I Moved Overseas Five Years Ago–Here’s How I Did It

Some Don’ts about Teaching In China

If you have a student on the spectrum in your class, don’t point it out to administration. I did, and lost my job. Instead, if you can possibly work one-on-one with this student, do so. I have had three students on the spectrum. I didn’t point out the third one, but it was obvious to others he related to things and people a bit differently.

Don’t mention Tiananmen, Taiwan, or Tibet. Also, be careful of the maps you use and ask if there are any maps the school would like you to use, especially depicting Asia.

Don’t Mention Religion

Don’t mention religion. If a textbook references religion, ask administration if it’s okay to talk about world religions and their importance. Don’t emphasize one religion over another. If they say skip that chapter, skip it.

Don’t organize a Halloween party or Christmas party without seeing if it’s okay first. Halloween seems to be celebrated more, but still ask. Same with Christmas. They might say a “winter party” is okay. Keep religion out of it, no matter how religious you are.

Ask about classroom curriculum policy. Some may not want you to show videos. Some may be okay with videos as homework.

Don’t Rely on the School’s Internet

Don’t rely on the school’s internet to work whenever you want it to. If showing videos, download them first so it won’t matter if the internet poops out. If you use the internet for a classroom activity, be sure to have a backup if the internet goes down.

As much as it hurts, don’t single out someone who is on the spectrum. Work with them frequently if you can. I was making progress with a student who was a disciplinary problem, but could concentrate for hours on an art project. However, just as I felt I was making a breakthrough, they promoted him to the next grade and I never worked with him after that.

Don’t get too attached to your students.

Physical and Mental Handicapped Individuals are seen as Shameful

Don’t get too involved with a student. The culture is different here. A student with a learning disability or who is physically/mentally handicapped is seen as shameful. It could be interpreted as being punished for the sins of an ancestor. No, I’m not joking. Check it out here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ921178.pdf. Or go to the U.S. Department of Education and search for “The Invisibles.”

Some kids are being abused at home. You can’t really do anything except be there for the student. That’s probably the hardest part about teaching here. One of my current students either IS or WAS a cutter. I’ve seen the marks on her arms.

Live Pets are a Bad Idea

Don’t spend a lot on equipment/supplies for your classroom. Live pets are a bad idea. Sometimes, they are looked at as toys, and the children play with them accordingly. Get battery-operated pets/insects if you don’t want any dead/abused animals in your classroom. This is not my own personal experience, but a former colleague’s experience.

Don’t bring anything special into your classroom and expect the students to treat it with respect. Also, prepare for your room to be “cleaned” at any moment and all of your materials, school-purchased, and personally purchased, to vanish.

Don’t Get Too Attached to Expats, Co-workers, or the Bottle

Don’t get too attached to expats. Or your co-workers.

Don’t start drinking. It’s very easy to get bored and lonely and pick up the bottle. An occasional drink is fine, but foreign teachers have a rep for being alcoholics.

Don’t be offended if they ask you if you are married and have kids. That’s a big deal here. Family is big here.

Late to the party? Part one here: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/10/thinking-of-leaving-the-u-s-this-is-how-i-did-it/

Part two here: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/11/i-moved-overseas-years-ago-heres-how-i-did-it/

I Moved Overseas Years Ago–Here’s How I Did It

Today’s topic is some teaching “dos” if you decide to head overseas to teach.

Teaching and Living in China—How to Prepare

Avoid Selling Your House

Dos:

Have at least enough airfare saved to buy a return ticket if you decide you absolutely can’t do it, or if things get bad in a hurry. Make sure you can access that money.

If you are a homeowner, have someone reliable check on your house, or put your belongings in storage and rent it out. There are property management places that can help with this. I have a wonderful friend who helped me when plans A and B fell through. Avoid selling your house, because you never know.

Get a prescription list and letter from your physician so you can get meds. Try to take a six month supply initially, then see if you can get meds through a doctor in China. Some meds are OTC. Some aren’t.

No Plus-Size Sections

If possible, visit the country you plan to teach in. This wasn’t an option for me.

Take plenty of clothes. Asians are nowhere as big as the average American. And even stores like H&M and Uniqlo don’t have plus-size sections. You’ll be lucky if you can find an XL.

Take plenty of OTC drugs with you. They have tons of pharmacies here, but the medicine seems very weak. It works, but it takes a while.

