Post Thoughts and Goals as Foods Teacher In China

   After three years there are a lot of things I can say I have tried. Some of the things I have tried are really not worth nor will ever be mentioned for numerous reasons, but one thing I will mention is the fact that for three years I have been fortunate enough to be apart of the Culinary Arts program at Maple Leaf Education Systems where I was a department head in my third and fourth year.
  To any incoming or newcomer teachers, I would sincerely recommend ensuring yourself a spot in this department. There are countless opportunities to do many things in life but how often do you have a chance to inspire the love of food in students who may have never even boiled an egg before!?
  When I began teaching the "Food and Nutrition 11/12" course (presently Culinary Arts 12), I was replacing a teacher who had left abruptly and shadowing another who was soon to be leaving. After shadowing and getting tread in the course, I was joined with an experienced teacher who had a love of eating, and was excited about this opportunity. This new teacher to the program was the replacement Department Head and then left the following year.
   Fast forward to third year, I am the Department Head of Culinary Arts and Planning 10, teaching alongside an experienced foodie with a home flavour style of teaching. I have been blessed with opportunity and there have been obstacles, head butting in different areas but in the end, this experience has been one worth the extra work.
  The course began as a hybrid between what is now Food Studies and Culinary Arts, but was originally a healthy balance of academic researching and practical student cooking skills. The course will always include health and safety as well as vocabulary enhancement (especially being in an ELL school). The goal I have though is to move the program into program that moves into Food Security, building not only cooking skills and a love cooking in students but a sense of purpose in cooking. I want to build a course in which the end goal is not just cooking, but "cooking to conjure change".
  This newfound inspiration began when I was travelling through Southeast Asia and found myself mingling with impoverished locals who even though they had nothing, wanted to give you everything. Food is love, respect and essentially life. Sharing food is probably one of the biggest signs of respect since the beginning of time and has been proven as such through a famous idiom still commonly used to this day "Breaking bread with..."
  This experience of living and adapting into cultures as an outsider builds a sense of awe and wander. Some people lose this, others don't understand it and over indulge; but I hope you can find the healthy balance and use it to change the world.

Modified Philosophy of Ed. (2017)

See the following as my most recent philosophy, 

Carmelo S.J. Bono’s Statement to Philosophy of Education and Pedagogy (c. 2022)

To Whom it May Concern,

              Being a person of faith (Catholic), my values strongly surround the beatitudes and principles that are reflected in the ten commandments. Law is law, no matter where in the world one may be, and to say one does not know, is bliss. As a teacher, I take a stand in the things I do and say to/for my students as an advocate. The responsibility to act as a care provider during a field trip or class time is not a responsibility I take lightly.

              Students are the future of the world; they are going to be the doctors who we go to when sick; the policy makers who decide whether or not taxes go up or down; our students are some of the most important people in society. I do not believe in handing out answers, but building opportunities for learning through supporting students through their signature strengths.

              While studying to become a teacher, a document “Growing Success” was considered the most sacred educational document in Ontario as it offered guidance through a crucial shift in assessment and evaluation of Ontario’s practices in education. Students are not eligible to score a zero, unless the course ends and nothing is handed in, but every student deserves an opportunity to succeed and surpass their expectations of their abilities. Ontario asks teachers to focus their practices on assessments for learning rather than of learning in order to support growth mindsets in classrooms. Students are not expected to be held back. If a student is “held back”, it means the teacher failed somewhere along the line, or the supports are not in place at a school to offer the accommodation needed to support that student’s learning difficulties. I spent so many years teaching abroad with the British Columbia Curriculum because of the adjustments it made on a provincial level to accommodate learners who come from different cultures. I wanted to be apart of that change witness first hand how far that change could branch out. The high stakes provincial exams were disheartening to overseas students (to say the least) because of the disconnect of cultural references students would be exposed to on an exam.

              As a classroom teacher I teach to success. Working with students to build writing skills, critical thinking competencies and reading abilities are some the ways I know I can help them achieve their goals in an academic English classroom. In some cases though a teacher needs to be able to work with students by listening to them and acknowledging their concerns. My strategies to enhance critical thinking apply to active learning models such as cooking with students in kitchens (using English as well as comprehension skills); participating in school showcase events with materials that are specific to the engagement of the student body in a related topic/subject area; as well as classroom communal learning in say “murder mystery”.

