Feeling pressure in the classroom? Try teaching overseas!

Published on 10th October, 2016 by Anne Keeling. Published in For Candidates / TIC News / TIC Social

From London to Mexico, Adam's ready for the beach...and the jungle!

Adam Masheter, from Preston in the UK taught in central London for several years before taking a big leap across the Atlantic to work in a British school in Mexico. He is now teaching at Edron Academy, a through school for children aged from 2 to 18, working towards IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Here, Adam shares his experience of finding a teaching job overseas as Head of Science at Edron Academy in Mexico City, and describes life in the city:

“I knew I wanted to live overseas, working in a less pressured environment. So I chose to make the break, for a better quality of life. Moving to Mexico and teaching at Edron Academy gave me that opportunity.

Teaching life here is so different

I had no expectations but as it happened, the children were ever so lovely and easy. The job comes with a lot of teaching freedom! The workload is easier and I'm not bringing work home in the same way I was in London.

The mornings are cooler and in contrast the afternoons can be very hot. That means we have an earlier start and finish the day at 2.30pm.

And life outside school is fantastic

I am living in a private apartment with eight other Edron teachers in the same building. We’re near to the city centre and 30 minutes from the school. It's leafy, affluent and feels very cosmopolitan. There are lots of places to go out. We share taxis everywhere. The social life here is great.

I’ve a lot of free time to enjoy the cafes and culture, spend time at the beach and have even been to the jungle! There’s lots of choice. There's always something going on and people are always keen to go out together. You're never bored. I go home at Christmas and in the summer. I'm going to go back home via Colombia and tour Colombia for 2 weeks. Flights are cheap!

Teaching overseas – do it!

I would recommend teaching overseas, especially for those who are feeling stressed-out or overworked. I have a two year contract here, and then I'll make a decision to go back to the UK, or try another country such as Asia.

Advice if you’re ready for a change too

Based on his experience, Adam offers advice for those planning a change of location:

Pick up some of the language. It’ll be so useful and will help you to mix well with the locals.
Pace of life is slower so get used to planning for all the spare time you’ll have on your hands!

Edron Academy is a British international school in Mexico City, the only fully accredited COBIS school (Council of British International Schools) in Mexico City. Find out more about how TIC can help you find a job at Edron Academy on their school profile page.

You might also be interested in these informative articles:
Get ahead of the competition at the International Teaching Careers Day
Ten best cities for being a teacher in an international school
What happened when I swapped the UK for teaching overseas

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Anne Keeling

Anne handles the media relations for TIC. She researches and writes the articles that appear in the press and on websites about how TIC is supporting teachers and the international schools, and how teachers who have been placed by TIC are getting on with their international teaching experience. She has spent over 25 years in media relations.