Ever wondered what it would be like to have the opportunity to go abroad? What would you want to do? Many people choose to spend a summer, a semester, or even a year studying abroad, while others opt to take time volunteering abroad. A few recent UVa Grads, Liz Baar, Lizzy DiMattia and Veronica Rivera, have decided to spend some time in Italy teaching English to international students. HerCampus talked with Liz Baar to ask her a few questions about her experience.
Can you tell us a little about what you’re doing, and how you found out about it?
I am working as an associate teacher in 5th grade at the international school of Trieste, Italy. I teach with another teacher in a classroom of 21 students. Our class (and the whole school) is mostly Italian students (we have 19 out of 21 in my class, and the school is about 85% Italian) ranging from K2 (early childhood – 2 year olds) to grade 13.
I found out about the school/job last fall when I was student teaching in the UK. I was traveling in Italy and just decided I wanted to live here, so I sent a bunch of emails to international schools in Italy, and my current boss responded and we started emailing and had a few Skype interviews.
What is the best part about teaching abroad?
Hmmmm, this is tough. The best part about the actual teaching and working at an international school is the students (it’s always all about the students isn’t it?). They are just all so diverse and completely different from a typical US student body. On top of their diversity, when I remember that they are almost ALL English language learners (almost all of the students speak a language other than English at home with their families), I am repeatedly astonished by their achievements.
Another one of my favorite parts of teaching abroad is being able to travel while doing a job that I love. Not many people have the opportunity to travel lots (especially not internationally) while they are working. But with teaching internationally, I get the best of both worlds. I don’t have to take time off to spend some time in Europe; I live here!
Have you traveled at all, or do you plan to travel while you’re there?
Yes, I’ve traveled a ton. I’ve always been a big traveler, and that was one of the main attractions for me in living and working abroad. Travel is really a part of my lifestyle. I mean even if it’s just going to Ljubljana (the capital city of Slovenia) for dinner one night, the fact that I can do that is amazing to me. Trieste is located in northeast Italy, 2 hours east of Venice and only a few miles from the Slovenian and Croatian boarders, so I’ve been exposed to eastern Europe a lot more than I had expected before arriving. I’ve tried to focus my travels on the areas close by Trieste as opposed to major western European cities just because: a) I’ve been to most major western European cities and b) it’s unique to be living so close to eastern Europe (there are hiking trails near my apartment that I could walk on to reach Slovenia within an hour) but to not be in it.
While I do travel a lot, I’ve also put a lot of effort into getting to know Trieste, where I live. I’ve found a favorite pizzeria, cafe, spot to sit and read in the city, etc. I’ve joined a gym, a capoeira group, signed up for a half marathon hosted in my city, and have put forth an effort to meeting people in the city outside of my school’s international “bubble.” Enjoying the city where you are actually living is crucial to being happy abroad — it’s not enough to just be close to cool places, you have to like the city for itself.
What would be your advice to someone who is thinking of working abroad?
Moving to another country and assimilating to another culture is definitely hard work, but if you’re flexible and not “stuck in your ways” in the US then it’s an amazing experience. I recommend it for anyone who can handle it — I think living internationally adds invaluably to a person by expanding his or her global knowledge. It just seems to help everyone to be more understanding of individual difference; it gives “diversity” an entire new meaning.
Another tip of advice is about traveling — even though traveling within Europe is more inexpensive already living in Europe than coming from the states, it’s still not always dirt-cheap. This year, I’ve been spending a lot of my savings from the states to fund my many travel adventures. I have friends who don’t have as much money saved up (or with the changing exchange rate, their savings aren’t going as far) and they aren’t able to travel as much as I am. So for someone who is coming abroad with a goal of frequent travel, it’s a good idea to have some fallback in the states.