              A teacher is not only a teacher though, I where many hats. I offer post-secondary education advice to my students (as a portion of rapport), when discussing progress and or goals of their learning; coaching advice on sports teams (Ball Hockey and Volleyball most notably); as well as support in areas of interest such as comic book clubs and charity fundraisers. I offer my evenings to school events while trying to balance my family life. I sacrifice my body and spirit for the sake of my student’s education continual participation in “Teacher Pi Day”, “Movember’s Shave a Teacher Day” and “Three Time Champion of the Charity Show’s Eating Contest” (That has been Jiaozi and Baozi-no hot dogs fortunately).

________________________________________________________________________________

The Differences Made (c. 2017)

Students are just as much teachers as teachers are themselves; there is a lot to learn from them as they have a lot to learn from us. A teacher needs to be more than just experienced, well read, and well mannered. There is a  need to be motivated, is very important for teachers because even though a teacher may want to make progress and see the difference made, they may not see the progress. “The burden of learning falls on the shoulders of the teacher just as much as it does on the student”, is what we would like to think. The reality is that we need to differentiate to the learning styles of our students. As a teacher you learn there are two types of progress, internal and external. Growth refers to more than just intellectual advancement but also refers to social growth. I want to experience the same sense of pride about my future students as my family, friends and teachers have felt about me.

Learning includes more than just students who can remember endless amounts of information; there will be students who need more elaboration and engagement on topics. As a teacher I want to provide my students with the learning styles that are most suitable for them based on their needs. Differentiated instruction and assessment as, of, and for are two important tools that a prepared teacher always has in their toolbox. Rote learning fails to drive the expectation that the lesson is trying to foster into the long term memory of students. Establishing a working routine of respect, care and communal learning in the classroom is essential to a successful classroom. The biggest reason for this is that it is usually not engaging enough to simply have an impersonal classroom in which students feel they are isolated based on their learning needs; developing a love of knowledge as a teacher and sharing that with your students in various ways is important.

As a student, learning at times is dry. Other times learning keeps me believing (in the time of my education) that if  not for the purpose of my own success in life, I can share my experiences and knowledge to enrich the lives of others. Everyone experiences this apathy in learning at one point or another while a student; people understand it as a norm. I honestly think there are ways to minimize this. I intend to put everything that I can into my lessons to ensure that I have done all I can to inspire the fullest ambitions of my students. I vow to engage my students in every aspect of the lesson to ensure that they are not shown anything less than exactly what they need to succeed and beyond.

Students respond to engaged and passionate behaviours because they crave that feeling of approval. A teacher who can inspire youth to engage themselves and become an active learner, is a teacher who has discovered the difference between a good and a great teacher. They are trying to find their calling; as teachers it is our job to give them a map of every possible route. Our lessons should be making them take their pencil to their life map and sketching out their possible journeys ahead after each word spoken to them.

My philosophy in regards to teaching and learning is based on respect, similarly to what the “Leadereship in Learning Communities” section of OCT’s Foundations of Professional Practice (Aug. 2016) in which it describes of understanding their responsibility to the students and a healthy learning community. In my classroom I try my absolute best to keep these simple expectations alive and well, “respect the rules of the classroom, respect me, respect your peers but most of all, yourself”. The classroom is a place where more than just academic learning occurs. A great deal of things  taught, are social skills and societal expectations. I remember when I was in grade seven, I had a teacher who had all the boys out of the class (including myself) going home and sharing with their parents an interesting fact that they were taught by him that day. I did not realize I did this until one day I was on the bus heading home from school when one other student from a different class was insulting the teacher I had. Another student in my class was a brother to this boy and began agreeing with him. The older boy turned to his brother and said to him “Ya right! You love that teacher! Guys, this kid comes home and tells my mom, Mr… says this, and says that. Don’t lie.” I was nervous to say anything to these older boys until I knew that I was not the only one who felt this way about the teacher. I stood up and declared myself as a fan of this teacher as well. The other student and I were ridiculed but the fact that a teacher could make a “cool student” feel like a student in grade 3 coming home with such fascination for  knowledge again; speaks a lot to their ability to inspire wonder and awe.

This is the type of teacher I strive to be; the teacher who has students that want to be given assignments that requires them to research and inquire more. Students who want to learn more, are students who are successful students. An individual’s success does not reflect the teacher themselves but the environment that teacher was able to create that inspired the student to do so well.

The Power of "Now" (Not the New Age Spiritual Stuff)

I agree that yes, students need to be encouraged but at what point are we denying the students the necessity of NOW. I understand that the curriculum and the pedagogy we develop in teacher’s college as well as at the beginning of our careers that students can be given an equal opportunity to study, learn and practice at a pace needed for them.