Even if you are an experienced teacher, there’s a good chance your teaching methods won’t be appreciated in China. When in doubt, ask. Videos may or may not be allowed. And remember, in private schools, parents run the show. You can be fired for the color of your skin, and for not using enough pictures in class.

Find an Attorney and Get on WeChat

Kahoot is a fun way to either lead a lesson, or review for a test/quiz. Consider having small prizes for the top finishers after a Kahoot session.

Find an attorney, either in the town you teach in or on a WeChat group. Foreigners are taken advantage of here.

Get a Chinese phone right away. I tried to use my American phone. It didn’t work.

Get on Wechat. It’s probably the most useful App you’ll have.

Have enough money to live on for a month or two. Workers are paid monthly in China. Most schools I’ve worked at pay on time, but recently I had to wait two months to get paid.

Positive things on Progress Reports

Get a VPN and have it installed preferably before you leave China. I highly recommend Astrill.

If you are invited anywhere, say for a dinner or some sort of program, you will probably be asked to give a speech.

Say positive things on progress reports.

If you go somewhere with a group of people, one person will pay for everyone else. Be sure to reimburse your host for your share.

Participate, even if things or the event seem weird. If you value your “alone time” don’t make a big deal out of it.

Mental Illness IS here: Hello Depression and Anxiety

Keep quiet about any disabilities you might have, especially mental illness. Things are different here culturally. Mental illness IS here. People, especially the older ones, aren’t as vocal about it, but my students are more likely to say they struggle with depression or anxiety.

Lose some weight or get into better shape before going. China is a land of steps, both big and small. And there is a good chance you will have to walk at least five minutes to get to your classroom from the school gate. I’ve lost 40 pounds in five years without really dedicating myself to a weight loss program. Food poisoning, and walking to bus stops twice a day, unfamiliar food, a fear of eating, a hot climate and urban exploration has melted me away. But that’s not a bad thing.

Hygiene in China

Take soap with you. Either keep it in a small jar in your handbag, or if you’re a guy, cut a few slivers of bar soap and stick them in your wallet. Hygiene in China is not like the United States.

Carry toilet paper with you. Not all restrooms have it.

Baopals.com is a great website to get the stuff you are craving, but can’t find in the stores here. You want cocktail sauce for your shrimp? Go to Baopals. I had to mix wasabi paste and ketchup for months for makeshift cocktail sauce before I found out about Baopals.

Administration Won’t Back You Up

Do tie in your discipline policy into your grades. You can call it “classroom participation.” Outline your expectations and go over them on day one. If students violate the rules, tell the student privately, then deduct points from their classroom participation score. As in the U.S., don’t be surprised if administration won’t back you up if there is a problem.

Late to the party? Here’s part one: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/10/thinking-of-leaving-the-u-s-this-is-how-i-did-it/

Check out my YouTube Channel: Nowaylaowai

What the Fuck Foods: A series of videos about unusual foods

The chicken feet one:

Trump’s sticky balls:

Melania knows what they taste like, and so do I: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ihP9VsgVU&t=1s

Translation is Tricky: A friend of mine and I struggle through our Chinese lesson:

Thinking of Leaving the U.S.? This is How I Did It

Here’s How I Did It

So the U.S. Presidential elections happened a few days ago and some people are worried. They want to get out of the country. I got out years ago. Here’s how I did it.

Fed up with the lack of job opportunities, I put a résumé up on Dave’s ESL Café. It’s a well-known website that has lots of job opportunities if you want to teach English overseas. Bear in mind I did this about six and a half years ago. It took me about a year to get to China.

So within 24 hours of uploading my résumé, I got six emails. Twenty-four hours later, I got six more. And so on. It was nice to know my skills were needed.

Considering Teaching Overseas? Have This

I was pretty much offered a job straight away, but stubborn me wanted to give the job search a few more months. After a disastrous “training” week with a call center, I walked out knowing I would flunk and contacted the school. I was ready. What did I need? If you’re considering teaching overseas, you should have this:

A four-year degree in ANYTHING.

Native English-speaking skills

Clean criminal record

Drug-free

A 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate. (You can study for these online.)

The ability to adapt

A lot of paperwork, as it turns out. However, the guy I spoke with was also American, and he walked me through the process. I wanted a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate. You can get certification for a lesser amount of hours, but I encourage you to get the 120-hour one. I think it took me around two months to complete it. Some schools definitely require it. And the more certifications/subject area skills you have, the better. The better schools will require a teaching license. There are openings for STEM subjects, and some humanities as well. However, kindergartens offer the best chances for work. Start there, and then see what else is available.

