My life as an ESL teacher in Shanghai, China

So spring of 2018 I was nearing graduation of college. My parents would tell me “get a job!” so I tried to decide what was the best route for me. At the time, I was taking Chinese classes for my minor and my mandarin teacher recommended that I should teach and I will do well because “I am beautiful” (her words not mine). I have never, ever thought of me as a teacher. I never seen myself going down that path, but after serious consideration I decided to do it. One of my dreams was to live in China after I fell in love with Shanghai after studying abroad in 2017. I applied to work at EF, one of the largest english teaching schools in the world. I was very excited to work with them, but after a few months and no help with the various documents from the government, EF called me and the girl very coldly told me “we are revoking your employment” and promptly hung up after she heard me sobbing. I had already bought my ticket so I was determined to get a job and move. I quickly googled “jobs in China” and it took me to an HR representative who contacted me about various jobs in China. As I ALMOST signed to work in another city, a job interview in Shanghai, my dream city, came up. After two rounds of interviews I got the job at American Eagle Institute! They were helpful about the move and more lenient about paperwork until I was there in the city. After that, I set off to move to China!

• 

After arriving in China, it was a surreal feeling. Everything moved so quickly, I got an apartment the next day, which wasn’t so great, then I started to learn how to teach. Again, I have never taught before in my life, so I had to quickly learn how. I had some help from these amazing coworkers, Alison and Megan, who gave me so much encouragement and tips on teaching. Learning very quickly was very challenging at first, but it became something that I really enjoyed. I fell in love with my kids and seeing the light in their eyes and the little hugs every day made all the hard days worth it.

• 

• 

• 

The day to day of being an ESL teacher in China was not so bad. I worked Wednesday through Sunday with weekdays being afternoon till evening time and weekends being all day. It was an easy schedule to adjust to and they teachers when I started were so great. We all helped and encouraged each other and bonded outside of work. The lessons were set in a manual that were were given and we just taught how we liked and added any crafts, activities, or games that we thought the kids would enjoy. I had a great time with teaching and after a few months, it became very easy to me.

• 

• 

So I was a teacher for 1.5 years before I decided to move back to the U.S. My reasons for moving weren’t entirely work or living abroad related. It was a mix of things like my friends were having kids/getting married, I was missing out with my family, and I was dating my now ex boyfriend who I missed. In fall of 2019 I felt lost after spending another birthday abroad and i started to want something more. I know my problem was that I set a goal of living in China, but I never sent another goal for myself to strive for. So after the new year or 2020, I decided to have my family come visit, and I will go back with them. Since I left, I realized how much I miss my children and I miss teaching. Unfortunately, my company lost employees and worked us to the bone, so the stress of too many students overshadowed how much I loved my students. Part of my wish I didn’t move, but its all a blessing in disguise as I decided to move, that was when the COVID-19 pandemic became worse in China and they soon closed flights after I left. I now am teaching students online and I still love it! I miss in-class teaching and I look forward to teaching again soon. If I learned anything from teaching is to always keep an open mind and an open heart. You never know how much you will love something until you give it a try. China will always have a special place in my heart and I will always miss all of those little smiles.

•