I'm originally from Canada. I have lived in Asia for 20 years. Having lived and worked in a few cultures and being comfortable with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, living overseas is the norm. I've taught English, English Literature, Performing Arts, Indonesian history, various software programs and writing classes in Canada, South Korea, Thailand, and China and in Indonesia since early 1996. I've taught in public and private schools, universities and boardrooms. I enjoy my work. I enjoy teaching. I enjoy working with teachers and with students. I began teaching while taking extra credit courses in high school. I was teaching art to children. It wasn't a paid position. They asked, and I did it. My teaching stint at Centennial worked out the same way. I was finishing the first of two post-graduate diplomas and the multimedia coordinator asked me to help out with a trade show. Okay, I said. Six months later I was organizing and planning shows for the college. This same coordinator asked me to substitute a software class. I said okay. For two years I substituted classes and learned how to be a teacher. I still share by first 'standup' teaching trauma with students. Software and writing classes are usually taught standing behind or sitting with the students. Suddenly I was expected to lecture. I dragged my only jacket out of the closet. It was tweed. Hey, I am a teacher. I was not satisfied that I have grasped the methodology I needed to do this job, so I took a teaching certificate. This eventually led to becoming a teacher-trainer.
I am a male.
I am married with children. I am employed. I am a Teacher,a corporate-trainer, and teacher-trainer.
I joined expat.com on 05 June 2014.
Pictures by duplez
I'm currently teaching at Zhenjiang First Foreign Language School.
Zhenjiang is a small city by local standards, with only about three million people. There are several restaurants and shopping malls. This is surrounded by scenic areas, historic sites, and some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Our nearest airport is in Nanjing, which is a nice city to visit. It's a 20-minute trip on the High-Speed train or a 90-minute trip on the Airport shuttle bus.
I was teaching at Mingde Experimental Bilingual High School. It was one of the nicest experiences I've had as a teacher. My colleagues and the students made me feel welcome and appreciated.
Shenzhen is a sprawling megapolis across the water from Hong Kong. It has a wide selection of cuisine, attractions, and places to see. Dapeng district was our little corner of Shenzhen. It felt more like a small town, which was nice for long walks and having a breath of fresh air. The view of the mountains was always inspiring.
It was a bit too far from the city proper on the rare occasion we cared to go there.
I was teaching, and training teachers online.
It's home
It's getting expensive
We were evacuated from Wuhan.
I was home.
Home didn't feel like home.
We were living there for two and a half years. Like too many people, Covid changed our lives. We were evacuated to Canada. Then, we returned to Indonesia for almost a year before making our way back to China in 2021.
A chance to experience China again.
Cold
Training Expat teachers TEFL Training with TEFL International
Beautiful city. Great restaurants, great for walking. Nightlife is available but not in your face.
All was good
Managing an English Language Course. Recruiting, hiring and training teachers(both local and foreign) Marketing. recruiting students(children and adults. Preparing and delivering Corporate language courses.
It was a challenging position and an exciting time for myself and my family
The hours were long, and I often spent seven days a week at the office
A good experience that I shared with my wife, daughter and granddaughter.
People,travel,food
A bit dirty. A few closed-minded individuals who made a small part of each week less enjoyable than it could have been.
I was teaching at EF English First
I was home.
Mosquitoes
Teacher-training
Teacher-training
Food,people,culture,history
traffic
I taught, I edited,I took pictures,I hiked and I socialized
People, food,scenery,culture
It was a difficult adjustment at first with very little time to de-pressurize