What students from Madagascar, Lapland and the rest of the planet taught me about life, the universe and everything.
What a joy to sit in sweatpants, have a cup of tea and listen to all the wondrous
stories that my students tell me. They might be sipping mate, a hot tea drunk in South America or they might be having a quick espresso. Once I even had a conversation with a tipsy South-Korean student as she was drinking Soju. These conversations, titbits of information and heart opening moments have changed me for the better as a human being. #iloveenglishteaching
Interesting Facts
At times I feel like I am travelling the world through the ether while sitting at my desk. At any given time, I know what the temperatures in Dubai, Colombia or Berlin are. I was surprised to learn that in Madagascar thousands of lemurs are kept as pets. Over the years I have learnt strange and wondrous things.
Just this morning I learnt that
a 'pie chart' is called a 'Camembert' in France.
A student once told me of a place in Brazil where lobster was one of the cheapest things on the menu, and he ate lobster every day for ten days straight. Around the time of the Lunar New Year in South Korea, I noticed that many couples get divorced or break up. Korean women have told me they simply couldn't bear another festival with their mothers-in-law.
Diverse Students
When one works with people from all over, one learns tolerance and acceptance of students exactly as they are. It is basically impossible to be racist when one communicates with so many people each day and hear about their likes and dislikes, their daily lives and sometimes, even their deepest secrets.
Not long ago I taught two students in an online class, the one was from Russia and the other was from Ukraine. I asked them what they were going to do after the lesson and the Ukrainian replied that he was going to an army camp to do training and prepare to defend his country. We had a tense moment, but I continued with the lesson. Later, the Russian told us of a time he used crowdfunding to collect some donations to help his friend who had cancer. It was a very touching moment and I think all three of us exchanged perspectives for a moment. People are people. This is what international ESL teaching has taught me.
Emotional Moments
I am the proud, digital godmother of two babies born during hours of English tutoring. We walked our way through pregnancy vocabulary and spent hours debating on how to raise kids so they turn out halfway decent human beings. When their babies were born, they both sent me photos on the platform where I work. I was overjoyed for them and their journey into motherhood. There are often emotional moments during lessons, especially with long term students. One day someone discussed his worries over his son who had been diagnosed with special needs. Surprisingly, students even ask me for advice in important life decisions. Quite often, people simply like to complain. In fact, through ESL teaching I have realised that most people really need a sympathetic ear. I am a very chatty by nature and ESL teaching has helped me to become a more active listener.
Because my lessons focus on speaking, students practice talking about everything around them, including sharing their good or bad news. I once spent an entire hour consoling my student who had lost her father to covid. These heart opening moments have changed me for the better.
What I take away from my job every day is the human interaction which teaches me the interrelatedness of everyone on the planet. That is why I make a point of inclusivity in all
my resources.
Click on the link below for my special FREE resource on Diversity in all its forms.
How has this job affected you? Which unforgettable moments have you lived through with your students? Share in the comments below.
So funny. My online student recently told me that apparently wild boar roam freely in Rome! Never a dull moment. 🤣