The students don’t decide whether their abilities can be developed over time knowingly. The brain makes the decision for them. Reward systems in the brain make it possible for individuals to develop their own learning, Carol Dweck understands this. The way that students evaluate an activity is based on the rewards received and students do generally do well when they are given the “not yet” grade because they do know eventually they will get it. But what negative mentalities might this foster. The evidence given along with the TED video is very convincing but the reality is, what are we trying to teach the students? What happens when these students get into the workplace? This is a classic devil’s advocate point to this idea.

Speaking to native reserves, yes many students academically struggle. When these students are given the “now” maybe they don’t succeed as quickly native students given the “yet” mentality because, yes, they need more time to mature and make mistakes. Most students are like this I would believe, because the fact is that these are adolescence and students we are talking about. Maturity is a huge factor, home is a huge factor in how students will learn.

A native classroom that has a student focused on improving and making data work, will surely do better than a native based classroom with a teacher who is simply living out there because the money is good or there were no jobs where they were locally from.

Not all the data is clear to me when I am listening and watching this TED talk, although it is nice, it is a lot of idea with not a lot of practicum.

To teach the “not yet” is to basically say to the student, “look, you didn’t pass grade three yet, but maybe next time.”

I teach at an international boarding school in China. Realistically we see 30 students or so flunk out of the BC program each year, possibly more (I am speaking to the averages I have seen/experienced in the last three years). These students were growing up with the “not yet” mentality, or at least a broken hybrid of the “not yet” and the “now”. Chinese Education is very much rote, while at the same time being very forgiving on a social behavioural level. In our school, it is not common for a student to get suspended for an ambiguous reason or even academic reasons; however it is common for students to decide that they can’t continue on in the BC program because the English is too difficult. What I am trying to say is, given all the chances and “not yets” given to students throughout the year, a chunk still see it as not enough to move forward. Granted, these students will still graduate with a chinese high school diploma , but where is the line? What are the restrictions on this philosophy? I think it should be more clearly stated. I mean, what would happen if you have a student who just gives up, says “not yet, maybe in a year or two, I’ll try to graduate high school”? Then what? Yes, its their life, their decision but as a teacher you don’t want to see a student drop out, you don’t want to also go against what you have been promoting through classroom management all year when saying “not yet,”…so what then?

I think for Elementary its not a bad philosophy to an extent but a certainly level of accountability needs to be upheld. This is a great starter for students who may lack motivation but it feels more of a philosophy one might see used in a student resource room or guidance counselor’s office. 

Integrating Aboriginal Culture into the Rest of ON

Background: As apart of the Trent U ABQ course, we are looking at the possibilities and implications of adapting the Aboriginal Studies into the rest of ON, WHY NOT!?


Why not learning about another culture, language or peoples? Really? I mean, without saying that its quite the same as when a teacher takes it upon themselves to become a member of a Catholic School Community or non-native french speaker integrates themselves into a French Immersion School Community. On some level I feel there is a moment where education needs ensure that teachers have the training they need to meet the needs of their students.

To be frank, I thought it was a mandatory course through my concurrent education year. I must say that it was extremely helpful with experiences after during teacher's college.

Students in public schools and Catholic schools of ON are living in a bubble when it comes to the foundations and history of Canada. The Social Studies curriculum begins preparing them for what is to come in the high school history education but by that time the students have already developed a conception that Canada is and always was a culture mosaic. To extent “Canada” itself has always been, but it was what came before that which is important.

The curriculum that is offered now begins to tie up the loose ends of the past educational curriculum but needs to offer more than a bit of knowledge to help students truly understand where Canada came from. The native people lived by a simple philosophy in life and once the Europeans arrived, things became complicated. A modern world mingling with a world that didn’t want to remove itself from what had always been. Not unlike today, there are many traditions that these cultures (we call the First Nations) have many beliefs that offer more than animism and theism in general. Their teachings offer a fundamental respect for all living things and that is what kept their cultures alive for the amount of time it has.

This fundamental belief of respect for one another (including the earth itself) is a crucial teaching that applies further than simple religion and language but also into the basic science elementary school students learn. Biodiversity, food chains, etc.