No Teaching License Needed to Teach in China

You do NOT need a teaching license to teach in China.

I applied for a passport on September 1, 2018. It will take about a month to get, unless there’s a sudden surge for passports. If you want it faster, you can pay a fee.

I had to apply for a Chinese visa, as well. The school had to write a letter on my behalf saying I was going to come and teach at their school. Once that was ready, I had to take my newly minted passport to the Chinese consulate in Chicago, to apply for my visa. It only took a few days, and I went back the following week in bitter cold weather to pick it up.

I Used VisaRite…

I also needed a criminal background check from the FBI. You’ll need to either take your own fingerprints, or see if the local police department will take them for you. You need to send them off and get your report back. Once the FBI gets your fingerprints, it can take around three to five days to run a report. They will send it electronically and you can also opt for a paper version, which I strongly suggest.

You also need to get notarized copies of your college degrees notarized from the school where you went. You’ll also need to send them to the state in order to get them re-notarized. Then, the Chinese consulate has to notarize them too. Once everything is notarized, take the originals with you. Also make a bunch of copies of the notarized originals, just in case.

I used a company called VisaRite to send my documents to, so the Chinese consulate could do their thing. Be sure to set at least $600 aside for a passport, document copies, document processing, fingerprints and the background check. Prices may vary depending on how fast you want things done. Prices may have gone up since six and a half years ago.

Get a Passport

I was very, very poor at the time, so I had to do everything as I had the money. If you already have a valid passport, it might not take as long. Bear in mind that the TEFL/TESOL certificate will have to be notarized by the issuing institution too. That was literally the last thing I was waiting for when the school that hired me sent me an email asking me if I could come by Feburary 27, 2019. I was in the process of sending the email saying I was just waiting on the notarized certificate when I heard a knock on my door. It was FedEx with the paperwork. I sent the school an email immediately saying I had everything.

From starting the paperwork to the finish, I want to say it was at least five months.

I finally arrived in China about 12:45 local time, Feburary 28, 2019.

A Sick Saga, Part Two

Cloudy Bubbles, In the pool…

The pool was a bit cloudy.

I noticed this because years ago I was lucky enough to find goggles that were like reading glasses. I remember putting them on, then gazing around in wonder because everything WAS CLEAR. It was like I had prescription ground goggles! I also have nose clips and ear plugs because I also taught myself (via Youtube) to do a flip turn (a.k.a. a tumble turn, depending what part of the world you are from.) It’s easier to see where you are going without your eyes closed, so I bought the gear and swimming has been great with those little items.

Dirty (Chinese) Pool

But I was a little nervous. A cloudy pool isn’t a good thing. The last time I swam in a cloudy pool, I got sick. Pools in China have a nasty habit of not being clean. The outdoor pools are worse than the indoor pools. And that’s why I avoided the pool in my apartment complex this year. I would have loved to lay out in the sun then jump in when things got too hot, but I ended up shitting water for a couple weeks. I went to the doctor at the expat clinic, who suspected the outdoor pool, not my homemade veggie juice, was the culprit. I immediately quit both and felt better.

Don’t Forget to Vote!

Hey! I’ve got a YouTube channel and I comment on food! Check out my latest “What the Fuck” foods videos here. I review Limited Edition Oreo Coke and a snack called “Trump.” I kid you not.

Also, don’t forget to vote, even if it seems like a futile exercise.

Trump’s sticky balls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7ihP9VsgVU

Chicken feet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwU7vwVuSt8

Oreo Coke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afAorK3ZV8A&t=2s

Late to the party? Click the link below for the beginning of the story.

A Sick Saga, Part One

A Sick Saga, Part One

I’m No Riley Gaines, but…

One thing I’ve noticed about myself is that I can keep it together just long enough until the crisis has passed. For example, I noticed that I can keep going at my job and not take any sick time until the next weekend/vacation day/extended holiday rolls around. We don’t have substitutes in China. No one seems to step in. If you are sick, your co-workers pick up the slack.

I try NOT to get sick. But sometimes it happens. When it does, I’m usually lucky. I hold on until an extended vacation comes up, then I can collapse without being a burden on anyone.

But not this summer.

