all this within an hour! And the only cost was $1 for my apostille. The notary may charge you $5, but mine didn't. I hope yours will be the same :) View SUPER!Center Locations in Michigan.


Videos
Another helpful tip is to make a video! Make several videos! Not all on the same thing, of course. An introductory video is probably something that your recruiter will ask you to make, if you go through one. This is handy because the video can be posted on youtube and shared with schools over in Korea. The video should contain a brief bit about who you are, why you want to teach in Korea, why you are a good choice, and what your teaching philosophy is. I actually wish that I had made mine a bit longer, as I left out a lot of things I would have liked schools who looked into me to know. Here is a link to my video, though, if you want a point of reference. I watched several before making mine. Some of them were awesome, and some of them were downright terrible.

Another video that I would recommend making is a short teaching video. When I was debating between working with Korvia and WorknPlay Consulting agencies, I was given the opportunity to apply for a job where I would be teaching general elementary classes, but in English. One of the requirements to apply was to have a math/science teaching demo. I decided to go with Korvia, but to record a teaching demo anyway. I think it is good, though, because since I have no formal teaching experience it allowed me to show schools that I can prepare a lesson and carry it out with fun, enthusiasm, and games, as I learned from my teaching course. Here is a link to mine. And yes, it feels really goofy asking questions and responding to "answers" when no one else is in the room. It's a bit rushed, but I believe it gets the point across.


That's long enough for this post! I dare say... Next time I will compile a more simple list with links for other countries who need ESL teachers like Japan, China, and Thailand. Location is key! And every country offers slightly different perks.

Till next time!