Fraser Duff – My TEFL Journey

5 December 2012

After taking a year out from work in Scotland, I decided to pursue my goal of travelling around the world.

On my return I was weighing up my options which were go back to the old job in Scotland or try something different. I had heard of TEFL on my recent travels and decided to give it a go. The weekend TEFL course seemed appropriate for me and turned out to be a fantastic weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed and which was the gateway to opening new adventures on the horizon.

The adventure began when I headed for Normandy, France to start the summer season as an activity outdoor instructor. This was a fantastic experience and not your usual first job when seeking a TEFL position; however it still involved teaching and high levels of interaction with children from all ages.

This job made me realise how much I enjoy working in this environment and what benefits it can give to anyone seeking to change career. Not one day is the same, the feeling you receive when the day is over is of satisfaction; you have accomplished your goal for that specific day. It turned out to be an eye opener and was positive outcome.

Once the season had finished the backpack was back on more mature shoulders this time around. The plan of attack was to go on working holiday visa to Canada and New Zealand as these were two countries I had always wanted to experience. Vancouver was first stop along the way in this two year adventure and looking back now in all honesty it has been the best few years I have ever experienced. Obviously it had its high and lows, however one of the highs was teaching at a summer camp in Canada where I have spent the last three summers working.

My job role is to teach all aspects of fishing to the children who attend. This can involve taking out canoe/fishing trips from one day, to three or five day trips, or working at the camp location where I instruct 6 lessons per day. I also participate in other areas associated with working in North American camps.

It's definitely the highlight of my career so far and one I would never had imagined would happen if it wasn't for broadening my outlook and prospective in working overseas. TEFL had a major part in spurring me on.

Now that I have gained valuable experience working with children and adults in outdoor education, I have briefly returned to Scotland to brush up on TEFL and will be working on an online course whilst working in the UK as an activity instructor.

As for the future I will be attempting to juggle both jobs, but an ideal situation would be to teach TEFL around Europe, or further afield, and spend summer working in Canada. These are the current goals which I am working towards.

There are various options TEFL can bring to the table, which in my case have led to new cultures, a change in lifestyle and experiences I will never forget. I have been very fortunate to work with so many like-minded people and relished every minute. As I mentioned it's only just the beginning of an exciting career, there is so much variety out there working as a TEFL teacher and my plan is to discover them.

Read an article taken from an American newspaper with a focus on Fraser and his approach to his position as a camp counsellor.

Follow in Fraser's footsteps and take a TEFL course with us today!  You never know where it could take you ...