The reading of culture and tradition is poetry in itself. The Ojicree practice chanting that offers teachings and stories in many different respects. The students we teach in our schools are indeed learning English but why can’t they also be observing another language’s translated chants or scripts of dialogue, etc. This allows students to view a text from a different viewpoint. The teachings of cultures are applicable to language arts on most levels. Yes, they would most likely need to be translated but its not as if they are not already.

Overall, the idea of learning about indigenous studies is a matter of developing understanding of the world around us, and respect for not just fellow Canadians, but other humans. This is not just an English world, or a French World, is multi-cultural and just as we show willingness to work closely with one culture, we certainly should for all.

J/I ABQ: A Small Bit on Supporting ELL in a Classroom

Background: I am completing an online J/I ABQ course through Trent University, Module questions and discussion points I am coming up with will be posted here...Why not?

Educators can support ELL learners through a number of ways. I am no expert but I have been doing this for the last two years, a lot of what I had read are things that we practice on a regular basis and need to continually practice and harness as students are becoming privy to language dodging technology.

There are apps out in the app stores that allows people to take pictures and translate specifically highlighted words with their fingers at which point the app will translate the words in the picture into whatever language asked for. This is helpful as well as damaging. The pros to technology like this are the ease of access of materials and that could be important in serious situations or scenarios. With that being said though, there will be a dependency on technology like this if students cannot first learn how to differentiate between a “must have translated for me”, and a “learning point”. There are situations in the classroom or reading tasks with students that they will innately grab at their cellphone for without practicing or appraoching the word verbally first. In these highschool students, we can see a crutch already present in students who are less familiar with English speaking or reading.

As teachers we can offer assistance and support in a number of ways. Just as the French immersion schools work to teach French with a strict rule of French speaking only in the schools, our international school strives for that using English as the immersion language. In this environment students usually revert to native tongue when speaking with different individuals around the school but they know that most of their teachers do not speak Chinese. Classroom norms of tem building and cooperation between students is important because they will continually rely on one another in class throughout classroom activities and further understanding of the work.

Teachers offer tutorials which is an hour or so after school in which students can receive 1:1 assistance with homework or areas of challenge assisted by the teacher, students with more familiarity in the subject.

Personally, strategies in reading is where I am working on assisting my students the most. The BC curriculum pushes to have students complete “cold writes” which is something we know students struggle with, they need to be able to read a prompt and/or text and respond accordingly depending on the type of essay asked they write.

Grammar help through technology, websites, apps, things I can introduce them to 1:1 that they can use at home to assist them is one way I choose to support my language learners. These students do not have WIFI in their dorms and usually travel long distances to go home for weekends and holidays. Technology offers them chances to complete work and realize that their technology is not merely for game playing and messaging friends. It has been a struggle but I have also been teaching the students how to work on technology to complete essays and other assignments, offering small skill testing tasks in English to help them improve their abilities to read and comprehend instruction as well as communicate with other students using the Edmodo.com classroom I setup for the class.

For ELL students their fall back is usually websites, resources, and research that stems from their mother tongue. The students should be completing the work in English, they often times are unsure where to find or even how to start research in the second language (especially when Google is blocked). Baidu and Navier are examples of search engines in other languages that the students fall back on. As a teacher, one can offer a list of places to a) find resources in English; and b) a few beginning resources to use.

In Math students are introduced to vocabulary and not only number solving problems but also word problems. In class the best cases are when students find themselves confused by Canadian iconic names, and cultural references such as “The top of a medium Tim Hortons cup has a height of 6cm and a radius of…” Students will not only be learning the basics of math conception but the cultural knowledge of Canadian (former Canadian at least) brands and concepts. These are class learning points that when divided up throughout a unit can be empowering and enlightening or students emigrating to Canada or planning to study in Canada at the very least.

Experiences in HFC3M: Flours, Baking and Dirty Life Hacks in the Kitchen

Ever try baking? Ever try baking without checking to ensure you have all the necessary ingredients? Ugh, ya me neither, this is more of a prevention or warning to any other folks who are "cautious" as well.

So as a Foods teacher with NO experience baking in the past before getting to MLIS in China (Dalian), I was excited, scared and embarrassed. I was seen as an individual who could rip through a kitchen and whip something of nothing, which is true. This is because I know and love spices, you give me tomatoes, potatoes, a spice rack and 20 mins, I'll make it happen. #truestory

I knew little to nothing about baking, in fact I could spell the word, eat the food made and tell you I needed flour and an oven. Other than that I had no internal ambition to bake...until I did, then it was like wildfire. I baked till I wanted to blow my brains out cause of how much cleaning I had to do at the end of the day. To this day (literally) I still find myself in baking situations that are well bordering insane sometimes. Too much to do at once for one person on a work night? Meh, bring it, I have tackled worse.

