Teachers of the World was written near the end of my teaching journey in Korea. After having been a teacher in both Korea and Canada, I've grown an immense admiration for all teachers. It's highly challenging yet rewarding and will leave you a feeling of fulfillment that will last a lifetime. This isn't the end; teaching happens beyond the walls of a classroom filled with students. For all aspiring and current teachers – you may not be able to see it, but you will make a difference. An everlasting impact.
Teachers of the World
So you have a dream to change the world,
to make a greater impact,
to touch lives.
You feel called to do something meaningful,
rewarding,
and life-changing.
So you take a leap of faith,
hop on a 14-hour flight
and land in another country,
halfway across the world.
You immerse yourself in an entirely new culture,
experience language barriers,
and you’re all on your own.
You have no idea how your year will go,
but you trust your intuition,
'cause this feels right.
You've worked hard to be here,
stepped outside of your comfort zone,
to challenge yourself every single day.
You came with the purpose to teach English,
but your role consist of so much more
as you strive to be a role model,
a positive influence -
on all six hundred of your students.
You're more than just a teacher -
you're a mentor,
a motivational speaker,
and everything in between.
Smile,
give your best attitude
and performance,
and your heart and soul into everything you do.
They may not understand you,
but they can feel your passion,
your love.
Nobody said it'll be easy,
keep going
and remind yourself the reason you're here in the first place.
You're meant to be here.
You may not always get along with your co-teachers,
feel frustrated from time to time,
countless hours spent lesson planning
and coordinating camps,
only to feel overwhelmed and underappreciated.
You now understand,
how difficult teachers have it.
Too much change
to wrap your head around,
the honeymoon phase is over,
but don't give up on your students.
They bring joy
to your world,
and at the perfect moments,
they remind you
this is why you do what you do.
You're stronger than you believe,
and if you wholeheartedly believe in your students,
why can't you do the same for yourself?
You need to give yourself more credit.
As a teacher,
don't take things personally.
Be invested in your students
but realize,
you can't control everything they do.
Their reactions are not directed towards you.
It's okay to mess up,
just be an example of a lifelong learner.
Remember,
it's not so much what you do,
but who you are,
that matters most.
You've shared cross-cultural experiences,
showed them your published piece of your first anthology.
You've accomplished your childhood dream,
and now you share your message,
that anything is possible.
You've grown with every struggle,
became more self-aware,
confident,
brave,
and independent.
You didn't just change the lives of your students.
They changed you.
And now,
you're an even better person than you were,
one year ago.
This is the result of being a teacher.
With a new perspective of the world
and hope for the younger generation,
you will forever treasure the memories of teaching abroad,
and develop a greater appreciation for all teachers of the world.