thinking out loud. virtually.

so it’s an almost definite thing that i’ll be starting to teach english at a buddhist university later this month. and it’s gonna be a regular part of my life. and i have no clue where to start. this is not the first time i’ve been asked to teach english, and it certainly won’t be the last.

i never realized before i came here how much people WANT to learn english or how much of a need there is for native speakers as language teachers. and the third thing i am realizing as i go is how many doors teaching english can open. i’ve taught english to christians who have no clue who Jesus Christ is. i’ve taught english in muslim boarding schools. i’m about to start teaching english to monks. i’ve taught english in homes, in schools, in churches, in mosques, in cities, in villages to preschool kids, elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids, university students, and adults. but the thing is that i really have very little concept of HOW to teach a foreign language.

i made it through 2 years of teaching high school spanish because i had textbooks and workbooks to go through with the students. but when i teach english here, i have absolutely nothing to work with. no starting point, no curriculum to follow, no manipulatives, no books, no way of evaluating or assessing.

and i need to learn how to teach english without those things. hence, i really want to get my TESOL. i am eager to do the work necessary to help me learn how to teach english as a foreign language. i can get it online, starting in january. but i have to be signed up by the end of this month. and to do that, i need $400.

so here’s the thing. i’m writing this here and sending out emails as well to say.... i can’t do this on my own. i don’t have 400 extra bucks laying around. i need some partners on this one. i don’t have all the logistics figured out, and i don’t need promises written in blood from anyone, but before i pursue this further, i need to stop and ask – are there people out there who are willing to support me in this?