Introduction Blog Post

Aloha!

My name is Alexis Tam and I’m from Honolulu, Hawai’i. It’s August 4th, 2021 and big things are happening for me. I’ve been dreaming about this for years, and I’m so glad that the opportunity arose for me to turn it into a reality. As I write this I can’t help but reflect on how I got to where I am today. In 2019, I graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a degree in English. I knew after graduating that I wanted to pursue a career in teaching, however I wanted to do more than teach at a local school on my island. I wanted to be able to travel, as well as find a job that dealt with educating others in English. This is when I came across the idea of becoming a “traveling” teacher. By going abroad I could accomplish my goals of traveling to different countries, and earning money for it. Unfortunately, I had zero experience in teaching other than doing some tutoring at my university. I knew the first thing I had to do was gain some experience. 

Lucky for me, after graduating I was able to work at my local public middle school. In fact it was the same school I attended in my preteens. The position for becoming an Educational Assistant was the perfect opportunity to get my foot in the door on my journey to becoming a teacher, especially since  a lot of the students spoke English as a second language there. Through the guidance of my colleagues I was able to understand what it takes to run a classroom. The experience I gained from working at R.L Stevenson Middle School pushed me further in my hope to be an TEFL educator. 

A year and a half later, plus a TEFL certification through CIEE, and here we are. It’s crazy to think that I am writing this on my way to South Korea, and starting my adventure as a TEFL teacher. The reason I want to teach abroad is because I enjoy the English language, and I want to help others who want to learn it. Traveling to other places is just an added bonus. I’m glad I got this chance, and I’m excited for what’s to come. All the new experiences, the food, the culture! I know it will truly be beautiful and inspiring. Of course, I am also incredibly nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on my own like this, much less in an entirely different country, during a global pandemic. Who wouldn’t be nervous? I know I will be experiencing a lot of growth, through this first year in South Korea. My goal is to be able to adapt to my circumstances, and be the best TEFL teacher I can be. I have such incredible support from my family and friends, and I can’t thank them enough for pushing me to pursue my dreams! Sending them all my love! I will continue to update my experiences through this blog, both the good and bad. If you're interested in my journey then feel free to stick around. I’ll talk to you guys in the next one! Bye!

Xoxo,

Alexis