Travel

September 2005

A Postcard from Shanghai

Ever thought of teaching abroad? After 34 years in Brockton, Massachusetts, classrooms, social studies teacher Peter Toomey kicked off his retirement by taking a new high school teaching job—in Shanghai, China. His report:

I’d thought about retirement for a while, but had mixed feelings. What would I do with myself?

I’ve had wanderlust my whole life, and had been to China twice before, so with the agreement of my wife Linda (who has two more years to go before retirement), I accepted a six-month teaching position in China.

China  is hungry for native English-speaking U.S. teachers. The economy is the fastest growing in the world, and the government has decided that students need to communicate well in English. I can’t help but be impressed by how fast China is changing, and how vigorous its people are. My colleagues are all young and full of energy.

I get a salary of $800 a month; not much by U.S. standards, but when you add in free room and board, it’s more than enough for me to enjoy life quite well.

My classes are a dream. Chinese students are very polite and appreciative. No discipline problems, and everyone does his or her homework. Class sizes can be high, but I teach three classes daily with no more than 12 students in a class. Classes are 40 minutes long. My current job is a lark compared to the rigors of a Brockton public school. I’ve never had it so good!

I teach world history to junior high students. I like them, and they like me. Kids are kids no matter where one is. They like to laugh and have fun. They like it when you make the material they are studying interesting.

I miss my wife and family, but because we can communicate daily via e-mail, somehow the distance doesn’t feel so great. Being surrounded by 17 million Chinese (the population of Shanghai ) doesn’t hurt either. If I get antsy or blue, I just hop on the subway into the heart of a dynamic city. The subway is supermodern, easy to use, and close to my school. I learned very quickly how to hail a cab and “subway” (“Ditee”). My Mandarin Chinese is very basic, and one can not get along in English (unlike in Europe ). But I have never let myself get beyond a situation that I couldn’t remedy by taking public transportation back to my school.

I don’t know where all of this—teaching in China —is heading, but it’s a nice feeling to be, maybe, starting something again. Why does retirement have to be an end? There are fabulous options in life after retirement. Charge!

Contact Toomey at dubide5@hotmail.com.

Quick Tips

Could teaching overseas be for you? Some tips to guide your search:

Ponder your reasons. You’ll be enjoying life in a different setting, but remember that other opportunities, such as study tours or extended hosteling, offer a similar payoff. Be sure you’re ready for the demands of teaching another time around.

Do your homework. Unfortunately, “teach abroad” scams are proliferating. Be especially skeptical of programs (often advertised on the Web) that require placement fees or use a post office box instead of a regular office address.

When in doubt, you may want to consider more established programs such as Peace Corps or Global Volunteers. Get community support. Some teaching jobs are unpaid or may even require you to pay a fee. But you need not come up with the money on your own. Many folks who volunteer raise money from local organizations such as civic clubs and churches to support their work overseas.

For a comprehensive guide to teaching and other volunteer opportunities abroad, see How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas (Penguin Publishing, $17). Or start at www.teachabroad.com.