Reflections - Opportunity knocks for teachers — overseas

The opportunities for young graduates from college are immense. I recently had one of my grandchildren sign up to be a teacher in South Korea.

He graduated from college but could find no teaching jobs at the time except helping at the local schools in various jobs. He was not happy and while playing on the computer one day he found that teachers were needed in international areas to teach their children the English language.

He applied and was accepted in South Korea. He loves the job and the area and has worked there for two years. He also met an Irish girl who was working in the same school. They have been together for a year, and he brought her home on vacation to meet his family. Sounds serious. They have explored Malaysia, Burma, and other places. It is a wonderful job that is also teaching him about the rest of the world.

While at a party recently at the home of Pat and Dan Gates, I renewed my friendship with their children and discovered that Tabitha Gates was also teaching overseas in Cambodia. She told me about her attending college at Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash.

After graduating, she worked at various jobs in the area, including with preschool and after-school children. She eventually became program supervisor and later became camp director.

She loved it, but longed for more, so in 1996 she decided to go for her masters in education degree. She tried for jobs in all fields, but the schools were not hiring; rather, they were laying teachers off or asking them to retire early. So, she decided to look into the international field. Tabbitha had a friend doing missionary work in Cambodia, so she checked with her about jobs overseas.

The friend’s mother was still in Cambodia and had written the curriculum for a new school — and they were looking for teachers. Tabbi got the job and was off to Cambodia in June of 2008.

She has also been working with a program called Sparrow’s Nest, which works with street kids, at-risk and trafficked children. They provide a daycare where the kids can come and receive education, training, hygiene lessons, moral and safety lessons. She says she has been so blessed by this experience.

The world is filled with a need for our young teachers and they are very well paid for their efforts. I am so thrilled with the opportunities for young people who do international teaching. Congratulations. I do believe that most of this contact is made through the computer.