After two and a bit years spent here in China working as a Foods teacher (among other things), I have learned that although you make changes, there are more changes to make each year, or things you tend to let slip from your mind. This is the first of many "Culinary Arts" Teacher blogs to come.

This first one is on flour, the base to every baked good.Flour is not exactly healthy but its not exactly bad, its like everything else in life, too much will kill you (like if you fall into a vat of flour?) and not enough...won't kill you? There is however insensitivity to Wheat, also known as "I can't eat gluten, do have gluten free.." "SHUT UP!" Sorry, I don't have anything against people who "can't" eat gluten, I just get sick of folks posing as such because they think its bad...eat less bread and more fruits if you don't like it, freak! Although I shouldn't say that, maybe the person is diabetic as well right?


I came across this in my studies of flour, gluten and health,
"Wheat allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to wheat protein. In someone who is sensitive to wheat protein, exposure to it can trigger an allergic reaction that may result in a skin rash, itching, swelling, trouble breathing, wheezing and other symptoms. ... Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye." American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology © 2014

There it is stated on a very open, very public and very credible website, but for every point you make there are three rebuttals, so, let's hear it, leave a comment :)

Aside from this I also came across the following,
"Two words these days that make any allergist sigh: gluten allergy. “Gluten has been blamed for all that ails humanity,” Stukus says. But there are only three disorders you can attribute to gluten on a scientific basis, he says: celiac disease, wheat allergies and non-celiac gluten sensitivity." (Melissa Dahl, 2013, Today Morning Show)
--> I pinned the video to my pintrest board if you would like to use it or view it

Cool? Alright, so we talked about risks and issues with gluten/flour, but now the practical use and application of it in a kitchen. In my research I came across a great resource,

http://www.cheatsheet.com/life/9-types-of-flour-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them.html/?a=viewall

-->Check it out!


1. All-Purpose Flour

 
All-purpose flour, or white flour, is the most commonly used type of flour, reports the Wheat Foods Council. This variety of flour is made from a blend of soft and hard wheat, and can be used in any number of baked food products. This type of flour is a source of several B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid) as well as iron. Around 95 percent of white flour sold in the U.S. is enriched, meaning that these nutrients were re-added to the substance after being removed during processing.

 
2. Bread Flour

 
Bread flour is quite similar to all-purpose flour, the chief difference being that it has a greater content than the all-purpose variety. The Wheat Foods Council reasons that a high gluten content is optimal for the production of yeast breads. For this reason, bread flour is widely milled for use in commercial baking (it can, however, be found in most grocery stores) as well. The Huffington Post adds that bread flour has a greater amount of protein than the all-purpose variety.

 
3. Cake Flour

 
Cake flour is very finely milled from soft wheat, writes the Huffington Post, giving it an almost silky feel. It has a low protein content and is used for a wide variety of baked goods, cakes, cookies, and quick breads in particular. Cake flour is higher in starch and lower in protein than bread flour, meaning that food products made with cake flour are generally tender and more delicate. The Wheat Foods Council notes that you can make a cup of cake flour by measuring out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons of flour, and replacing with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.

 
4. Pastry Flour

 
Pastry flour is made from soft wheat, and is generally finer than all-purpose flour. Its traits fall somewhere between those of cake and all-purpose flours, and — as you may have assumed — it is most often used in pastry baking. Pastry flour can also be used for foods such as crackers, cakes, and cookies, writes the Wheat Foods Council. It has a greater amount of protein, and less starch, than cake flour.

