The Great Debate

To sell out and teach somewhere to make a ton of money or not to sell out and teach somewhere to make a ton of money. THAT is the question.

We've come to a crossroads in our careers. Saddled with school loans, we're hardly a carefree couple who can work for beans. Having just started out (well, nearly two years out), we're beginning to see the way the world of teaching outside of the U.S. works. Asia offers plenty of jobs with a range of teaching salaries and expectations. Europe makes is darn near impossible for U.S. citizens to get into and teach and the pay is better but the cost of living makes it difficult to save. South America offers the experience of a lifetime but hardly enough money to survive. And then there's Africa. We know little of Africa because their job listings don't dominate the employment sites and teachers who've taught there don't comment much on job forums.

So, we ponder. Why did we get into this profession exactly? We're not lit or rhet majors. We're TESOL majors. We want to teach English to those who have different native languages. But now we'd like to become double threats and not just teach a language, but perhaps contribute to improving the lives of the suffering and needy. And make money all at the same time? Oy.

I'm writing this as an outlet to my frustration. Thanks pop culture and professional athletes for reminding me just how out-of-whack the world is. Why do teachers not receive million dollar paychecks again?? Should we put a price on education? Yes. Let's start at a thousand bucks an hour and go from there. Here's to all the educators out there who have made it their life's work to helping the improvement of developing minds!