Have a can do attitude and put yourself out there!
As corny as that sounds, you will learn the most about yourself as a teacher and as a person when you put yourself out of your comfort zones. You will be teaching and living in a completely different country which will definitely add another string to your bow. Take on all the opportunities and challenges that comes with this – you’ll thank yourself later!
Keep a record of things you see/do
This applies to both the classroom and your travels. When you come home it will all seem like a distant memory and everything that you did and saw throughout your travels and whilst teaching will slip away quicker than you think. If you see anything in the classroom that you would like to implement later make a record of it and gather some resources whilst teaching abroad.
Embrace the education system
There are some similarities and obviously some differences between the 2 education systems. There is a large emphasis on planning, preparation and assessment which we don’t have to the same extent in Aus and NZ. Instead of comparing it to Aus, embrace it. You’ll end up being a more rounded teacher afterwards with a great skill set to implement in your teaching at home.
Be on the ball
Ideally, you would like to spend your evening and weekends exploring London and Europe. Use the time that you have at school and try to be as productive as you can! Your time in London absolutely flies so make the most of it.
Remain positive
Everyone has their good days and bad days in any industry that the work in. As a teacher, this can be amplified a fair bit because there are so many variables that can impact your day, some of which are completely out of your control. If you have ‘one of those days’ take a step back and remember how lucky you are to be living in one of the best cities in the world and it could be worse.. You could be working weekends and nights earning £6 an hour pouring beers at a bar.
Have fun!
You will come across some absolute characters in the classes you teach in the UK so have some fun! There are stories from my days teaching in London that still make me laugh to this day and are ones that I will never forget.
You can do it!
Not everyone can uplift their life and move to the other side of the world so that in itself is brave and something to pat yourself on the back for. Have faith in yourself and confidence in your teaching abilities and you’ll have the absolute time of your life!