 
5. Whole-Wheat Flour

 
As the name suggests, whole-wheat flour is made by grinding entire kernels of red wheat. This process results in a darker brown flour, which is relatively high in nutrients and dietary fiber, writes the Wheat Foods Council. The presence of bran in whole-wheat flour means inhibits gluten development, thus, items baked with whole wheat flour are generally denser than those produced with white flour. To counteract this effect, some bakers will add more gluten (about 1 tablespoon per cup of whole wheat flour used). Alternately, some bakers prefer to subdue the strong wheat flavor of whole-wheat flour by blending it with all-purpose flour.
6. White Whole-Wheat Flour
White whole-wheat flour offers the same nutritional qualities that are offered by whole-wheat flour. However, white whole-wheat flour is ground from hard white wheat, yielding a paler tint and a subtler wheat flavor than the alternative, writes the Huffington Post. Some bakers blend it with all-purpose flour, resulting in heartier and healthier results than a strictly all-purpose flour food product would.
7. Oat Flour
Oat flour is gluten-free, making it a popular choice for all dieters who prefer to avoid gluten. Livestrong notesthat while it can be purchased at some grocery stores, it is quite simple to make at home — simply grind dried oats in your food processor or blender until they have become a fine powder. Each 1¼ cups of oats will yield 1 cup of oat flour. Oat flour is a bit sweeter than whole wheat flour, so bakers may wish to adjust their recipes in kind. Because it is gluten-free, oat flour can sometimes yield crumbly baked goods. Seasoned bakers combat this issue by adding more liquid ingredients to their recipes to make up for the lack of gluten.
8. Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is a type of all-purpose flour that contains both salt and a leavening agent. The Wheat Foods Council reports that one cup of self-rising flour contains 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt, meaning that it can be used as a substitute for all-purpose flour — so long as you reduce added salt and baking powder amounts proportionately. Self-rising flour is frequently used in biscuits and quick breads, but is not recommended for use in yeast breads.
9. Semolina
Semolina is made from the coarsely ground endosperm of durum wheat, which is the hardest variety of the 6 classes of wheat. The Wheat Foods Council reports that semolina has the highest protein content of all types of wheat, which makes it an ideal base ingredient for high-quality pasta and couscous. This type of flour is very rarely used to make bread.
When you find yourself running short of Cake Flour, SUPER COMMON, TELL ME ABOUT IT, RIGHT!? Who knows, maybe it went bad, you got worms, things happen...What do you do though, Birthday cake is needed, you had a bottle of wine and can't drive to the store...in China we just call...a guy, cake guy, suit guy, baby guy...you know...a guy. But in North America or other places, maybe we can't, so we need to make do with what we have and because All Purpose flour can last a REALLY LONG TIME and is so much more common than cake flour, we can use that to our advantage and make our own cake flour,

 
1 cup AP flour - 2 Tablespoons AP flour + 2 Tablespoons cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour
for Math majors it looks something like this (240x-30x)+30=240y ...this is why I don't teach math...

SO, WHY!? Why would someone be more likely to have AP Flour (as we call it in the biz) instead of most others? Rancidity for one, worms for another...

AP Flour last longer than most, and like most guidelines, expiry dates are...guidelines...Rumours have it that if you have worms, you can freeze or refrigerate your flour to kill them...interesting...
Some flours can be refrigerated or frozen as well to preserve them.
I don't mean to cut this short but, its been great. I am calling it a night, if you have any questions for your friendly neighborhood MLIS Foods...I mean Culinary Arts teacher, let me know :)
Mr. Bono

Travel Opportunities

International Teacher Status-Arguably the best status to have ass a teacher. I mean, you have some many opportunities! The other side to that conversation is that there is not a place you really call home in most cases. If you are someone who is very family orientated, maybe internationally teaching is not your calling, but why not make it a chapter of your life for a year or two?

I swear by international teaching. I am an English teacher, therefore very biased and a bit crazy but I promise you an unforgettable experience. Good or bad, it will be unforgettable. Usually it depends on the person and the research conducted as well as questions asked before accepting a job internationally. I was very persistent and waited till the absolute last minute to make the acceptance of my opportunity. For that reason I feel my experience has been exactly what I had hoped it became.

It is hard for me to directly speak to my experiences as a benchmark for other teachers who go international because I have met some really miserable individuals who swear they would never return or care to work in China again, yet, here they are completing "x" amount of years at our school or in some cases going to an even more "interesting" location (as if they were not depressing enough to be around already).

You meet many individuals, you see a lot of interesting things but most of all you learn the most you ever could about yourself than you ever have (in my experiences at least).

I recommend using the assistance of "teacher horizons", search associates offers the same assistance except they charge you out the rear end and sometimes have representatives or associates with very poor attitude and work ethic.

Another possible inquiry into potential jobs when job searching is asking if the school has AdvancEd Accreditation "AdvancEd" (American Non-Profit Accreditation Association). This is an organization that tries to categorize schools based on a full inspection of the school's growth plan, facilities and staff. It could be a good way of inquiring about how certain schools are ranked or categorized compared to other schools. It is very difficult information to get unless the school flat out tells you or hands you the report about it.

Things to consider and think about,

CB