June 9, 2018

International Teaching: I’M MOVING TO EUROPE!

littlelivesbig@gmail.com Europe, Living Abroad, My Story, New Beginnings, Teaching, Travel 12 Comments

In February 2018, I began applying for teaching positions at international schools in Europe.

I went through three months of early-morning Skype interviews.

I turned down an attractive offer to teach in a small town in Sweden- I was holding out for a job in the Netherlands or Germany, even though I knew I had a slim to none chance of obtaining one.

On May 12th, 2018, I received my Master of Education from Lamar University and began applying to local positions in Maryland where I could put my new degree to use, since teaching in Europe was obviously not going to happen.

On May 25th, 2018 I was offered a primary teaching position at a brand new international school in the Netherlands, 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam!

What?!

It is very, very difficult to get a teaching position in western Europe. Everyone wants to teach in western Europe (well, mostly everyone!). Most teachers who want to go international end up in Asia- where the vacancies are endless, pay is very good, and teachers are put on a pedestal.

I did not want to go to Asia. 1) I’ve never been, and I don’t want to live and work somewhere I have never even visited. 2) It is way too far from home (east coast USA). 3) I am not familiar with any of the languages in Asia, and it would be too great of a culture shock since I’d be going on my own.

I knew Asia paid well. They even pay for teachers’ round-trip airfare, and 99% of the time, their housing as well. There are many perks. You can teach all subjects in Asia, or just teach English. They are treated very well over there, from what I hear. But I preferred to work my ass off to see if I could fill a vacancy in Europe- even if it meant taking a large pay cut. 

After all, I’d be doing it for the experience, not the money (do any teachers go into teaching for the money…?).

Western Europe doesn’t have most of the perks that Asia has- again, because it’s pretty cutthroat to secure a job there, especially if you’re from outside of the EU. Eastern Europe may offer a bit more, because they are trying to attract more people to their area. They are competing with western Europe, which is no easy task..

In another post, I’ll write about the application and interview process, and how I secured this job abroad. Most teachers use a recruiting company or pay for a membership with organizations like ISS, CIS, or TIE. I didn’t. I thought to myself: If I can’t secure a job abroad on my own, then I don’t deserve one.
*Disclaimer: I am not knocking any teachers who have/do/will pay for these services- I just chose not to. I wanted to save my money!

In this post, I just want to focus on how I made my decision, and what lies ahead. My sister, coincidentally, came to visit me on Friday, May 25th- the same day I received my offer. She drove down from Hoboken, New Jersey to spend Memorial Day Weekend with me in Baltimore! Two days later, on the 27th, I received the contract which outlined the details of the offer (salary, benefits, start date, etc.). We talked about the offer and weighed the pros and cons.

I had the weekend to think it over, and the school wanted my answer by Wednesday morning.

Pros: Beautiful country, centrally located which makes traveling to other European countries easy, a lot of fun things to do in Amsterdam and surrounding area, most people speak English, I’d be immersed in a different culture, I’d be leaving my comfort zone, I’d grow personally and professionally, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, experience will look good on resume to future employers, I can meet/make friends from around the world, there is a large expat community over there, CANALS, RED LIGHT DISTRICT, GOOD LOOKING MEN, FRITES AND MAYO.

Cons: Living in a different continent with no friends or family, not being able to see my family as often, having to sell my car and most of my furniture and belongings, not knowing Dutch, having to break my lease early and pay a termination fee, I probably won’t be able to watch Law and Order SVU, Criminal Minds, and my other favorite American shows regularly.

Amazingly enough, I would not be taking a pay cut. The school even offered to pay my one-way trip to the Netherlands. It’s a private school, so it has more freedom/money than most of the European public schools. Miracles do happen.

I decided that the pros outweighed the cons. I am twenty-six years old. I am not married and I have no kids. Hell, I don’t even have a boyfriend. If I don’t do it now, then when? I mean, what’s the worse that could happen? If I hate it and it ends up being the worst decision ever, I can simply leave and return to the USA once the school year ends.

But what if I love it?

On Tuesday, May 29th I accepted the offer. This was the same day that my principal informed me that Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and other federal officials would be coming to my classroom on May 31st to observe and participate in my community building circle. You can read about that whirlwind experience here. It was turning out to be quite an exciting and interesting week!

The following week, on June 5th, I received the official employment agreement. Both I and my future employer signed it by June 8th. It was a done deal. I told my principal, then my first grade teammates, then my students. Telling my students was the hardest part. When so many of them began to cry, tears welled in my eyes as well. There was a knot in my heart.

So what’s next?

I have a lot of paperwork to do. I have to make sure my degree and teaching certification are recognized by the Dutch Education Administration (DUO). I have to sell my car and the majority of my furniture. I need to clean out my classroom and sell or donate whatever I’m not keeping- and I can’t keep much. I need to write a letter to my apartment complex informing them of my early move-out date. I need to pay a lease termination fee.

I’ll have to close my PNC account and withdraw all of my money from my checking. I’ll have to buy an international SIM card for my iPhone. I need to find a place to live in North Holland, near my new school. I’ll have to figure out how the public transportation works and how I will get to work each day, since I will not have a car. I am starting to learn basic Dutch (I’m absolutely terrible at it so far).

I will have to really put myself out there to make new friends. I will have to take risks and embrace every opportunity- fear is not an option. I will have to register with the Dutch government and open up a Dutch bank account. Buying a bike over there is a necessity.

I will be learning/teaching an entirely new curriculum. For 4 years, I have been teaching the Common Core here in Maryland. This is what most US states have in place. However, at this international school I will be using the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) which is big in the UK and most of Europe.

I am the school’s first international hire outside of the EU and I will be the first/only teacher in the brand new school that will be opening in August. I’m tasked with helping the company build this private, international school from the ground up essentially. It is daunting, but also exhilarating. I know this will be the greatest challenge I have ever endured.

I invite you to subscribe to my blog and follow me on this crazy, scary, incredible, dreamlike adventure of a lifetime! I’ll be teaching, learning, traveling, eating, drinking, making mistakes, crying, laughing, and everything in between.

And to think, 5 years ago I didn’t even want to go to the gym by myself! 😛

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