TEFL Teaching as a Parent: Serena’s story
One winter Serena was feeling fed up with life. She decided to make a change and by March she was jetting off to Thailand with her young son.
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Introduction
Ever since I can remember, I have had an obsession with travel. From the airports to the smells when you get off the plane, the food, the culture and the people.
There was always a thought in my mind that I would one day load up a backpack, and I'd be off.
Why I chose TEFL
My adult life didn't start quite the way I imagined. As a single teenage mum at the tender age of 18 I had experienced more rock bottom moments than I care to remember and other than my beautiful son had very little to show for it.
In 2011 I had a particularly rough year and was at a low point. My dad, who was living in Thailand, could see I was struggling and suggested I took some time to see a bit of the world.
It was a crazy idea. I had a job, and my son Matthew who was then 9, was at school. It was impossible. Wasn't it?
In March 2012, Matthew and I returned from the trip of a lifetime. We had spent three months travelling Thailand, from Bangkok down to the Islands and back again, and it was unreal. All the money in the world could not buy the memories we made in those three months.
Once back in the UK, I couldn't shift the niggle of wanting more. I had experienced a whole new way of life, and I now knew that there was so much more on offer for Matthew and me than the mundane lives we were then living.
Whilst travelling Thailand, someone had put the idea in my head about going over there to teach English as a foreign language. Although I couldn't stop imagining how amazing this new life would be for us both, I refused to allow those feelings to settle for too long as it was a crazy idea way above my station, and so I tried hard to sink back into a routine.
Except I couldn't. I loved the idea of teaching English, and I knew I would be good at it.
How I became a TEFL teacher
I had £395.00 in my savings account, and I used all of it to book my 150-hour TEFL course. In December, I attended a two-day intensive classroom course. It blew my mind, and I finally knew I had found my people. From this point onwards, I didn't doubt my decision. I completed the course in January, booked my flights in February, and on March 8th 2013 I packed up our lives into two suitcases and with only £2k to my name. I pulled my big girl pants up and took a giant leap of faith.
It was Matthew and me against the world, and despite all odds, family concerns, and the occasional 'what the hell are you doing Serena' moments, I was finally doing it — living my life on purpose. I had nothing to lose, everything to gain and was so ready for the challenge.
Where I went and what I did
I quickly found a lovely little condo to rent, got myself a motorcycle and within days was making enquiries at all the local schools and meeting up with the people I had linked up with on socials.
After a week, I had been offered private 1-2-1 work at an English centre in the province as and when, and there was a full-time role if I was interested, but it was six days a week which wouldn't have worked with Matthew.In less than a month, I had landed a job at a local government school teaching primary aged children. I worked Monday to Friday teaching 11-14 hours a week. The kids were terrific, and it was so fulfilling seeing their progress with learning the language. They were as excited about their English classes as I was about teaching them.
Reflection and future plans
The entire experience was phenomenal. The job was great. The cost of living was low. I made friends, Matthew made friends, and rather than weekends away to Blackpool, our weekends away were scuba diving in Koh Tao or trips to Bangkok to get our western fixes; McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza.
When I had news from the UK that my Nan was very poorly and didn't have long left, I returned to the UK to say my goodbyes with the intention of going back to Thailand. The universe, however, had other ideas.
Soon after arriving home, I met someone. We fell in love, moved in together and later had a baby girl. I never made it back there to live, but I did take my daughter there for a month when she was 18 months old.
Living in Thailand made me realise many things. With the right mindset, faith in the universe, and a good dose of determination, anything is possible.
If you are reading this thinking you would love to do something like this, my one piece advice would be…
Once you decide to go with something, don’t give yourself too much time to think about what could go wrong. This experience has shown me that there is no such thing as failure. Only lessons. It depends on how much you’re willing to learn.
For all the kids out there, here is a note from my son Matthew in his own words:
“I loved every minute of my time in Thailand and it taught me everything I know about life. The lessons I learned over there were amazing. At first I was very nervous and upset leaving all my school friends and family but once I got over there and settled I never looked back. I would love to go back there as it was such a good experience in an amazing country.”
If my story resonates with you and you would like to chat some more, then let's connect. There is nothing I enjoy more than hearing peoples ambitions – the crazier, the better!
You can learn about me and my story by visiting my website.
You will find me here on Linkedin here.
And on Facebook and Instagram.Are you interested in taking a chance on a life in Thailand? Download our FREE Guide to Asia here.
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