A coworker wrote me after I left: “You’ll come to see that so many roads will appear before you and choices will have to be made.”
Couldn’t be more true. On Friday, barely a day after I got here, I interviewed at an English school. A friend of mine knew I was looking to tutor so she told me to get in touch with her friend. The interview was set up soon thereafter and I still had little idea what the school or the job was about. Way to be prepared, I know.
I took the train out to Yong-An Market Station. Walked for a bit, got semi-lost, then finally arrived at the Sunshine School. I talked to my friend’s friend and discussed my background. Everything seemed to be going alright… and then all of a sudden she asked me to give a mock lesson to one of the classes. I had 15 minutes to prepare. Oh shit.
I’ve never given a mock lesson before, and now I’m being asked to teach pronouns and plurals to some 4th graders?
Well I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for new experiences and I think I handled it fairly well. The kids were well past the level of material I was teaching, so that was a relief. It also made me reflect on the poorer emphasis on schooling back in the states.
Afterwards, my friend’s friend said she thought I would be a good fit because I’m young; from her experience the young ones tend to give a shit when it comes to the kids’ educations.
Alas came the kicker. They were looking for a long-term teacher, which meant 1 year or longer. I told them about my situation and how I can’t stay in Taiwan too long or else I might be shipped off to Kinmen. They actually laid out a way for me to avoid this and stay past 6 months: I would leave the country and come back with my US passport. Then they’d help me apply for an ARC which would spare me from the military. All they need is for me to sign on the dotted line…
One thing I promised myself when I got here is to be mindful of every opportunity I come across. This one was tempting as hell, but in my heart of hearts I believed the right choice was to pass it up. Life.
They seemed to understand and was even glad I was still willing to fill in as a sub while they looked for a teacher. In fact, just yesterday I taught my first class ever! It’s such a strange feeling. Everything went well, except I found out I crammed two lessons into one by mistake. But these kids are smart; I left very impressed, and worried about America’s future.
A rewarding experience indeed.
At the end of my coworker’s email, she added this: “Just go with your heart and see what’s around every new turn”
The Chronicles of Greg 