After the stay visa crisis, within hours of finding out I didn’t have to go to Thailand, I decided to treat myself to a swim. I love swimming, and someday I WILL have a pool in my backyard at home. I don’t care if it’s a tiny eight foot by six foot rectangle, I AM having a pool. I’m no Riley Gaines, but I love how I feel after I swim. In the meantime, I went to the resort where I had a swim membership. I did my usual 24 length of the pool (it’s a 25 meter pool) when I noticed something.

Part 2 next week!

Worst Week in China, the Final Chapter

Deep Breaths

I made my way through the packed waiting room to a quiet area near a wall. I got down on the floor and used my handbag as a pillow. I laid down flat on my back and took deep breaths for five minutes.

In the Country, Legally

They were working on my permit. I could be in the country legally. No need to fly to Thailand.

I decided I would go swimming that evening. I needed to wear myself out with a good swim.

I jumped into a cloudy pool and did my 24 lengths of the pool. It was only when I was ready to leave that I really took a look at the pool through my goggles.

It was really cloudy.

A couple days later, I caught a stubborn cold that lasted for weeks. Was it the pool? Or something going around Xiamen?

Limited Editon Oreo Coke: Yay or Nay?

Hey! I have a Youtube channel and occasionally, I review foods/drinks that make me say, “What the Fuck?” This time, I review Limited Edition Oreo Coke. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afAorK3ZV8A&t=1s

Worst Week in China, Part Six

Chinese Stay Permit

I slumped down a convenient wall, 10 feet in back of the chair I’d occupied just minutes before and waited. After just a few minutes, one of the women who had previously helped me caught my eye and beckoned. Thank. You. God. I scrambled to my feet and handed over the paperwork and my passport. They handed me back a printed form with the wretched picture and I saw my stay permit would be worked on and be ready in a week. The printed form was my receipt, should I happen to need my passport for any reason. It would show I could be in the country legally; the entry/exit bureau was working on something I needed.

After I got the form, I couldn’t believe it was over. The clerks sent me on my way.

I Miss You, Mom

Can’t believe it’s been twenty years.

Some things have changed but it seems like some things stay the same.

Worst Week In China Part 5

A Lost Work Permit?

I also wondered how they would get the work permit to me. They said they’d mail it, but why were they okay with mailing such an important document, but NOT okay about mailing a work contract? They could print out another work contract if it got lost. A lost work permit, on the other hand, might mean a delay of minutes or weeks. And WHERE exactly would they send it? A well-known hotel? The main post office in Bangkok?

That weekend, I resigned myself to my fate. A smiling photo I posted to Facebook didn’t reveal anything about what I was going through.

Not surprisingly, I had trouble sleeping.

WeChat Brings Good News!

Monday morning, I picked up WeChat to scroll through my messages. I found one from one of the company’s office administrators who was supposedly on holiday. They had the form filled out, stamped, plus the letter I needed.

I hauled ass to the school. I picked up the precious documents, profusely thanked the staffer, and set off to get some pizza. I knew the entry/exit bureau took a three-hour lunch, and had time to get lunch.

Flight to Thailand

After getting lost, I took a Didi to the entry/exit bureau. Frazzled, I completely forgot I should have gone to the third floor to get my photo taken instead of heading to the second floor. Once my turn came at the window, I showed them my documents, but was told I had to get a photo. Inwardly groaning, I went to the third floor. I came back down and got another number. I was now number 52074. They were on number 52056. It was around 4 p.m. At an average of seven minutes per customer, I’d be cutting it very close to get in on time. But I remembered that the following morning was Tuesday. I still had the entirety of Tuesday and all day Wednesday to get the paperwork in. But for some reason, I thought I had to get the paperwork turned in that Monday. My flight to Thailand was leaving in 16 hours.

Wondering what’s going on? Read parts 1-4 here:

Also, I made another WTF Foods video! How does Limited Edition Oreo Coke taste? Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afAorK3ZV8A

Worst Week in China Explained, Part 1 of Several

Worst Week in China Part 2

Worst Week in China, Part 3

Worst Week in China, Part 4

Worst Week in China, Part 5

Residence Permit, Work Permit, Permits Schmermits

That weekend, I resigned myself to my fate. A smiling photo I posted to Facebook didn’t reveal anything about what I was going through. Was my time in China finished?

Not surprisingly, I had trouble sleeping.

I slumped down a convenient wall, 10 feet in back of the chair I’d occupied just minutes before and waited.

Late to the party?

Read part 1 here

Read part 2 here

Read part 3 here

Read part 4 here